Mangini Cries Foul

November 23, 2009 · Paul Raymond · Jump to comments

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What a surprise, Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini is crying foul after his team loss to the Detroit Lions. Mangini claims that the Lions faked injuries throughout the game to slow down his teams no huddle offense. Could that be the case? Yea, I’m sure teams have done this in the past but Mangini took his doubts to a whole new level.

Asked if he was accusing Lions coach Jim Schwartz, his old colleague from their Cleveland days, of faking injuries, Mangini said, “I’m just saying there were a lot of them.”

He was asked if it would be particularly disturbing for someone he’s known so long to bend the rules like that. “There was no penalty,” said Mangoini. “Maybe all of those e guys were legitimately injured. I haven’t talked to him about it.”

-courtesy of the Cleveland Plains Dealer

What Mangini fails to notice is that the Lions came into that game with quite a bit of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Four of their starters were on the teams weekly injury report.

I think Mangini is looking for a scapegoat. He needs someone to blame since his defense couldn’t hold a big lead. He finally got his offense to perform at its expected level and the Lions figured out his game plan quickly and did just enough to slow it down. Just enough to keep themselves in the game for the offense to win it.

I think Mangini needs to blame his own players and himself. He let his team get lazy after taking an early 24-3 and it was his team who couldn’t respond after the Lions woke up.

Mangini is a bitter man after another embarrassing loss. The last quote really shows what his true opinion about the Lions faking injuries. He was asked would he ever use injuries to slow a no huddle offense.

“I haven’t been in that situation,” Mangini said. “(I’d prefer) to do it through our preparation and things like that.”

It’s more sour grapes from a coach that is quickly realizing he isn’t the genius many thought he was.

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