Did Mariucci actually deserve the blame? He deserves some, but not full blame. The fact is, it was his responsibility to get those guys ready to play each week. He failed. He was to utilize the talent that was given to him and enhance it. He failed. We can talk about how good of a coach Mariucci is, and all of that, but the bottom line is, that team is too talented to be in the doldrums that they are. The axe had to fall on someone, and as long as the Fords allowed Matt Millen to make the decisions, it was going to fall on Mariucci's neck, and not his own.
Maybe Mariucci and Millen stuck with Harrington way too long. I don't think so, because there were times where Harrington showed he could be a competent quarterback. Thanksgiving wasn't one of those days, but still, he's showed some promise at times.
On Monday, Garcia and Bly both called out Harrington and blamed him for Marriucci's firing. That's unfair to Harrington, because there's definitely more that's wrong with that team other than the passing game. Where's the running game? They've never found a suitable replacement to Barry Sanders. Where's the offensive line? Harrington's been sacked 22 times so far this season; sacked 36 times last season. And while Bly has been an All-Pro cornerback, his boys on defense hasn't been carrying their share of the load either.
It seems as if Mariucci's firing actually placed the Lions in more chaos than it helped. It's one thing for Terrell Owens to blast his team; after all, that's expected of him. But when Jeff Garcia does it, something is really wrong with that team, and there is little to no respect or confidence for Matt Millen. Dick Jauron, the interim coach, definitely has his hands full this weekend.