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Jim Mora Jr. Fired


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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (Jan. 1, 2007) -- Atlanta fired coach Jim Mora on Monday, just two years after he led the Falcons to the NFC Championship Game.

The decision to dump the fiery coach followed two straight disappointing seasons. The Falcons lost six of their final eight games in 2005 to miss the playoffs, and they finished 7-9 this season by losing seven of the last nine contests.

Owner Arthur Blank made the announcement at the team's suburban training complex.

Atlanta went into the final weekend with a slim chance to slip into the playoffs with a .500 record. That ended Saturday night when the New York Giants won at Washington; the Falcons closed the season Sunday with a meaningless 24-17 loss at Philadelphia.

Mora's final game was in the same stadium where the Falcons lost to the Eagles for the NFC championship at the end of the 2004 season, coming up one victory short of the Super Bowl.

The 45-year-old Mora, son of longtime NFL coach Jim Mora, went 26-22 in three seasons as Atlanta's coach.

A former defensive coordinator in San Francisco, the younger Mora led the Falcons to the NFC South title in his rookie season. The team slumped to 8-8 a year ago, then endured his first losing record.

"This was an extremely difficult decision for us," Blank said in a statement before holding a news conference to announce the decision. "We had the highest hopes and aspirations for a long run with Jim as our coach, but we feel this decision is in the best long-term interests of our franchise. I have great respect for Jim's passion for the game, and we wish Jim and his family all of the best."

Mora had two years left on his contract, which was extended before this season. He could not immediately be reached for comment; a message was left on his cell phone.

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More didn't hwelp himself, but...

From the beginning putting Vick in a WCO-type offense was stupidity. Either he should've bagged Vick and gone with Schaub or given up his scheme.There really isn't any in-between. They keep changing and adding parts around Vick and it never gets better. Now that he's won this power struggle, they'll never be able to get him in the film room doing the work he doesn't do now. Now no coach can come in and tell Vick anything.

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More didn't hwelp himself, but...

From the beginning putting Vick in a WCO-type offense was stupidity. Either he should've bagged Vick and gone with Schaub or given up his scheme.There really isn't any in-between. They keep changing and adding parts around Vick and it never gets better. Now that he's won this power struggle, they'll never be able to get him in the film room doing the work he doesn't do now. Now no coach can come in and tell Vick anything.

Sounds like a job for Denny "They Are Who We Thought They Are" Green.

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More didn't hwelp himself, but...

From the beginning putting Vick in a WCO-type offense was stupidity. Either he should've bagged Vick and gone with Schaub or given up his scheme.There really isn't any in-between. They keep changing and adding parts around Vick and it never gets better. Now that he's won this power struggle, they'll never be able to get him in the film room doing the work he doesn't do now. Now no coach can come in and tell Vick anything.

Those are some great points Bugg. It is hard to say what the answer in Atlanta should be so long as Vick is the QB and seemingly untouchable.

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How this guy ever got a HC gig in the first place is beyond me. His defenses in San Fran were never anything to write home about, his D didnt show up in the 2002 Giant playoff game, didnt coach under any notable HCs like Mangini. Yea yea he made the NFC title game in a putrid NFC where all he had to do was beat lousy Rams team at home.

He probably went into that interview with a good personality, promised Blank that he could turn Vick into a more athletic Steve Young and he got the gig. I always thought Mora was a reach hire by the Falcons.

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It's going to take a coach with "balls the size of casaba melons"(anyone know where that quote comes from?) to do what needs to be done down there-which is start Matt Schaub and make Michael Vick into a hybrid type QB-RB-WR Slash-type player,because he is NOT an NFL caliber quarterback.Imagine what young Schott could do with him.........

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It's going to take a coach with "balls the size of casaba melons"(anyone know where that quote comes from?) to do what needs to be done down there-which is start Matt Schaub and make Michael Vick into a hybrid type QB-RB-WR Slash-type player,because he is NOT an NFL caliber quarterback.Imagine what young Schott could do with him.........

This has to be a really tough job for any coach with a shred of diginity to take. The owner just allowed the QB to dictate to the coach. Once you allow the inmates to run the asylum, no matter how stupid or destructive Mora was, what's left?

Vick doesn't watch tape; he doesn't know or care about the playbook.He'll show up and do what ever he wants. No point to calling plays when his 1st choice is to run it after 1 or 2 checkoffs. No mpoint to whining about new receievers; Vick doesn't even check past 1 or 2. And he won out over Mora.The next coach is not running the show. In fact, as per Jason Whitlock's numerous columns on Vick, the media and public in Atlanta have indulged Vick like a 6-year-old in a candy factory. What ever plan a new coach puts in place, Vick will continue to do what ever he wants, and Blank has his back 100%.

People have compared Vince Young to Vick,and I think it's real disservice to Young. Young's listened, done all that film and playbook work Vcik doesn't do and done everything Chow and Fisher asked . And he's also physically superior to Vick in almost every way as a QB. Vick does what ever he wants. And that will not work, whether Jim Mora Jr. (that name always sounds to me like a bad 1970s game show host)or whom ever is the HC.

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Whomever compares Young to Vick knows nothing about football. Young is a natural born leader (VIck is not) and Young is working his arse off at becoming a passer in the NFL. Young will go down as a more athletic Steve McNair. Vick will go down as a dumber Randall Cunningham.

At the end of the day, dont feel too bad about Vick getting Mora fired. Mora defended Vick all the time and ridiculed those who criticized Vick. He never once thought at making a change at QB.

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Whomever compares Young to Vick knows nothing about football. Young is a natural born leader (VIck is not) and Young is working his arse off at becoming a passer in the NFL. Young will go down as a more athletic Steve McNair. Vick will go down as a dumber Randall Cunningham.

At the end of the day, dont feel too bad about Vick getting Mora fired. Mora defended Vick all the time and ridiculed those who criticized Vick. He never once thought at making a change at QB.

Also,Norm Chow had the wisdom to design his playbook to Vince Young's strengths...don't try and make him into something he's not-essentially let him do what he did at Texas in The Volunteer State.He saved Fisher's job.

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Vick didnt take Mora down. Mora went down with Vick. Remember, Mora defended Vick at all costs. Always talked about what Vick could do and dismissed what VICK couldnt do. Lets not shed any tears for Mora. Its not like he wanted to make a change but was handcuffed with him.

He was going to sink or swim with VIck. He sank. O well.

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Yea, and Fisher had no input on devising gameplans for Vince YOung. He is the HC afterall. Fisher is an excellent head coach. Lets not act like he had no success prior to this season..

yea I know how good Fisher has been in Tenny-he took them a yard away from a world championship,but this year he was about to be fired-that's what the scuttlebutt was when they were like 1-7

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yea I know how good Fisher has been in Tenny-he took them a yard away from a world championship,but this year he was about to be fired-that's what the scuttlebutt was when they were like 1-7

errrr just deleted my other post above. I agree, Young's play energized the team and helped state a case for Fisher to stay. I also though Fisher did a fantastic job of coaching down the stretch. Some felt Young wouldnt be ready to start until year three, here he was in year one and he looked pretty darn good.

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Vick said it was the coach's fault for not giving him the right plays. The receivers were lucky to get their hands close to his passes. Vick cried dropped balls and some were but most of the time it was his passing. Plus he is not the speed demon he once was.

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He was going to sink or swim with VIck. He sinked. O well.

Every HC of the Falcons will have to sink or swin with Vick. The 1 thing the ATL FO isn't telling these HC's is that Mike Vick weighs about 5 tons and you can't swim with 5 tons on your back.

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Vick said it was the coach's fault for not giving him the right plays. The receivers were lucky to get their hands close to his passes. Vick cried dropped balls and some were but most of the time it was his passing. Plus he is not the speed demon he once was.

Some clown on the NFL network was crying about the "pieces around him". Please! That's a joke. the keep bringing in FAs and draft picks and the constant is Vick. It's not a coincidence.

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The Falcons receivers had about two really bad games this year and the media blew it up to seem as if it were a season long problem that sabotaged Vick. Please, its ridiculous. The Falcons did everything they could for Vick. They thought the WCO offense could turn him into a modern day Steve Young so they brought in Mora with that system. THey went out and got him a dominant running game so he can consistently be in 2nd and 3rd and medium range yards, when Vick complained that he couldnt read offenses out of a straight drop back the Falcons put him in the shot gun. Its one excuse after the other.

The Falcons just have to come to terms that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a ducks then just maybe its a friggin duck.

Vick sucks.

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