It's called Black Monday in the NFL for a reason. More than 12 percent of the league lost head coaches Monday, and there could have been a few more.
Still, there was the inevitable feel that the teams that lost the most had to make changes to engineer chances to win. It's the ebb and flow of sports. Losing too much can trigger change for the better -- ask the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who now get the first pick in the draft, or any of the NBA lower third that embraces the tank more than Sherman -- be it through new talent or new leadership.
The debate between winners and losers this weekend on the final NFL Sunday of the regular season looked stark and staggering. With three games that decided champions in the NFL's eight divisions, the schedule makers looked to be a certain winner, regardless of where they pick in next spring's draft.
Let's find some more.
Weekend winners
Michigan football. The Wolverines got a home run hire in Jim Harbaugh, making Michigan again a player in the national college landscape inside of 12 months. He is a bona fide program changer. He made Stanford relevant and made the 49ers matter again, two feats that seemed at best implausible before he arrived.
J.J. Watt. Dude is a stud. In a league driven and dominated by quarterbacks, the former walk-on tight end has become a key player in the NFL MVP discussion as a defensive end on a team that failed to make the playoffs. That screams to his overwhelming dominance in a year in which he had more than 20 sacks and more than 30 points scored. Yes, you read that right.
Carolina Panthers. It was a you-win-and-you're-in game Sunday at the Georgia Dome, and they won. And in truth, they are a tough matchup because despite their 7-8-1 record, they are healthier right now than they have been all year. Plus, the Panthers dominated a Falcons team that was (a) playing well, (b) playing at home and (c) playing for their coach's future.
Weekend losers
Johnny Football. Dear Lord, son. Look, as George said in "Hoosiers" in the Hickory gym, "Look, mister, there's ... two kinds of dumb, uh ... guy that gets naked and runs out in the snow and barks at the moon, and, uh, guy who does the same thing in my living room. First one don't matter; the second one you're kind of forced to deal with." The Browns are now forced to deal with this. Pronto. Somewhere Tim Tebow has to be asking, "I got run from the league because of a bad delivery, and this clown gets chance after chance." Manziel is officially the Bizarro Tebow, and the only things they likely will share are a Heisman ballot and an NFL career that won't last four seasons.
The Atlanta Falcons. Mike Smith, please report to the white courtesy phone and leave your keys on your desk. Smith got the ax early Monday morning, which comes as no surprise since there were reports last weekend that the brass had contacted a search firm. Smith's distant look in the few meaningful moments of Sunday's blasting against Carolina screamed volumes.
Tennessee Titans. Even when they lose they can't be good at losing, and now the Titans have the No. 2 overall pick and will be staring right into the Jameis Winston abyss.
San Francisco front office. OK, you wanted Harbaugh out, now you got it.
Black Monday indeed.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.