Black Monday extended for a few days for coaches and general managers of disappointing NFL teams to lose their jobs. Several of the openings are listed among the powerless part of our weekly NFL power poll.
The turnover in Cleveland is unprecedented. In the five years of Jimmy Haslam's ownership, he now is looking for his fourth coach and his fourth general manager. The Browns' futility in the front office points us to the importance of connections and continuity in sports.
To that end, off the field there is no bigger importance on connection than between an NFL general manager and his coach, and vice versa since in a lot of places - such as Atlanta and New England - the coach swings the bigger stick.
Talent rules the NBA. A modern-day baseball manager is growing more and more insignificant with each passing analytical year, and the GM's worth is growing at an inversely proportional rate. Hockey? A reliable kitchen timer could make line changes, and how hard is it to say, "Hey, Crosby, go score a goal"?
But in the NFL, with meshing systems and talent and the growing importance of scouting since the draft is the lifeblood of every good franchise, connection between head coach and GM can't be overstated.
Power five (with odds to win the Super Bowl)
1. New England (9-to-2). Yes, Carolina has a better record and Arizona has a better roster. But heading into the playoffs with the four-ring-wearing Belichick-and-Brady tandem has to count for something. Plus, with a bye this week, the Patriots are expecting Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola back, and added with Rob Gronkowski running through the middle of the field and Tom Brady pulling the trigger, look out. The last time four white dudes had the potential to create this much havoc, the Beatles were going on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
2. Arizona (9-2). Yes, the Cardinals were housed by Seattle in Week 17. They would have to go to Carolina, if the seeds hold, for the NFC title game. But the Cardinals are built for success in today's NFL by (a) throwing the ball deep and forcing defenses to cover the length of the field, (b) defending at an elite level with a top-three secondary, (c) rushing the passer with four and (d) having a trustworthy coach-quarterback tandem of their own in Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer.
3. Carolina (5-1). We believe the Panthers' Cam Newton has been the MVP and Luke Kuechly has been the defensive player of the year (yes, J.J. Watt may win it, but whatever), and you can make an argument Ron Rivera has been the coach of the year. Hardware is nice, but the playoffs are about trust. Whom on that offense do you really trust other than Cam? Exactly.
4. Seattle (6-1). There is nothing like postseason experience. Well, except for talent. And the Seahawks are flush with each. Again, we try to envision playoff success by asking whom we trust. Other than the Patriots, whom do you trust more when all the chips are on the table than these Seahawks?
5. Pittsburgh (7-1). Speaking of trustworthy coach-quarterback combinations, the Steelers terrify the rest of the AFC. And in a stroke of good luck for the Patriots, when the Steelers topple the Bengals - who deserved a better fate than not having a healthy Andy Dalton in the playoffs - Pittsburgh will head to Denver. Here's a tip for forecasting playoff success beyond finding coaches and quarterbacks to trust: Look for a team with a truly elite skill that does something better than everyone else. In this case, a tasty round-two meeting between Denver and Pittsburgh would feature the most explosive offense against the NFL's best defense. Yes, we've left off the Broncos because of this question: Why was everyone so ecstatic over Peyton Manning coming off the bench to hand off in a comeback win over a woeful 4-12 Chargers team? We want to believe Manning has one more ride in the sunshine - and I do, too - but can we really trust these Broncos?
Powerless five (with draft order spot)
28. Jacksonville (No. 5 overall). For all the talk of improvement and the fantasy stats quarterback Blake Bortles and receiver Allen Robinson posted, the Jaguars again are in the top five in the draft order after playing in the worst division in the league and facing one of the easiest schedules. Jacksonville has a top-five overall pick for the fifth consecutive season, and this will be the ninth consecutive year it has a top-10 overall pick.
29. San Diego (No. 3). How bad are the Chargers? They are dwelling near the bottom of the league and that's with a healthy quarterback in Philip Rivers, who likely is headed to the Hall of Fame.
30. San Francisco (No. 7). The 49ers are the picture of where a franchise can land when there's a terrible connection between coach and GM. The 49ers had the best roster in the NFL three years ago, and respected league pundits said quarterback Colin Kaepernick had the skill set to be among the best in the NFL. Well, GM Trent Baalke feuded with then-coach Jim Harbaugh, which led to Harbaugh turning Michigan around and the 49ers imploding to the point they fired Jim Tomsula after one year (with more than $10 million left on his contract) and appearing likely to cut Kaepernick soon.
31. Cleveland (No. 2). When the highlight of your organization is "Draft Day" - the so-bad-it-is-enjoyable Kevin Costner movie of a few years ago - well, that's less than enjoyable. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Jimmy Haslam era in Cleveland.
32. Tennessee (No. 1). How important is an NFL head coach? Ask yourself this, Johnny Titans Fan, would you trade No. 1 overall for Bill Belichick? You bet you would.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter @jgreesontfp.