ON DECK: Not smart to fire Whisenhunt

Lovie Smith and Andy Reid were both long removed from Super Bowl appearances — 2006 and 2005, respectively. And both are burdened with high expectations, so not getting back for so long obviously led to them being fired Monday.

Then there's Ken Whisenhunt. The Arizona head coach was fired four years removed from a Super Bowl appearance. Of course, the Cardinals don't have the expectations of the Eagles and Bears, so his firing caught me a little more off guard.

Frankly, I think the blame lies with GM Rod Graves. The Cardinals have not had a running game, ever. Their blocking is terrible. Any quarterback not named Kurt Warner has been a disaster.

The fact this team made the playoffs twice under Whisenhunt is a miracle. The fact they came a play away from winning a Super Bowl is unfathomable.

Embarrassing losses this season aside, Whisenhunt was a good coach. And if he ends up somewhere like San Diego, I'm pretty sure he'll be in a Super Bowl again soon.