7 Worst Coaching Decisions of the 2011 NFL Season

There are any number of ways coaches can make things hard on themselves and on their team.

One way is to do what the 49ers' Jim Harbaugh and the Lions' Jim Schwartz did back on Oct. 16, getting into a post-game skirmish in the wake of San Francisco's emotional win over Detroit.

But coaches are paid for what they do on the field, and so we're asking just what are the weirdest, dumbest or just plain strangest decisions made by NFL coaches this season.

Here's what we've come up with:

7. No Challenge Call by the Chargers

Things were going against San Diego back on Nov. 20. The Bears had the lead at 31-20 and the ball.

Chicago running back appeared to have fumbled the ball away at the end of a carry. San Diego coach Norv Turner could have called for a replay challenge, but didn’t.

To be clear, the Chargers might not have won the challenge. But at worst they would have brought the game to a stop for a bit, and possibly blunted the Bears’ momentum.

None of that happened, and the Bears rolled on to the win.

6. Browns Asleep at the Switch Against the Bengals

It was all the way back in Week 1, and the Cleveland Browns’ defense was in position to shut down the Bengals and give the ball back to the Cleveland offense with a chance to pull out a win.

But defensive coordinator Dick Jauron and his troops went on the assumption that the Bengals would go at the same pace Cincinnati had shown all game.

Instead, the Bengals raced to the line of scrimmage and quarterback Bruce Gradkowski took a quick snap and got off a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass to rookie A.J. Green.

At the moment the ball was snapped, Jauron was looking at his play sheet, he said later.

Jauron, a former head coach in Buffalo and Chicago, took full responsibility for what happened – the Browns were waiting for linebacker D’Qwell Jackson to call the play from Jauron when the ball was snapped.

5. Going with Donovan McNabb in Minnesota

Just last year the Washington Redskins decided Donovan McNabb was no longer cut out to be their quarterback.

The Vikings decided that the Redskins were wrong and that McNabb had plenty left in the tank.

Now? Not so much.

Before the Redskins, the Eagles had let McNabb go, so the decision by Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier to build the offense around McNabb has set in motion a downward spiral that has the Vikings dead last in the NFC North.

4. Having Tyler Palko Start Three Straight Games in Kansas City

Chiefs’ coach Todd Haley saw his quarterback du jour, Tyler Palko, lead an offense that generated 12 points and seven turnovers the last two weeks.

Even so, Palko was the starter again Sunday against Chicago.

The other option was Kyle Orton, the new addition who started the season with Denver. Orton has the experience that Palko lacks.

That, despite the fact that Orton came into Sunday’s game in the first half and dislocated a finger on his first and only pass play, is the kind of weird personnel decision that has Haley catching flak in Kansas City the last few years.

3. Falcons’ Fourth Down Decision in Overtime Against Saints

Atlanta had the ball with 10:52 remaining in overtime on Nov. 13 against the Saints, and was facing 4th-and-inches at their own 29.

Coach Mike Smith decided the time was ripe to go for it rather than give up the ball by punting.

Let’s think about this. If they’d tried and succeeded, the Falcons would have kept the ball at their own 30 or beyond.

But if they failed, they’d be handing the Saints the ball at their own 29 or worse, leaving New Orleans needing to pick up only a few yards for a game-winning field goal.

The Falcons didn’t get the first down, the Saints got the yardage needed, then kicked the game-winner.

2. Installing Juan Castillo as Defensive Coordinator in Philadelphia

Before taking over as the head of the Eagles defense, Juan Castillo was primarily an offensive line coach.

Head coach Andy Reid liked the way Castillo and former defensive coordinator talked and worked together and thought the match made sense.

It may have made sense to Reid, but it hasn’t worked on the field. The Eagles are in the bottom third of all defenses this season, and are among the worst at forcing turnovers.

1. Saying Goodbye to David Garrard in Jacksonville

Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio has a history of making quick, unexpected calls with his quarterback, and it happened again this year.

He sent veteran signal caller David Garrard packing, then turned the Jaguars’ offense over to rookie Blaine Gabbert.

The Jaguars were going to be offensively challenge no matter what, and having Gabbert learning on the job has only made the process that much more difficult.