In all likelihood this is the last day Eric Mangini will be a head coach in the NFL. If so, he is leaving behind a team on the brink of winning.

I would like to see Mike Holmgren give Mangini one more season, and I think part of Holmgren wants to, but losing to Buffalo and Cincinnati makes that difficult. The Bengals followed their Browns victory by beating the Chargers, but still, the Bengals had lost 10 straight before beating the Browns. That makes it difficult for Holmgren to convince anyone the Browns are heading in the right direction.

Mangini instilled discipline and a work ethic in a team that lacked both. With that already in place and Holmgren along with Tom Heckert supplying good players the Browns would be on their way to playoff contention. Mangini deserves a chance to continue the transition, but I don't expect him to get it.