DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -Bill Parcells is protective of the NFL turnover record his 1990 New York Giants set en route to winning the Super Bowl.
Parcells was the head coach when the Giants had only 14 turnovers, the lowest regular-season total in league history. Now he’s executive vice president with the Miami Dolphins, who have 12 turnovers with one game left.
When offensive coordinator Dan Henning learned a couple of weeks ago that the Dolphins were on pace to break the record, he couldn’t resist teasing Parcells.
“Being the prankster that I am, I went up to this gentleman and said, `Did you see this stat that we’re in line to have the least turnovers in history?”’ Henning said Wednesday. “`Yeah, I know,’ he said. `But it’s still not going to count, because we did it with 19 games and went to the Super Bowl.’
“You think he’s not competitive? That record is important to him.”
For the record: The Giants had one turnover in the postseason, giving them 15 total.
With a victory Sunday at the Meadowlands against the New York Jets, the Dolphins win the AFC East in the first year of the Parcells regime. Parcells hasn’t accompanied the Dolphins on the road this season, and Henning said he doubts his boss is going to the game.
“He’s usually a creature of habit and streaks and superstitions, so I would guess he’s not,” Henning said. “Is he excited? Heck, yeah. He’s happy with the way things happened with the team, and he sees people growing with their roles. He has a tremendous feeling for players he has brought in, and every day he wants to know about how this guy is doing and what we’re preparing to do and all that type of thing. I think he’s very excited.”
Add A Comment