VIDEO: Remembering Dennis Green's Incredible 'They Are Who We Thought They Were' Cardinals Meltdown
By Michael Luciano
The late, great Dennis Green, best known for his successful stint as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 2001, was less successful with the Arizona Cardinals, as he won just 16 games total across three seasons. The low point of Green's southwest venture came when his team lost 24-23 to the Chicago Bears despite having taken a 23-0 lead on Monday Night Football. Denny knew he led a very good team they were dominating for the majority of the game escape with a win, giving us all an enduring phrase we'd forever associate with him: The Bears "are who we thought they were."
Devin Hester will do that to you.
From punching the mic to that piercing voice of his, Denny Green's masterwork is one of the great meltdowns in NFL history.
To their credit, the 2006 Bears did make it to the Super Bowl; Green could have had a tenure-defining win if he held on, but Derek Anderson and the Cardinals flat-out choked.
Green will (and should) be remembered for his fun, successful, talented Vikings teams that featured the likes of Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Warren Moon, Daunte Culpepper. However, this tirade will always be what everyone remembers as his defining moment with Arizona.