There were six coaches fired either during or after the season ended. Here are my thoughts on the jobs and where the holes are for each team...
Best
Available Job: Lions
Easily
the best and most complete team right now is the Detroit Lions. You have a QB
who can sling it with the best of them, a tandem RB corps and an All-Pro
(potentially HOF) WR. Now some might say that a QB that can sling it isn’t a
great thing especially because Matthew Stafford has been known to turn the ball
over like Brett Favre used to do. However, with his shortcomings, Stafford is
still an elite deep throw QB, he just needs to work on his accuracy in the
“short and mid” range passes. His decision-making has been sub par the last two
years, but it is something that he can fix. He needs a better HC that focuses
on bettering him, sadly he won’t get a HC that solely focuses on him, but
hiring a better QB coach or OC would be the biggest benefactor for Stafford.
Through association better play from Stafford will only help Calvin Johnson.
The RBs have great potential and Joique Bell showed that this past season, all
while Reggie Bush relived shades of USC in his hay days.
The
biggest problems lie on defense. The team lost seven of its last eight games.
The sad thing is Jim Schwartz was a defensive minded coach. So I’m not sure how
much the front office is ready to hire another defensive coach that couldn’t
win games with a lead. Part of the problem goes with Stafford’s INT problem,
when he turns the ball over he usually did so when he was trying to score or
deep in his own territory; those two locations are the worst places to have a
turnover. However, with a better defense the Lions could at least hold teams to
field goals or more three and outs. There is work to be done with both sides of
the ball, but this team is only two years removed from the playoffs and they
have the more reliable players.
“Worst”
Available Job: Browns/Vikings
Now
I’m not going to go in-depth with both teams separately because they both have
the same or similar issues. The QB situation in both cities is, well, bleak to
put it nicely. You have a 30+ year old who is only in his 3rd year,
and a 4th year player who can’t throw a pass to his own team to save
his life. The backups aren’t much better, the Tom Brady try-to-be-copycat and
the one time could be answer in Oakland until Al Davis traded for the then
washed up Carson Palmer. If you aren’t following me, Matt Cassel is in
Minnesota and Jason Campbell in Cleveland as backups. The “starters” Christian
Ponder for the Vikings and Brandon Weeden for the Browns are two of the worst
QBs I’ve ever watched. The only
offensive bright spot for either team is in another skill position player; in
Minnesota it’s Adrian Peterson (and becoming a helpful asset is Cordarrelle
Patterson) and in Cleveland it’s WR Josh Gordon who (miraculously) became the
first WR from Cleveland to lead the NFL in receiving yards. What makes that
feat more impressive Gordon was suspended to start the season, so he led the
NFL even without playing all 16 games. However, skill players are only good
when you have a competent QB who can get them the ball…which as I’ve stated
neither of these teams have their “answer/franchise QB” that they should (or
would like to) have.
Defensively
these teams were never where they needed to be in order to compete with their
divisions. Now it’s hard to be able to compete when you’re in two of the
toughest divisions in football. Some will dispute that point, but consider
this, three of the four teams in these divisions had a shot at the playoffs
with three or so weeks to go. Many forget that because the Lions shot
themselves in the foot against the Ravens, who later shot themselves in the foot
against Cincinnati. As well as Pittsburgh who started 0-4, but tried to make it
back before San Diego decided not to choke like they did with Norv Turner all
those years. Finally with Green Bay and Chicago they played for the division
last Sunday. So the Browns and Vikings were simply the odd teams out when it
came to winning or losing in the division. They competed well and the Browns
even beat Cincy early in the year.
The
changes these teams need are QB and almost a complete overhaul of their
defenses. I can’t say that QB should be their first thing they fix, but they
need a lot of positions filled. If Brain Hoyer can be a solid band-aid for the
Browns great, but I have a feeling they “want to win now” so they’ll take a
chance with Johnny Manziel or some other “top-tier” QB and they’ll drive him
into the dirt like they did to Tim Couch, Charlie Frye, and more (I’m not going
to list the 20 QBs they’ve destroyed the last decade-plus). I’m not saying
Maniel is bad, I’m just saying there is something in the water in Cleveland
that they either can’t make smart QB choices or they don’t have someone who is
a good developer of talent. For the Vikings they need to take a risk on someone
like Manziel (should he fall to them in the draft).
Top
coaching choices, I’d say you want someone to lead your OFFENSE you go with
Josh McDaniels, the kid screwed up in Denver, but I’d say he could really help
in Minnesota. He’s linked to Cleveland, but Matt Cassel (the QB he wanted when
he was trying to trade Jay Cutler) is in Minnesota, so I think there’s some
incentive for him with the Vikings. However, the issue that Pat Bowlen ran into
with McDaniels in Denver is giving him too much power; McDaniels was given GM
and Head Coaching responsibilities with the Broncos, so the player moves and
signings were his fault. However, you give him just the offense to worry about,
and you could have a steal as a HC. Get him a solid DC to his best friend, the
Vikings could be even greater. As for the Browns they need a QB coach who is
proven (maybe McDaniels) and a DC who can coach like nobody’s business. I’m
looking at Perry Fewell from the Giants. He has some experience as a HC and
(other than this year) has been a great component to the Giants in their Super
Bowl wins. If he didn’t have unfinished business with the Saints, I would say
interview Rob Ryan.
Toughest
Available Job: Washington
You
can’t deny that whatever happens in the rest of the league, no matter who else
gets fired, the Redskins have the toughest job to fill. Other than New York
City, in the NFL, the Head Coach of the Washington Redskins has the toughest
job. Some may argue Dallas, but Dan Snyder is worse than Jerry Jones. At
least Jones gives his coaches pretty good players to work with. Now Dan
Snyder does help his HC get good players, but by giving that power to the HC,
like he did with Shanahan, no one ever blames Snyder like we blame Jones.
Regardless, what I’m getting at is Shanahan had more than he bargained for
because he was given a young QB in RGIII instead of the
proven-but-can’t-win-a-Super-Bowl-old guy, John Elway. With Elway, Shanahan had
someone who could win with or without a good HC, but he couldn’t win a Super
Bowl. All Shanahan had to do was contribute a little bit, and he did by
drafting Terrell Davis in the sixth round of the NFL draft. With RGIII Shanahan
had to do something else, train, develop, raise, and keep a young, unproven,
sometimes-cocky QB how to win. In his first season in the NFL, RGIII lead the
Redskins to their first division title in what felt like forever. However,
Shanahan didn’t know how to manage a QB who was injured, Elway almost never got
injured so Shanahan didn’t need a plan for when he got hurt, however RGIII
seems to have the injury bug as bad as Greg Oden. This team has some good skill
players, but with RGIII playing as inconsistent as the Brooklyn Nets how do you
know you can trust him. However, with a good offseason of preparation before
and during the preseason, RGIII could be back to his normal, mobile self.
On
defense, oh lord. There are great players on the edge and in the linebacking
corps. However, the secondary isn’t that bad either. This team is losing the
heart and sole of the defense, London Fletcher, who is choosing to retire, and
who can blame him. The team is in disarray and hasn’t been able to tell up from
down practically all season. With some good players at each level of the
defense, they have a chance to salvage next season. The only matter they have
to really solve is a HC who only acts as a HC. They need a GM and a HC not one
who does both.
Thoughts
on Buccaneers
PERFECT
hire. Unlike two years ago with Schiano, I love the hiring of Lovie Smith. If
Marc Trestman hadn’t done so well this year, I’d say that Lovie should still be
in Chicago. However, Smith is a great player’s coach. He has the defensive mind
that other teams dream they had. He will rally the players he keeps and bring
hope to Tampa Bay. What happens next is what always happens with a new coaching
staff. Lovie will bring in his coaches (which he has already started to do) and
he will look at the roster and start purging that to his liking.
For
me, I haven’t seen enough of Mike Glennon to say good or bad things. However,
it’s not my call, Lovie has to make that one. Good luck, Lovie. Secondly, the
injuries that this team sustained are vastly important to why they suffered so
much to start the season. The defense isn’t the greatest, but with Smith’s help
they’ll become better than awful. It will take free agents and a complete draft
(for several years) for the Bucs to come back to where they were about 10 years
ago, that’s asking a lot I know, but Lovie brought the Bears to the Super Bowl
with Rex Grossman. REX GROSSMAN! Now the credit should go to the Bears defense
for getting to the Super Bowl, but that’s my point. Lovie got to the Super Bowl
with his defense not a great QB. So, who knows, we’ll just have to wait and
see. Personally, I’m rooting for Lovie because I didn’t think Chicago should
have ever fired him.
Thoughts
on Texans
I’ve
never been a fan of coaches leaving for greener pastures while still under
contract somewhere else, especially a college coach. Insert Bill O’Brien. When
he was hired at Penn State he was supposed to be the savior after the devilish
information came out about Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno. However, he was
“surprised that the sanctions against the school were as bad as they were”. ARE
YOU KIDDING ME? Anyway, that’s a topic for another day, for now let’s focus on
the Texans. This team will play better and can flourish with O’Brien at the
helm. However, the Texans have plenty of holes to fill, Arian Foster couldn’t
stay healthy, Matt Schaub couldn’t throw to a Texan receiver, JJ Watt got
thrown over and double teamed and the secondary was softer than melted butter.
The front office has it’s work cut out for them.
Immediate
upgrades are at QB, CB and Safety. Schaub all but threw his way out of town,
and Case Keenum is not your long-term answer at QB in Houston. He is a
serviceable backup and could be good going forward, but he’s not my first
choice. Draft wise, I’d say you can’t go wrong with Teddy Bridgewater, but
unfortunately for the Texans they missed the prototypical QB by about two years
(Jameis Winston). However, they still have options and they can sift through
free agency for a “good enough” QB to get by, but Bob McNair wouldn’t be happy
with just getting by for a few years. There needs to be some accountability in
every facet of the Texans game plan, offense, defense and special teams.
In
all likelihood, not much will show until three or four years from now. However,
some coaches may not even get one year (Rob Chudzinski). To accurately gauge
a coaches impact and ability to help a team and make them succeed a coach needs
at least two years, but I think three years should be the minimum tenure of a
coach. A coach’s philosophy cannot fully take shape for at least three years.
We’ll
see what the crystal ball gets right, and what it gets wrong.
-MZ