Houston Texans:
Gary Kubiak was let go during the season after Super Bowl aspirations turned
into a nightmare season in Houston. Wade Phillips filled into a familiar role
for him, interim head coach. Yet, Phillips did little to secure the position
long term. The entire roster is suited to Kubiak’s zone-read scheme and
Phillip’s 3-4 defense, management faces a tough decision whether or not to go
in a new direction.
Dominant
pass-rushers don’t come along all that often in the NFL: Lawrence Taylor,
Julius Peppers, Mario Williams. This year we have one of those prospects:
Jadeveon Clowney. Houston should play to the strength of their best player (JJ
Watt) and team him up with a freakish athlete like Clowney. This would entail
switching to a 4-3 defense, something that the Lovie Smith ran for nine seasons
in Chicago. Smith has Texas roots being born in Gladewater, and could be the
coach to steer the Texans back into the right direction. NFL Success starts
with elite line-play and teaming up Watt and Clowney would certainly bring that
to Houston.
Cleveland Browns:
Rob Chudzinski was let go after one season, to the dismay of many of his
players. Rumors are swirling that General Manager Michael Lombardi will target,
New England Patriots offensive coordinator and former Denver Broncos Coach,
Josh McDaniels. However, both of their previous two-head coaches (Chudzinski
and Pat Shurmur) have come from the offensive coordinator ranks and those
experiments got the franchise nowhere.
I say move
in a new direction and play to this teams strengths—defense. Ray Horton was a
head-coaching candidate in several openings last offseason, but landed in
Cleveland as defensive coordinator. Promoting Horton to head coach would rally
players support and continue to grow some of the talent collected on the
Brown’s defense. Consistency is key in the NFL, and firing an entire coaching
staff after one season, completely disrupts any progression from happening.
Keeping offensive coordinator Norv Turner, in his current role, will help
mentor whomever is behind center. In the AFC North Defense is king, and getting
the Browns to a dominant defensive level is more important than hiring another
offensive guru.
Washington Redskins: After
a miraculous rookie campaign from RG3, expectations were threw the roof in Washington
this year. Shannahan and RG3 never seemed like a natural fit. Shannahan’s
stubborn offensive approach held back Griffin’s development, and combining that
with a terrible defense led to a disastrous season in D.C.
They need
at least two sets of fresh eyes to look at this roster. One, to reimagine the
offense and play more to Griffin’s strengths. And two, to take over the defense
and get the Redskins competitive again. I think offense is more important in
this circumstance. The Eagles and Cowboys are going to be able to put up points
next season, if Washington wants to compete they must be able to keep pace with
them. One coach who has helped developed Cam Newton’s game this season is Mike
Shula. Shula is the son of an NFL legend and has been a head coach before
(Alabama 2003-206). Bringing in a QB minded coach, with a modern, passing,
offense is the only hope that Daniel Snyder and the Redskins have, and Shula
could be that guy.
Minnesota Vikings: Leslie
Frazier enjoyed a moderate level of success in Minnesota, yet it seems that
Christian Ponder’s lack of development may have sunk this ship. Their defense
was supposedly strength, but regressed this season. With a new stadium on the
way, I think it is time for a complete overhaul in Minnesota. Frazier’s schemes
never really changed much from Brad Childress’s, and the Vikings approach
seemed un-dynamic and predictable.
Bringing in
a fresh coach, new to the NFL, could be a way for the Vikings to get back into
playoff contention. One such coach, with experience as an NFL assistant, is
James Franklin of Vanderbilt. Franklin has been able to turn around the
Commodores program, something that very few coaches have ever been able to do.
He also has connections to one QB already on the Viking’s, Josh Freeman whom he
coached at Kansas State. Franklin’s named has surface for many big name jobs
(USC, Texas) his name may never be hotter and should take the leap into the
NFL.
Detroit Lions: The
Lions choked away their best chance at an NFC North championship this season,
losing 6 of the last 7 games. Jim Shwartz’s defense proved to be one of the
weaknesses of this unit, which resulted in his dismissal.
Looking
forward, I believe that the Lions should play to their team’s biggest asset:
the passing game. Megatron is in his prime, and the window of his domination
could be quickly closing. Pettigrew, Fauria, and Durham emerged as huge targets
this season. Stafford needs an aggressive pass-first offense to out-throw
Cutler and Rodgers in the NFC North. One coach who could bring that to Detroit
is Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Gase took over for Mike
McCoy, and in his first season calling plays led Peyton Manning to break the
single season record for yards and touchdowns. No situation is more ideal for
Gase’s approach than the Detroit Lions. If the Lions can take their passing
game from the explosive level, to the dominant level, the sky is the limit for
Mathew Stafford in the Motor-City.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Greg Schiano’s stint in Tampa was short-lived, however he was able to bring
a franchise-type QB into fold: Mike Glennon. Players did not react well to
Schiano’s dictatorial approach, but Glennon threw 19 tds opposed to only 9
interceptions and proved that he can perform under pressure, so the season was
not a total failure.
Schiano did
not work out, neither did Raheem Morris; fans in Tampa are dying for management
to bring back Jon Gruden. Gruden seems content with his position at ESPN, but
there is a candidate out there who bears a strong resemblance to Jon—his
brother Jay Gruden. Jay has done wonders in Andy Datlon’s progression in the
NFL, as well as has won six-championships in the Arena Football League. Jay
Gruden would give fans, and players alike the most confidence in the Buccaneers
moving forward. Teaming up Glennon with Gruden could be the best way to
progress the young QB into a winning leader.
No comments:
Post a Comment