Part Two of the NFL and the Enigmatic 11
In the first section of this two-part blog on new NFL coaches, I considered five teams’ chances of making the post-season with a new head coach at the helm. Those five, the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, I concluded all had the opportunity to earn a shot at the Super Bowl. The final six, I believe, have either less of a chance or little to none of securing a post-season berth. Here they are.
Mike Singletary and the San Francisco 49ers (Playoffs: Possible but not probable?)
The 49ers were uneven last season but they did manage to win seven games. Five of those wins came when Singletary was installed as interim head coach. The fact is that Singletary showed amazing growth as a coach in a short amount of time last season and brought the team to a new level. It’s unusual for an interim coach to land the full time job but he has. As it is with so many NFL teams that are on the cusp of success and that have new coaches, a lot depends upon the quarterback situation. The question for Singletary and company is can QB Shaun Hill lead the team consistently? There’s also another major question and that concerns the effectiveness of the 49er defense. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Raye seems to have given the “D” a chance to excel. That’s good. Singletary and Frisco look like a good fit and should yield winning results. This season? The answer is perhaps.
Raheem Morris and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Playoffs: Not this year)
Jon Gruden is gone and with his firing former Bucs’ defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was promoted to head coach. Morris is 32-years-old and this is his first NFL head coaching gig. He’s got a lot working against him. His GM, Mark Dominik, is also a rookie. That means that both will be dealing with their own learning curves along with each others. He’s also got two new coordinators and a defense that is aging. Oh, and then there’s the fact that the quarterback spot is unsettled. Neither Luke McCown, Brian Griese nor Byron Storer are premium starters. Finally, Morris is not helped by the division in which the club resides. The NFC South is no cakewalk. Carolina and Atlanta both made the playoffs last season and both teams are in good shape to do so again. Morris has just about every major pressure on him that a head coach can have. The Glazers, who own Tampa Bay, will have to be patient and Morris must deal with all of the baggage that Gruden left behind and his own oddly fast ascension from secondary coach to head coach in less than one month.
Todd Haley and the Kansas City Chiefs (Playoffs: Possibly but not probable at all.)
All right, this is why I have the Chiefs listed as a possibility—new GM Scott Pioli. Pioli, with Pats head coach Belicheck, built New England into a winner. He knows how to work the system inside-out. Once he was hired, Pioli got rid of head coach Herman Edwards and hired Todd Haley. After 14 years as a unit coach and coordinator with the Jets, Bears, Cowboys and Cardinals, Haley, whose expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, gets a chance to take charge of his own team. Kansas City also has a new QB—Matt Cassel. Cassel replaced Tom Brady last season when the Pats’ star starter went down in the first game. He grew into the position and kept New England in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. Then there’s KC running back Larry Johnson. The past two seasons have seen Johnson’s health and resilience diminish. The bottom line is that Haley has a lot of work to do and a whole lot of learning to engage in before he can get the Chiefs on track. Give this team, Haley and Pioli a year and then watch out.
Tom Cable and the Oakland Raiders (Playoffs: No.)
Cable is yet another head coach who survived his interim appointment by going 4- 8. He coached upsets over Tampa Bay and Denver. (Perhaps those upsets are partly responsible for both teams firing their helmsmen and hiring new ones?) If Cable can turn the Oakland Raiders into a winner then I propose that he is some sort of miracle worker, wizard or saint. Why? Because 80-year-old Al Davis, who continues to ponder the 2002 tuck rule, still owns the team and his aging presence permeates this team. There are times when even owners must hang it up and Davis’ time came about a decade ago. Since 2003, the Raiders have had four different head coaches and eight starting quarterbacks. The Hall of Fame owner simply needs to relinquish power. He does have some new Wall Street guys on board as owners and that may help. There is good news for Cable. The 2007 number one NFL Draft pick, QB JaMarcus Russell, really showed major progress in the final month of last season. If he can continue to show progress and Cable can keep the team focused and upbeat, this could be a hallmark season for the Raiders. Then again with Davis in power, I have my doubts.
Jim Schwartz and the Detroit Lions (Playoffs: No.)
Schwartz is a rookie coach who has at least one thing going for him—the Lions can’t do any worse than they did last season when they went 0- 16. He has another thing going for him—one of the worst GMs to ever occupy a NFL front office, Matt Millen, is gone. Millen left with the worst overall record of just about any professional football general manager ever. Perhaps no one has been a worse evaluator of talent than Millen. Coach Schwartz is known to have a fine analytical mind, to possess a wealth of football smarts and to be a fine leader who can tap into emotions. Two new coordinators are on board. Gunther Cunningham will oversee the defense with impassioned enthusiasm and Scott Linehan will run the offense with a cool, insightful mind. It will take a few years—three at least—for the Detroit Lions to once again recover their ability to roar.
Steve Spagnuolo and the St. Louis Rams (Playoffs: No.)
The Rams’ new head coach, Steve Spagnuolo, has been involved in either college or pro football since 1982. A defensive specialist, just prior to coming to St. Louis he was defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 2007- 2008. This is his first head coaching gig. Last year, he had been considered for head coach vacancies by Denver, the New York Jets and Detroit. But he signed a 4-year, 11.5 million dollar deal with the Rams. He’s hired quality coordinators. On offense it’s Pat Shurmur and on defense it’s Ken Flajole. As a D-coordinator, Spagnuolo developed aggressive schemes that included various blitz packages. Spagnuolo has to decide how to make this team a winner. One major challenge is QB Marc Bulger, who has been pounded into the ground over the past few years. Look for Spagnuolo to emphasize defense and utilize the running game on offense. New GM Billy Devaney along with Spagnuolo will have a lot of on the job learning, training and growing to do. With an aging team, this is the perfect time for a new coach, coordinators and general manager to create a new club that is competitive once again.
The great thing about the summer is anything and everything is possible when it comes to the upcoming NFL season. The sky is the limit and there always seems to be renewed hope when a new coach comes on aboard. Perhaps in no other sport can a coach make such a huge difference, developing schemes, working with talent and creating a total team effort that leads to victories.
Related posts:
- Part One of the NFL and the Enigmatic 11 There are
- Revisiting The Cardinals The Steele
- Wednesday Quick Hits Interestin
Tags: Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
