For the anti-defensive HC crowd: Eight teams left (in the playoffs) – Four led by coaches with defensive background.
For the anti-defensive HC crowd: Eight teams left (in the playoffs) – Four led by coaches with defensive background.
33 comments
I’m not advocating for one over the other, but I don’t think we should be overlooking coaches with a defensive background.
I’d be happy with Minter. I wouldn’t be happy with guys like Saleh, Flores, Joseph.
I don’t mind Minter at all. I actually think he would be an incredible head coach. He checks all the boxes that the early years Al Davis would enjoy.
If it is Saleh… I need to hear that his OC is McDaniel or Daboll
No other defensive coach would I desire here…
A good Defensive coach is always at risk of getting their offensive coordinator poached. I much prefer a head coach that calls their own plays.
there is the Houston Texans, perfect example. Look at what happened when they fired Bobby Slowik. We need an offensive HC for Mendoza.
If Saleh partnered with McDaniel I could get on board. His defense is decimated with injuries and he’s been able to get production out of practice squad guys
It doesn’t matter what coach you got. If you don’t have the personal you cant win.
And for the random “should we trade the top pick” crowd that occasionally pops up, 7 of the 8 QBs were taken top 12 in the draft. 5 in the top 3.
Good points, and glad to see him say it.
Filter that info through the fact that we will have a rookie QB who needs consistent, focused development. Not going to get that with an OC who might be gone in a year.
To be fair given our org’s history, everyone might be gone in a year…
But I’m very pro going offense in this hire. Very.
Mike Macdonald-Vet QB and the OC we’re trying to hire as HC
Sean McDermott-Vet QB seen as many as a top 4 qb
DeMeco Ryans-Young QB who has struggled to develop consistently and nearly blew it with an all time defense
Mike Vrabel-Young QB who has Josh McDaniels as OC
We aren’t getting Josh McDaniels as OC and we aren’t going to have an all time defense anytime soon.
Only reasons I’d want offensive head coaches over defensive is so they can focus on the growth of a rookie QB and have continuity on offense for the foreseeable future. I do not want a situation like Carr where Mendoza has to learn a new playbook/system every 1-2 years.
It all depends on who runs the offense and how well they can develop the QB obviously. McDaniels is elite in New England. Kubiak and Brady are up for HC jobs so they are considered damn good as well. Houston has an absolute elite defense which is the reason for their success which is kind of rare. I get your point about half the coaches left but it all comes down to offense.IMO an offensive coach is a must with our rookie QB. I feel we’d be like the Jets if we don’t emphasize the development of our QB.
For the anti-offensive HC crowd: Eight teams left (in the playoffs) – Four led by coaches with offensive background.
I think the one defensive minded HC candidate I wouldn’t mind is Jesse Minter. Other than that, I don’t see any other defensive minded HC candidates that I prefer over Webb, LaFleur, Kubiak (distant third). I’m stuck between my first option being LaFleur or Webb. I think the advantage of LaFleur is that he can bring the Rams pass game coordinator along with him to be OC. This year is a rough year to be looking for an OC, so many teams need one.
Vrabel has josh McDaniels that despite what we all feel for him is an elite OC with little chance at being poached.
Macdonald had Kubiak which many of us want as an HC and will definitely be poached
McDermott has Josh Allen.
Point being, 3/4 of those are at the whim of their OC or have a generational QB.
I don’t think the argument is that defensive HCs can’t succeed in general. It’s that we are drafting a QB 1st and the offense is where we need the most improvement.
Our defensive coaching is already pretty solid, actually, especially for a 3-14 team. What we need is a sea change on offense.
If we somehow expected to land Mike McDaniel or Kingsbury as OC I’d be okay looking at defensive guys for HC, but absent that we need a HC that can also give us an offensive mind.
… this post lacks context
McDonald and Vrabel – first years with the teams, new staffs, wait to see what happens once their OCs get poached. McDermott has underperformed in the playoffs. Demeco is good but it would take a lot for them to be serious contenders with that offense.
On the flip side? Mcvay is elite no matter who his OC is, shannahan manages to survive even through crazy injury, Ben Johnson leaving the lions helped contribute to them missing the playoffs, and SP is making up for his quarterbacks deficiencies very well (while having a great d coordinator)
The offensive guys are in a vacuum just more valuable and reliable than the defensive guys in todays game.
My main thought is if we get a QB with #1 pick I’d prefer a coach prioritizing his growth. End of story. So as long as whichever HC we get is down with that game plan I’m ok. But if they throw our rookie QB to the wolves I’ll be upsetti spaghetti.
Ok so a 50/50 split? Whats this supposed to tell us? As long as we don’t hire a HC with a specialty in special teams that we will make the playoffs?
What is this cryptic bullshit?
So, half the teams DON’T have a coach with a defensive background?
What a bullshit tweet.
Macdonald is the only one that calls plays.
All of the offensive coaches call plays.
Allen and Maye do a lot of the heavy lifting for McDermott and Vrabel.
I think Macdonald is elite and in the tier of elite offensive coaches because he is a great defensive mind. I think that’s more important than a CEO type that need a lot more stability/talent
I do t think it’s “anti defense”, but rather shining about stability for rookie QB. Stroud has had multiple OCs during his time and has slightly under performed. If you have a vet QB much easier to have a defensive minded HC (rely slightly less on OC).
Also note that the defensive head coaches have really good QBs. Only Ryans has a legitimate elite defence.
Pepper focus too much on offensive or defensive gurus. I’m a retired coach, I was a defensive coordinator for a small college. I can tell you the skill set for being a successful head coach is different from being a good coordinator. I know I could not do it.
One quality stands out above all others for a great head coach. They are leaders of men. When they enter a room they command the room. This goes beyond being a good X’s and O’s guy. People like Shanahan, while offensive guru’s also command the room. People like Mike McDamiels while a great offensive mind, does not strike me as someone who commands the room.
So offensive or defensive mind is just a secondary skill. You can be great at X’s and O’s and still be a bad head coach ( Josh McD? ).
A great Head Coach is a leader first and foremost and has the ability to inspire and motivate a staff and roster filled with egos.
The top 4 defenses in the NFL are still left in the playoffs (Seahawks, Broncos, Texans, Patriots)
50/50 isn’t making the point you think it is
Too many of y’all worry about a hypothetical problem. I would love to have a stable enough coaching staff where the assistants are getting poached. Means they’re doing something right.
What is also bad for a qb development would be having a head coach so bad he has to be fired after 1.5 years like Brian Callahan .. lm all for having a preference for offence just don’t reach.
3 of the offensive coaches have been to the Super Bowl, with two of them winning it. None of the defensive head coaches have reached the Super Bowl
People act like coaches on one side of the ball are incapable of putting together a game plan or calling plays on the other side of the ball. Situational play calling and roster building/player development is far more important strengths than what side of the ball you came up under.
It’s not that I don’t believe a defensive HC can win – it’s that we have the #1 QB coming to Vegas. I need him to maximize Mendoza’s potential. Ryans is a great coach but CJ Stroud looks awful. That’s okay for them with their defense but we don’t have a world beater defense.
By next season, our best three players could be on offense (Maxx traded). I need them to have a good caller and play designer every year. I do not want them flopping around between OCs who are good and leave or are bad and run them into the ground (see Chargers, Eagles).