[Mike Reiss] “Patriots will operate similarly with defensive coaching this week (Zak Kuhr calling plays), according to Mike Vrabel. Vrabel adds that DC Terrell Williams is around, but with the situation still fluid, he wants to avoid an in-and-out type dynamic until there is more clarity.”
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I think that’s the right approach.
Obviously you can’t punish the guy for having health concerns, but I do think it’s maybe coming close to the time where you have a conversation with him about stepping away from the team for an extended period and just naming another person the DC for time being. Maybe they did and that’s how this came up, but I would really hate to have them try and bring him back in if this is going to be reoccurring. For his sake and the teams.
I think it was discussed here last week but at some point you have to just name Kuhr the DC for the rest of this season and let Williams come in and out as an advisor, based on his health.
It’s the 3rd time this year he had to step away for health reasons. While that’s not his fault or should be punished for that, I think the team needs him to focus on his health first and then football whenever he can. A DC who could be in and out all season isn’t gonna help the team improve.
Obviously the man deserves his privacy and I’ll try to say this respectfully, is there any consensus on what he’s actually dealing with? Vrabel put out some pretty opaque statements, but I remember one basically implied that he had to do a better job of taking care of himself, which seemed unusual and unnecessary. Do we have anything better than wild speculation to go on? Respectfully.
Really feel for the guy to be going through this right when he finally gets the biggest coaching opportunity of his career. Hopefully he’s getting the help he needs.
At the same time, the team needs clear, consistent leadership. Williams has never been a DC at any level. I think he’s been on leave three times, missed most of the offseason and coached one game? That’s not setting the team up for success. I would name Kuhr the interim DC for the remainder of the season and tell TW he can get back in there when he’s 100% healthy.
Honestly, what are we doing here? This is getting absurd. Either he’s healthy enough to coach or he’s not. If he’s not, I wish him the best, give him a “defensive advisor” title and name a new DC, or take the reigns yourself, Mr. Vrabel. If he were a seasoned DC with years of play-calling experience, sure let him come & go, but this is a first time DC who has barely even been in the building and a defense full of players who have never played together, and through two games against mediocre opponents, it has showed. They need cohesion, not questions marks.