Final 4 NFL Teams do not have...

[SoulfishHawk]

Yeah, because they're gonna' bring in a guy who wants total control

 

[themunn]

Harbaugh is still 13 years younger than Pete and in that time between his Super Bowl win and now he has acquired an MVP QB and built a beastly defense. Pete's team had a perennial backup QB with no QBOTF waiting in the wings and one of the worst defenses in the league between his last Super Bowl win and now. I'd say there's a major difference there.

Harbaugh also had a 5 year period where they failed to make the playoffs 4 times, including 2015-2017. The Ravens head brass decided to keep him on though, they drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018, a year later they're 14-2 and Jackson is MVP.

In many respects Pete's 2023 season is much like Harbaugh's 2015 season. The Ravens are now being rewarded for holding onto him through several more years of average play. Incidentally, I'd have been in favour of drafting Jackson with our pick in the 1st round in 2018, but given the RB injury debacle in 2017 and what was probably Wilson's best year as a QB, RB was the right choice back then.

 

[keasley45]

Defensive Head coaches.

Chiefs: Offensive Head Coach
Ravens: Special Teams Coach (familiar with all of the players)

49ers: Offensive Head Coach
Detroit Lions: Offensive Head Coach

Dan Campbell is an American football coach and a former tight end who is currently the head coach for the Detroit Lions
He served as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020
Dan served as an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2010 to 2015, most recently as the interim head coach and tight ends coach

Sheil Kapadia claims that the defensive options (except for Mike McDonald) have not been showing out well lately

I'm all for Mike McDonald or Ben Johnson.

I think it's also worth noting that it's been a post season dominated by physical defense and running the ball.

In other words, the thing that most who want an 'offensive coach' desire is fireworks and a dynamic passing attack. That aspect of offense has been mostly shelved in thr playoffs in favor of hard pounding run games.

Do you need the bells and whistles playbook to get that?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Or is Hairball just using NFL teams to get a raise at Michigan? He's done it before; he could do it again.

 

[xray]

You can't have too many coaches . In fact every player should have his own personal coach ; to be on the safe side . Just kidding . My take is this..." too many cooks spoil the soup ".

 

[djb28]

I will take a coach who maybe didn't play and is well-rounded on both sides of the ball. Just a football guy who knows WTF is going on.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Harbaugh also had a 5 year period where they failed to make the playoffs 4 times, including 2015-2017. The Ravens head brass decided to keep him on though, they drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018, a year later they're 14-2 and Jackson is MVP.

In many respects Pete's 2023 season is much like Harbaugh's 2015 season. The Ravens are now being rewarded for holding onto him through several more years of average play. Incidentally, I'd have been in favour of drafting Jackson with our pick in the 1st round in 2018, but given the RB injury debacle in 2017 and what was probably Wilson's best year as a QB, RB was the right choice back then.

The biggest problem with Pete was that there was no direction or path for the future. Pete was more worried about the here and now rather than what's to come. There should be a QBOTF ready to step in now, but nothing. Pete didn't prepare for that. Come on, putting all your apples in the cart with Geno Smith? That was never going to be the answer. Plus, as we all know, the defense became a disaster.

It's a double edged sword. Pete kept the Seahawks just good enough to hinder the future. I guess that's what your supposed to do, but the team probably would have benefitted with a couple of off years for draft purposes. It's weird I know.

 

[pittpnthrs]

I think it's also worth noting that it's been a post season dominated by physical defense and running the ball.

Mostly because of the weather. I wouldn't consider the Lions as being a defensive Juggernaut or teams like the Texans and Chiefs being run oriented.

 

[Double Tribble]

The biggest problem with Pete was that there was no direction or path for the future. Pete was more worried about the here and now rather than what's to come. There should be a QBOTF ready to step in now, but nothing. Pete didn't prepare for that. Come on, putting all your apples in the cart with Geno Smith? That was never going to be the answer. Plus, as we all know, the defense became a disaster.

It's a double edged sword. Pete kept the Seahawks just good enough to hinder the future. I guess that's what your supposed to do, but the team probably would have benefitted with a couple of off years for draft purposes. It's weird I know.

100% this.

 

[LickMyNuts]

I think it’s slightly easier to find a competent defensive coordinator than it is to find a competent offensive coordinator.

 

[scutterhawk]

All it's going to take is for one defensive head coach to come out of the gate hard and heavy, and the trend will change.

And it'll happen soon, because there's a serious market inefficiency brewing where great defensive coaches will start getting passed up for middling OCs.

Exactly what I was alluding to when I said "Ebb & Flow".
Attack -- Counter Attack. ;-)

 

[scutterhawk]

Wouldn't John Harbaugh disprove the idea that HC specialization matters? He's neither offense nor defense, yet his teams continue to win.

Yep, Flexibility is the Key that can open everything up; you also need your sub-Coaches to also have that same flex mentality (and of course The Players that can get-er-done)

 

[Sgt. Largent]

It's no secret in today's game you need either an offensive minded HC, or a really smart capable offensive coordinator.

So if your Schneider, or any GM why on earth wouldn't you just try to hire that person as HC, rather than having to replace your coordinator in a couple years after he gets poached by another team?

I really like some of these young D-coordinators like MacDonald, but I'd rather go for an offensive coach. For the reasons I listed above.

 

[RiverDog]

The biggest problem with Pete was that there was no direction or path for the future. Pete was more worried about the here and now rather than what's to come. There should be a QBOTF ready to step in now, but nothing. Pete didn't prepare for that. Come on, putting all your apples in the cart with Geno Smith? That was never going to be the answer. Plus, as we all know, the defense became a disaster.

It's a double edged sword. Pete kept the Seahawks just good enough to hinder the future. I guess that's what your supposed to do, but the team probably would have benefitted with a couple of off years for draft purposes. It's weird I know.

Good post, and it reflects my opinion as well.

 

[KinesProf]

Good conversation. A couple thoughts that I have had reading this.

-Pete may still have his job if he had been promoting Dave Canales at a more accelerated pace.

-3/4 of the final teams remaining, the Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers, are the only 3 teams in the league this season to allow less than 300 points. Of course, offense contributes to that number given time of possession and controlling the game. But quality defense is very much a sure indicator that you will be in the mix this time of year. So I am definitely not opposed to the idea of Vrabel, Morris, Quinn, Evero or MacDonald provided they can put together a good offensive staff.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Good conversation. A couple thoughts that I have had reading this.

-Pete may still have his job if he had been promoting Dave Canales at a more accelerated pace.

-3/4 of the final teams remaining, the Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers, are the only 3 teams in the league this season to allow less than 300 points. Of course, offense contributes to that number given time of possession and controlling the game. But quality defense is very much a sure indicator that you will be in the mix this time of year. So I am definitely not opposed to the idea of Vrabel, Morris, Quinn, Evero or MacDonald provided they can put together a good offensive staff.

For as forward thinking as Pete was (still is), he could never recognize his own waning deficiency of the game passing him by...........and incorporating that into his coaching hires and philosophies.

4-5 years ago he should have given up control on playcalling by hiring a young coordinator to scheme and playcall, and just focused on fixing the defense.

But he couldn't do that, he still thought (and still thinks with his "non football people" comment) that he knew better and how to call games.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Yeah, that non-football people comment was cringe worthy. I love Pete, but that sounds like next level sour grapes.

 

[Maelstrom787]

The problem with that is the league will buck that trend sooner than later. It's entertainment. They want points scored and they'll do what they need to do to make that happen. While I love a good old fashioned slobber knocker of a game that ends up 6-3 as much as the next guy, that's not what the general public wants to see.

True, but then the team is just coordinator-dependent and can still win, a la Baltimore. A lot of the offensive head coaches are some degree of coordinator-dependent anyway.

If we transcend, I think we'll need a coach that can elevate their assistants. McVay elevates even his defensive assistants, for instance. Gotta find someone who has that sort of knack if we're going to be a league-topper.

As excited as I am for the next guy to come in and shuffle things around, it'll probably take a few hires until we get that type of deal.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Yeah, that non-football people comment was cringe worthy. I love Pete, but that sounds like next level sour grapes.

Yep, and especially for a coach who failed at fixing his team's deficiencies that he created and couldn't figure out how to fix.............you know, AS a "football person."

So if Jody and the people who decided to fire you aren't football people, then what's your excuse Pete?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Boom