http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/02/...ets-adam-gase-chip-kelly-tom-coughlin-week-17
I think a couple of things about
the coaching carousel…
a. As I read Jenny Vrentas’s excellent piece on
Chicago Bears offensive coordinator (and soon to be head coach somewhere) Adam Gase, I couldn’t help but think of Chip Kelly and why he failed in Philadelphia.
As many have said over the last couple days in regards to Kelly: The NFL is a people business. Kelly, at least in reports, was painted as a sharp mind but inflexible to a fault, unwilling to adjust to the wants and needs of his millionaire employees. Gase (and you should read
the whole piece) is also brilliant. And his success has come as something of a chameleon, a guy who is not only willing to take input from players but also willing to delve into their pasts and custom-fit an offense to them.
If I were an Eagles fan or player, I’d hope Gase is near the top of Philly’s list of candidates.
b. I know Chuck Pagano is a defensive coach who never got enough out of his defense in Indy. But I also think he got a raw deal. Aside from some good talent in the secondary, there was just never a whole lot of explosive talent on the defensive side of the ball to work with, especially after Robert Mathis’s ruptured achilles.
c. Similarly, I hope the Giants hang onto Tom Coughlin. The roster just isn’t good enough. On offense, they are devoid of weapons outside of Odell Beckham. On defense, their one game-changer blew his hand off during the offseason. Up the middle they are terrible, once again (foolishly) relying on Jon Beason to stay healthy and trotting out a couple of safeties who just don’t cut it. Talent-wise they were a six- or seven-win roster. If not for some late-game mismanagement, they might have won nine or 10. And late-game management, while frustrating, is correctable.
d. One more thing on the Colts: In my very unprofessional opinion, if Pagano is indeed out they should check in with Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. He’s done as well as possible as far as keeping Ben Roethlisberger relatively healthy, designing an offense that gets the ball out of Ben’s hands and minimizing the hits the star quarterback takes.
Andrew Luck holds on to the ball for far too long. Finding a way to keep Luck on the field has to be Indy’s No. 1 priority going forward. Haley face-planted as a head coach in Kansas City, but he won an AFC West title with a truly bad roster (with an assist from a truly bad schedule), and I’m not sure there’s a coach who could have done better with the hand Haley was dealt in K.C.
