The ABCs of
coaching
Paul Zimmerman has covered the
NFL for Sports Illustrated since 1979. His exclusive online
column appears each
Friday.
Posted: Fri November 21,
1997
Steve Mariucci of the 49ers heads my A-list of coaching
performances after 11 games. This is not exactly a shocking
pick since the Niners are 10-1 with the division already
clinched. My wife, Linda, who, as usual, gets to the
essence of things right
away, wants to know "Who's on your A-list that
doesn't have a winning record?" The answer is, one coach, and
if you want to find out who, you'll have to read my list.
(This is known as a
"teaser.")
Here are the
ratings:
THE
A-LIST
Mariucci. Not only did he keep the Niners winning, he did it by
changing their offensive operation, the platform being a
new type of running—hog-style, take-it-to-'em running,
which I haven't seen on this team since the days of the Big
Chief, Norm Standlee. Any
coach can maintain the status quo. Innovation gets you on
the
A-list.
Jeff Fisher,
Tennessee. There he is, Linda, a 5-6 coach with a terrific future, as
soon as his QB, Steve McNair, becomes more consistent. The
Oilers play hard for Fisher every week. His philosophy is
to run the ball and he doesn't alter it on a whim and get
cute, as so many
self-professed running coaches
do.
Bill Parcells,
Jets. He's turned it around with basically the same people as
last
year.
Jim Fassel,
Giants. Ditto, only he's even more short-handed in terms of
personnel.
Tony Dungy, Tampa
Bay. You don't have to be a screamer to get results. (Are you
listening, Mike Ditka?) Techniques have improved on all
levels, especially at
quarterback.
Mike Holmgren, Green
Bay. A good read on his team and his QB, who has had a
tendency to go a bit flighty this year. Giving the Packers
the bye week off was very
astute.
Mike Shanahan,
Denver. Uses the pass to set up the run. Not as well fixed,
personnel-wise, as you would think. John Elway goes into
cold spells. The defensive line is just so-so. Yet the
Broncos stay on
top.
Tom Coughlin,
Jacksonville. Lost two quarterbacks early, and the Jags still kept
winning. Stays in every game. Sound
philosophy.
Bill Cowher,
Pittsburgh. Great molder of young talent. The Steelers get killed in
free agency every year, but they're always up
there.
THE
B-LIST
Marty Schottenheimer, Kansas
City. OK, it wasn't his fault that his QB went down, but it's
always something. He's a terrific organizer and his teams
always will be contenders, but will he ever rise from that
second
level?
Norv Turner,
Washington. Excellent game-day coach, very intelligent with the
schemes, but his quarterback has
regressed.
Dennis Green,
Minnesota. Vikings get hot and they kill you, but they can get cold
and get killed, too. I don't think all that off-the-field
stuff is really a distraction to the players. I mean, is a
guy going to miss a block or a tackle because the coach
wrote a
book?
Bobby Ross,
Detroit. Yeah, I know, very erratic QB—and team as well—but I
just have a hunch about this guy. I think the Lions are on
the
rise.
Jimmy Johnson,
Miami. He took the worst running team in football and said, By
God, we're gonna run the ball, and he won the last two
games that way. I wasn't wild about the way he handled the
Marino situation,
though.
THE
C-LIST
Rah Rah Rhodes,
Philadelphia. It's worn off, all that blood and thunder, and what's
left is an undermanned team that can't find a
quarterback.
Vince Tobin,
Arizona. For a defensive coach, he sure manages to put his people
in awkward situations. But he did the right thing in giving
Jake Plummer his chance. The kid has Pro Bowl written all
over
him.
Kevin Gilbride, San
Diego. Maybe I'm prejudiced here because he's become such a
tyrant with the press corps, but I don't see much life or
punch to this
outfit.
Dick Vermeil, St.
Louis. His best move was to let Bud Carson run the defense. But
that
attack—oy!
Dom Capers,
Carolina. Penalties, special teams, run defense. All the strengths
have become
weaknesses.
Marv Levy,
Buffalo. Still a serious defense, but the offense has no
direction.
Pete Carroll, New
England. I don't see any progression in Drew Bledsoe. I don't see
a real killer instinct on defense. Where has it
gone?
Ted Marchibroda,
Baltimore. Serious drive-blocking O-line, yet they fiddle around
with a three wideout offense that generally seems to screw
it
up.
Dennis Erickson,
Seattle. What would have happened if his starting QB, John Friesz,
hadn't gotten hurt? Warren Moon's brilliance has made the
team competitive. He could take Columbia University's
wideouts and throw for 250 yards.
THE
F-LIST
Joe Bugel,
Oakland. The clap-hands, let's-go-get-'em gang, school of
coaching. A
disaster.
Mike Ditka, New
Orleans. Even more so. People care more about the show Iron Mike
is going to put on on the sidelines than how badly his team
is going to mess up things. They do have some terrific
young defensive people,
though.
Lindy Infante,
Indianapolis. OK, they beat the Pack last week and he orchestrated the
clock beautifully at the end. This just shows what could
have been. The O-line needed a veteran fix and instead it
got
babies.
Bruce Coslet,
Cincinnati. He let Dick LeBeau talk him into that silly zone blitz
scheme, so they couldn't stop the run. His quarterback has
regressed. His prime wideout is stellar one week, invisible
the
next.
Barry Switzer,
Dallas. They're on the winning side in spite of him, not because
of him. No direction here at
all.
Dave Wannstedt,
Chicago. The problem is personnel, but he had a hand in this and
he has to share the
blame.
THE JURY IS
OUT
Dan Reeves,
Atlanta. He's playing with a short deck. Let's wait until he has
more of his own people to work
with.
On to the forecasting, and I'll make this
brief:
Green Bay over
Dallas in the biggie. The Pack is unbeaten against teams with a
winning record. Their three defeats have come to losing
outfits, which means that they lose focus against stiffs.
That won't be the problem
Sunday.
Vikings over the
Jets. I could be really wrong here, but I don't like Neil
O'Donnell and his O-line against that rush. What makes me
nervous is that Vegas has made New York a favorite, and
those guys aren't exactly
stupid.
Falcons over New
Orleans. The Saints' bubble bursts. Turnovers and the Atlanta pass
rush will do 'em
in.
Patriots over
Dolphins. Here's how I see it: Bad weather will screw up Marino's
rhythm. Miami will come out trying to run the ball and get
stuffed. Bledsoe and the boys will turn the ball over, but
not as much as Miami
will.
Redskins over
Giants. Just don't think New York can beat a team of this caliber
on the
road.
Seahawks over
Chiefs. Dale Carter's ailing shoulder puts a crimp in K.C.'s
coverage scheme, which is all Warren Moon
needs.
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