Ran across this article on Pete Carroll' success as a head coach by Rob Asghar at Forbes.com.
Judging from results--at both the college and pro levels--his philosophy (which is quite deep and thought-out) is a good one for any coach.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robasghar/2 ... verything/
The Seahawks' Success Formula: 'Practice Is Everything'
There may not be a more gifted leader in America today than Pete Carroll, head coach of the NFL Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, who a week ago kicked off preparations to defend their first title.
Carroll’s penchant for winning inspires awe and considerable envy. Granted, a few bitter and cynical reprobates remain who continue to doubt Carroll or cheer against him, typically because he seems to be having more fun than they can stand—and he’s usually having that fun at their favorite team’s expense on a Sunday afternoon. But what few can appreciate is how Carroll’s philosophy and system build a more meaningful form of personal and collective success than simple win-loss records or championship rings.
While other coaches blame unexpected circumstances and phases of the moon for failing to meet expectations, Carroll gladly embraces the highest expectations–and prepares his team to see any unexpected twist of the road as a new platform on which to develop and display excellence. While pressure can eat most playoff teams alive, Carroll’s teams show poise under even the hottest spotlights. And while complacency erodes other teams, Carroll’s staff takes pride in delivering the highest level of excellence every day, even when the public spotlight is off.
I had the chance to visit two high-intensity Seahawk training camp practices along a picturesque section of Lake Washington this past week. After one session, Carroll spoke about the thrill he continues to find in the challenge of sustaining high levels of excellence. And Ben Malcolmson, a former player for Carroll at USC, a sports journalist and a right-hand man to Carroll since 2007, offered his own close vantage point of Carroll’s management style at both the college and pro level.
“It’ll be amazing to look back on all this in, say, five years,” says Malcolmson, whom the New York Times profiled as Carroll’s “Guardian Tweeter” last winter. “There were skeptics, people who said that what worked at the college level wouldn’t work in the NFL … But every player, at USC or Seattle, would tell you it works.”
Only three coaches—Carroll, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer—have ever won championships at the NFL and NCAA level (Carroll won two consecutive AP national titles in the 2003 and 2004 seasons and came within seconds of winning an unprecedented third in a row). But while both Johnson and Switzer inherited championship teams at either the college or pro level, Carroll had to rebuild from the ground up at both levels—and did so quickly, dramatically and emphatically.
Having watched Carroll’s leadership style for fourteen years at USC (my alma mater, which I’m an employee and shameless booster of) and in Seattle, I see three principles that serve as the foundation of his teams’ successes:
1. Aspire to Peak Performance. Carroll began his 2010 book, Win Forever: Live, Work and Play Like a Champion, by describing an epiphany during a somber moment of unemployment. He’d been reading a book by the legendary John Wooden, basketball coach at USC’s crosstown rival UCLA, when he realized that Wooden needed 16 long years to develop and communicate his philosophy for success. Carroll decided to refine his own philosophy relentlessly, eventually distilling it down to an “always compete” mantra that’s less focused on winning than on being at one’s best.
It’s “process over product,” to borrow a line from many artists and performers who care more about getting into a peak performance zone than in generating applause. (Along the way to discovering how to help his players reach a peak performance zone, Carroll was influenced by Timothy Gallwey’s Inner Game of Tennis, a good read for ambitious people in any field.)
2. Prepare Better and Harder than Anyone Else Does. “Practice is everything,” Carroll tweeted to fans last week, on the first day of training camp. “It’s where we make us.” Malcolmson says that the coach isn’t unique in such an approach, but that he’s rare in how he lives it out and how he cajoles his staff and players to do the same.
“His teams just practice at a higher level than other teams,” Malcolmson says. “Others may go through the motions. But for him, each day is the most important day”—for learning, for reaching one’s best and for bringing out the best in every other teammate, all in a spirit of healthy competition and collaboration.
3. Bring a Positive Energy. It’s not just that Carroll is generally cheerful, or that he has a stunning amount of energy as he approaches the age of 63. It’s that his positivity and his energy work together. This creates resilience and optimism—an ability to bounce back reflexively and instinctively. “My mother always told me to believe that something good is about to happen,” Carroll has said. He’s an exemplar of a life-affirming human potential philosophy that rose up in places like Carroll’s native California decades ago.
A 2007 Los Angeles magazine portrait quoted Esalen Institute co-founder Michael Murphy on his friendship with Carroll. “When we talk, we sometimes turn to sports,” Murphy said, “but more often to philosophy and the amazing possibilities of human nature … We’ve discussed Indian philosophy, religious mysticism, parapsychology as a scientific discipline, and various social causes.”
That quest to test the outer limits of human potential plays out in exceptional ways not only on the field, but in philanthropy and community service, as in when Carroll delves into urban-city gang issues or takes a young cancer survivor under his wing or performs a myriad of other acts of service that are intentionally below the media radar.
No Carbon Copies
Coaches at a number of levels have already been attempting to mimic the Seahawks’ style, whether it’s the rock-and-rap-and-R&B music pumped into practices or the punchy “always compete” slogans. But Malcolmson says he’s found that such imitation has its limits.
“There’s only one Pete Carroll,” he tells me. “You can’t be a carbon copy.” But he adds that there’s still much that others can learn from what’s happening in the revolution along Lake Washington. “It’s transferable,” he says, “from sports to schools to business and so on … But you have to do it in a way that’s true to who you are.” It’s a good bet is that we’ll see plenty of attempts by others to transfer and adapt that approach in the years ahead.
Rob Asghar is the author of the newly released Leadership Is Hell, with all proceeds supporting programs to increase college access for under-served youth in the Los Angeles area.
Official NFL Thread: 2014-2015 Season
Moderator: Team Captains
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South Pender
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Continuing down the pre-season power rankings of NFL teams, here is Pro Football Talk's 10th-ranked team (5th in the NFC)--the Carolina Panthers:
Preseason Power Rankings No. 10: Carolina Panthers
Posted by Darin Gantt on July 18, 2014, 9:00 AM EDT
There were points last season when it appeared time to start writing the obituary for Panthers coach Ron Rivera and the team built by former General Manager Marty Hurney.
Then Rivera’s team did a funny thing — they forgot how to lose.
The Panthers won 11 of their final 12 games last year, and only a loss to the 49ers in the playoffs spoiled an unpredictable run built on defense and a singular talent at quarterback.
Of course, they spent the offseason subtracting more than they added, cutting past fat into meat and bone to try to keep a good roster intact.
But that’s what they’re going to have to do for another year or so (when it’s time to pay the next wave of young stars), and they’ve done it well.
Strengths.
In quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers have perhaps the best bail-out-a-play guy in the NFL.
It seems no play is over for Newton, who has matured as a passer while remaining dangerous as a runner. His ability in short-yardage helped spark last year’s belief that they could win, and his growth as a passer helped him make plenty of big plays through the air as well.
Newton will need to be incredible, because they took away most of his help (more on that in a moment). But he is incredible, and looks comfortable running an offense which is far from cutting-edge.
It doesn’t need to be complex it if works, and he’s reached what appears to be a good relationship with play-caller Mike Shula.
They also have what might be the best defensive front seven in the NFL.
They have a pair (for a year anyway) of double-digit sack ends, which only required using more than 20 percent of their cap to keep them.
Greg Hardy got the franchise tag after an impressive salary drive (7.0 of his 15.0 sacks came in the final two games), while overpaid-but-productive veteran Charles Johnson has been a steady presence (44.0 sacks the last four season) against the run and pass.
Paired with a interior that included 2013 top picks Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short, and a group of linebackers led by Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, the Panthers can match personnel with anyone in the league.
It’s a front designed to take the pressure off a suspect back, but it did just that a year ago, succeeding without much pedigreed talent in the secondary.
Weaknesses.
As long as you spend so much on defensive ends, you’ve got to scrimp somewhere. So the fact they’re using temps in the secondary is nearly a non-issue.
What they’re doing without on offense is alarming.
The Panthers lost two of the five or six best players in franchise history when Steve Smith was cut and Jordan Gross retired.
Smith was cut for reasons that exceeded age and production, as all the wideouts who caught a pass last year are gone. If he wasn’t so much of a grouch, they’d have possibly let him ride off into the sunset next year, but they wanted to let Newton take control of the locker room as well as the huddle.
Instead, they signed just-a-guys Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant to play stable-pony for first-rounder Kelvin Benjamin.
A good running game (everybody’s healthy for a change) and tight end Greg Olsen take some of the pressure off this odd lot of guys to perform. Which is good, because that seems unlikely.
But for all the consternation about the receivers, what happened to their offensive line is worse.
They needed an upgrade from right tackle Byron Bell, but instead they’re letting him compete for the left tackle job along with converted defensive tackle Nate Chandler. They made a run at former Bengals tackle Anthony Collins in free agency, but otherwise did nothing to improve the team’s most glaring weakness in a post-Gross environment. They’ll find out in a hurry how much they miss Gross, which might make management re-think squeezing veterans into dramatic pay cuts in the future.
The middle of the line could be OK, with center Ryan Kalil there to help along a young group. If former second-rounder Amini Silatolu plays to his pre-injury form, they have a chance. Third-rounder Trai Turner is going to have a chance to win the right guard job, and might have the quickest path to the starting lineup of any of their rookies.
Changes.
Perhaps the biggest change for the Panthers was in Rivera himself.
Once a guy with a 2-14 record in games decided by a touchdown or less, Rivera started rolling the dice and it kept working.
It wasn’t just going for fourth downs (but that’s easier when you have a giant quarterback and a big fat fullback such as Mike Tolbert), there was a different air about the Panthers last season.
They went from playing to unfulfilled potential and bloated salaries to playing like a team with something to prove.
In fact, they did have plenty to prove, as a losing record last season might have triggered a huge house-cleaning by new G.M. Dave Gettleman.
He’s talked for two years about the cap issues created by the previous administration (the cost of owner Jerry Richardson spending none of the money before his lockout, and then spending it all at once afterward). Gettleman’s done a good job of filling in the blanks with day laborers, and appears to have done so again.
Losing players such as Mike Mitchell and Captain Munnerlyn shouldn’t sting as much, considering they were a minimum-wage free agent and a seventh-round pick. He found spare parts before, and has again, with cornerback Antoine Cason and safeties Roman Harper and Thomas DeCoud in line to be this year’s beneficiaries of a pass rush.
Camp Battles.
The Panthers need to find a pair of starting wideouts, and it would be swell if Benjamin would grow into the job in a hurry. Beyond that, they have a bunch of unproven receivers who will be angling for significant roles, from journeyman haircut Tiquan Underwood to kids including Marvin McNutt and Tavarres King.
There’s also some shuffling among the offensive line jobs and in the secondary, with plenty of roles to fill.
One guy who might need to win a job is former starting safety Charles Godfrey, who tore his Achilles last year and then was forced into a pay cut just to have a chance. Godfrey could end up playing as their nickel, and he has some corner skills from his college days. Whether he can run remains to be seen.
Prospects.
It’s hard to not expect regression, considering the way the Panthers exceeded every reasonable expectation last year.
Their defense and Newton gives them a solid base to build upon, but it will only get harder from here.
They’re built to beat the best teams in the conference, and might have played the Seahawks tougher than anyone in Week One (before anybody realized they were any good).
If they find two dependable tackles and can get something — anything — from their receiving corps, they have a chance to pull off the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history.
But it’s hard to consider either of those feats a given, which makes this a team which could still play well, but win far fewer games.
Preseason Power Rankings No. 10: Carolina Panthers
Posted by Darin Gantt on July 18, 2014, 9:00 AM EDT
There were points last season when it appeared time to start writing the obituary for Panthers coach Ron Rivera and the team built by former General Manager Marty Hurney.
Then Rivera’s team did a funny thing — they forgot how to lose.
The Panthers won 11 of their final 12 games last year, and only a loss to the 49ers in the playoffs spoiled an unpredictable run built on defense and a singular talent at quarterback.
Of course, they spent the offseason subtracting more than they added, cutting past fat into meat and bone to try to keep a good roster intact.
But that’s what they’re going to have to do for another year or so (when it’s time to pay the next wave of young stars), and they’ve done it well.
Strengths.
In quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers have perhaps the best bail-out-a-play guy in the NFL.
It seems no play is over for Newton, who has matured as a passer while remaining dangerous as a runner. His ability in short-yardage helped spark last year’s belief that they could win, and his growth as a passer helped him make plenty of big plays through the air as well.
Newton will need to be incredible, because they took away most of his help (more on that in a moment). But he is incredible, and looks comfortable running an offense which is far from cutting-edge.
It doesn’t need to be complex it if works, and he’s reached what appears to be a good relationship with play-caller Mike Shula.
They also have what might be the best defensive front seven in the NFL.
They have a pair (for a year anyway) of double-digit sack ends, which only required using more than 20 percent of their cap to keep them.
Greg Hardy got the franchise tag after an impressive salary drive (7.0 of his 15.0 sacks came in the final two games), while overpaid-but-productive veteran Charles Johnson has been a steady presence (44.0 sacks the last four season) against the run and pass.
Paired with a interior that included 2013 top picks Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short, and a group of linebackers led by Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, the Panthers can match personnel with anyone in the league.
It’s a front designed to take the pressure off a suspect back, but it did just that a year ago, succeeding without much pedigreed talent in the secondary.
Weaknesses.
As long as you spend so much on defensive ends, you’ve got to scrimp somewhere. So the fact they’re using temps in the secondary is nearly a non-issue.
What they’re doing without on offense is alarming.
The Panthers lost two of the five or six best players in franchise history when Steve Smith was cut and Jordan Gross retired.
Smith was cut for reasons that exceeded age and production, as all the wideouts who caught a pass last year are gone. If he wasn’t so much of a grouch, they’d have possibly let him ride off into the sunset next year, but they wanted to let Newton take control of the locker room as well as the huddle.
Instead, they signed just-a-guys Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant to play stable-pony for first-rounder Kelvin Benjamin.
A good running game (everybody’s healthy for a change) and tight end Greg Olsen take some of the pressure off this odd lot of guys to perform. Which is good, because that seems unlikely.
But for all the consternation about the receivers, what happened to their offensive line is worse.
They needed an upgrade from right tackle Byron Bell, but instead they’re letting him compete for the left tackle job along with converted defensive tackle Nate Chandler. They made a run at former Bengals tackle Anthony Collins in free agency, but otherwise did nothing to improve the team’s most glaring weakness in a post-Gross environment. They’ll find out in a hurry how much they miss Gross, which might make management re-think squeezing veterans into dramatic pay cuts in the future.
The middle of the line could be OK, with center Ryan Kalil there to help along a young group. If former second-rounder Amini Silatolu plays to his pre-injury form, they have a chance. Third-rounder Trai Turner is going to have a chance to win the right guard job, and might have the quickest path to the starting lineup of any of their rookies.
Changes.
Perhaps the biggest change for the Panthers was in Rivera himself.
Once a guy with a 2-14 record in games decided by a touchdown or less, Rivera started rolling the dice and it kept working.
It wasn’t just going for fourth downs (but that’s easier when you have a giant quarterback and a big fat fullback such as Mike Tolbert), there was a different air about the Panthers last season.
They went from playing to unfulfilled potential and bloated salaries to playing like a team with something to prove.
In fact, they did have plenty to prove, as a losing record last season might have triggered a huge house-cleaning by new G.M. Dave Gettleman.
He’s talked for two years about the cap issues created by the previous administration (the cost of owner Jerry Richardson spending none of the money before his lockout, and then spending it all at once afterward). Gettleman’s done a good job of filling in the blanks with day laborers, and appears to have done so again.
Losing players such as Mike Mitchell and Captain Munnerlyn shouldn’t sting as much, considering they were a minimum-wage free agent and a seventh-round pick. He found spare parts before, and has again, with cornerback Antoine Cason and safeties Roman Harper and Thomas DeCoud in line to be this year’s beneficiaries of a pass rush.
Camp Battles.
The Panthers need to find a pair of starting wideouts, and it would be swell if Benjamin would grow into the job in a hurry. Beyond that, they have a bunch of unproven receivers who will be angling for significant roles, from journeyman haircut Tiquan Underwood to kids including Marvin McNutt and Tavarres King.
There’s also some shuffling among the offensive line jobs and in the secondary, with plenty of roles to fill.
One guy who might need to win a job is former starting safety Charles Godfrey, who tore his Achilles last year and then was forced into a pay cut just to have a chance. Godfrey could end up playing as their nickel, and he has some corner skills from his college days. Whether he can run remains to be seen.
Prospects.
It’s hard to not expect regression, considering the way the Panthers exceeded every reasonable expectation last year.
Their defense and Newton gives them a solid base to build upon, but it will only get harder from here.
They’re built to beat the best teams in the conference, and might have played the Seahawks tougher than anyone in Week One (before anybody realized they were any good).
If they find two dependable tackles and can get something — anything — from their receiving corps, they have a chance to pull off the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history.
But it’s hard to consider either of those feats a given, which makes this a team which could still play well, but win far fewer games.
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South Pender
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Continuing with Pro Football Talk's pre-season power rankings, here's their No. 11 pick (6th in the NFC)--the Arizona Cardinals:
Preseason Power Rankings No. 11: Arizona Cardinals
Posted by Curtis Crabtree on July 17, 2014, 3:00 PM EDT
The Arizona Cardinals finished the 2013 season as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Cardinals finished 7-2 over the final nine games with their only two losses coming by a field goal to a pair of playoff teams in Philadelphia and San Francisco. In addition, Arizona is the only team in two seasons to defeat the Seattle Seahawks at home with a 17-10 win in Week 16.
However, the Cardinals have lost a few key pieces off a defense that ranked sixth in the league last season. Karlos Dansby signed with the Cleveland Browns in free agency and Daryl Washington was suspended for the year for another drug violation. Free agent additions Larry Foote and Antonio Cromartie on defense, and Jared Veldheer, John Carlson and Ted Ginn on offense could help the Cardinals mount a challenge against Seattle and the San Francisco 49ers for control of the NFC West.
Strengths.
The Cardinals possess one of the best 3-4 defensive fronts in the league. Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are stalwarts at defensive end with Dan Williams and Alameda Ta’Amu as solid options at nose tackle. John Abraham continues to defy his age after posting 11.5 sacks for Arizona last season as a rush linebacker. Arizona appears to have finally found a true complement to pair with Larry Fitzgerald in Michael Floyd. With the addition of Ted Ginn and third-round pick John Brown, quarterback Carson Palmer should have a bevy of options to help build upon his 4,000-yard campaign last season.
Weaknesses.
The signing of Jared Veldheer and the return of the 2014 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper should help stabilize an offensive line that has long been mediocre at best. However, the right side of the line brings more questions. Journeyman Paul Fanaika is penciled in right guard with a triumvirate of Nate Potter, Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell likely battling for the job at right tackle. With Dansby and Washington out of the picture, the Cardinals need to find suitable replacements at inside linebacker. Foote and 2013 second-round pick Kevin Minter will be called upon to step into the vacated roles, but they’ll have massive production to replace. Foote played in just one game last season with Minter unproven as an every down player. Ernie Sims and Lorenzo Alexander could also push for playing time.
Changes.
Dansby and Washington are the most notable departures for the Cardinals on defense while right tackle Eric Winston and left guard Daryn Colledge are gone on offense. First-round pick Deone Buchanon will be called upon to replace Yeremiah Bell alongside Tyrann Mathieu (when healthy) at safety. Antonio Cromartie should be an upgrade from Jerraud Powers, Justin Bethel and Javier Arenas at cornerback. John Carlson (if he can stay healthy) and second-round pick Troy Niklas should provide some more consistent depth at tight end as well.
Camp battles.
The battles for starting spots along the right side of the Cardinals offensive line will be important to watch. Sowell and Massie have both struggled when called upon to start in the past and Arizona could use consistency up front. The battle for the inside linebacker jobs should be the most fierce with Foote, Minter, Sims and Alexander all competing for two spots.
Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Dwyer will be battling for secondary carries behind Andre Ellington, who showed flashes of promise as a rookie.
Prospects.
The Arizona Cardinals should be legitimate contenders for a playoff spot this season if they can recapture the momentum they finished with in 2013. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will enter the season as the favorites to win the division, but the Cardinals aren’t far behind. They will face a slightly more favorable schedule than their fellow division rivals and will likely be ready to pounce if either Seattle or San Francisco falters this fall. Carson Palmer has stabilized the revolving door at quarterback over the past several seasons and the offensive line is in better shape than it’s been in a long time. The secondary should be improved with the additions of Cromartie and Buchanon as well. If the Cardinals can find adequate replacements for Dansby and Washington, they should once again be a force on defense. The Cardinals reside in the best division in football but they appear to be up for the task of challenging for a playoff spot alongside the Seahawks and 49ers.
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Interesting that 3 of the top 11 teams (at least according to PFT's power rankings) are in the 4-team NFC-West division. The Cardinals have a good defense, but I'd hate to have to count on an aging Carson Palmer (now 34 and with a career QB rating of 85.9) to get them into the playoffs.
Preseason Power Rankings No. 11: Arizona Cardinals
Posted by Curtis Crabtree on July 17, 2014, 3:00 PM EDT
The Arizona Cardinals finished the 2013 season as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Cardinals finished 7-2 over the final nine games with their only two losses coming by a field goal to a pair of playoff teams in Philadelphia and San Francisco. In addition, Arizona is the only team in two seasons to defeat the Seattle Seahawks at home with a 17-10 win in Week 16.
However, the Cardinals have lost a few key pieces off a defense that ranked sixth in the league last season. Karlos Dansby signed with the Cleveland Browns in free agency and Daryl Washington was suspended for the year for another drug violation. Free agent additions Larry Foote and Antonio Cromartie on defense, and Jared Veldheer, John Carlson and Ted Ginn on offense could help the Cardinals mount a challenge against Seattle and the San Francisco 49ers for control of the NFC West.
Strengths.
The Cardinals possess one of the best 3-4 defensive fronts in the league. Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are stalwarts at defensive end with Dan Williams and Alameda Ta’Amu as solid options at nose tackle. John Abraham continues to defy his age after posting 11.5 sacks for Arizona last season as a rush linebacker. Arizona appears to have finally found a true complement to pair with Larry Fitzgerald in Michael Floyd. With the addition of Ted Ginn and third-round pick John Brown, quarterback Carson Palmer should have a bevy of options to help build upon his 4,000-yard campaign last season.
Weaknesses.
The signing of Jared Veldheer and the return of the 2014 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper should help stabilize an offensive line that has long been mediocre at best. However, the right side of the line brings more questions. Journeyman Paul Fanaika is penciled in right guard with a triumvirate of Nate Potter, Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell likely battling for the job at right tackle. With Dansby and Washington out of the picture, the Cardinals need to find suitable replacements at inside linebacker. Foote and 2013 second-round pick Kevin Minter will be called upon to step into the vacated roles, but they’ll have massive production to replace. Foote played in just one game last season with Minter unproven as an every down player. Ernie Sims and Lorenzo Alexander could also push for playing time.
Changes.
Dansby and Washington are the most notable departures for the Cardinals on defense while right tackle Eric Winston and left guard Daryn Colledge are gone on offense. First-round pick Deone Buchanon will be called upon to replace Yeremiah Bell alongside Tyrann Mathieu (when healthy) at safety. Antonio Cromartie should be an upgrade from Jerraud Powers, Justin Bethel and Javier Arenas at cornerback. John Carlson (if he can stay healthy) and second-round pick Troy Niklas should provide some more consistent depth at tight end as well.
Camp battles.
The battles for starting spots along the right side of the Cardinals offensive line will be important to watch. Sowell and Massie have both struggled when called upon to start in the past and Arizona could use consistency up front. The battle for the inside linebacker jobs should be the most fierce with Foote, Minter, Sims and Alexander all competing for two spots.
Stepfan Taylor and Jonathan Dwyer will be battling for secondary carries behind Andre Ellington, who showed flashes of promise as a rookie.
Prospects.
The Arizona Cardinals should be legitimate contenders for a playoff spot this season if they can recapture the momentum they finished with in 2013. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will enter the season as the favorites to win the division, but the Cardinals aren’t far behind. They will face a slightly more favorable schedule than their fellow division rivals and will likely be ready to pounce if either Seattle or San Francisco falters this fall. Carson Palmer has stabilized the revolving door at quarterback over the past several seasons and the offensive line is in better shape than it’s been in a long time. The secondary should be improved with the additions of Cromartie and Buchanon as well. If the Cardinals can find adequate replacements for Dansby and Washington, they should once again be a force on defense. The Cardinals reside in the best division in football but they appear to be up for the task of challenging for a playoff spot alongside the Seahawks and 49ers.
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Interesting that 3 of the top 11 teams (at least according to PFT's power rankings) are in the 4-team NFC-West division. The Cardinals have a good defense, but I'd hate to have to count on an aging Carson Palmer (now 34 and with a career QB rating of 85.9) to get them into the playoffs.
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WestCoastJoe
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Thanks for posting, SP. Terrific article.South Pender wrote:Ran across this article on Pete Carroll' success as a head coach by Rob Asghar at Forbes.com.
Judging from results--at both the college and pro levels--his philosophy (which is quite deep and thought-out) is a good one for any coach.
Big fan of Pete Carroll.
John Wooden.1. Aspire to Peak Performance. Carroll began his 2010 book, Win Forever: Live, Work and Play Like a Champion, by describing an epiphany during a somber moment of unemployment. He’d been reading a book by the legendary John Wooden, basketball coach at USC’s crosstown rival UCLA, when he realized that Wooden needed 16 long years to develop and communicate his philosophy for success. Carroll decided to refine his own philosophy relentlessly, eventually distilling it down to an “always compete” mantra that’s less focused on winning than on being at one’s best.
Be quick, but don't hurry. I used his press, coaching basketball. Wonderful man and coach. One story. Bill Walton came back one year with long hair. He knew Wooden would not like it. Wooden said he respected Bill's Independence of spirit and thought. But Bill would not play for UCLA that way. Walton cut his hair.It’s “process over product,” to borrow a line from many artists and performers who care more about getting into a peak performance zone than in generating applause. (Along the way to discovering how to help his players reach a peak performance zone, Carroll was influenced by Timothy Gallwey’s Inner Game of Tennis, a good read for ambitious people in any field.)
Galwey's book on inner golf helped me break 80 and get the handicap down to 9.7, at one time.
Bill Walsh looked to increase the standard of performance in his first difficult times in San Francisco.
2. Prepare Better and Harder than Anyone Else Does. “Practice is everything,”
Agree.
Agree. Nowadays they call it The Secret, or The Law of Attraction, or Intention Manifestation. I am a believer. In small ways, too. Darrell Royal had a QB who was small and slow, with a weak arm. People asked why he was the QB. Royal answered: "Good things just seem to follow James (Steet) around, waiting to happen."3. Bring a Positive Energy. It’s not just that Carroll is generally cheerful, or that he has a stunning amount of energy as he approaches the age of 63. It’s that his positivity and his energy work together. This creates resilience and optimism—an ability to bounce back reflexively and instinctively. “My mother always told me to believe that something good is about to happen,” Carroll has said.
Murphy. Galwey. Carroll. Kindred spirits. Irish ancestry, from their names.A 2007 Los Angeles magazine portrait quoted Esalen Institute co-founder Michael Murphy on his friendship with Carroll. “When we talk, we sometimes turn to sports,” Murphy said, “but more often to philosophy and the amazing possibilities of human nature … We’ve discussed Indian philosophy, religious mysticism, parapsychology as a scientific discipline, and various social causes.”
Most telling of all.That quest to test the outer limits of human potential plays out in exceptional ways not only on the field, but in philanthropy and community service, as in when Carroll delves into urban-city gang issues or takes a young cancer survivor under his wing or performs a myriad of other acts of service that are intentionally below the media radar.
Cannot be copied. I agree.No Carbon Copies
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.
Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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South Pender
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You're welcome,WCJ. Here's another article (from Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback SI column, this piece by Robert Klemko) I ran across about Dan Quinn, the architect of the Seahawks' defense. Not as interesting as the Carroll piece, but revealing nonetheless of how the 'Hawks find and develop players. The trouble with having a great coordinator like Quinn is that you inevitably lose him to a head coaching job. But I like Pete Carroll's attitude about that--help him move on to bigger and better things. Here's the link (with pictures), followed by the article reproduced. (It's better to click on the link and get it with the pictures.)
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/08/06/dan-quinn ... -seahawks/
The Next Great Coach
He’s obsessive in the film room, and his defense embarrassed Peyton Manning on the game’s biggest stage. But what really has Seattle coordinator Dan Quinn on the fast track is the trusting relationships he builds with players
By Robert Klemko
RENTON, Wa. — Here’s how championship teams are built.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had been on the job less than two months when he got on the phone with Michael Bennett, then a free agent in Tampa Bay and a former Quinn pupil. It was March 2013, and the Seahawks had signed former Lions defensive end Cliff Avril less than a day before. With so many accomplished pass rushers on the Seattle roster, Bennett was skeptical. Quinn was emphatic.
“He convinced me he would use me to the best of my abilities,” Bennett says a year later, after inking a four-year contract extension. “I trusted that.”
Bennett signed on for one year, and Quinn delivered. He moved the 6-4, 274-pounder, undrafted in 2009, from end to tackle in nickel packages, and a year later the Seahawks rewarded his 8.5-sack season with a $28.5 million commitment.
“He’s not married to a scheme; he wants you to grow,” Bennett says of Quinn. “He changes with the players.”
In Quinn's first season as defensive coordinator, Seattle led the league in yards and points allowed. In Quinn’s first season as defensive coordinator, Seattle led the league in yards allowed and points allowed.
Such is the hallmark of Quinn as a man and a coach—an open-mindedness that has vaulted the New Jersey native, at age 43, to the top of football’s unofficial power ranking of future head coaches. During what will likely be his last training camp as a coordinator, the brains behind football’s No. 1 defense sports a loose-fitting t-shirt, a weathered cap and a toothy grin.
“One of things I’ve learned from Coach [Pete] Carroll is how to use our featured players,” Quinn says. “There’s a tendency to say, oh, he doesn’t fit the system. Coach Carroll is more like, what does he have that’s special?”
That means letting oversized safety Kam Chancellor set the edge in the run game and putting cornerback Richard Sherman in press situations on the line of scrimmage, and of course, matching up Bennett on occasion against lumbering offensive guards.
“All of those guys are so unique,” Quinn says. “You ask yourself, how can we feature them?”
Quinn, who played at Salisbury State in Maryland and got his coaching start at William & Mary, learned how to analyze players for latent strengths from the 49ers’ Bill McPherson in his first year in the league, as a quality control coach in 2001. He learned the 3-4 from Nick Saban in Miami, and he learned how to manage a coaching staff as a coordinator for two seasons at Florida under Will Muschamp from 2011-12.
Yet his defining trait isn’t so much learned as it’s a consequence of compulsion.
Says Bennett, “He’s a master in the film room.”
For Dan Quinn to become the Next Big Thing in coaching, his defense had to leave no doubt in Super Bowl XLVIII against Peyton Manning. In Quinn’s mind, that meant watching two years’ worth of Manning snaps in the week after the NFC Championship Game.
That’s every snap Manning had yet taken for the Denver Broncos, watched, re-watched and mentally catalogued; 1,479 throws, 967 handoffs, 131 touchdowns, 24 interceptions and more audibles than there are minutes in a day.
Says a close friend of Quinn’s, “He’s definitely an obsessive.”
I want to help Dan get whatever job he wants,” Carroll says. “He’s going to be a head coach very soon.
While Quinn was studying, the Browns couldn’t wait. They’d interviewed him once following the regular season, and he planned to turn down a second interview request until after the playoffs. Before the Seahawks won it all, Cleveland inked Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who led a 20th-ranked defense which broke the franchise record for sacks (57) in a 6-10 season. The Vikings brought Quinn in as a finalist and passed in favor of longtime Bengals coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Pete Carroll was frustrated for Quinn, yet relieved for the Seahawks. Two years after watching Gus Bradley leave for the Jaguars’ head-coaching job, he would have a returning defensive coordinator for the title defense. Quinn, on the coaching fast track, hasn’t spent longer than two seasons in a city since 2004.
“It was a coup to get him back last year, much less this year,” Carroll says. “But I don’t want to look at it that way. I want to help Dan get whatever job he wants because he’s a great coach.
“Our situation in the season worked against him. We played so late that people had to make decisions. Teams get antsy, seeing coaches start to get hired and they couldn’t wait for him, but he’s going to be a head coach very soon.”
For the Seahawks, losing Quinn would likely mean the promotion of Rocky Seto, the defensive backs coach who had the peculiar title of Defensive Passing Game Coordinator added to his nameplate this offseason.
In that case, Quinn would leave behind one of the most talented defensive rosters in football—one largely assembled by Bradley in his four seasons in Seattle. Quinn’s recruitment and development of Bennett and Avril pushed them over the hump, but the evaluation of draft talent isn’t yet a strongpoint on the coach’s résumé. Ditto for offensive game-planning, for obvious reasons. His approach to the other side of the ball is likely to be influenced by the personnel already in place in a new city. He lists New Orleans among the offensive schemes he respects the most.
Any job he takes in a year, Quinn says, will rely on connections like the one he’s built with Bennett.
“It’s about being developmental,” Quinn says. “How much can you find out about this player? And what can you draw out of him? It takes a lot of time and effort. Those relationships are really important.”
___________________________________________________________________
One thing that seems pretty clear in both the Carroll article and this one is the emphasis on preparation. As was mentioned in the Pete Carroll piece "Prepare Better and Harder than Anyone Else Does. 'Practice is everything.'" If you combine careful recruiting with outstanding preparation week in and week out, you're likely to have a winner.
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/08/06/dan-quinn ... -seahawks/
The Next Great Coach
He’s obsessive in the film room, and his defense embarrassed Peyton Manning on the game’s biggest stage. But what really has Seattle coordinator Dan Quinn on the fast track is the trusting relationships he builds with players
By Robert Klemko
RENTON, Wa. — Here’s how championship teams are built.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had been on the job less than two months when he got on the phone with Michael Bennett, then a free agent in Tampa Bay and a former Quinn pupil. It was March 2013, and the Seahawks had signed former Lions defensive end Cliff Avril less than a day before. With so many accomplished pass rushers on the Seattle roster, Bennett was skeptical. Quinn was emphatic.
“He convinced me he would use me to the best of my abilities,” Bennett says a year later, after inking a four-year contract extension. “I trusted that.”
Bennett signed on for one year, and Quinn delivered. He moved the 6-4, 274-pounder, undrafted in 2009, from end to tackle in nickel packages, and a year later the Seahawks rewarded his 8.5-sack season with a $28.5 million commitment.
“He’s not married to a scheme; he wants you to grow,” Bennett says of Quinn. “He changes with the players.”
In Quinn's first season as defensive coordinator, Seattle led the league in yards and points allowed. In Quinn’s first season as defensive coordinator, Seattle led the league in yards allowed and points allowed.
Such is the hallmark of Quinn as a man and a coach—an open-mindedness that has vaulted the New Jersey native, at age 43, to the top of football’s unofficial power ranking of future head coaches. During what will likely be his last training camp as a coordinator, the brains behind football’s No. 1 defense sports a loose-fitting t-shirt, a weathered cap and a toothy grin.
“One of things I’ve learned from Coach [Pete] Carroll is how to use our featured players,” Quinn says. “There’s a tendency to say, oh, he doesn’t fit the system. Coach Carroll is more like, what does he have that’s special?”
That means letting oversized safety Kam Chancellor set the edge in the run game and putting cornerback Richard Sherman in press situations on the line of scrimmage, and of course, matching up Bennett on occasion against lumbering offensive guards.
“All of those guys are so unique,” Quinn says. “You ask yourself, how can we feature them?”
Quinn, who played at Salisbury State in Maryland and got his coaching start at William & Mary, learned how to analyze players for latent strengths from the 49ers’ Bill McPherson in his first year in the league, as a quality control coach in 2001. He learned the 3-4 from Nick Saban in Miami, and he learned how to manage a coaching staff as a coordinator for two seasons at Florida under Will Muschamp from 2011-12.
Yet his defining trait isn’t so much learned as it’s a consequence of compulsion.
Says Bennett, “He’s a master in the film room.”
For Dan Quinn to become the Next Big Thing in coaching, his defense had to leave no doubt in Super Bowl XLVIII against Peyton Manning. In Quinn’s mind, that meant watching two years’ worth of Manning snaps in the week after the NFC Championship Game.
That’s every snap Manning had yet taken for the Denver Broncos, watched, re-watched and mentally catalogued; 1,479 throws, 967 handoffs, 131 touchdowns, 24 interceptions and more audibles than there are minutes in a day.
Says a close friend of Quinn’s, “He’s definitely an obsessive.”
I want to help Dan get whatever job he wants,” Carroll says. “He’s going to be a head coach very soon.
While Quinn was studying, the Browns couldn’t wait. They’d interviewed him once following the regular season, and he planned to turn down a second interview request until after the playoffs. Before the Seahawks won it all, Cleveland inked Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who led a 20th-ranked defense which broke the franchise record for sacks (57) in a 6-10 season. The Vikings brought Quinn in as a finalist and passed in favor of longtime Bengals coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Pete Carroll was frustrated for Quinn, yet relieved for the Seahawks. Two years after watching Gus Bradley leave for the Jaguars’ head-coaching job, he would have a returning defensive coordinator for the title defense. Quinn, on the coaching fast track, hasn’t spent longer than two seasons in a city since 2004.
“It was a coup to get him back last year, much less this year,” Carroll says. “But I don’t want to look at it that way. I want to help Dan get whatever job he wants because he’s a great coach.
“Our situation in the season worked against him. We played so late that people had to make decisions. Teams get antsy, seeing coaches start to get hired and they couldn’t wait for him, but he’s going to be a head coach very soon.”
For the Seahawks, losing Quinn would likely mean the promotion of Rocky Seto, the defensive backs coach who had the peculiar title of Defensive Passing Game Coordinator added to his nameplate this offseason.
In that case, Quinn would leave behind one of the most talented defensive rosters in football—one largely assembled by Bradley in his four seasons in Seattle. Quinn’s recruitment and development of Bennett and Avril pushed them over the hump, but the evaluation of draft talent isn’t yet a strongpoint on the coach’s résumé. Ditto for offensive game-planning, for obvious reasons. His approach to the other side of the ball is likely to be influenced by the personnel already in place in a new city. He lists New Orleans among the offensive schemes he respects the most.
Any job he takes in a year, Quinn says, will rely on connections like the one he’s built with Bennett.
“It’s about being developmental,” Quinn says. “How much can you find out about this player? And what can you draw out of him? It takes a lot of time and effort. Those relationships are really important.”
___________________________________________________________________
One thing that seems pretty clear in both the Carroll article and this one is the emphasis on preparation. As was mentioned in the Pete Carroll piece "Prepare Better and Harder than Anyone Else Does. 'Practice is everything.'" If you combine careful recruiting with outstanding preparation week in and week out, you're likely to have a winner.
-
South Pender
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- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:24 am
- Location: Vancouver weekdays; Gulf Islands on weekends
Continuing with Pro Football Talk's pre-season power rankings, here's their No. 12 pick (7th in the NFC)--the Chicago Bears:
Preseason Power Rankings No. 12: Chicago Bears
Posted by Mike Wilkening on July 17, 2014, 9:00 AM EDT
The 2013 Bears scored the second-most points in franchise history (445). Only the 1985 Bears tallied more in regular season play, putting up 456 in their bulldozing of all non-Dan Marino-led competition in a 15-1 season.
But for all of their skill on offense, the 2013 Bears were overmatched on defense, surrendering 478 points, 57 points more than any previous Chicago club had given up.
Long before the Packers’ Randall Cobb sprinted through the Chicago secondary en route to the division-clinching touchdown in the regular season finale, the Bears’ defense was broken. Chicago surrendered at least 28 points in half of its games, including 54 to Philadelphia, 45 to Washington, 42 to St. Louis and 40 to Detroit. No team allowed more yards per play than the Bears, and no team was worse against the run.
In the offseason, the Bears set out to bolster that “D,” signing two of the best available defensive ends (Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen) and drafting defensive players with four of their first five picks. On offense, the Bears tried to build continuity. They re-committed to quarterback Jay Cutler, signing him to a seven-year contract worth up to $126.7 million in January. In May, they signed wide receiver Brandon Marshall to a four-year deal worth as much as $40 million.
These were logical moves for Chicago. For once, it was the offense didn’t need much work. Now, the focus turns to whether the defense can provide more resistance in head coach Marc Trestman’s second season on the job.
Strengths.
The Bears’ 2014 offense could be one of the best the franchise has ever fielded. Marshall (100 catches, 1,295 yards, 12 TDs in 2013) and fellow starting wideout Alshon Jeffery (89-1,421-7) were Pro Bowlers a season ago, as were tailback Matt Forte (1,933 combined rushing-receiving yards) and right guard Kyle Long.
Cutler — now in sixth season in Chicago — appears to have taken well to Trestman’s scheme. The strong-armed Cutler connected on 63.1 percent of his throws a season ago, his best completion percentage in six years. He’s quite capable of being the first Bears quarterback to make a Pro Bowl since Jim McMahon 29 years ago.
If Cutler gets an all-star nod, he’ll be aided by strength of his pass catching corps. Marshall and Jeffery form an outstanding tandem. Forte is one of the game’s best receivers out of the backfield. Tight end Martellus Bennett is solid, too.
In Trestman’s inaugural campaign, the Bears’ passing attempts rose nearly 20 percent, but total sacks were down more than 30 percent. Moreover, the club’s completion percentage was up more than five percent. In short, the 2013 Bears threw it more and threw it better — and their quarterbacks hit the ground less. That’s testament to Trestman’s scheme, but it also reflects well on the offensive line, which the club overhauled last year, drafting Long and right tackle Jordan Mills and signing left tackle Jermon Bushrod and left guard Matt Slauson.
The Bears can only hope their offseason D-line investment will pay similar dividends. And Allen, Houston and ex-Lions end Willie Young should strengthen a defense that got just 20 sacks from its front four a season ago.
Finally, in Robbie Gould, the Bears have one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers. He hit 26-of-29 field goals in 2013, including 9-of-11 from 40 yards and beyond.
Weaknesses.
Even with an upgraded defensive line, the Bears’ defense looms a major concern. The top player in the LB corps, Lance Briggs, will be 34 in November. Shea McClellin, the Bears’ 2012 first-round pick, could get reps at strong-side and middle linebacker in an attempt to jump-start his career. More is also needed from second-year pro Jon Bostic, whether at middle or outside linebacker.
The Bears’ secondary also looks shaky. Per Pro Football Focus grades, the club had two of the four worst starting safeties in 2013 (SS Major Wright, FS Chris Conte). Wright departed in free agency, and Conte comes off shoulder surgery. The Bears added four veterans and a draft pick at safety, which at least gives them some options as they try to craft a workable solution on the back end.
The Bears’ cornerback play should also be monitored. The club added some much-needed youth and depth in the draft, taking Kyle Fuller in Round One. Fuller, veterans Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman figure as the top three corners. If the 33-year-old Tillman stays healthy and returns to form, and if Fuller is a quick study, the Bears should be just fine at this key position. But if Tillman misses time, and if Fuller isn’t quite ready for prime time, the Bears could have a problem.
The worries don’t stop there. The Bears’ special teams are quite unsettled entering training camp. The club will have a new punter, holder, long-snapper, punt returner and kickoff returner. And backup quarterback could be a trouble spot after the departure of Josh McCown. Veterans Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer and sixth-round rookie David Fales will vie to back up Cutler. Clausen and Palmer have generally struggled against NFL competition, but Trestman is masterful with quarterbacks.
Changes.
The defensive depth chart got a makeover. The Bears released defensive end Julius Peppers and didn’t bring back defensive tackle Henry Melton, defensive end Corey Wootton or linebacker James Anderson. The Bears’ most expensive free agent signings — Houston and Allen — are defensive ends, a nod to the premium that ready-made pass rushers command. To bolster the defensive tackle depth, the Bears turned to the draft, selecting Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The Bears took a value shopping approach at safety. Free agent additions Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings, Danny McCray and Adrian Wilson are all slated to make less than $1 million in salary this season, per NFLPA records.
On offense, the changes were reserved to backup spots. McCown left to be the Buccaneers’ starter, while tailback Michael Bush and Earl Bennett were released. Rookie Ka’Deem Carey could help replace Bush, while former Washington wideout Josh Morgan was signed to bolster the WR depth.
The Bears underwent several major shakeups in the kicking game. Long-time star returner Devin Hester signed with Atlanta. Punter Adam Podlesh was released, and the club spent a draft pick on a potential replacement (Pat O’Donnell, Round Six). Then, late in the offseason, 16-year long-snapper Patrick Mannelly retired, adding another layer of uncertainty to the special teams.
Camp battles.
Here are the positions and players to watch:
— Safety: Ex-Giant Mundy might have the edge at strong safety, but Wilson is a wild card if he has something left after missing the 2013 season with an Achilles injury. Rookie Vereen is the biggest threat to the incumbent Conte at free safety.
— Cornerback: The progress of Fuller must be monitored. There are plenty of snaps to be had in this secondary if he’s up to it.
— Defensive tackle: Can Ferguson or Sutton push starters Jay Ratliff and Stephen Paea? If not, can the rookies at least prove capable rotation players?
— Linebacker: Will Bostic, McClellin and second-year outside linebacker Khaseem Greene step up their play? The Bears didn’t draft a linebacker and added only veteran backup Jordan Senn in free agency.
— Wide receiver: Morgan and second-year pro Marquess Wilson appear the favorites to replace Bennett as the third receiver.
— Running back: Carey and second-year pro Michael Ford will compete for the little work that won’t go to Forte, a true three-down back.
— Quarterback: Palmer, Clausen and Fales will compete for no more than two reserve roles. The question is, which of this trio most quickly applies Trestman’s lessons?
— Returner: Eric Weems is the most experienced option in the competition to return kickoffs and punts.
— Punter: O’Donnell will try to hold off veteran Tress Way.
— Long-snapper: First-year pro Brandon Hartson and CFL veteran Chad Rempel will battle it out.
Prospects.
The Bears must hang tough early. Six of their first nine games are on the road, including trips to visit the 49ers (Week Two), Falcons (Week Six), Patriots (Week Eight) and Packers (Week 10).
If Chicago can get through that nine-pack in decent order, there’s a real chance to close with gusto. From November 16 through December 21, the Bears play five home games and take just one road trip — Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears end their season at Minnesota — no picnic, yes, but not the worst draw ever.
It all looks fairly cut-and-dried with the Bears. If their defense is better, and if their offense hums along, they are serious contenders for a playoff spot. But if the defense remains a sieve, and if the offense regresses, they are vulnerable.
The Bears aren’t the youngest of teams. Tillman and Briggs don’t have many NFL years left. Cutler and Marshall aren’t kids, either, and Forte is approaching 2,000 career touches. There ought to be a real sense of urgency to get into the playoffs with an offense this talented. As Bears observers with any sense of history would tell you, scoring points traditionally hasn’t been a Chicago strength.
___________________________________________________________________
Just a great offense. Marc Trestman's offensive savvy, along with a cannon-armed quarterback should add up to lots of points again this season. The loss of backup Josh McCown could be a worry, though, as Cutler has had his share of injuries over the years. The big question for the Bears is how much their defense has been improved. If they're strong, the Bears will be a real contender. I expect the NFC-North to be all about the Bears and Packers, although I suppose the Lions might surprise us. The Vikings look like a lock for 4th-place.
Preseason Power Rankings No. 12: Chicago Bears
Posted by Mike Wilkening on July 17, 2014, 9:00 AM EDT
The 2013 Bears scored the second-most points in franchise history (445). Only the 1985 Bears tallied more in regular season play, putting up 456 in their bulldozing of all non-Dan Marino-led competition in a 15-1 season.
But for all of their skill on offense, the 2013 Bears were overmatched on defense, surrendering 478 points, 57 points more than any previous Chicago club had given up.
Long before the Packers’ Randall Cobb sprinted through the Chicago secondary en route to the division-clinching touchdown in the regular season finale, the Bears’ defense was broken. Chicago surrendered at least 28 points in half of its games, including 54 to Philadelphia, 45 to Washington, 42 to St. Louis and 40 to Detroit. No team allowed more yards per play than the Bears, and no team was worse against the run.
In the offseason, the Bears set out to bolster that “D,” signing two of the best available defensive ends (Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen) and drafting defensive players with four of their first five picks. On offense, the Bears tried to build continuity. They re-committed to quarterback Jay Cutler, signing him to a seven-year contract worth up to $126.7 million in January. In May, they signed wide receiver Brandon Marshall to a four-year deal worth as much as $40 million.
These were logical moves for Chicago. For once, it was the offense didn’t need much work. Now, the focus turns to whether the defense can provide more resistance in head coach Marc Trestman’s second season on the job.
Strengths.
The Bears’ 2014 offense could be one of the best the franchise has ever fielded. Marshall (100 catches, 1,295 yards, 12 TDs in 2013) and fellow starting wideout Alshon Jeffery (89-1,421-7) were Pro Bowlers a season ago, as were tailback Matt Forte (1,933 combined rushing-receiving yards) and right guard Kyle Long.
Cutler — now in sixth season in Chicago — appears to have taken well to Trestman’s scheme. The strong-armed Cutler connected on 63.1 percent of his throws a season ago, his best completion percentage in six years. He’s quite capable of being the first Bears quarterback to make a Pro Bowl since Jim McMahon 29 years ago.
If Cutler gets an all-star nod, he’ll be aided by strength of his pass catching corps. Marshall and Jeffery form an outstanding tandem. Forte is one of the game’s best receivers out of the backfield. Tight end Martellus Bennett is solid, too.
In Trestman’s inaugural campaign, the Bears’ passing attempts rose nearly 20 percent, but total sacks were down more than 30 percent. Moreover, the club’s completion percentage was up more than five percent. In short, the 2013 Bears threw it more and threw it better — and their quarterbacks hit the ground less. That’s testament to Trestman’s scheme, but it also reflects well on the offensive line, which the club overhauled last year, drafting Long and right tackle Jordan Mills and signing left tackle Jermon Bushrod and left guard Matt Slauson.
The Bears can only hope their offseason D-line investment will pay similar dividends. And Allen, Houston and ex-Lions end Willie Young should strengthen a defense that got just 20 sacks from its front four a season ago.
Finally, in Robbie Gould, the Bears have one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers. He hit 26-of-29 field goals in 2013, including 9-of-11 from 40 yards and beyond.
Weaknesses.
Even with an upgraded defensive line, the Bears’ defense looms a major concern. The top player in the LB corps, Lance Briggs, will be 34 in November. Shea McClellin, the Bears’ 2012 first-round pick, could get reps at strong-side and middle linebacker in an attempt to jump-start his career. More is also needed from second-year pro Jon Bostic, whether at middle or outside linebacker.
The Bears’ secondary also looks shaky. Per Pro Football Focus grades, the club had two of the four worst starting safeties in 2013 (SS Major Wright, FS Chris Conte). Wright departed in free agency, and Conte comes off shoulder surgery. The Bears added four veterans and a draft pick at safety, which at least gives them some options as they try to craft a workable solution on the back end.
The Bears’ cornerback play should also be monitored. The club added some much-needed youth and depth in the draft, taking Kyle Fuller in Round One. Fuller, veterans Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman figure as the top three corners. If the 33-year-old Tillman stays healthy and returns to form, and if Fuller is a quick study, the Bears should be just fine at this key position. But if Tillman misses time, and if Fuller isn’t quite ready for prime time, the Bears could have a problem.
The worries don’t stop there. The Bears’ special teams are quite unsettled entering training camp. The club will have a new punter, holder, long-snapper, punt returner and kickoff returner. And backup quarterback could be a trouble spot after the departure of Josh McCown. Veterans Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer and sixth-round rookie David Fales will vie to back up Cutler. Clausen and Palmer have generally struggled against NFL competition, but Trestman is masterful with quarterbacks.
Changes.
The defensive depth chart got a makeover. The Bears released defensive end Julius Peppers and didn’t bring back defensive tackle Henry Melton, defensive end Corey Wootton or linebacker James Anderson. The Bears’ most expensive free agent signings — Houston and Allen — are defensive ends, a nod to the premium that ready-made pass rushers command. To bolster the defensive tackle depth, the Bears turned to the draft, selecting Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The Bears took a value shopping approach at safety. Free agent additions Ryan Mundy, M.D. Jennings, Danny McCray and Adrian Wilson are all slated to make less than $1 million in salary this season, per NFLPA records.
On offense, the changes were reserved to backup spots. McCown left to be the Buccaneers’ starter, while tailback Michael Bush and Earl Bennett were released. Rookie Ka’Deem Carey could help replace Bush, while former Washington wideout Josh Morgan was signed to bolster the WR depth.
The Bears underwent several major shakeups in the kicking game. Long-time star returner Devin Hester signed with Atlanta. Punter Adam Podlesh was released, and the club spent a draft pick on a potential replacement (Pat O’Donnell, Round Six). Then, late in the offseason, 16-year long-snapper Patrick Mannelly retired, adding another layer of uncertainty to the special teams.
Camp battles.
Here are the positions and players to watch:
— Safety: Ex-Giant Mundy might have the edge at strong safety, but Wilson is a wild card if he has something left after missing the 2013 season with an Achilles injury. Rookie Vereen is the biggest threat to the incumbent Conte at free safety.
— Cornerback: The progress of Fuller must be monitored. There are plenty of snaps to be had in this secondary if he’s up to it.
— Defensive tackle: Can Ferguson or Sutton push starters Jay Ratliff and Stephen Paea? If not, can the rookies at least prove capable rotation players?
— Linebacker: Will Bostic, McClellin and second-year outside linebacker Khaseem Greene step up their play? The Bears didn’t draft a linebacker and added only veteran backup Jordan Senn in free agency.
— Wide receiver: Morgan and second-year pro Marquess Wilson appear the favorites to replace Bennett as the third receiver.
— Running back: Carey and second-year pro Michael Ford will compete for the little work that won’t go to Forte, a true three-down back.
— Quarterback: Palmer, Clausen and Fales will compete for no more than two reserve roles. The question is, which of this trio most quickly applies Trestman’s lessons?
— Returner: Eric Weems is the most experienced option in the competition to return kickoffs and punts.
— Punter: O’Donnell will try to hold off veteran Tress Way.
— Long-snapper: First-year pro Brandon Hartson and CFL veteran Chad Rempel will battle it out.
Prospects.
The Bears must hang tough early. Six of their first nine games are on the road, including trips to visit the 49ers (Week Two), Falcons (Week Six), Patriots (Week Eight) and Packers (Week 10).
If Chicago can get through that nine-pack in decent order, there’s a real chance to close with gusto. From November 16 through December 21, the Bears play five home games and take just one road trip — Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears end their season at Minnesota — no picnic, yes, but not the worst draw ever.
It all looks fairly cut-and-dried with the Bears. If their defense is better, and if their offense hums along, they are serious contenders for a playoff spot. But if the defense remains a sieve, and if the offense regresses, they are vulnerable.
The Bears aren’t the youngest of teams. Tillman and Briggs don’t have many NFL years left. Cutler and Marshall aren’t kids, either, and Forte is approaching 2,000 career touches. There ought to be a real sense of urgency to get into the playoffs with an offense this talented. As Bears observers with any sense of history would tell you, scoring points traditionally hasn’t been a Chicago strength.
___________________________________________________________________
Just a great offense. Marc Trestman's offensive savvy, along with a cannon-armed quarterback should add up to lots of points again this season. The loss of backup Josh McCown could be a worry, though, as Cutler has had his share of injuries over the years. The big question for the Bears is how much their defense has been improved. If they're strong, the Bears will be a real contender. I expect the NFC-North to be all about the Bears and Packers, although I suppose the Lions might surprise us. The Vikings look like a lock for 4th-place.
Thanks for all the NFL stuff, South P. I have been faithfully reading but not posting. Lots of work this week. I'm attending a healthcare conference at the Westin Bayshore.....
Going to try to take in some of the Seahawks/Broncos dustup tonight.
One thing I posted about last week that I'm curious about a response from you, please. Or if you don't think there is a point, fine, after all what can we do. I posted that there will be a focus on officiating (it was a Washington team practice piece, IIRC). RG3 and the offence love the new rules, the defence hates them. It almost seems like a deliberate attempt to shut down the Seahawks and their style of play. Problem is other teams like that style of play too (their defences DO anyways!). So, whats your
?
I hate this kind of stuff myself but understand it too. I know this CAN NOT be a witchhunt (HaWKHUNT?) just against Seattle. It just won't fly and its not the NFL style either, IMO. but do not change things just to help a guy like Manning. He doesn't need your help. THe rules are rules, call them and call them consistently. I still feel the Seahawks will adjust and be a top NFC performer regardless.....
Going to try to take in some of the Seahawks/Broncos dustup tonight.
One thing I posted about last week that I'm curious about a response from you, please. Or if you don't think there is a point, fine, after all what can we do. I posted that there will be a focus on officiating (it was a Washington team practice piece, IIRC). RG3 and the offence love the new rules, the defence hates them. It almost seems like a deliberate attempt to shut down the Seahawks and their style of play. Problem is other teams like that style of play too (their defences DO anyways!). So, whats your
?I hate this kind of stuff myself but understand it too. I know this CAN NOT be a witchhunt (HaWKHUNT?) just against Seattle. It just won't fly and its not the NFL style either, IMO. but do not change things just to help a guy like Manning. He doesn't need your help. THe rules are rules, call them and call them consistently. I still feel the Seahawks will adjust and be a top NFC performer regardless.....
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Nota, I just don't really have an opinion about this. I doubt that it's either a shot at the Seahawks or a ploy to help Manning. You often hear before seasons begin that the officials are going to crack down on this or that (in hockey too). Whether they really do remains to be seen. Then there's the notion that offense sells tickets. Maybe the NFL brass think that there should be more offense, and handicapping lock-down Ds like the Seahawks' will help in this regard. I think we may have to wait and see whether anything actually changes. But you're definitely right that the Seahawks do feature a pretty in-your-face, borderline style of defense, particularly in the secondary. Somehow, I doubt it will make much difference. I think (or maybe just hope) that the 'Hawks will be dominant again in 2014.
Edit: Saw that 25 penalties were called in tonight's Seahawks-Broncos game (I missed the game). So maybe the zebras are going to clamp down....
2nd Edit: Just saw this today by Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk. So maybe the officials really are going to clamp down on the defensive holding, etc.:
New point of emphasis results in plenty of flags for illegal contact, defensive holding
Posted by Mike Florio on August 8, 2014, 7:37 PM EDT
The NFL has made illegal contact and defensive holding a “point of emphasis” in 2014, which is a fancy way of conceding that the officials have been failing to apply the rules as written, and that the league finally has done something about it.
The officials did something about it last night. According to former NFL V.P. of officiating Mike Pereira, Thursday night’s six-pack of preseason games included 25 fouls for defensive holding and nine for illegal contact.
The Seahawks emerged unscathed in their rematch with the Broncos, a surprising development given that the point of emphasis undoubtedly resulted from the Legion of Boom’s strategic decision to push, pull, grab, tug, and/or shove receivers beyond the five-yard chuck zone, with the assumption that the officials won’t risk bogging down the game by throwing a flag every time it happens.
The league hopes that the officials won’t have to bog down the games that count, and that the players will adjust during the preseason and early in the regular season. The last time the NFL admitted that the rules regarding illegal contact and defensive holding weren’t being enforced, the fouls climbed from 79 in the entire 2003 regular season to 191 in 2004.
At last night’s rate of 34 flags in six games, the 2014 regular season will include 1,450 flags for illegal contact and defensive holding.
Edit: Saw that 25 penalties were called in tonight's Seahawks-Broncos game (I missed the game). So maybe the zebras are going to clamp down....
2nd Edit: Just saw this today by Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk. So maybe the officials really are going to clamp down on the defensive holding, etc.:
New point of emphasis results in plenty of flags for illegal contact, defensive holding
Posted by Mike Florio on August 8, 2014, 7:37 PM EDT
The NFL has made illegal contact and defensive holding a “point of emphasis” in 2014, which is a fancy way of conceding that the officials have been failing to apply the rules as written, and that the league finally has done something about it.
The officials did something about it last night. According to former NFL V.P. of officiating Mike Pereira, Thursday night’s six-pack of preseason games included 25 fouls for defensive holding and nine for illegal contact.
The Seahawks emerged unscathed in their rematch with the Broncos, a surprising development given that the point of emphasis undoubtedly resulted from the Legion of Boom’s strategic decision to push, pull, grab, tug, and/or shove receivers beyond the five-yard chuck zone, with the assumption that the officials won’t risk bogging down the game by throwing a flag every time it happens.
The league hopes that the officials won’t have to bog down the games that count, and that the players will adjust during the preseason and early in the regular season. The last time the NFL admitted that the rules regarding illegal contact and defensive holding weren’t being enforced, the fouls climbed from 79 in the entire 2003 regular season to 191 in 2004.
At last night’s rate of 34 flags in six games, the 2014 regular season will include 1,450 flags for illegal contact and defensive holding.
Liking any of the pre-season action yet, South P?
Me, not so much. Its neat seeing the teams play (like the Broncos/Seahawks). I caught a bit of the game but it wasn't a rematch of the Superbowl. Different players, different goals. And there isn't the urgency that seems to appear. Its weird because the players themselves are playing with that professional urgency. Cuz if they don't, they won't be on the roster.
I saw a bit of replays of how 'Johnny Football' is doing. There is views stating he's starting week one. There is views saying the Browns messed up by taking him. The replays I saw? Looked good but its preseason. Lets see what he does when the bullets are live? Not sure....
Me, not so much. Its neat seeing the teams play (like the Broncos/Seahawks). I caught a bit of the game but it wasn't a rematch of the Superbowl. Different players, different goals. And there isn't the urgency that seems to appear. Its weird because the players themselves are playing with that professional urgency. Cuz if they don't, they won't be on the roster.
I saw a bit of replays of how 'Johnny Football' is doing. There is views stating he's starting week one. There is views saying the Browns messed up by taking him. The replays I saw? Looked good but its preseason. Lets see what he does when the bullets are live? Not sure....
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Haven't caught any of the pre-season stuff, nota. I agree that the players (usually those far down in the depth chart) are busting their tails, but none of the outcomes matter. I might catch some of the later pre-season games (like the 4th for each team) when the roster is more set in stone.
Well even though its not 'the real thing' its still nice to have on. I normally watch football games once they are on. I would never start watching and then go out to do something else. I can do that easily with Pre-season NFL.
It sure makes for an easy find for football too. I have the NFL network (part of the cable package included in the rent). So right now its game followed by another game, followed by another game.
I really do wonder how the officiating can/will change? Like the article said its code for the fact they (the officials) were not doing it right before. Consistency is all I ask. And if the physical stuff is going to get called call it on the offence too!
It sure makes for an easy find for football too. I have the NFL network (part of the cable package included in the rent). So right now its game followed by another game, followed by another game.
I really do wonder how the officiating can/will change? Like the article said its code for the fact they (the officials) were not doing it right before. Consistency is all I ask. And if the physical stuff is going to get called call it on the offence too!
I'm definately changing. At one point I could easily watch pre-season football (twenty odd years ago, now). Now its a challenge to turn it on. Thought I could sit through some 'Johnny football' but alas, it was tough to watch. I hope he does get the starters job so we can see him going against NFL defences.
I'm looking on the bright side though. In a months time, EVERYBODY is going to know what I'm doing Sundays (unless a CFL game is on TV or at BC Place
). Same thing with Monday Nights too! There is still a couple more weeks to go through but once its done, look forward to seeing the regulars play.
Emberassing loss for the 49ers, IMO. Again, like I just finished saying, its just pre-season but I sure wouldn't want to get shut out in my teams first appearance in a new stadium. Hope their 'true' home-opener isn't a shutout.
I'm looking on the bright side though. In a months time, EVERYBODY is going to know what I'm doing Sundays (unless a CFL game is on TV or at BC Place
). Same thing with Monday Nights too! There is still a couple more weeks to go through but once its done, look forward to seeing the regulars play.Emberassing loss for the 49ers, IMO. Again, like I just finished saying, its just pre-season but I sure wouldn't want to get shut out in my teams first appearance in a new stadium. Hope their 'true' home-opener isn't a shutout.
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Some interesting speculation about that, nota. The officials are saying that the crackdown initiated in the preseason will continue once the real bullets start to fly, but of course they'd say that. Some players (including a couple of the Seahawks) are saying that the officials will let up once the season starts--mainly because no one (most importantly the fans) want games with a lot of flags. Wrecks the continuity of a game, stops momentum, slows the game down....notahomer wrote:I really do wonder how the officiating can/will change? Like the article said its code for the fact they (the officials) were not doing it right before. Consistency is all I ask. And if the physical stuff is going to get called call it on the offence too!
Edit: Just ran across this (Pete Carroll talking about a possible self-correction by the league before the regular season begins):
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/08/1 ... 2/585/581/
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TheLionKing
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Took in a bit of the Cleveland Washington game last night. Self proclaimed Johnny Football was aweful (so was Hoyer). Fans must have gotten to Manziel and he saluted them with the middle finger leaving the field. Real classy move. Still have a ton of maturing to do.
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Yeah, I read about that (didn't see the game). He's already taking a lot of heat for the digital salute. Too bad all the first-year highly-drafted QBs can't act like Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson. Looks as if the "factory of sadness" continues for the poor Cleveland fans....TheLionKing wrote:Took in a bit of the Cleveland Washington game last night. Self proclaimed Johnny Football was aweful (so was Hoyer). Fans must have gotten to Manziel and he saluted them with the middle finger leaving the field. Real classy move. Still have a ton of maturing to do.
Here's a Bleacher Report account of the incident:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2167 ... washington