On Wednesday, the Chicago Bears announced that Montreal Alouettes Head Coach Marc Trestman has been hired to replace Lovie Smith as the Bears 14th Head Coach in team history.
Trestman, who mentored Bears quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Jason Campbell before they entered the NFL Draft in their respective years of eligibility brings a wealth of experience and knowledge on the offensive side of the football.
He has worked with the likes of Steve Young, Rich Gannon, Bernie Kosar, Jake Plummer, Scott Mitchell, and others in the NFL rankings and of course had future Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback Anthony Calvillo in his time with the Alouettes.
Trestman beat out Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians as well as Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to become the Bears next sideline boss.
The Minnesota native has already tabbed his first hire with the Bears, as former New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has accepted the job as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach with the team.
Kromer of course was the Saints first interim head coach this season, ahead of assistant head coach Joe Vitt who was suspended for the first six games of the season. Both men were filling in for Sean Payton who was suspended for the entire season as a result of "Bounty-Gate"
Under Kromer's watch, the Saints posed one of the top offensive lines in all of football.
The Bears have come under fire in recent seasons for their inability to protect quarterback Jay Cutler, which led to injuries and missed games. Cutler was injured in the Bears loss to the Green Bay Packers in the 2010/11 NFC Championship Game.
In many circumstances, there is a link between a head coach and the staff that he chooses. In the case of Trestman and Kromer, you have to roll back the clock about 10 years ago.
When Trestman was the offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders, Kromer worked under him as the team's offensive line coach.
On the defensive side of the football, the early indication is that Rod Marinelli will retain his job as the Bears defensive coordinator. Marinelli joined the Bears in 2009 after he was fired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
In 2012, the Bears had one of the NFL's best defences, as they posted Top 5 numbers in points allowed, yards allowed, interceptions, and turnovers.
The hiring of Marc Trestman is significant to the Chicago Bears in a couple of different ways:
- The Canadian Football League. While Trestman does have years upon years of coaching at the NCAA or NFL level, he was never a head coach until he went to the Alouettes. Perhaps it is what he needed to seal the deal for a NFL gig. Nobody would ever deny that Trestman knows quarterbacks and knows how to make an offence run. However, his ability to be the head guy was always a question, and having those five years of experience with Montreal, winning two Grey Cups, it is evident that the time was right for Trestman and the NFL.
- The Bears have a long standing history of hiring defensive head coaches. Lovie Smith, Dick Jauron, Dave Wannstedt, the three previous to Trestman all with vast defensive backgrounds. You have to look back to the 1980's and Mike Ditka to see the last time the Bears had a head coach who had the offensive credentials.
Even at that, Ditka was much more involved on the defensive side of the football.
Trestman is a major change of pace for the Chicago Bears and their fanbase, which could bring some negative reaction initially, but once Trestman gets his coaching staff in place, they get to the NFL Draft, OTA's, Training Camp, and then the actual games, I think the reaction will become more positive.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
NFL: What went wrong for Seattle?
After coming back to beat the Washington Redskins in Landover, Maryland a week ago, you had to figure the Seattle Seahawks were not out of the game by any stretch of the imagination when they got down 20 points to the Atlanta Falcons in Sunday's NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
Throughout the 2012 regular season, the Seahawks were known as the battlers. They had the opportunity to win seven games in the final two minutes of regulation play this season. While they only won four of those seven games, it was a testament to the grit and hard-nosed effort put in by head coach Pete Carroll's crew every week.
While the game was there for the taking once again in the dying seconds, the Seahawks left some things on the field that have you scratching your head.
- Marshawn Lynch, who only lost two fumbles all season lost a fumble for the second time in as many playoff games in the first quarter of the game. Matt Ryan had just thrown an interception for the Falcons, who were leading 3-0 at the time and the Seahawks were looking to capitalize on Ryan's error when their all-pro running back coughed up the football. Ryan led the Falcons back down the field, and a one-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez had the Seahawks trailing 10-0.
- After the Falcons went up 13-0 early in the second quarter, Russell Wilson led the Seahawks down the field to the Atlanta 11-yard line where they faced a 3rd and 1 situation. Lynch had just come out of the game and hand-off to rookie Robert Turbin was snuffed out resulting in no gain. Rather than take the would be 28-yard field goal attempt, Seahawks boss Pete Carroll elected to go for it on fourth down. The call was for a hand-off to the upback Michael Robinson and he was hit in the backfield, resulting in a turnover on downs.
I think Carroll and the Seahawks outcoached themselves twice on this sequence. Firstly, going for it when you are already trailing 13-0. I can understand why you may feel the need to put the ball in the endzone, but at that point in the game the Seattle offence had not generated anything in the game, and for the first time they were really able to exploit the Falcons defence a little bit and they should have taken what was handed to them - that being of course the field goal and a 13-3 deficit.
Secondly, you have Marshawn Lynch for a reason. Use him. Sure, Lynch fumbled in a situation similar last week in the wildcard win over Washington, but you have to trust your best players to be your best players in that situation. Now, the Falcons got a great push off the line of scrimmage, and were able to hit Michael Robinson immediately, but the extra depth they would have had when handing the ball off the running back Lynch, he likely could have side stepped the tackle and perhaps picked up the yardage and the first down.
The Falcons used the turnover to their advantage and like on the Lynch fumble, turned this one into a touchdown after Ryan found Roddy White for a 47 yard score. White got in behind the corner Richard Sherman on the play, as Sherman stumbled and fell to the ground trying to keep up with White.
- The next blunder in the first half from the Seahawks was likely the largest. Russell Wilson was able to build off the momentum they had established on their previous offensive drive before the turnover on downs and once again put the Seahawks in a position to finally get on the board.
After converting a 3rd and 1 play with a pass to receiver Golden Tate, two plays later the Seahawks offence faced 2nd and Goal at the Falcons 6-yard line. Left tackle Russell Okung took a false start penalty which backed them up to the 11-yard line. Following an incomplete pass to Tate on second down, Falcons defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux streaked into the backfield, sacking Wilson, and the Seahawks - who called their final timeout eight seconds earlier - ran out of time in the half and came away with zero points.
The fact that Carroll elected to use his final timeout after a gain of four yards is a little bit mind-boggling. I mean, sure, you had only six yards to gain, and so it is not out of the question that you run plays of at least six yards, or even a shorter play and quickly spike the football, but why not save the timeout, spike the ball, and then you have two plays in which to get the ball in the endzone. If something happens to go wrong, where you have a bad snap, or a fumbled exchange, or even the eventual sack, you have the safety net of calling a timeout and getting the field goal and putting up three points.
- While it wasn't exactly a mistake that the Seahawks made, it is noteworthy that after they scored an opening drive touchdown in the second half, Matt Ryan led the Falcons on a 14-play drive that lasted half the third quarter. If you cut that drive down in half, or even by two minutes, that is some valuable clock for Seattle to use to their advantage.
After Seattle dominated the fourth quarter, I thought they played out their second to final offensive series quite well. It started with three minutes on the clock and the ball was at their own 39 yard line. Down only six points, plenty of time in which to work with, they picked up a first down, hit the two minute warning and then moved at a snails pace.
To use a basketball term, they were playing for the last shot. They knew that a touchdown gave them the lead, but it did not cover them for a tie and overtime if Atlanta were to wind up kicking a field goal.
Wilson completed a 19 yard pass to Golden Tate to the Falcons 39 yard line, and they used up the entire play clock before their next play, which was a five yard carry by Wilson.
Even after only gaining those five yards, they still took 31 seconds off the clock, and three plays later Marshawn Lynch was in the endzone, giving the Seahawks the lead with 31 seconds left. Lynch appeared to have fumbled the football, but it was correctly ruled that he had infact crossed the goal line and the touchdown stood. Of course what would happen in the next 23 seconds, Lynch being stopped at the one-yard line could have come in handy.
The Falcons drove the field in two plays and set kicker Matt Bryant up for a 49-yard field goal attempt to take the lead.
Carroll called a timeout before the kick, Bryant, even though the timeout was called two seconds beforehand still went through the motions and got in a practice kick - which he missed.
FOX, who carried the game showed Carroll upset on the sidelines, and they figured he was wondering who called timeout.
I think he was trying to protest the fact that Bryant went ahead and kicked the football, even though the whistle was blown well ahead of time. FOX showed a shot of Carroll telling the ref he wanted to take a timeout, so clearly he wasn't upset about the timeout being called, but as I mentioned, the fact that the practice kick was still made. He was intent on making Bryant wait a few extra seconds before the kick, but did not want him to get a free shot at it.
Something similar to that of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who snuck in a free field goal attempt in between overtime periods in Saturday's AFC Divisional playoff game.
Nonetheless, I don't think Carroll should have called the timeout as it was. Hindsight is of course as they say, 20/20, but the field goal was long enough that the kick was no gimme anyways. I am not in favour of a coach calling a timeout before any field goal attempt, but I am especially against it when the field goal comes from a distance of over 40 yards.
Even after surrendering the lead with eight seconds left, the Seahawks still had a chance to win the game after the Falcons botched the ensuing kickoff.
Punter Matt Bosher's squib kick attempt hit Seahawks special teams player Heath Farwell and the ball was recovered at their own 46 yard line.
Due to their attempt to score with very little time left on their previous series, the Seahawks still had two timeouts, and while it would be impossible to run two plays in six seconds, they still were afforded the opportunity to throw a 12-15 yard pass in bounds and call a timeout before kicking a potential game winning field goal.
Instead, the Seahawks ran a six yard pattern to Doug Baldwin who stepped out of bounds at the Falcons 48 yard line. A 65 yard field goal attempt from veteran kicker Ryan Longwell was not in the cards, and a hail mary attempt was intercepted in the endzone, ending the game.
I cannot understand why, with two timeouts, the Seahawks did not first call a timeout to give themselves 30 extra seconds to think things out more clearly, or at the very least, run a pattern of 10 yards.
Perhaps, after their mismanagement of the game clock to end the first half they didn't fully trust their rookie quarterback to adequately make the quick read and throw within the five seconds in which they had to work with.
Make no mistake, the Falcons certainly earned their way to hosting the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but the Seahawks certainly had more than enough chances to change the script.
Throughout the 2012 regular season, the Seahawks were known as the battlers. They had the opportunity to win seven games in the final two minutes of regulation play this season. While they only won four of those seven games, it was a testament to the grit and hard-nosed effort put in by head coach Pete Carroll's crew every week.
While the game was there for the taking once again in the dying seconds, the Seahawks left some things on the field that have you scratching your head.
- Marshawn Lynch, who only lost two fumbles all season lost a fumble for the second time in as many playoff games in the first quarter of the game. Matt Ryan had just thrown an interception for the Falcons, who were leading 3-0 at the time and the Seahawks were looking to capitalize on Ryan's error when their all-pro running back coughed up the football. Ryan led the Falcons back down the field, and a one-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez had the Seahawks trailing 10-0.
- After the Falcons went up 13-0 early in the second quarter, Russell Wilson led the Seahawks down the field to the Atlanta 11-yard line where they faced a 3rd and 1 situation. Lynch had just come out of the game and hand-off to rookie Robert Turbin was snuffed out resulting in no gain. Rather than take the would be 28-yard field goal attempt, Seahawks boss Pete Carroll elected to go for it on fourth down. The call was for a hand-off to the upback Michael Robinson and he was hit in the backfield, resulting in a turnover on downs.
I think Carroll and the Seahawks outcoached themselves twice on this sequence. Firstly, going for it when you are already trailing 13-0. I can understand why you may feel the need to put the ball in the endzone, but at that point in the game the Seattle offence had not generated anything in the game, and for the first time they were really able to exploit the Falcons defence a little bit and they should have taken what was handed to them - that being of course the field goal and a 13-3 deficit.
Secondly, you have Marshawn Lynch for a reason. Use him. Sure, Lynch fumbled in a situation similar last week in the wildcard win over Washington, but you have to trust your best players to be your best players in that situation. Now, the Falcons got a great push off the line of scrimmage, and were able to hit Michael Robinson immediately, but the extra depth they would have had when handing the ball off the running back Lynch, he likely could have side stepped the tackle and perhaps picked up the yardage and the first down.
The Falcons used the turnover to their advantage and like on the Lynch fumble, turned this one into a touchdown after Ryan found Roddy White for a 47 yard score. White got in behind the corner Richard Sherman on the play, as Sherman stumbled and fell to the ground trying to keep up with White.
- The next blunder in the first half from the Seahawks was likely the largest. Russell Wilson was able to build off the momentum they had established on their previous offensive drive before the turnover on downs and once again put the Seahawks in a position to finally get on the board.
After converting a 3rd and 1 play with a pass to receiver Golden Tate, two plays later the Seahawks offence faced 2nd and Goal at the Falcons 6-yard line. Left tackle Russell Okung took a false start penalty which backed them up to the 11-yard line. Following an incomplete pass to Tate on second down, Falcons defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux streaked into the backfield, sacking Wilson, and the Seahawks - who called their final timeout eight seconds earlier - ran out of time in the half and came away with zero points.
The fact that Carroll elected to use his final timeout after a gain of four yards is a little bit mind-boggling. I mean, sure, you had only six yards to gain, and so it is not out of the question that you run plays of at least six yards, or even a shorter play and quickly spike the football, but why not save the timeout, spike the ball, and then you have two plays in which to get the ball in the endzone. If something happens to go wrong, where you have a bad snap, or a fumbled exchange, or even the eventual sack, you have the safety net of calling a timeout and getting the field goal and putting up three points.
- While it wasn't exactly a mistake that the Seahawks made, it is noteworthy that after they scored an opening drive touchdown in the second half, Matt Ryan led the Falcons on a 14-play drive that lasted half the third quarter. If you cut that drive down in half, or even by two minutes, that is some valuable clock for Seattle to use to their advantage.
After Seattle dominated the fourth quarter, I thought they played out their second to final offensive series quite well. It started with three minutes on the clock and the ball was at their own 39 yard line. Down only six points, plenty of time in which to work with, they picked up a first down, hit the two minute warning and then moved at a snails pace.
To use a basketball term, they were playing for the last shot. They knew that a touchdown gave them the lead, but it did not cover them for a tie and overtime if Atlanta were to wind up kicking a field goal.
Wilson completed a 19 yard pass to Golden Tate to the Falcons 39 yard line, and they used up the entire play clock before their next play, which was a five yard carry by Wilson.
Even after only gaining those five yards, they still took 31 seconds off the clock, and three plays later Marshawn Lynch was in the endzone, giving the Seahawks the lead with 31 seconds left. Lynch appeared to have fumbled the football, but it was correctly ruled that he had infact crossed the goal line and the touchdown stood. Of course what would happen in the next 23 seconds, Lynch being stopped at the one-yard line could have come in handy.
The Falcons drove the field in two plays and set kicker Matt Bryant up for a 49-yard field goal attempt to take the lead.
Carroll called a timeout before the kick, Bryant, even though the timeout was called two seconds beforehand still went through the motions and got in a practice kick - which he missed.
FOX, who carried the game showed Carroll upset on the sidelines, and they figured he was wondering who called timeout.
I think he was trying to protest the fact that Bryant went ahead and kicked the football, even though the whistle was blown well ahead of time. FOX showed a shot of Carroll telling the ref he wanted to take a timeout, so clearly he wasn't upset about the timeout being called, but as I mentioned, the fact that the practice kick was still made. He was intent on making Bryant wait a few extra seconds before the kick, but did not want him to get a free shot at it.
Something similar to that of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who snuck in a free field goal attempt in between overtime periods in Saturday's AFC Divisional playoff game.
Nonetheless, I don't think Carroll should have called the timeout as it was. Hindsight is of course as they say, 20/20, but the field goal was long enough that the kick was no gimme anyways. I am not in favour of a coach calling a timeout before any field goal attempt, but I am especially against it when the field goal comes from a distance of over 40 yards.
Even after surrendering the lead with eight seconds left, the Seahawks still had a chance to win the game after the Falcons botched the ensuing kickoff.
Punter Matt Bosher's squib kick attempt hit Seahawks special teams player Heath Farwell and the ball was recovered at their own 46 yard line.
Due to their attempt to score with very little time left on their previous series, the Seahawks still had two timeouts, and while it would be impossible to run two plays in six seconds, they still were afforded the opportunity to throw a 12-15 yard pass in bounds and call a timeout before kicking a potential game winning field goal.
Instead, the Seahawks ran a six yard pattern to Doug Baldwin who stepped out of bounds at the Falcons 48 yard line. A 65 yard field goal attempt from veteran kicker Ryan Longwell was not in the cards, and a hail mary attempt was intercepted in the endzone, ending the game.
I cannot understand why, with two timeouts, the Seahawks did not first call a timeout to give themselves 30 extra seconds to think things out more clearly, or at the very least, run a pattern of 10 yards.
Perhaps, after their mismanagement of the game clock to end the first half they didn't fully trust their rookie quarterback to adequately make the quick read and throw within the five seconds in which they had to work with.
Make no mistake, the Falcons certainly earned their way to hosting the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but the Seahawks certainly had more than enough chances to change the script.
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