Quote:
Originally Posted by andysutherland
He'll bounce back somewhere pretty quick (IMHO). He's a great football guy, just got in over his head with all the drama (Favre, Peterson, and Moss). He should have stood his ground, made good decisions, and explained himself when he did make a decision. I think he might have learned his lesson.
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Actually, I think he was in over his head as a head coach in the NFL. Having watched him fairly closely over the last 4.5 years, he did NOT make good decisions, in regards to game management and player management. He made several big mistakes, in how he handled the team (i.e. the release of Marcus Robinson and the fining of Troy Williamson), his clock management, game management, playcalling, etc. I will say that he did know how to hire good D-coordinators (Tomlin and Frazier). He was proved to not be honest several times with the press about what was going on with his team (most recently with the release of Moss). Where is the drama with Peterson? Honestly, I haven't heard any locally, aside from him getting a couple speeding tickets, and having missed one "mandatory" team function for "Adrian Peterson Day"in his hometown. I wouldn't call the fumbling "drama", just an on field issue that seems to have been corrected.
As for his coaching skills, look at this season. Have they scored once on their first drive of the game? That relates to his coaching skill, because he has all of those plays scripted. Other teams have known what's coming, and have been able to stop it rather easily. The poor penalties that they've taken are more of a direct reflection of the coaching of the team. If they have a lot of bad/stupid penalties, like this team has had, it is direct relation to the coaching, and that goes right to the head coach. He has to be able to set the discipline, and get the players in position to make the plays and perform as they are able to, and he has NOT been able to do that.
My lack of trust in him as a head coach goes back to his first season here in MN. He was calling the offensive plays that season. I had season tickets that year (which we gave up BECAUSE of the product he put out on the field). I saw FAR too many 6yard patterns called when it was 3rd and 10. He was a system guy, and believed that his system was better than the players he had. He didn't put them in position to succeed. The players he had didn't have the ability to consistently break tackles and get the extra yards needed. The defense improved with the coordinators he hired, but the offense HE put in did not do anything. He called it a "kick-ass offense", and it wasn't that until last year when he brought Faavrevarevravrearververvarve in to run it. Even then, a lot of people attribute that to him running what he wanted to, and not the play that came in from the sidelines. Or maybe it was because Bevell was calling the plays.
I can honestly say that I don't feel bad about wanting him gone and being critical of the job he did. I was at the game Sunday, and was part of the chant that echoed in the stadium. From my perspective, his job performance was poor. And at the same time, he honestly doesn't ever have to work again, with the money he's made, and will get from the buyout. With that being said, I've heard he's a decent guy, but wasn't what this team needed to truly succeed. Good luck to him in his future.