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Scott Pioli will interview for the Detroit Lions GM
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Scott Pioli will interview for the Detroit Lions GM -
BoltUp InLA Here's the Watson article about. I would say that what happened with O'Brien and Watson is similar to what is happening to Lynn and Herbert right now. O'Brien helped Watson a lot earlier on, but I also think you need to move on and get someone who can maximize Herbert's potential. It's somewhat of a pro Bienemy article as well but that's beside the point.
If the goal is to maximize their transcendent talent — and it’d be borderline crazy not to — what should the Texans do? Avery has some thoughts. Our brains are wired to think it’s best to hire a GM, first, and then allow that GM to hire a head coach. To Avery, that isn’t the best order of operations with a talent like Watson.
“I think they have to figure out who is the head coach who best fits Deshaun and the things he wants to do,” Avery says, “that sets him up to be successful both as a play-caller and as an organizational leader. And then from there, they should find a GM who can work around the things that the head coach wants to do. Find people who fit to that system. Not vice versa.”
Avery hears the Texans are instead leaning toward hiring the GM first.
A “poor decision,” he says, if you’re hoping to maximize Watson’s abilities.
“This has to be quarterback-centric. And GMs don’t think about things that way,” Avery says. “They think about team-building — X, Y, Z — and that’s important but Deshaun has shown he can play at the highest level no matter what the structure of the system around him is. Now, if he gets into system that really makes it about showing his greatness? Allowing him to be great? Then, I think you’ll see somebody who can carry the team to a championship level with that around him. You need a head coach who knows, ‘This is what we need for Deshaun to be successful.’ I think GMs look at it like — ‘Oh, draft picks,’ those sorts of things — not ‘How do we make the best player on our team better? And we win based on that.’”
Figuring out who really runs the show on teams can be tricky but, when you look around the NFL, some of the best quarterbacks are in systems where it sure appears the head coach is judge, jury and executioner. Andy Reid, above all, is the standard. He runs the show in Kansas City with his fingerprints all over personnel and the playbook.
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Whoever takes over in Houston will have a rare set of gifts to work with at quarterback.
Avery commends OC Tim Kelly for opening things up more post-O’Brien, but he believes Watson has mostly excelled in spite of his offensive scheme since entering the NFL.
“The offense was set up for somebody like Tom Brady,” says Avery, referencing O’Brien’s time with Brady as an assistant 2007-2011. “It didn’t necessarily blend his amazing ability to run and escape out of the pocket but also be precise from within the pocket. He’s one of the few people who can do both things. You’re going to need a head coach who understands, ‘Let’s create an offense that truly requires a defense to defend 53 and a third (yards wide). Every single blade of grass on the field.’ A lot of the things that Mahomes can do as far as pushing the ball vertically and moving inside the pocket, those are the same things Deshaun does but the offense doesn’t create the same level of stress.
“They have two of the fastest receivers in the league. Defenses should be stressed out in terms of ‘How are we going to defend these guys?’ and they haven’t done that to a good enough level. But Deshaun has those tools. He can see things early and get the ball out when you bring pressure. And then if you give him time — if you bring three guys like the Patriots just did — he’s shown the ability to pick you apart. Like, let’s figure out a system that blends those things together.”
Watson hasn’t been in a system that accentuates those gifts. Making this Priority No. 1 in Houston would seem to be wise.
Avery believes this 2020 season has been Watson’s best to date and that, oddly enough, the Texans trading Hopkins might’ve been the best thing for the quarterback. That sounds insane, of course. Hopkins has 10,067 yards and 60 touchdowns since 2013. Hopkins is the one who hauled in that Hail Mary for the Cardinals between three defenders. But the day that infamous trade went down — March 16, 2020 — Avery had a feeling this would actually help Watson. He knew losing Hopkins would force the QB to evolve. To grow.
Watson would no longer be able to default to chucking it up to Hopkins whenever he was in trouble.
Says Avery: “Just not having that safety blanket available to him where he can fall back on, ‘Ahhh, if I don’t do this right, I can just get it to Hop. I can just make a throw to Hop and put him in a situation where he can make a tough contested catch.’ He’s had to be so diligent and so consistent with not only his footwork but his reads and pre-snap knowledge and his study throughout the week going into a game. When you have to be that dialed in each and every week and be precise in all the things that you do, it creates a situation where there’s nothing to fall back on. The onus is on you.”
We’ve seen this before, too. When Brett Favre lost Sterling Sharpe, he won three straight MVPs.
The result here? Watson has completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 3,542 yards, 24 touchdowns, only six picks with a 110 passer rating, 331 rushing yards and three more scores. If the Texans were 8-4 instead of 4-8, Avery knows Watson would be an MVP front-runner right there with Mahomes which is why he says Watson would “undoubtedly” be on Mahomes’ level with the right head coach pulling the strings.
“If you put Deshaun in Kansas City and Patrick with the Texans,” Avery adds, “I think the Kansas City Chiefs would be just as good.”
Which leads us to the obvious question: Should the Houston Texans’ next head coach be Eric Bieniemy? He has been Reid’s offensive coordinator in Kansas City the last three seasons. He is part of the best offense in football. Part of Mahomes’ success. Granted, you never know who is responsible for what behind the scenes. Matt Nagy was Reid’s OC before Bieniemy. Nagy supposedly helped Mahomes develop in his redshirt rookie season. Now, Nagy’s hot seat in Chicago is sizzling after the Bears fell to 5-7 on Sunday. His offense ranks 30th in the NFL.
Avery concedes that it’s difficult to gauge how much of an impact Bieniemy has had on KC’s juggernaut offense.
But…
“Here’s what you do know about Eric Bienemy,” he begins. “You know he’s a great communicator. You know guys around the franchise really, really love him. And you know that the way he gives Patrick Mahomes information allows him to be more successful. So, I don’t know what plays he’s calling and what plays he isn’t. But I also think he has a good enough understanding of the things they did in Kansas City where he can get somebody from that family to come in with him to help develop the Texans in order to take some of the creativity that we’ve seen other teams use to be successful.”Comment
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Here's the entire Bienemy article from The Athletic. I hear he doesn't interview well. But what does that mean? Is he completely lost about who his staff is going to be or situational football? Or is he super blunt like Mike Zimmer was? If it's the latter, I'm fine with that mentality.
In summit, Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy shares his leadership philosophy with execs
Nate Taylor
11-13 minutes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Almost 90 coaches, many of them minorities, watched and listened to Eric Bieniemy share his coaching principles Tuesday.
Bieniemy, the Chiefs’ well-respected offensive coordinator, was one of the most prominent speakers during the third annual Quarterback Coaching Summit. The two-day event, which was held remotely via Zoom, is designed to help minority assistant coaches, both in college and the NFL, gain professional development experience and develop networking opportunities with executives from NFL teams.
In Bieniemy’s session, he addressed leadership and building a winning culture, two of the biggest tasks given by a team owner when an assistant is hired as a first-time head coach in the league. Bieniemy supported his message with examples from his experience with the Chiefs, who won their first Super Bowl in 50 years last season behind a potent offense. Bieniemy also explained what his approach would be, with his assistants and his players, if he does become an NFL head coach.
“My job is to make sure I inspire and motivate staff and players to execute the plan that we’ve given them,” he said. “Your day-to-day approach should be a natural extension of your personality and your philosophy.”
As one of just two African American offensive coordinators in the league, Bieniemy has received interview opportunities for head-coaching jobs during the past two years. He was interviewed earlier this year by the Carolina Panthers, the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns. But Bieniemy wasn’t offered one of the league’s five available jobs. Only one minority candidate, Ron Rivera with the Washington Redskins, was hired.
Last month, the NFL attempted to strengthen its Rooney Rule in the hopes of encouraging more diverse hiring among coaches, general managers and team executives. The owners approved several expansions to the Rooney Rule, including the requirements for teams to interview two minority candidates for head-coaching vacancies and at least one minority candidate for all coordinator jobs. Each team is also required to develop a diversity and inclusion plan by the end of the year.
In the past two years under Bieniemy, the Chiefs offense has been exceptional. The Chiefs won 12 games in both seasons, and the offense averaged 35.3 points per game in 2018 and 28.2 points last season. In the Chiefs’ three postseason victories last season, they averaged a remarkable 39 points per game.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and coach Andy Reid have voiced support for Bieniemy earning a head-coaching job. This week, James Harris and Doug Williams, former NFL quarterbacks and the founders of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, stressed that Bieniemy is qualified and capable of leading an NFL team to success.
The Quarterback Coaching Summit allowed Bieniemy to better introduce himself to executives from 22 teams, including Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, Buffalo Bills owner Kim Pegula and Giants owner John Mara. Bieniemy’s PowerPoint presentation offered a glimpse of what he has discussed and prioritized when interviewing for head-coaching openings. He also emphasized that, if given his dream opportunity, he would remain authentic instead of emulating Reid or other head coaches he has worked under.
Here are the five most intriguing thoughts Bieniemy shared during his 25-minute session.
‘Our players are the voice’
When explaining the Chiefs’ success, Bieniemy told his audience he doesn’t always have to talk to his players to demonstrate leadership. Bieniemy loves to collaborate. He has done so the past two seasons with Reid, quarterbacks assistant Mike Kafka and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
To cultivate leaders in the locker room, Bieniemy has encouraged players such as Mahomes, star tight end Travis Kelce and star right tackle Mitchell Schwartz to speak to their teammates when they experience adversity.
In the Chiefs’ victory over the Patriots last season, Mahomes collected and huddled with his offensive teammates and assistants on the sideline before the fourth quarter began. As Mahomes gave his speech, Bieniemy was the man nodding in agreement in the middle of the huddle.
“Our players are the voice,” Bieniemy said. “We have a special, unique individual in Pat Mahomes. Having the opportunity to work with Pat, watching his growth and development, you want to encourage (him). Pat encompasses everything. He’s not afraid of putting himself out there. He’s not afraid of being vulnerable and saying, ‘Hey, I made a mistake.’ You want those guys to flourish in the system, but you want to make sure that you’ve got the right people in the building.”
‘Shit happens’
One lesson Bieniemy has preached to his players is for them to rely on each other to solve problems or areas of conflict. Once coaches and players were able to accept and demand accountability from each other, Bieniemy said the Chiefs’ culture and mentality became two of their biggest assets in rallying to win all three postseason games after trailing by 10 or more points, a first in NFL history.
“I always discuss this: Shit happens,” Bieniemy said. “What are we going to do together, as a group, to handle those bumps in the road? This gives those guys an opportunity to resolve those issues together.”
Bieniemy agrees with Reid that players should have the freedom to express and show their personalities when they play. But Bieniemy said he and Reid have designed their practices to force the Chiefs to overcome difficult situations in which trust and communication are necessary for success.
“Practice is hard, it’s a challenge,” Bieniemy said. “We’re demanding a lot from them, so that way they can go out and perform and be at their best on game day. We want those guys to remain poised under pressure.”
‘As coaches, we have to grow’
Bieniemy understands that his path to becoming an offensive coordinator, by the league’s most recent standards, was unconventional. Before Reid promoted him, Bieniemy was the Chiefs’ running backs assistant for five years. As a player, Bieniemy was a ferocious running back during his nine-year career. Most offensive coordinators in the league were once quarterback assistants, not running backs assistants.
When his coaching career began, Bieniemy believed in the value of a balanced offensive attack that uses the running back for plenty of production. With the Chiefs, Bieniemy has changed his philosophy. He and Reid are always in favor of throwing the ball instead of running, particularly on first down. Bieniemy knows the Chiefs’ roster is designed to be most explosive with Mahomes passing the ball. When building the Chiefs’ game plans, Bieniemy has embraced offensive analytics, always eager to implement new ideas that could give the offense an advantage.
“I’ve joked about this for the longest time: If Eric Bieniemy can be enthralled with a passing game — and I am a former running back who coached the running back position — I’m all good,” he said. “The game is changing. As coaches, we have to grow and make sure we’re doing what is best to give us the best opportunity to be successful.”
‘Make sure that I keep it fresh’
When leading a coaching staff, Bieniemy said one of the most important parts of the team’s offseason program is having each position assistant identify at least three areas where players can improve next season. Even in the Chiefs’ remote program the past few months, Bieniemy said he focused on reteaching the details of the playbook and the fundamentals for each position and on polishing certain techniques.
Reteaching the offensive system as if it had never been taught before, Bieniemy said, helps players retain information and create better discipline with their assignments. Bieniemy has found that his approach helps build excitement once new players and concepts are installed into the playbook.
“When I’m building my offseason plan, I always want to keep the quarterback in mind,” he said. “I want to always think about what he likes and the concepts that he’s good at. I also want to make sure that I keep it fresh with new thoughts and ideas that will present a challenge to him.
“During the offseason, I’m always keeping Pat Mahomes in mind, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. I’m always keeping those guys at the forefront of what we do.”
‘Positive feedback goes a very, very long way’
Bieniemy spent several minutes discussing how coaches can establish trust and loyalty with their players.
Inside the Chiefs’ locker room, Bieniemy is beloved. Players appreciate his honesty, preparation and encouragement. In his session, Bieniemy said he does his best to develop a personal relationship with each player. Bieniemy also isn’t afraid to criticize his players before reaffirming his practical lessons.
In the Chiefs’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts last season, NBC cameras captured a brief skirmish on the sideline during the first quarter between Bieniemy and Kelce. Bieniemy, in a short exchange, shouted harsh words at Kelce for dropping a pass on each of the team’s first two possessions. Kelce responded by shoving Bieniemy. A few minutes later, Kelce returned to Bieniemy on the sideline to apologize for his behavior. The men hugged and Bieniemy told Kelce he loved him.
When the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Bieniemy was one of the first people Kelce hugged during the team’s celebration.
“I’m not saying that you’re not going to have disagreements or you’re not going to want to get in someone’s ass at some point in time,” Bieniemy said. “At the end of the day, positive influence and positive feedback goes a very, very long way in our industry.
“We have an outstanding culture where we don’t haze (younger) players. Our guys know whoever walks through that door is by far the most important player. We’re going to need that player. Our veterans understand that and they’re going to help raise those individuals because we never know when those players are going to be called upon to win the game for us.”
In ending his presentation, Bieniemy shared with the coaches a poem. Bieniemy wanted the poem to encourage his peers to achieve their goals of winning championships and advancing their careers.
Work is power,
Power is commitment,
Commitment means struggle,
Struggle means progress,
Progress means persistence,
Persistence is to love one’s goal,
A goal is a dream,
The dream is the faith,
The faith is the journey,
The journey is God-given,
God gives us the ability,
The ability to make it, the ability pursue it, the ability to know it’s coming,
Then to know it’s there, to take it and run with it,
Then realize you made it,
Then to pass it on and let everyone know,
What it takes to be you,
What it takes to make it.Comment
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Shit happens...get over it! He's already five steps ahead of Lynn! LOL!Originally posted by Xenos View PostHere's the entire Bienemy article from The Athletic. I hear he doesn't interview well. But what does that mean? Is he completely lost about who his staff is going to be or situational football? Or is he super blunt like Mike Zimmer was? If it's the latter, I'm fine with that mentality.
Chiefs won the Superbowl with 10 Rookies....
"Locked, Cocked, and ready to Rock!" Jim Harbaugh
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I would take Bieniemy over Lynn thats for sure. I still think that guy is going to KC just to get out of the division.Originally posted by gzubeck View Post
Daboll could be options for many teams - Justin Herbert could be a big selling point if he has options
Still behind Kelly for me but moving up for sure.Comment
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that is a guy who should interview for Chargers GM job......Originally posted by ghost View Post
Chargers shlould have cleaned house weeks ago so they will have more opportunities..... instead of waiting till there are none....Comment
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Another GM opening in Carolina - but they have their HC already. The Chargers sitting back while other teams understanding its time to move forwardOriginally posted by Charge! View Post
Oh yeah - we went 7-9 , won our last four games - lets keep Lynn!Comment
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I do get the feeling we're waiting too long to purge. I wasn't for it a few weeks ago because we don't have anyone we wanted to test drive as HC. Tough to fire a coach after a win too. If we lose to the Broncos I hope it happens. Clean house. Start looking at candidates. Announce to the league that there's one more job opening. We don't know who's going to be let go, and when. We're cutting off our options.Originally posted by Bolt4Knob View PostComment
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hire saleh, keep pep, bring in witherspoon form sf, maybe frazier too, see about tomlinson from nyg and draft alabama C in rd 2, back end lb's in 4-7Comment
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Carolina Panthers fire GM Marty Hurney
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...m-marty-hurney
Owner David Kepper -"You look at successful organizations, and there's a certain alignment between the head coach and the GM," team owner David Tepper said in a statement. "To think that you can do that without some sort of alignment is nuts. So to not have a head coach with some input into that is stupid. I don't want to be stupid, OK?"
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Bills OC Brian Daboll getting alot of attention now with what he did with Josh Allen.
Imagine Herbert under Daboll.
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