Nix Nolan

Reports yesterday and today seem to confirm that former 49ers coach Mike Nolan is heading to Denver. So who is McCarthy focusing on to be what will be the biggest decision of his head coaching career and may determine his future as a head coach in the NFL? Gregg Williams appears to be still in the running only because he hasn’t signed with anybody else yet. Eagles secondary coach Sean McDermott appears to be a front runner but what if the Eagles go to the Super Bowl as expected and you wait three more weeks and he says he happy where he is. Do the letters S.O.L. mean anything to you? If that were to happen McCarthy would have to give the job to Winston Moss and hire a good realtor.

I doubt the teams that have new coaches or defensive coordinator openings dilly-dally around much longer. I can see Williams being hired by Houston or New Orleans in the next day or so and now that Romeo Crennel is staying with the Browns, the prospects are getting thin if you are looking for a guy with experience, which McCarthy should be doing with only his career on the line.

I originally wanted Nolan, that’s gone. Now I want Williams, but I can’t see that happening, either. So lets hope the Packers make McDermott an offer he can’t refuse. There are other retreads out there that have been coordinators in the past but couldn’t land equivalent jobs since being fired from that position but if you are going to dig that deep you might as well just go with McDermott.

One thing about McCarthy, and maybe it is his flaw as a play-caller as well, and that is he can’t seem to make a quick decision. Maybe that isn’t even a flaw at all, but just once I’d like to see a big Mike Holmgren/Ron Wolf-like move. The Packers are not that far away and the with a quality young QB, the time to strike his now.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 12th, 2009 at 7:17 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Roy Jamison

    From what I checked on, it took 11 days from the time MM was hired to the day he hired Sanders. He now has gone 12 days since he fired Sanders to make a decision.

  • JeffN

    Every team has their issues and struggles they go through. I think each team has to be looked at individually with what their situation is and what they have to work with. Was hiring Bob Sanders a rookie mistake on MM part? Sure it was, but he is taking measures to correct that. It would have been nice to get it right the first time but life isn’t perfect. I think MM is in a better position now to find the right guy than he was at the time he hired Sanders based on everything he has learned the last serveral years as a head coach and I think we need to let him carry on into veteranhood (if that’s a term). Sometimes learning the hard way is the best way to learn. A hard kick in the ass have been some of my best learning experiences throughout life.

  • Roy Jamison

    Jeff, this is truly a case where I hope I am 100 per cent wrong and you are right. But, unfortunately part of my makeup, for better or worse, is seeing trends. That what I’ve been paid to do for much of my life. It’s also a case where I hope the statistics prove me wrong.

  • Roy Jamison

    When a guy like Nolan or Williams looks at this:
    DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters — DLE Aaron Kampman, NT Ryan Pickett, DT Johnny Jolly, DRE Michael Montgomery. Backups — DT Colin Cole, DE Jeremy Thompson, DE Jason Hunter, DT Justin Harrell, DT Alfred Malone, DT Anthony Toribio. Injured reserve — DE/DT Cullen Jenkins, DE Kenny Pettway.
    What does he see?

  • TRIP

    After 6-10 and the prospects of a great head coach market next year, I think O-Coordinator prospects might view McCarthy as a potential lame duck. No one wants to go to a team where the staff will be emptied in a year. And if we don’t do 10-6 (or make the playoffs at 9-7) next year, TT could considering axing MM.

  • http://myspace.com/themiz34 Armand in NJ

    the idea of axeing MM already is kinda rediculous, we were a 4-12 team 2 years ago. Would you like to know why? Could it have something to do with Favre’s 29 interceptions? MM steps in, we get a little more consistency, Favre becomes less reckless, we become a sound .500 team. This is followed by an astonishing 13-3 season and the 2nd seed in the NFC…that’s INCREDIBLE…who gets the credit??? MIKE MCCARTHY!!! WELL DESERVED!!!

    MM has had only one losing season…Aaron Rodgers has had one season as a starter…We’ve never had a consistent pass rush/rush D….oh and we let up over 400 points!….THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALL KNOW!!! guess what? so does MM

    more then 400 POINTS allowed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I like the move of firing Defensive staff, shows initiative, man knows what is needed to improve the franchise and wiN!!! we are a team full of talent and capable of being elite. Let him make the required changes, hire the right guys, no we’re not going to get the big money DC…but that’s ok we will find the right guy, and he will be someone young wanting to prove himself, aggressive minded, & energetic…or we can get Dom capers

    MM will get the right guy, but I too would like him to do it somewhat soon also…patience people!

  • Pete H

    First of all it was 3 years ago. Second, It could have something to do with 29 picks, but it could also have something to do with Green, Davenport, Fisher, Walker, Ferguson, Franks, Clifton, Martin, all hurt for the year?????? Its hard to compete when you are handing off to a guy named Gado, and throwing to a guy named Furman. If he knew what was needed to win, then maybe he wouldn’t have run the ball and settled for field goal tries TWICE! Now I like MM, but for you to say there is one thing that caused this team to lose and one thing that caused them to go 4-12 is ridiculous! By the way, he’s also only had one winning season. If Favre being reckless is the ONE thing that caused them to go 4-12, then how do you explain 16 other .500 or better seasons being just as reckless?

  • http://myspace.com/themiz34 Armand in NJ

    PETE H

    i did not say, that there is “one” thing that made them go 4-12, i said, “Could it have something to do with Favre’s 29 interceptions?”

    I’m well aware that there were other elements involved and you will have to admit Favre contributed…any QB that throws 29 picks is considered a garbage QB, but Favre has a different type of audience

    Hey, I like Favre and defended him from all critics i ever came in contact with, however I am content with him not being here.

    My original point was stating that we went from 4-12 to 8-8 with the arrival of MM, and then to 13-3, and now we are a 6-10 team (easily could have been 10-6 or better)…MM is good for this team right now and I am 100% behind him.

    The team is Evolving and it’s time for change, I believe MM (27-21) will get the right guy for DC.

    He’s got a better record then 25-23 Sean Payton of the Saints w/ 2 losing seasons…I seriously doubt that city is thinking about AXEing Payton next year already…

    The ’08 season was disappointing and I felt each loss as “WTF!” went through my mind each sunday…but we still got one of the youngest teams in the NFL and are full of talent w/ a new DEFENSE for the future w/ the 9th pick and a greater focus…we’re going to be fine next year…better then fine

  • Roy Jamison

    The good news about the Eagles losing is MM can pick McDermott’s brain. That was a great game. You gotta feel good for Kurt Warner. That guy has had so many ups and downs in his career. If Pittsburg gets in, you’ve got the old Pittsburg staff in Arizona against the new guys. That should add a little incentive to that game!

  • http://myspace.com/themiz34 Armand in NJ

    it’ll be a great story warner winning one with the cardinals, who woulda thunk it?!

    i’d like to see an interview w/ sean mckermott shortly

  • Mel e Mel

    Thankfully it has worked out Capers is now a Packer. BC has an NT rated right where we pick and the rest should fall in to place.

  • Pete H

    You’re right, you didn’t say “the one thing”, you just didn’t mention anything else and I just wanted to make sure you weren’t putting that whole season on one stat. As for Warner, its good to see the Cards in the big game, but Warner is one of the most overrated QBs in history. He throws a great ball, accurate as hell…..when he’s got ample time. Put some consistent heat on the guy and he’s awful, and becomes a bigger turnover machine then Favre ever was. He also only seems to play well when he’s got ridiculous weapons to work with. Holt, Bruce, Curtis, Hakim and Faulk and he won MVPs. He was in the conversation again this year with Fitzgerald and Boldin (2 of the top 3 WRs in the league) Breaston, and a solid running game early. When the running game fell off late in the year what happened? Warner blew ass again. They talk about him in the HOF….NO FREAKIN WAY!! What did he do with the Giants? Nada….first 2 years in Ariz…he was decent. Thats not a HOFer

  • JeffN

    Wow after looking at Capers record he as just as good of a veteran hire as Williams. Very good track record. This is good news for the Packers. It is clear MM wanted a veteran D-coordinator. Patience paid off and he still made this hire in a very reasonable amount of time. The 2 consistencies I have seen in MM search is he was looking for a veteran guy that runs a 3-4 scheme. Things should get pretty interesting from this point forward.

  • Pack4life

    Let the good times roll. Remember how weak the NFC is, the Cardinals (9 Wins) are in the Super Bowl. 3 or 4 New starters on the Front Seven and go Pack go.

  • Roy Jamison

    I know Andy Reid didn’t make it to the big one, but he knows how to pick assistant coaches like this one:

    Pat Shurmur (born April 14, 1965) is an American football quarterback coach.

    His uncle, the late Fritz Shurmur, served as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator from 1994-98 and helped that club win two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl title.

  • Roy Jamison

    For those of you that like myself are not defensive wizards. Credit to KC Star.

    For those unfamiliar with the 3-4 look, the main reason teams prefer this defense is because they recognize the increasing difficulty of finding not one, but two outstanding, versatile defensive ends. In many cases, you need three DEs on your roster to succeed, as that gives you the opportunity to rotate players in and out and throw in a bunch of different looks. Most pass rushing DEs are lousy at stopping the run and vice versa. Rare is a DE like Julius Peppers who can do three things exceptionally well: rush the passer, stop the run, and cover the pass.

    The 3-4 defense instead relies on a tweener 3-4 DE/OLB in the mold of Shawn Merriman or Demarcus Ware. These are guys who are at their best when their hands are off the ground and can play a flex role between the DE and OLB position. It’s a considerably easier position to play but it’s also ripe with college talent. Many DEs that are standout successes in college are too small to play every-down DE, but probably too slow to play LB. Case-in-point, I’m not so sure Demarcus Ware would have been a star if he played either DE or LB, but he is a perfect fit for that tweener position.

    The DEs in this defense are typically more in the mold of a defensive tackle–big, 290-300+ pound players who would usually play DT or a tweener DE/DT role in a 4-3. The challenge in a 3-4 defense is finding a space-eating nose tackle, but I don’t feel that this is any more difficult than finding a multi-dimensional DE.

  • CheesyD

    Capers is a good hire. Kudos to McCarthy and Thompson for getting it done.

  • Larry

    Great post Roy, thats info which I’ve never come across in all my “watching years”. Never could figure why our Div never did it much.

  • Pete H

    I’m pretty excited about the hire. Now CheesyD, I don’t view the NFC as weak because of the 9-7 team in the SB, I think it is deep. There aren’t 2-3 big horses, but there is alot of caliber teams to have to play throughout a season. I think it is less heavy hitters in the playoffs, but getting there is the real hard part of this conference. As bad as Seattle was last year, is it going to shock anyone to see them perform well next year. Would it have shocked anyone this year to have seen NO, Dallas, GB, Wash., or TB beat anyone this past season? All we need with Capers now is definitely some more LBs. We do have 4 who can play, but there really needs to be some depth. Too many guys who are coming off of injuries or one dimensional. As for the line, the slabs of crap we have now might actually suit pretty well for this scheme. Jenkins and Kampman might be just ideal for this, and one of those loads of ineffectiveness can play nose behind Pickett.

  • Larry

    Gee, Pete, tell us how you really feel. Never the less could any of our DTs develop into NTs?

  • Dan

    Glad to hear we went with a DC who has their own opinion. I was really worried one of the coaches MM worked with previously was going to be given the job.

    With the talk of the 3-4, it makes me think how few coaches know how to adjust to the personnel they have.
    Shula – 70′s ran with Czsonka/Kick/Morris, 80′s passed with Marino.
    Belichek (tons of injuries, but still wins) are the only guys I can think of who adjusted based on the talent.
    ????

    Hopefully we finally have someone who at least fits in well with our talent. We haven’t had a defense that brought fear to the opposition since Reggie left.

  • Dan

    Anyone have details of Capers contract?

    Since Capers is receiving $2.7 million from the Dolphins, we should get a year of bargain pricing.

    If the team struggles this year, everyone will be gone.

  • TRIP

    Everyone will be gone if the team struggles this year, Dan, I agree.

    Capers is a solid pick for DC, however. I’m looking forward to the changes.

  • Pete H

    I think Pickett can play solid nose. Jolly and Cole might be able to do it as well. I do think this might be the end of the Justin Harrel experiment however. I’m actually more worried about whether the linebackers can play with this system. I think Barnett will be fine. I think Hawk could finally excel, but I don’t know about Poppinga and Chillar. Maybe Poppinga could be that transition LB/DE, but he’s been so inconsistent.

  • Reid

    At least we have hope and something to support. I blindly support this team, its coaches, and its management. But I was out of patience with the defense. Too many years of getting run over, especially in the 4th quarter. I was beginning to feel like a beaten child, I knew the beating was going to come every game and I wasn’t looking forward to it. Just hoped the offense could control the clock and the special teams pinned them in (oops, that didn’t work either). Now let’s use our $$ and draft to pump up the talent and competition on this team.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    I think Capers was picked and took the job because of our personnel. If he can get our guys to execute his scheme it will work. I hope he still has the intensity he had with the Panthers because that’s going to take a lot of work. Of course, an improvement in special teams and the running game would help the defense alot.

  • http://Orlando Mark

    For the record. The 4-3 defense worked good enough when we had the players. But it’s a good bet we wont get a KGB in his prime, Corey Williams, and a healthy Cullen Jenkins, without someone else going down, before next year. So I give MM credit for making the moves he made.

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