|
Most assistants who aspire to be an NFL head coach typically assemble a list of aides whom they would like to have come work with them provided they ever land a top job. John Fox of the Carolina Panthers was no different, and he started a long time ago assembling an assistant coaching wish list of guys he knew well and others whose work he admired from afar.
Three weeks into this campaign, and with the Panthers one of the early feel-good stories of the season with a 3-0 start, Fox is garnering plenty of credit. And deservedly so, since he has resurrected a moribund franchise and trebled the club's 2001 victory total already. But he also deserves plaudits for hiring an excellent staff, and for allowing his coaches to, well, coach.
"A lot of (rookie coaches) would be wary of bringing in the kind of very experienced (assistants) that Fox hired, because there would be some fear of being second-guessed," said one Carolina official. "But he went out and got the best guys he could. He wasn't worried about politics, about guys coming after his job, about hiring coaches with more time in the league than him. It really is a tremendous staff."
Carolina's staff features nine assistants with 10-plus years of NFL experience. Among the group are offensive coordinator Dan Henning (19 seasons), offensive line coach Paul Boudreau (16), tight ends coach Don Breaux (23), special teams coordinator Scott O'Brien (12), wide receivers coach Richard Williamson (20), secondary coach Rod Perry (14), strength and conditioning coach Jerry Simmons (15) and linebackers coach Alvin Reynolds (10).
The standout on the staff might be one of the younger coaches, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. But it has been a group collaboration, one that has Panthers veterans believing this team could actually claim its first playoff spot since 1996. That was the year the Panthers won the division and advanced to the NFC title game in just the second season of their existence.
Henning helped convince Fox to switch starting quarterbacks just one week before the start of the year, replacing Chris Weinke with venerable Rodney Peete. And Henning has called conservative games, heavy on the run, aimed at reducing errors. The same offensive line that looked tattered in '01 is blocking well under Boudreau and opening holes for tailback Lamar Smith, who was considered used up in Miami last year. Defensive end Mike Rucker leads the NFL in sacks, and all starting members of Mike Trgovac's unit have at least one quarterback scalp. Del Rio, who will someday be a head coach, has devised aggressive game plans that have the defense ranked second in the league.
The bubble could burst on Sunday in Green Bay, but Panthers players seem to have a new confidence. Much of it revolves around the belief that they possess in the coaching staff.
"These guys are meticulous, detail-oriented, and they have us prepared for just about anything," safety Mike Minter said. "We know we don't have the best talent in the league. But the way we play, we can keep games close and, if we get into the fourth quarter with a chance to win, we feel we'll get our share of (victories). It's a pretty nice feeling. Confidence is contagious and it flows pretty good from this staff."
So credit Fox, who might merit coach of the year consideration even if the Panthers don't win another game the rest of the season, for re-energizing the franchise. And credit him even more for being sage enough to surround himself with good people, delegating authority well and concerning himself more with results than ego.
|
Side Lines
|
|
On-Line
Over the last several seasons the San Diego defense has been better known for its stoutness against the run. But when undefeated New England travels to similarly perfect San Diego this weekend, the young Patriots offensive tackle tandem of Matt Light and Kenyatta Jones had better be prepared to face some pass rush heat. The San Diego rush unit is especially effective on third down, when right end Marcellus Wiley often moves to the strong side and Adrian Dingle comes in on the right side. Between them, Wiley and Dingle have accounted for six sacks. Both have explosive upfield speed and Dingle has developed some nice counter moves. Jones in particular could have his hands full, since Wiley loves to rush against the league's slower right tackles, where he had a big quickness advantage. Wiley dominated former Arizona first-rounder Leonard Davis last week. The New England line also has to be wary of rookie linebacker Ben Leber, with four sacks. |
|
The List
Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss has been in the news so much this week that we figured it might be time to examine the plan of Vikings head coach Mike Tice to make sure that 40 percent of the team's pass attempts are directed to his troubled star. Through three games, the Vikings have come close to their goal, with 41 of 104 passes (or 39.4 percent) thrown to Moss. Of course, the other half of the equation was that making Moss the passing game centerpiece would translate into victories. Winless Minnesota will have to work on that part of the deal. Here's a look at the top 10 wideouts in terms of passes directed and what percentage of the overall team attempts that represents: |
|
Player
|
Directed
|
Ratio
|
|
Eric Moulds
|
43 of 129
|
33.3
|
|
Randy Moss
|
41 of 104
|
39.4
|
|
Troy Brown
|
39 of 133
|
29.3
|
|
Torry Holt
|
35 of 125
|
28
|
|
Peerless Price
|
34 of 129
|
25.4
|
|
Az-Zahir Hakim
|
33 of 101
|
32.7
|
|
Marvin Harrison
|
32 of 104
|
30.8
|
|
Marty Booker
|
31 of 97
|
31.9
|
|
Kevin Johnson
|
30 of 120
|
25
|
|
David Boston
|
29 of 94
|
30.8
|
|
Stat of the Week
Rookie wide receivers Donté Stallworth of New Orleans and Cleveland's André Davis both have at least one touchdown catch in each of their clubs' first three games. This weekend, they can become the first rookies in 20 years to have a touchdown catch in each of their first four NFL outings. In 1982, Washington wide receiver Charlie Brown posted touchdown catches in the first five games of his career. The next longest such streak is three games by Louis Lipps (Pittsburgh, 1984), Daryl Turner (Seattle, 1984) and Glen Kozlowski (Chicago, 1987). |
|
Stat of the Weak
The sputtering St. Louis Rams might qualify as the greatest frontrunners in recent NFL history. The Rams have lost 20 straight contests in which they trailed entering the fourth quarter. If St. Louis can't come back from third-quarter deficits, one has to wonder how the team will rebound in 2002 from its 0-3 start. |
|
The Last Word
| |  | |
| Fox |
Carolina rookie head coach John Fox on the Panthers' 3-0 start to the season: "You guys keep using the word 'surprised.' Nothing surprises me. Am I pleased? Am I happy? Am I proud of where our team is at this point? Yes, I am. But not surprised."
|
Around the league
While on the subject of the Panthers, it's about time someone took notice of the excellent work being done by the team's defensive front. Rucker has five sacks, is on his way to shattering his career high of nine established last year, and is taking full advantage of the double-team attention that rookie left end Julius Peppers is drawing from opponents. For all the rhetoric over how he wasn't strong enough to endure a 16-game schedule, Peppers is a difference-maker, and is wreaking havoc. The three-man tackle rotation of Kris Jenkins, Brentson Buckner and Sean Gilbert is playing well. In fact, while Rucker and Peppers are garnering most of the headlines, Jenkins is the guy having the breakout season. A second-round choice in the 2001 draft, the former Maryland standout is stopping the run and getting penetration in the passing game, too. "There's a really good (synergy) right now and it all starts with those guys inside," Rucker said. "They're kicking butt."
While the Carolina defensive front is feeding off all its members, the Dallas secondary, and particularly rookie safety Roy Williams, definitely is being hampered by the poor performance of the cornerbacks. Regarded by some as a defensive rookie of the year candidate, Williams has yet to make a real impact, largely because he has been forced to play so much coverage in an attempt to compensate for the corners. Williams is at his best playing close to the line of scrimmage, walking down to be the eighth defender "in the box." But it's a role he has not been able to fill. The result: Precious few big plays from a guy who is supposed to be a playmaker. Williams allowed he is "frustrated" by what has transpired to date.
Further evidence that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, who has the league's highest player payroll but an underachieving team, is upset at the current state of affairs: There were a few closed-door meetings this week at the team's complex. And while Johnson isn't one to raise his voice, the Jets owner apparently was fairly forceful in hammering home some points to his football people, sources told ESPN.com.
If there was any kind of convoluted positive to the Randy Moss fiasco in Minnesota this week, it was this: The furor over Moss' latest boneheaded incident meant that Vikings officials dodged having to answer questions about Bryant McKinnie, the first-round offensive tackle who will miss his fourth regular-season game this weekend. McKinnie continues to sit home in Miami, waiting for a viable offer, reluctant to take a below-market deal at this late date. "Basically, the situation is status quo," agent Ben Dogra said on Friday afternoon. "There's nothing going on." So in a week when Moss created another distraction, McKinnie grew a week closer from being forced to sit out his entire rookie campaign. Players who remain unsigned for the 10th week of the season can't play at all. A lot of guys have maintained that they will sit out a whole season. McKinnie could be one player who does it and simply goes back into the draft in 2003.
When the suddenly chaotic Washington Redskins resume play next week after a bye on Sunday, look for quarterback Danny Wuerffel to get the nod as the starter, with first-round pick Patrick Ramsey creeping closer to the No. 1 job. Word from a few players is that Ramsey was very sharp mentally and physically in the team's Wednesday and Thursday practices, is getting a solid feel for the offense, and will eventually win the job. But coach Steve Spurrier is still reluctant, at least for now, to elevate a rookie to the top of the depth chart. The players insist, though, that Ramsey as the starter is a fait accompli, just not for the Oct. 6 game at Tennessee.
Seems that the people who make personnel decisions for the Redskins have finally conceded our point about the team's guards. Which is to say, they stink, folks. The Redskins are scouring around for interior blockers, having auditioned free agent Jeff Blackshear earlier this week and also visited with Milford Brown, the former Florida State starter who was in a supplemental draft on Friday afternoon. A lot of people, including some in the Redskins organization, have been saying since camp that the team had to improve at guard. The supplications fell on deaf ears. Until now, at least, when the guys in decision-making positions have finally seen the light.
| |  | |
| Pryce |
The springtime gamble by Denver defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, moving Pro Bowl defensive tackle Trevor Pryce to left end, is paying pretty nice dividends. It permitted the Broncos to get a player with size aligned at the strongside end spot. Pryce is playing the run well and is still able to rush the passer. The shuffle also allowed Denver to get tackle Lional Dalton, a free agent acquisition, lined up inside with Chester McGlockton. While the Broncos have gotten significantly quicker at linebacker and the secondary, it's the improvement of the front four that has been the biggest catalyst for overall upgrade. Denver ranks second in the league in overall defense and is No. 1 versus the rush, surrendering just 47.3 ground yards per game.
One of the overlooked reasons for the Rams poor start is the falloff in team speed on both sides of the ball. Opponents who have faced St. Louis, and scouts who have seen them in person, agree that wide receiver Isaac Bruce is a step slower and has been supplanted by Torry Holt as the "go to" guy for the struggling Kurt Warner. The other player who seems to have lost a step is cornerback Aeneas Williams.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank plans to resume his quest to locate a general manager in a few weeks, one who probably would come aboard after the season, and some of the folks interviewed the first time around likely will be contacted again. There are a number of terrific candidates -- Ron Wolf, Tim Ruskell, Ozzie Newsome, Billy Kuharich -- to fill the job. But one guy Blank might want to reconsider as well in the man he initially wanted to fill the post, Tampa Bay team president Rich McKay. Sure, McKay got a huge contract from the Bucs just after the Jon Gruden hiring, and he seems like a man who doesn't want to relocate. But the truth is that McKay's clout in terms of football decisions has been reduced, since Gruden is calling many of the shots, particularly in personnel decisions. The latest example is how hard Gruden fought to bring in free agent tight end Rickey Dudley last week. Gruden is a brilliant coach and a colorful personality and, a guy treated like a rock idol by the fans, a man whose popularity will go through the roof if the Bucs continue to win. McKay remains a highly regarded personality in league circles and, while it would be unfair to characterize him as just a figurehead in Tampa, one has to wonder anymore just how his position there is defined now. Getting McKay to Atlanta would be a longshot, because the Bucs would probably once again demand compensation, likely draft picks. Poking around the possibility, though, might be worth Blank's time before he moves on to the other viable candidates.
He hasn't played in a game since 2000 and, at age 35, wide receiver Andre Rison still must complete a four-game suspension if he signs on with a team, and must deal with the rust of inactivity. But the itinerant pass catcher, who still ranks among the leading receivers of all-time, wants to return to the NFL. So much so that Rison, who had dropped out of the league-mandated program for aftercare, is back toeing the line. He has regularly been clean in recent drug tests and could soon apply for reinstatement. It remains to be seen if Rison and his agent, the colorful Dr. Charles Tucker, can get any club interested again. Certainly getting back into the league, particularly since he still has the suspension to serve, is a longshot. "But I know that if some team takes a chance on me, I'll pay off for them," Rison told ESPN.com early this week. "I've been working out harder than ever. I'm hungry again. Right now my weight is about what it was when I came into the league (in 1989)." He acknowledged that he had "a pretty tough time" dealing with the death of onetime fiancé Lisa Lopes, of the group TLC, but said he has finally come to grips with her untimely passing. "I'm beyond the point," he said, "where I expect to hear her voice when I pick up the phone. But it took me a while before I reached that point."
It hardly compares to the megadeal completed by quarterback Donovan McNabb on Friday, but here is the breakdown on the new contract signed by Philadelphia Eagles center Hank Fraley earlier this week: The third-year pro received a signing bonus of $1 million. His base salaries are $860,720 (for 2002), 450,000 (2003), $650,000 (2004), $650,000 (2005) and $650,000 (2006). There is a workout bonus of $3,150 for this year, of $5,600 each for 2003-2004 and of $6,160 each for 2005-2006.
No one can accuse New Orleans of getting fat this year at the expense of bad opponents. The Saints have defeated Tampa Bay, Green Bay and Chicago, all playoff teams in 2001, and clubs which had an aggregate 34-14 record last year. The .708 opponent winning percentage from the previous year is the highest for any 3-0 team since 1970.
Punts: The Baltimore Ravens have reshuffled their offensive line, with Edwin Mulitalo moving from right tackle back to his natural position of left guard. Journeyman Ethan Brooks will move into the right tackle slot. … The Kansas City defense has surrendered 400-plus yards in each of its first three games, including 14 plays of 20 yards or more. … Kudos to Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard, who seemed on his way out of New York not too many months ago, and who has rebounded and is having a solid season. … In a recent newspaper-television poll, Indianapolis residents overwhelmingly rejected the notion of spending more than $10 million annually to subsidize Colts shortfalls. Essentially they said they will not pay to keep the team in Indianapolis, a move likely to fuel rumors that the franchise will relocate to Los Angeles. Then again, last week's court ruling, which permits a retrial in the Raiders' recent lawsuit against the NFL, will probably keep a franchise out of the Los Angeles market for at least three more years. The Raiders are, of course, contending that they still own the rights to Los Angeles and that the league scuttled a stadium deal there. … One member of the powerful competition committee told ESPN.com last week that he will advocate a review of the rule which penalizes a player for removing his helmet. He may be in the minority, but the committee member felt that game officials might have adhered to stridently to the letter of the rule in the Dwayne Rudd case on opening day. … Scouts who watched Eddie George last week remain convinced the Tennessee tailback is playing at substantially less than 100 percent. And they feel it's his 2000 toe surgery, not his recent problems with his arch, that is causing problems. … By not reducing the base salary of cornerback Aaron Glenn this week, when the Houston Texans signed him to a new contract extension, the team actually raised his salary-cap charge for the 2002 season. The cap number was already at $8 million-plus. … The seven undefeated teams is the most the NFL has had entering the fourth week of play since 1970. … Oakland has lost backup tight end Mondriel Fulcher, who tore the lateral collateral ligament in his knee during practice on Wednesday, for the balance of the season.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
| |
|
