With all the positive buzz around Lazor, it got me to thinking: let's say the defense stays the same level and the offense takes a jump with Lazor's new system. We would then most likely be a play off team at the least, potentially more. Yet the head coach would have needed to have done almost nothing to see this improvement, which makes me wonder, if you have two stud coordinators, what is the real contribution of the head coach, other than team morale, keeping things organized, and to sign off on key decisions? I mean, the system, the position-level coaching, the player acquistion, and even the playcalling would not be in Philbin's hands. Put it another way, what would it take for a boost in wins to give Philbin rightful credit as opposed to just Lazor?
Well, I don't know all the roles of a HC, but as far as Philbin goes, one of his roles is to pick up wrappers littering the field.
The biggest impact a coaching staff has is on player development. It's not going to be the system that Lazor runs that creates the "jump" in offensive production. It's going to be his work with Ryan Tannehill on footwork issues and ball placement issues that allows Ryan Tannehill to better execute the plays run. The time in practice, where a coach works on the fundamentals with the players, is where coaching has its biggest impact. Proper fundamentals and proper technique is what allows players to utilize their athleticism and power on the field and translate that into skill. You have to have that athleticism and power before you can have skill though. The coaching staff cannot make a slow footed player quicker on his feet. He cannot make a runner that lacks instincts become more instinctual. Scheme and play calling have very little overall effect on the game. Now, I believe there is an effect, but it is not as much of an effect as player skill has on the game. The bottom line is this. This team will rise and fall with Ryan Tannehill. Over the past two years, Ryan Tannehill has had 13 games where he has posted a 90+ passer rating. The Dolphins are 12-1 in those games. They are 3-16 in all other games. If Ryan Tannehill becomes a consistent 90+ passer rating quarterback, the Dolphins will win. The scheme and the coaching will have very little effect to the extent that just calling different plays gets Ryan to that threshold. The play calling will be dictated by the skill on the field. For instance, if the Dolphins get better up front this year and are better at converting short yardage situations, in particular on 3rd and 4th down, then the offense will be more productive. It will allow the offensive coordinator to be more balanced in his play calling and run the ball more in those situations, since running the ball in short yardage has a 36% higher 1st down conversion rate than passing the ball in short yardage.
You know whats interesting...12-1 when his rating is above 90. That tells me we aren't far from being a contender. Hes not having amazing games...only to have his defense crap the bed. We lost some key players..our line sucked..I really think 2014 is going to be an amazing year for the Phins. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
Play calling and using players to their strengths is huge. Look at the difference in New Orleans from 2012 to 2013 with and without Sean Payton (7-9 vs. 11-5). And that was just the play-calling as the scheme was unchanged. IMO Sherman's refusal to use misdirection in the run game alone was the difference between this team making and missing the playoffs. So if Lazor improves/updates the scheme to include better use of RT's skill set and tweaks the timing on the deep passes and tweaks some mechanical issues for RT, then Philbin's role along with the administration and key decisions, etc. should be to help with the game planning. That was always one of Philbin's strengths. IMO the best HCs don't abandon what they were good at and what made them attractive as HC prospects. They keep their fingers on that area and take on the additional HC responsibilities. I think the dynamic with his former boss and mentor being the OC the last two seasons was odd and it pulled him away from that area. I'm hoping that with a young, new OC that Philbin will reenter that and provide input was still being open to Lazor's ideas.
Makes sense. It is why most think the players drafted and or brought in under the past GM didn't work. This simply is not true. Most of the players were simply not developed to their potential. It is why we have seen many go to other teams and thrive. It is why leaving this coaching in place and bringing in a different GM will not work. It's all coming into focus NOW. 90+ QB rating, we must have sucked during the Marino years because his career Qb rating was 86.
This is akin to asking why the company needs a president if the VP's get good productivity out of their departments. Organizations need power structures. Somebody has to be the clear authority to rein in the moving parts. Somebody also has to hire these guys. There needs to be one overarching vision around which different departments pivot. The best example I can think of would be the Houston Oilers with Kevin Gilbride at OC and Buddy Ryan as DC. Their Head Coach had no control over the organization and the offense and defense fought each other. Ryan felt powerful enough to override practice hitting rules and disparage the entire offensive system. With a firmer Head Coach, maybe the team could have coalesced and not waste an HOF QB.
You realize it was an enirely different era with different rules right? His QB rating with these rules would be even higher.
I just hope Lazor gets rid of the cadence mainly "go or go go". Damn that was 90%+ giving away our pass or run plays.
Game day decision making. Challenges, TO's and I suppose going for it or not? Or is that OC? Seems like it's HC. And sets the tenor for the team.
