Firing An Assistant Coach

I know there has been a lot of chicken little lately. But if the Bengals destroy the Patriots in yet another blowout loss, should the team consider firing either Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia? If the team continues to play in such a deflated and lethargic fashion, the real question becomes whether sticking with the formula or shaking things up would be most beneficial. Both McDaniels and Patricia are yes men, so Bill isn't getting other viewpoints on his staff. I really wish that the Pats would look for coordinators with a highly successful track record in college -- i.e. they can conceptualize their own gameplans that don't follow the typical NFL or Patriots model. We need some new perspectives, as the screen game and short game in general on offense is predictable: I could tell what the Patriots were trying to do most plays this past week. On defense, why not start blitzing Rex Ryan style and try to make such a talented secondary get a chance to make a play. Sure, the other teams might get the big play, but our turnover margin would improve.

Personally, I think a mid-season shake-up is worth considering on the coaching staff, as it might provide the needed push. I'm leaning towards firing Patricia if, as they say in the mob movies, "someone gotta go."

A blow out loss? Yes, that clearly puts Patricia on the immediate hot seat. Way too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to be getting blown out.

Patricia is a marionette, he runs BB's defense.

D coordinator, O coordinator, OLine coach.

We need a complete make over of coaches. The bad thing is BB put all those guys in those positions. They are "his guys". Young and inexperienced, but put their by BB nonetheless. You have to start questioning BB's decision making. Playing a 3-4 defense against Miami, after drafting 4-3 players for the past few years, was particularly baffling.

We won SB's with old, experienced coordinators. Weis and Crennel.

The two guys that should be most in jeopardy are the Oline coach and the GM. Let Bill coach so he can let go of his fetish of drafting defensive secondary guys in the second round that don't pan out, except in the Tavon Wilson sort of way.

MainePatsFan26 said:

I know there has been a lot of chicken little lately. But if the Bengals destroy the Patriots in yet another blowout loss, should the team consider firing either Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia? If the team continues to play in such a deflated and lethargic fashion, the real question becomes whether sticking with the formula or shaking things up would be most beneficial. Both McDaniels and Patricia are yes men, so Bill isn't getting other viewpoints on his staff. I really wish that the Pats would look for coordinators with a highly successful track record in college -- i.e. they can conceptualize their own gameplans that don't follow the typical NFL or Patriots model. We need some new perspectives, as the screen game and short game in general on offense is predictable: I could tell what the Patriots were trying to do most plays this past week. On defense, why not start blitzing Rex Ryan style and try to make such a talented secondary get a chance to make a play. Sure, the other teams might get the big play, but our turnover margin would improve.

Personally, I think a mid-season shake-up is worth considering on the coaching staff, as it might provide the needed push. I'm leaning towards firing Patricia if, as they say in the mob movies, "someone gotta go."

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No, this will not happen. Coordinator changes occur in the off-season. We have no idea specifically how much autonomy McDaniels or Patricia have under BB, but my guess is it's considerable, especially with Josh. Things are way too far along for major scheme changes. What we should hope for is better execution, cohesion and chemistry, which has been hurt by too much player rotation and too much juggling of personnel overall. Things will settle down and get better if people stay healthy.

MainePatsFan26 said:

Personally, I think a mid-season shake-up is worth considering on the coaching staff, as it might provide the needed push.

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I guess they'll have to fire Belichick Monday morning if the Pats get blown out again, right?

Belichick might as well fire himself if he fires Patricia because everything I've ever seen indicates that he's just implementing the system as per Belichick.

Also, only ******ed internet messageboard circle jerks could have anyone seriously posting that the OC who oversaw the 3rd highest scoring offense in the league last year be on the 'hot seat' 5 games later. ************.

I don't think that throwing in more variables/unknowns would do much good, unless it'd be adding in some additional talent on the field through a trade or acquisition. Even that would depend on the specific situation and position.

There will be no firings of any Coordinators or any coaches, BB likes consistency and to bring someone in in the middle of the season will not make things much better.. if anything else worse.

The Pats play very complicated schemes on both sides of the ball, by the time the new coordinators got up to speed the season would be in the last quarter...

If things do not improve, would look at some changes in the coaches after the season...

If McDaniels or Patricia are terrible at their jobs but are still there it is BBs fault. It is his job to fire them.

You don't need to change coaches to change what you do in the next game. This is BB's team, and they've done things many different ways under him over the years. They just need to find something that works this year, although the OL may limit the level of performance that "works" entails. To think that changing out the assistants is going to help anything is fatuous.

PATS16N0 said:

A blow out loss? Yes, that clearly puts Patricia on the immediate hot seat. Way too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to be getting blown out.

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If you think Patricia is actually running the defense......I don't know what to tell you. This is Belichick's defense, he can(and does on occasion) overrule any call Patricia makes that he doesn't like. All you need to do is watch any NFL Sound FX from the last few years to know that. "Matt, dial up a blitz here alright?" "Matt, let's bring pressure up the middle here." etc, etc.

No offense and don't get defensive but the OP reads eerily close to a game thread post.

No way the Pats are getting blown out tonight. This will be a tough game for Cincy. They have two weeks of crap tape to look at. They won't be looking at the same offense or defense tonight. One thing Bedard was right about is that BB and the rest of the staff have been screwing around and being cute and that ends tonight. Bank on it.

fnordcircle said:

Also, only ******ed internet messageboard circle jerks could have anyone seriously posting that the OC who oversaw the 3rd highest scoring offense in the league last year be on the 'hot seat' 5 games later. ************.

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Without Tom Brady McDaniels would washing jock straps and polishing footballs in the NFL.

Triumph said:

Without Tom Brady McDaniels would washing jock straps and polishing footballs in the NFL.

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Probably not. The 2008 offense (after Brady was injured by Pollard in week one) was 5th in the league in yards gained and 8th in points scored. That offense was run by a former backup college QB who have hardly ever played in college or the NFL and is now basically a JAG in the NFL.

TomPatriot said:

Probably not. The 2008 offense (after Brady was injured by Pollard in week one) was 5th in the league in yards gained and 8th in points scored. That offense was run by a former backup college QB who have hardly ever played in college or the NFL and is now basically a JAG in the NFL.

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The Pats were ranked 4th rushing the ball in 2008 so I will give McDaniels credit for calling run plays.

However, when you dig into 2008 stats you eventually get to bare bones facts like the 41 - 7 win vs the Broncos that season where Denver turned the ball over 5 times.

McDaniels is a problem

“Sources say Brady is uncomfortable with the personnel and coaching changes, the consequences have led to tensions between Brady and the coaching staff, with Brady’s input into gameplans, personnel packages, formations, pre-snap adjustments being significantly diminished.”

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belichick should call defensive plays.

JMD has his stinkers but on the whole I think he's done a good job and needs to stick.
Patricia honestly not sure I'd miss him

It pains me to read how strong the Ravens offensive line is. Ricky Wagner, a poor man's Seabass, is also drawing praise with his play at RT, along with their terrific guards.

Wagner is smaller, slower, less quick (his three-cone drill at the Combine is over a second slower than Vollmer's Houston proday!), weaker (20 benchpresses versus Vollmer's incredible 32), and...you name it. A poor man's Seabass.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/ricky-wagner?id=2539340#
http://seahawknationblog.com/2009/03/german-vollmer-impressive-at-houston-pro-day/

So why is Wagner playing better than Vollmer? I think this morning Mike Reiss saying the Guge's transition has been rocky is an _vast_ understatement. I think he should be relieved of his duties at the season's end. It's been chaos with that group so far this season.

Playing Cannon at guard when he played tackle in the preseason, ignoring Kline who has valuable starting experience in an AFC Championship Game where he played effectively, playing a mismatched rookie at a new position, and bringing a tuba-playing practice-squad member into the starting lineup, which can now definitely be said to be a first-class screwup, is a level of rank incompetency not seen since the Raiders coaching staff took the field. Bill, couldn't you have done better than this mediocre journeyman coach?

Take a step back and say to yourself, "What would Dante do?" WWDD?

Solder-Kline-Connolly-Cannon-Vollmer.

'Nuff said. The Oline coach is under the microscope now, when studs like our tackles are playing like seventh-round rookies, as Pete Prisco recently wrote.