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November 20, 2022 04:58 AM
According to Pro Football Reference, there are 517 men
that have held the title of head NFL coach. Some of been interim, some of
only coached one game and some have been around a long, long time. It’s
truly a revered title to wear and a harder job to gain than a United States
Senator. Like becoming a U.S. Senator, it takes political capital to gain
election and it requires a great media campaign, winning the popular vote along
with the owner’s delegates. Those doing the evaluating of the performance
only view the scoreboard and never understand the situation. Some who
gain entrance into this exclusive club do it well, some don’t. Some get
too much respect for their wins and others don’t get enough. However,
winning playoff games are the only thing that matters when the evaluation
occurs for the Hall.
Take Marty Schottenheimer of the Browns,
Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers. He is one of eight men that has won 200
regular season games -- that’s 1.4% of the coaches -- placing him in an
extremely elite class of coaches. Five of the other men with 200 and more
wins are in the Hall; two are still coaching -- Bill Belichick and Andy Reid --
and when they retire will be fitted for a gold jacket. Schottenheimer coached
21 seasons, had a 61% winning percentage and today is never mentioned for the
Hall of Fame.
Schottenheimer won without an elite
quarterback, from Bernie Kosar to Steve DeBerg, to Elvis Grbac, to a healing
Rich Gannon, Tony Banks, a young Drew Brees, Doug Flutie, and an emerging
Phillip Rivers. Gannon and Brees became outstanding players in their
careers, but when they were with Schottenheimer, they were still young and
developing. Rivers developed into a star leading the Chargers to a 14-2
record and a first-round loss to the Patriots, which was the last game
Schottenheimer ever coached. Schottenheimer never gains the respect he
deserves because he wasn’t great at playoff time. He struggled to get to
the Super Bowl which unfairly blemished his whole career.
Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans might become the new
Marty Schottenheimer, and I don’t mean that as a slight. The comparison
comes as the ultimate compliment. You might ask, "Why isn’t Vrabel
the next Belichick?" Because Vrabel isn’t winning with an elite
quarterback much like Schottenheimer. In my next book (Football
Done Right) I make a strong case for Schottenheimer to be in
the Hall and should have gained entrance ahead of Dick Vermeil, Don Coryell and
others. Vrabel has
become one of the top three coaches in the NFL and is winning without an elite
quarterback or roster. On Thursday night he was missing several starters,
playing his third game in 11 days (one with his defense on the field for 91
plays) and yet dominated the Packers, sending them limping home with a
slim chance of being a playoff team.
Vrabel
understands what it takes to win, each week, and how he must alter his game
plan within the foundation of his team’s strengths to then give his team the
best chance to win. He coaches the coaches; he is complete control of the
sidelines, and his team has developed his mental toughness. And on
Thursday night, the Titans were by far the tougher team. They were not
the more talented team -- they were just the better coached team and more
physical.
Everyone
in my circle of NFL friends is amazed at how the Titans have won games with a
roster that is subpar in many areas. I often will get a message like “How
in the hell is Vrabel winning with Dennis Daley at left tackle?" And
my answer is I have no clue. Their offensive line is missing key
starters, from left tackle Taylor Lewan to center Ben Jones. Their
defensive line doesn’t have Harold Landry and Bud Dupree starting, and overall
their roster is cluttered with more than 20 players who were either on some
other teams’ roster, or a college free agent after the draft. The Titans
carry five receivers on their roster -- three were free agents, Robert Woods
came over in a trade and Treylon Burks was a first rounder. Not exactly a
group that places the fear of God into their opponents, yet they make plays and
move the ball.
The
Titans under Vrabel have an identity, a formula that wins and when the playoffs roll around, that formula is often stressed to
the max-- much like Schottenheimer. Vrabel is 2-3 in the playoffs, all
his wins coming as a wild-card entry in 2019 when he upset the Patriots in Tom
Brady’s last game in Foxboro, then defeated the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens,
before losing to the Chiefs. He has lost two home playoff games --
not because of his coaching, rather the roster inadequacies manifest themselves
as the competition becomes tougher. His team this season will win the AFC
South, and then depending on the matchup struggle to get past the first round,
as winning in the playoffs usually comes down to having an elite passer --
which Ryan Tannehill isn’t.
Entering
last night Vrabel was a 100-1 to win Coach of the Year. Seriously?
No one, and I mean no one is doing a better job, but the
voters only examine the won-loss record and never examine the situation.
It’s a popularity contest -- and when you consider that Nolan Ryan never won
the Cy Young award during his incredible career, you understand that the
voting, in every sports award is slightly inaccurate and never carries detailed
analysis.
Vrabel
has my vote for Coach of the Year, but like the Hall
of Fame voting, I don’t have one in the coaching selection.
