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Thoughts on the Coaching Staff?

D-ReK

RAWWWRR!
I'm curious as to what everyone's view of our staff is...Personally, I like Capers and liked Palmer until I found that he had an "intervention" with the organization because his blocking schemes may be a big reason Carr gets hammered game after game...Bob McNair has made it clear in the past that year 4 should be the year that we make a serious run at the playoffs, and the pressure is on Capers and Co. to deliver far moreso this year than it was last year...I could see him not wanting to bring Capers back for the 2006 season if we regress in 2005...If this were to happen, who would you like to see replace Capers? If Carr continues to get sacked heavily and we prove to be too "conservative", will Palmer be gone? If so, who replaces him? My final question is this: if we were to start over with a new staff in 2005, is it feasible to think that a completely new staff could lead us on a Super Bowl run, which is supposed to be the plan for 2006?
 
My honest opinion is that if there is no improvement this season from last season, that some heads will start rolling.

McNair is going to start becoming impatient. The expansion label is gone. Fans are growing frustrated.

Its a make or brake year for some coaches.
 
Palmer's got to go...I've thought that from the start.


Who Knows maybe we can talk Warren Moon into becoming our Offensive Co-ordinator...........haahhaha.........No many Co-ordinators out there worse than Palmer. JMO
 
I cant really make a decision on that yet.. I like Capers. I think hes a great coach and we will be a defensive powerhouse under him.

Im not sure on Fangio and Palmer though. Palmer especially. This will be a make or break year for them, i think. if either one of them does poorly, I think they will be gone.
 
We are just now starting to see the real Capers/Casserly team through our drafts. We have to give them a chance to work with the young talent with full implementation of their systems before we can really make an informed opinion.

On offense: I am, by far, NOT a Palmer fan (for many reasons). However, we still have to realize that our offense for the past three years has been incomplete. Now we have the weapons, and our o-line has to gel. Without control in the trenches, we will not put up a winning record. This should be the year that we start to see the magic. It might still need one more year to fully do the trick, but there should be lots of signs of great things to come. IF the offense plays flat all year, without any signs of a spark, then I will completely agree with some of you with regards to Palmers firing. Until then, we must be patient and give them the opportunity to shine.

On Defense: Honestly, I expect a lot from this unit. Even though we lost veteran leadership, we still have a core group of young players that have been here. Our speed should make up for any mental lapses, and their fire and enthusiasm should even win a game or three. I expect to see a real Capers defense this year, one that teams have to gameplan their offenses around, and a defense that ranks in the top 10 in the NFL (at least in the AFC). Anything less will be a huge letdown, IMO.
 
Most good OC's are handled and reigned in by a good head coach. When Norv Turner was in Dallas, I guarantee you that Jimmy had a lot to do with the philosophy of the playcalling and the attitude about running the football.

The fact that there was an intervention is a sign of things being fixed. Palmer has a great offensive mind. It just needs to be controlled by the head coach.
 
caddy said:
It's alive, It's alive... but still stinks. Let it go in peace. :cool:

Sorry if it seems as if I've brought up a topic that has been rehashed many times, but I was bored and wanted to see what everyone's view of the staff is without having multiple people screaming, "FIRE PALMER!!!!!!!11" or "FIRE CAPERS, cASSerly AND THE REST OF THOSE RETARDS"...If it makes you feel better, I'll dedicate this smiley to you:

:deadhorse
 
I like capers and am a firm believer in the saying "defense wins championship". However palmer is starting to rub me a little raw. I kinda wanted to see Norm Chow from the USC to be our Off. Cord. but thats gone. This year will be do or die time for palmer but I think capers will be here longer.
 
If Palmer is sent packing after this season there is little doubt about who his replacement will be. It would be Joe Pendry, the current offensive line coach. Remember that he was not allowed to interview with Miami for their offensive coordinator position. That is because of two factors. 1)Pendry had just installed a new zone-blocking scheme and Capers didn't want to start over with a new offensive line coach. 2) Pendry was Capers offensive coordinator in Carolina and Capers wants him on staff in case he needs a new offensive coordinator.

That said, I think Palmer is going to be the Texans offensive coordinator for quite a while because the offense is about to step up a level or two due to the youngsters on offense gelling together.
 
Joe Pendry seems to have been secured for the future. They must have bigger plans for him to come.
Palmer has always been a mystery to me, watching him in Cleveland and Houston. It's like there is a master plan that slowly is unveiled with him, but how deep is it, and when is that plan going to show grand results? This year should show how feasible or lame his plan is.
 
Coaching Grades Overall: B-

GM: B-
Head Coach: B-
DC: B
OC: C
ST: B


I think the team has done a decent job thus far, some bonehead moves, some really great ones too. It will be interesting to see what happens by mid season though. I have said all along this year is a transition year - this year the rose colored lenses and kid gloves come off from the Owner and the fans. This year everyone from the front office to the team itself will be scrutinized from top to bottom and if the team isnt producing by mid season - we may see some faces change. If the team does badly enough we may see some wholesale changes.

The staff is gambling this year on a few things - I hope they pay off, cause if not - some heads will roll in the responsability places as McNair will start demanding the people running his business show something more profitable.
 
I don't care for Palmer, Fangio, or Capers (as a head coach). Never have. If Capers was our dc I would be extremely happy. He could concentrate on the area of the game that he has passion about and vast knowledge. Palmer is a handicap for Capers. Capers just isn't offensive minded which leaves Palmer pretty much on his own.

The rap on Fangio when he was in Indy was that his defense was too complicated and very hard to learn. Simplify it.
 
Its quite frustrating, when an expansion team starts off with a bad situation. Leaving Palmer, pretty much in control of the OFFENSE himself....I've always thought that if your coach is more skilled on one side of the ball then you better make sure that you have a winner to co-ordinate the other side of the ball. Palmer is not a winner. PERIOD. Since Capers is a great Defensive mind, we needed to find a great Offensive Co-ordinator. And until we do, we will never be reaching full potential.

The moves we've made in trades, drafts and signings, releasings are also frustrating..........Right from the beginning, they've made some dumb moves and some good moves. And it does make me laugh when they say that the DRAFT isn't deep this year. Cuz they say it every year. Whether it is "deep" or not, their job is to find good players. And after most experts gave them a "D" grade on this years draft......Casserly still has the balls to say that they did great in the draft. OK, maybe they got good value on Morency and Mathis....and even though they reached for Travis Johnson, he'll still be a starter down the road.....but, it was in no way GREAT!

Don't get me wrong, I hope Hodgdon can beat out Steve "Push Me Back" Mckinney....but, it still wasn't a great DRAFT.

If they wanted to trade down so bad and pick up a 3rd round pick, why didn't they keep trading down and pick up another pick ? AND then draft Chris Spencer........or trade 16 for a couple picks and then take Khalif Barnes in the 2nd and use the extra 3rd on Attiyah Ellsion along with the Morency pick.

WHY didn't they address the O-Line before the 5th round ?

It has to be added to their list of DUMB moves.

I would've even been happy with Jammal Brown at 13......you just know he can play LT better than Wand.
 
throwANDREtheBALL said:
Its quite frustrating, when an expansion team starts off with a bad situation. Leaving Palmer, pretty much in control of the OFFENSE himself....I've always thought that if your coach is more skilled on one side of the ball then you better make sure that you have a winner to co-ordinate the other side of the ball. Palmer is not a winner. PERIOD. Since Capers is a great Defensive mind, we needed to find a great Offensive Co-ordinator. And until we do, we will never be reaching full potential.

The moves we've made in trades, drafts and signings, releasings are also frustrating..........Right from the beginning, they've made some dumb moves and some good moves. And it does make me laugh when they say that the DRAFT isn't deep this year. Cuz they say it every year. Whether it is "deep" or not, their job is to find good players. And after most experts gave them a "D" grade on this years draft......Casserly still has the balls to say that they did great in the draft. OK, maybe they got good value on Morency and Mathis....and even though they reached for Travis Johnson, he'll still be a starter down the road.....but, it was in no way GREAT!

Don't get me wrong, I hope Hodgdon can beat out Steve "Push Me Back" Mckinney....but, it still wasn't a great DRAFT.

If they wanted to trade down so bad and pick up a 3rd round pick, why didn't they keep trading down and pick up another pick ? AND then draft Chris Spencer........or trade 16 for a couple picks and then take Khalif Barnes in the 2nd and use the extra 3rd on Attiyah Ellsion along with the Morency pick.

WHY didn't they address the O-Line before the 5th round ?

It has to be added to their list of DUMB moves.

I would've even been happy with Jammal Brown at 13......you just know he can play LT better than Wand.

You answered your own question. My problem with Capers is as you say. He is 1 dimensional and only knows defense and has no clue how to handle the offense. That's why there is no movement on the O-line. I keep hoping someone like Smith, Hodgdon, or the other young O-linemen that are trying out makes a big splash. I think there is some potential of that and I just keep hoping we hear some news to that affect.
 
I'm with you man, I'm praying too.

One of our young O-lineman makes a splash, we need them to make a tsunami, not just a splash..........if we want to see Carr on his feet more.

And in the NFL, there are not many coaches that are two-dimensional. Most of them are experts at one side of the ball, that's usually how they become coaches........because they were such great co-ordinators.

Look at John Gruden, he's supposed to be one of the great young coaches.....he's a pretty good offensive mind.........but, without Monte Kiffin handling the defense the buccs would fall apart even more.

Dennis Green has a history of good offenses, but he needs Defensive Co-ordinator Clancy Pendergast to keep that team going.

Last year Dick Vermeil, (a great coach, but, better offensively) got Gunther Cunningham who is a good Defensive Co-ordinator. (he just needs better players)

Holmgren (offensive minded) has Ray Rhodes as his DC.

Herm Edwards (defensive minded) just brought Mike Heimerdinger in this year to try and fix the offense. (although, I'm not as high on Heimerdinger as most)

Every coach in the league started off majoring in one side of the ball over the other......some coaches through experience seem to have figured out both sides of the ball pretty well. Belichick, Parcells, Cowher

So other than a few exceptions, most Coaches don't know both sides of the ball extremely well, but what a coach does need to bring to the table is the respect of the players.

Tony Dungy is pretty good at this and he's a Player's Coach, a nice guy.
Parcells is sort of the opposite, but seems to know how to motivate his players as well.

So just because Dom Capers doesn't know a WHOLE lot about offense, doesn't mean he's a bad coach. I think you'd have to ask the question, does he get the respect of players. And does that respect lead to playing hard on the field for him? And the only people that can answer that question are the players.

I don't really think Capers is a great coach, or a bad coach......I just think that he's one of many coaches out there that needs to have a GREAT Co-ordinator on the other side of the ball, to make sure that his teams have a good chance to win every time they play.

That said, I think Palmer would be better off with a Coach like Vermeil or Gruden, someone who knows offense as well, so they can steer the ship back on track when he takes them off course. (Which he always does)

Inconsistency is a symptom of veering off course, its also a sign of a poor O-line, and a scared QB.

So to the people that keep saying lets be fair and give Palmer another year......all that's really doing is slowing this offense down another year. I mean its not like he's a young guy trying to get by. Palmer would be OK if we got rid of him now..........AND he'll be OK when we finally GET rid of him at the end of the season. He's financially setup, we don't need to worry about him.
 
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