DKphin
Club Member
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12950449/five-assistant-coaches-who-will-impact-their-new-teams[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Mike Nolan, defensive coordinator, Miami [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There are few people who did more with less last season than Mike Nolan. The Broncos not only ranked seventh in overall defense; they were third against the pass and tied for 12th in points allowed, and that's downright remarkable considering what Nolan had -- Elvis Dumervil, Brian Dawkins, D.J. Williams, Champ Bailey and not much more. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Broncos didn't jump to a 6-0 start because of Kyle Orton or Brandon Marshall; they won because of Nolan's defenses, with the Broncos allowing an average of 9.3 points per game. Then the roof collapsed, with eight of their remaining 10 opponents scoring 20 or more each and the Broncos losing to all eight. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] People in Denver tell me Nolan tired of coach Josh McDaniels and needed a change. Well, he has it, and say goodbye to Philip Rivers as your arch enemy and hello to Tom Brady. For the Dolphins to return to the top of the division they must get through Brady and New England, and lots of luck. When Brady has been healthy, he and the Patriots have won the division all but one season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Nolan's Denver defense was aggressive, with Dumervil leading all pass rushers in sacks. That was good, but this is not: Joey Porter, the team's leading pass rusher the past two seasons is gone, and Jason Taylor is at or near the end of a storied career. Furthermore, the Dolphins were dead-flat ordinary last season, and that's kind. They ranked 22nd in overall defense, 25th in points allowed and surrendered a franchise-record 140 points in the fourth quarter. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But that is why Nolan is the right man for this job. He just went through a reconstruction project with a porous Denver defense that ranked 29th in 2008, and he made it work. Furthermore, he made it work by going to a 3-4, a defense that coach Tony Sparano favors. Make it work here, and you might make Brady and the Patriots sweat for a change. [/FONT]