Offensive minded coach in the AFC East

[JepheryRoss]

I was thinking about the AFC east and the stingy defensive minded coaches that have had alot of success in the past 15 years ... Then I realized that for the first time since Shula (who was really quite a balanced coach in his time) that we have an offensive minded coach... So I wondered whether I thought this was a good idea or a bad idea... I did some research....

Lets take a look at the division (past 10-15 years)

Buffalo Bills
M. Levy (86-97) hall of famer, had dominating offensive & defensive schemes
W. Philllips (98-00) Defensive
G Williams (01-03) Defensive
M. Mularkey (04-05) Offensive
D Jauron (06-current) - Defensive

New York Jets
P. Carroll (94) - Offensive
R. Kotite (95-96) Offensive
B. Parcells (97-99) Defensive
A. Grohl (00) Defensive
H. Edwards (01-05) Defensive
E. Mangini (06-current) Defensive

ew England Patriots
B. Parcells (93-96) Defensive
P. Carroll (97-99) Offensive
B Belicheck (00-current) Defensve

Miami Dolphins
Don Shula (70-95) Hall Of Fame
J. Johnson (96-99) Defensive
D. Wannstadt (00-04) Defensive
J. Bates (2004) - Defensive
N. Saban (05-06) Defensive
C. Cameron (06-current) Offensive

in the past 15 years there have been 20 coaches in the AFC East ... Only have 4 have come from a strictly Offensive coaching style (not inlcluding cameron) Of the 4 offensive coaches, their combined record is.... 51-77 and it averages out to about a 7-9 season ...

now keep in mind, the majority of this horrible stat is that Rich Kotite is one of the worst coaches in the history of the NFL.

I'm not really sure what to make of this information. It could purely be reading far too much between the lines. Its is July isn't it? I do happen to think that the AFC east is designed for defensive guru's. However, I'm comfortable with Dom Capers running our defense. And its quite possible that Cameron could be just the change of pace that this division needs to catch some teams off guard. Personally, I think he's the type of coach fit for AFC west where he had been coaching and the NFC west Seattle, San Francisco etc ... I see alot of similiarities between him and Norv Turner ...

I think it will be very interesting to see his system in place in this division.

I'm not ready to doubt a single thing until they get out on the field, just felt it would be an interesting discussion while we have nothing else to OVER-analyze.

Let me know what you think.

 

[ckparrothead]

Pete Carroll is a defensive guy by background. He was a secondary coach under Earle Bruce. He spent some more time as a d-coord for NC State. He did spend a year as offensive coordinator under Bob Cope at Pacific...but his entire time in the NFL was straight up defensive backs and defensive coordinator positions.

And Al Groh's background is more varied into defensive and offensive. He was the tight ends and special teams coach of the Atlanta Falcons at one point, offensive coordinator of the South Carolina Game****s, with a lot of history of being a defensive line coach, linebackers coach, and defensive coordinator under guys like Parcells and Belichick.

I think the main point to look at is that if you want to come out on top in a division with Belichick and Mangini coaching the defenses...maybe it isn't such a half bad idea to fight them with a premium offensive coach.

But then again, maybe the Bills thought that way too and they found out all too soon that Mike Mularkey was NOT a premium offensive coach.

 

[JepheryRoss]

I definately expect to catch a lot of slack on this, but I thought Mularkey had a pretty decent season when he first arrived in buffalo but then they opted to get rid of bledsoe and begin the Losman era and that was kinda the end of the road ... And as much I spent last season cursing Mularkey to hell, I remember reading that for the first half of the season he was still using Linehans system and as he started to change over to his own system things started to gel. I honestly think that if we hadn't gone with an Offensive minded head coach, that Mularkey would've stayed on as Offensive coordinator (regardless of whether I would've been happy about it). He lost his job, mostly due to Cameron taking over the offensive play calling ...

 

[MDFINFAN]

The beauty of our team this year is you have a OC and DC running both sides of the ball who are accomplished in their positions. The only thing I may worry about is Campers letting the D take a step back. But if he can use the strategies of Saban and combine them with his knowledge and, of course, ultilized the weapons he has on D, we maybe okay, now that's were Cam may help us. If Cam can scheme against these D's we have in the AFCE and at least draw even, we have a chance in each game. This division will test the best of both of our Coordinator's and it should be a good one.

 

[JepheryRoss]

agreed ...... i think as an Oc and DC combo we have on of the best in the biz ... what would be really great is if they can work together and really have a solid 4-5 seasons ... im tired of losing coordinators (turner, bates, linehan)

 

[wyo]

I like the fact that over the last two seasons Cameron has coached against every team on our schedule (except Houston) at least once.

 

[RUDEbyallMEANS]

I think the main point to look at is that if you want to come out on top in a division with Belichick and Mangini coaching the defenses...maybe it isn't such a half bad idea to fight them with a premium offensive coach.

And Cam Cameron is just that.. The San Diego/New England game is a VERY promising look at the offensive strategy being brought to Miami. Cameron had Bellicheck out-gameplanned in the game.. The San Diego players had a difficult time executing.

 

[Trackstar]

The beauty of our team this year is you have a OC and DC running both sides of the ball who are accomplished in their positions. The only thing I may worry about is Campers letting the D take a step back. But if he can use the strategies of Saban and combine them with his knowledge and, of course, ultilized the weapons he has on D, we maybe okay, now that's were Cam may help us. If Cam can scheme against these D's we have in the AFCE and at least draw even, we have a chance in each game. This division will test the best of both of our Coordinator's and it should be a good one.

Just to add to your post, I think the defense will benefit from Cameron than most people think. Marty Shottenheimer stated Cam Cameron could dissect defenses during games better than any O.C he's ever been around. He was amazed how quick he could dissect and predict what the defenses where going to do and figure out their schemes during the course of the game.

In order to attack the enemy successfully, you must be well educated in their craft.

I think Cam will be able to help our defense be less vulnerable to big plays and help them be less predictable, from a schematic standpoint.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I'm a defensive first guy and I still believe that defense win championships. That said, there are examples of offensive teams winning it all. Bill Walsh did it in San Francisco (defense was underrated though), the Rams under Dick Vermeil, and even the Colts. Tony Dungy is a defensive guy, but the Colts offense carried them most of the season until the defense really came on in the postseason.

Cam Cameron was an interesting choice. He brings a whole different approach to a division that has been trying to copy the Patriots.

 

[dolpns13]

I like the fact that over the last two seasons Cameron has coached against every team on our schedule (except Houston) at least once.

This is good and bad...Good because of the experience with teams we have played, bad that he has never coached against Houston because Houston owns us

 

[Kinzua]

I definately expect to catch a lot of slack on this, but I thought Mularkey had a pretty decent season when he first arrived in buffalo but then they opted to get rid of bledsoe and begin the Losman era and that was kinda the end of the road ... And as much I spent last season cursing Mularkey to hell, I remember reading that for the first half of the season he was still using Linehans system and as he started to change over to his own system things started to gel. I honestly think that if we hadn't gone with an Offensive minded head coach, that Mularkey would've stayed on as Offensive coordinator (regardless of whether I would've been happy about it). He lost his job, mostly due to Cameron taking over the offensive play calling ...

I think you're right about Mularkey. Keep in mind that he was Pittsburg's OC for a number of seasons before coming to Buffalo as HC. The problem in Buffalo was GM Tom Donahoe's insistence on rushing Losman into the starting role when he wasn't ready for it which resulted in Bledsoe's release and eventually into a nasty situation in the Bills lockerroom because a lot of veterans felt that Bledsoe gave them a better chance of winning.

Keep in mind that Marv Levy didn't fire Mularkey. He kept on as HC along with most of the offensive coaches (the entire defensive coaching staff was fired, however), but Mularkey resigned because he felt that a lot of assistants felt he was a "lame duck" and declined to consider coming to the Bills. So MM became Miami's OC, and Dick Jauron became the Bills' HC.

Mularkey has some faults that made his tenure in both Buffalo as HC and Miami as OC difficult. First, he gives up on the run too quickly, which is okay when you have a top echelon offensive team like the Steelers have been over the past decade or so, but not so good when you have less talented offensive teams like the Bills and the Fins (this is especially true on the OL). Second, MM loves gadget plays. I don't know if that's something that came from Bill Cowher or if Mularkey passed it on to Whisenhut, but it seems to be a Steelers' trademark. The problem is that it takes a very well-disciplined offense in which the key players are pretty familiar with each other to make gadgets work. Again, neither the Bills nor the Fins fit this model.