That stuff is meaningless. Personnel is different, coaches will be different, etc. Last year Buffalo was the #2 scoring defense, 4th against the pass. If Eric Bieniemy comes here the offense isn't going to be ranked where KC is.
(Yeah, I don’t think he knows. Guessing like the rest of us.) “You don’t hold out this long unless you have two things in mind: one, you’re super concerned about the Watson situation and hoping that the person you can get is someone that can talk him off the ledge and two, the first person to probably do that, especially given the names thrown around, makes it abundantly clear that that would be Eric Bieniemy based on Deshaun’s conversations with Mahomes, based on I assume wanting an offensive mindset and based on EB’s personality, his approach, someone he can trust and feel like he’ll shoot me straight one on one because that’s not what he’s gotten from ownership thus far.” “I’m not a rocket scientist or make it seem I’m smarter than anyone else but I don’t know how you can have that job lingering unless you have it linger for a specific person who happens to be going to the Super Bowl. It all makes sense. It’s a perfect place where he can be a leader of men there. You have Deshaun Watson & JJ Watt, two of the more highly regarded people in the NFL. Why not link them up with someone else who has that persona and has shown he can get along with stars on a Super Bowl winning team.” (How much involvement does EB have?) If you have one voice that goes to the helmet and multiple guys connected to each other on the sideline or from the booth, to think just because that last voice is - whether it’s Bieniemy or Reid - to suggest that equates to calling plays to me is mind boggling. The conversation, the constant communication that happens between Bieniemy’s headset, Reid’s headset, Nagy’s headset, other offensive coaches headset is a compilation of things. To say Andy speaks out a play, that negates Bieniemy’s contributions to me is ridiculous. An OC, regardless of who your HC is, has an integral part of the instillation of the game plan and when to implement plays. For example, the conversation could go on the sideline like “Hey, we want to establish the run on this next drive unless we get into 2nd and long or 3rd and long, here are my top 3 runs I think could work on first down based on tendencies this team is presenting us. Bieniemy reels off those 3 runs. The first play and 2nd play of that drive are run plays. Who called the play? Who actually called the play? That’s what we get stuck on. We’re watching guys on the sideline and watching their mouths. “Andy is talking between plays so he must be calling plays.” Eric is not being silent. He’s got contributions. If he suggests let’s run this shovel pass in the RZ, inside the 5, to Kelce or lets give Mecole Hardman a bubble screen or reverse from the middle where he can go 50 and Andy calls it, who’s actually calling the plays? It’s both of them. To negate one and make it an extreme — Andy is calling all the plays and Eric is just the get back guy — is diminishing his talents. When was the last time or even first time you’ve ever actively seen players on a SB caliber and SB winning team with the chance to run it back, the stars of the team actively promote the OC to leave? When has that ever happened in the game of football? The stars and HC are promoting the OC to leave not only a great franchise but could be a legacy of 3-4-5 year run that gives the Patriots a run for their money. That tells you about Eric Bieniemy. (Bieniemy’s biggest strength?) Realness to players. You hear the coach speak, you know all the cliches, how to handle media but when you watch & listen to Bieniemy, you don’t see that. You see a dude willing to stand out for you. You have a bunch of guys that rally around Bieniemy. He galvanizes them. They believe they can do anything and he’s forged a relationship with those guys that can foster that. Is there something about Dan Campbell that the players would rally around that? At some point, we have to recognize what’s real. Eric Bieniemy has always been a real guy, a real dude who loves the game of football. I’ve known him, seen him around the facility, been on coaches call, he seems like a real dude and players would love to be playing for him. (Bieniemy strikes me as “Here’s who I am, my plan, how I’m going to win, who I’m going to hire” and move on. I don’t know he presents enough of a guy that can be controlled or manipulated or accept input from higher ups. Given what we’ve seen, I don’t know if that’ll sit well with them.) First thing that came to mind was how did that work out for you so far? What do you have to show for it? Just like we ask players to get outside their comfort zone, dare to be different, trust a process, be willing to change and adjust, sometimes we have to ask ownership to do that. If you have to hire a coach that goes against the grain, that might mean that. You guys have wasted talent, wasted opportunities. That’s not working for you. So let’s go ahead and get another guy that fits our mold and force a square peg in a round hole. I don’t see why you’d want to do that, especially if you can keep Deshaun Watson. You do the same thing over and over, you get the same results. If you have that same temperament, maybe ownership should look in the mirror.
I think you are making a straw man argument. I think people don’t want the patriot way because we just got done with it and now our culture is terrible, not that it’s all about the players. People went into the off-season with an expectation of change, and the organization is doubling down on the culture that Easterby wants, which fans associate with the patriot way. It is frustrating as I’m sure you know. And people want EB because he is currently in charge of an offense that is amazing and his players seem to love him. I don’t think anyone wants the Chiefs way. They just want the Texans to make the best hire and EB is a lot more exciting than someone who we have seen fail as a head coach. I don’t think it is more complicated than that.
So Pancakes went from saying that the new GM would decide Easterby’s fate and how he didn’t influence the Caserio hire. Now he’s admitting that Easterby talked Caserio and Cal into interviewing a current player for the HC position.
Right and when OBrien was hired he was seen as an offensive savant. It is ridiculous to say you want the best person to be hired but then say it's EB or bust. He's the non-playcalling OC of an offense designed by Andy Reid that is led by the best QB in the league, best WR in the league, best TE in the league, great Oline, multiple RBs who would start here... So from an outsider's perspective there is no way to judge him beyond the surface level "He's the OC of a great offense so he's the best!"
My overall point is this: When Kubiak was hired he was praised and then he proceeded to hire jokers to fill out the defense based on personal relationships. By the time that error was fixed it was too late. When OBrien was hired he was praised and then he proceeded to fill out the offensive staff with yes men and buddies that would never challenge him. That issue was never corrected. I don't care who they hire as HC, I'm not going to get excited about it. I want to see a top notch staff filled out. Eric Bieniemy might be a great leader but if he's going to bring in a bunch of jokers on staff, HARD PASS. Same for Frazier or Caldwell or anyone else.
I do. He sucked as a head coach once before. Christian Ponder didnt make him waste timeouts and challenges and definitely didnt have him giving up leads late in games. Since you are ok with him could you give me some reasoning or point me in the direction where I could do more research on his positives? What I have been able to dig up leaves me ridiculously unimpressed. I'd rather have Jim Caldwell than Leslie Frazier in a "this sht sucks" scenario. Im still hoping EB is the guy. I'll take a guy who has had a front row seat into building a championship team vs another retread who keeps getting the "it was Christian Ponders fault" arguments for why he should be hired for another HC job.
Let the waiting game begin... we should hear pretty soon if Caldwell or Frazier is the coach. If nothing is leaked going to next week then it’s highly possible EB is the guy. Let’s just say I’m hoping we don’t hear anything until next week
Let me be clear: My top pick is Eric Bieniemy but I consider all of them total toss ups. I will admit the only reason I support Bieniemy is because of the narrative around him and the apparent support he has from players. I have no idea what type of coach he will be. I will bet that he will end up being a head coach that is terrible at timeouts, game management, etc. because most head coaches are. Among them if I were hiring I would want to see a potential staff filled out by them and that would be how I made my final choice. If Frazier has a great staff lined up and EB has a bunch of high school friends, I'd hire Frazier.
So what is your point? That I don’t know who the best person is? I agree with that. Should I have said “the person that fans perceive to be the best hire?” I thought that was implied. Of course all of the fans could be wrong as they are so often, but this isn’t being done in a vacuum. The Texans have made a mess of their organization in the last year and a half and fans are rightly upset. Now here comes one of the consensus best potential coaches available, and the Texans might bypass this person to instead hire a retread head coach that wasn’t all that successful at his last stop. Fans don’t trust the Texans. As you have also pointed out, Kubiak was the IT candidate at the time of his hire and I would argue it worked out for the Texans since they had a two year window of possible title contention. So if your argument is that being the IT candidate doesn’t mean that the coach is the right hire, the opposite is also true. But of course fans would rather have the IT candidate at the time. I’m confused as to what point you’re trying to make? Is it that fans won’t be excited if EB isn’t hired and aren’t justified in the EB or bust sentiment? The other option seems to be to trust the Texans to identify the right head coach based on ability and not on a perceived culture fit, and I don’t see why anyone would feel comfortable with that option. So fans instead are hoping that the Texans will make the hire that is the most exciting and that the fans consider the best fit. I’m sure people are well aware that EB could turn out to be the wrong hire, but I’m guessing they’d rather try him than a coach that has had an opportunity and failed before. The unknown is always more exciting and I don’t think it is worthy of comment that the fans want the unknown.
The responses started to my original point about the MEDIA attacking the Texans as being racist because of the EB situation. So my point was really commentary about that. You say a consensus best coach available is Eric Bieniemy. The media agrees. Yet he has been passed over by several teams for 3 straight years. It is ridiculous that the Texans have to take up the cross for all of that and get labeled racist.
I think there is a concern that if Frazier is hired it is because Cal/Easterby feel like he is a “Culture/character fit”. A lot of fans, me included are tired of the Texans making decisions based on what ever “culture/character fit” means to them. We just want them to choose the best coach based on their coaching ability. I don’t know if that is EB, but I don’t want him disqualified just because he doesn’t meet whatever their subjective definition of “character” is.
Ah I see. I apologize, my mistake and I agree with that completely. Painting the Texans as a racist organization because they just happen to be the last team to hire a head coach this cycle where only one minority candidate has been hired is absolutely ridiculous. Especially since all reports are that the Texans next head coach is going to be a minority candidate. Also, sorry if I came off a bit confrontational. I enjoy reading your posts and think you are one of the better posters on this board. These damn Texans have just got me in some kind of mood.
I get that. But isn't it weird that if the Texans don't hire EB they'll be slammed for not doing it because of culture fit or RACISM (national media) but every other team has passed on him? Isn't it possible he's not presenting a good case that he's a good hire? I mean is that at all possible?
No worries man, I don't mind even if you were being confrontational. I don't take it personally. This is a steam valve for us to talk about sports. Sometimes we all get a little short with each other. Then we move on and do it again in a few days!
Not a chance I'm going to bat for a hire of Leslie Frazier. This is an agent trying to get control of the organization. Easterby, Tim Kelly, Caserio and Frazier are all represented by Bob LaMonte. Cal was convinced to go against Korn Ferry when LaMonte and Easterby prayed away Khan. Hiring Frazier is the most transparent power move by an agent I've ever seen. This secures the most money for Frazier and ensures that Easterboy keeps his slithering tongue in Cal's ear. Notice he's not pushing Daboll (also repped by LaMonte)? He's getting his guys jobs that have no shot at other jobs. No one else would hire Easterby or Frazier (as HC). This is blatant. Hopefully Cal makes the right call and goes with EB, but it's clear where this is going. Pancakes is already championing the move. He's already prepping trades for Deshaun after saying he had a better shot at coach. The wheels are in motion. Cal needs to look at his WWJD bracelet and realize that he's being tempted by forces who are false prophets.
That is definitely possible, but at the same time no one had Frazier on their radar. If we are going to hire a Bills guy why not Daboll? If Frazier was really that qualified he would have gotten looks at the beginning from various other teams, including the Texans.
