Pro Football Weekly's Insider Audibles

[Iceman88]

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/10/02/insider-schottenheimer-needs-to-keep-it-simple

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

• "The Jets are like the Cowboys in the 1990s. There is enough talent on that offense — they don't need to do a lot. They can be very vanilla and move the ball — that's when they are their best. Do you think it is any coincidence that they move the ball well in two-minute situations when the play-calling is simple? If (offensive coordinator) Brian Schottenheimer would quit trying to re-invent the wheel and putting (rookie WR Jeremy) Kerley in the shotgun running the option, they would be a lot better."

• "Nick Saban takes a lot of (criticism) for taking Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees, but one of the main concerns (the Dolphins) had with Brees is that he did not have the arm to go up and win in December coming off shoulder surgery. Brees could not have picked a better division. Nine of his games were going to be in a dome and two others were going to be outdoors in Carolina and Tampa Bay, where the weather is warm. For three-quarters of (the Saints') games, the weather is not a factor. It was the perfect landing spot. … You look at (Bills QB) Ryan Fitzpatrick and what he is doing now — the question still remains — does he have enough arm to fare well in December?"

• "I understand there is a rift between Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley. What I would like to know is how much of it is about not spending money, because they really have not spent much for three years, and you need players to win in this league. (Ex-GM) Carl Peterson was starting over and going young, but they have brought in a lot of old players — and a lot of them are done. I think a big mistake was never addressing the offensive line when they drafted the safety (Eric Berry, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft). The line is bad."

• "If (the Seahawks) were on the East Coast, they would be getting bombarded like Philly, the Giants and Miami have been. That franchise is on easy street. They gave each of their quarterbacks $4 million and neither of them could play. And let's not forget about what they gave up for Charlie Whitehurst. They gave up a second-round pick for him too. … They reached to fill needs on the offensive line, and they still can't play."

• "The Giants have a great (defensive) line that covers up the secondary. The Saints are built the same way. (Lions defensive coordinator) Gunther Cunningham obviously believes in that (philosophy), too. (The Lions) have not spent money on cornerbacks. They just rush the (heck) out of the quarterback and it makes the cornerbacks look a lot better."

• "I don't think Dallas is very talented on offense. Their (offensive) line is bad. The thing with (OL coach) Hudson Houck — a lot of coaches get stuck in their ways and don't realize that this is an ever-changing league. A lot of assistants — they think this is the same game it was in the 1970s, and that's why they have always been assistants. They don't get it."

• "Minnesota and Carolina should have won their first three games. I don't know what the Vikings are doing offensively. And the offense is working in Carolina, but the the defense is getting bent. I don't think (defensive coordinator) Sean McDermott knows what he is doing."

• "What is mind-boggling to me — coaches had all that time in May, June and July without players. What a waste of 90 days. Why weren't more of them working on game situations and game scenarios? There are too many coordinators that think they need to do something special to become a head coach. What I have seen (this year) is a lot of bad football. I think there are a lot of bright, young personnel people and GMs in this league who get this game, but there are a lot of coaches that don't and it just kills it."

Hey, what do you know the very first quote is the same thing many Jets fans have been saying for years.