The Inbred World of NFL Coaches and Our New Old Offense

[F.Chowds]

It has been a somewhat long and grueling six years watching Brian Schottenheimer run the Jets offense. Sure there were a lot of bright spots but more often there was just this confusion that kept creeping into the offense that no one could really put their finger on. We all saw it – was it bad play-calling, bad design, bad quarterbacks, a genetic predisposition to run the "Marty Ball" offense? Anyhow, I was happy when the Jets ended the Schotty era. And I was hopeful that the Bill Callahan era would begin. Then I was ultimately shocked that the team hired Tony Sparano as the next offensive coordinator. But now I am beginning to see the wisdom of the move. I lay out my case for this opinion after the jump.

There are basically three major offensive systems run in the NFL. They are Bill Walsh’s west coast offense, the Ron Erhardt-Ray Perkins offense and the Don Coryell-styled offenses. Schottenheimer was brought here by Eric Mangini to install a Coryell-styled offense like Cam Cameron ran in San Diego. Unfortunately, it’s a tough system to run and there are fewer and fewer people in the league who understand its nuances anymore (among those left are Norv Turner, his brother Ron Turner, Al Saunders, and Tom Moore). To perk up the rushing offense, Mangini then brought in Callahan to install a west coast zone-blocking run scheme. Ultimately, they created a mutant offense for players to learn and for Schotty to coach. When Rex Ryan arrived, he preached the ground and pound mentality and asked Schotty to run it through his mutant offensive system. When it worked it looked great, but as I said before, there always seemed to be a bit of confusion creeping into the offense. And in retrospect, the confusion was likely caused by a cobbled together mutant offensive system. Ryan it appears tried to save the mutant offense by bringing in Moore as a consultant. Moore after all was a pretty successful practitioner of a Coryell-styled offense all those years in Indianapolis. All in all, it seems Moore had a positive effect but even he couldn't save the mutant that Mangini tried to cobble together.

http://www.ganggreennation.com/2012/1/23/2728939/the-inbred-world-of-nfl-coaches-and-our-new-old-offense

In moving on from Schotty, Rex cast out the Coryell-styled offense. In letting Callahan walk, Rex passed up the chance to install a true west coast system too. I’ll give Rex some credit here; he saw a west coast offense operated in Baltimore all those years with Brian Billick and Matt Cavanaugh and it might have been easy for him to gravitate to what he had been around before, especially with Cavanaugh and Callahan already on staff. The west coast offense in all its different forms is by far the most popular offensive system around the NFL these days. Finding coaches to work with would have been easy. But perhaps Rex just had a bad taste in his mouth from his days in Baltimore.

It has been a somewhat long and grueling six years watching Brian Schottenheimer run the Jets offense. Sure there were a lot of bright spots but more often there was just this confusion that kept creeping into the offense that no one could really put their finger on. We all saw it – was it bad play-calling, bad design, bad quarterbacks, a genetic predisposition to run the "Marty Ball" offense? Anyhow, I was happy when the Jets ended the Schotty era. And I was hopeful that the Bill Callahan era would begin. Then I was ultimately shocked that the team hired Tony Sparano as the next offensive coordinator. But now I am beginning to see the wisdom of the move. I lay out my case for this opinion after the jump.

There are basically three major offensive systems run in the NFL. They are Bill Walsh’s west coast offense, the Ron Erhardt-Ray Perkins offense and the Don Coryell-styled offenses. Schottenheimer was brought here by Eric Mangini to install a Coryell-styled offense like Cam Cameron ran in San Diego. Unfortunately, it’s a tough system to run and there are fewer and fewer people in the league who understand its nuances anymore (among those left are Norv Turner, his brother Ron Turner, Al Saunders, and Tom Moore). To perk up the rushing offense, Mangini then brought in Callahan to install a west coast zone-blocking run scheme. Ultimately, they created a mutant offense for players to learn and for Schotty to coach. When Rex Ryan arrived, he preached the ground and pound mentality and asked Schotty to run it through his mutant offensive system. When it worked it looked great, but as I said before, there always seemed to be a bit of confusion creeping into the offense. And in retrospect, the confusion was likely caused by a cobbled together mutant offensive system. Ryan it appears tried to save the mutant offense by bringing in Moore as a consultant. Moore after all was a pretty successful practitioner of a Coryell-styled offense all those years in Indianapolis. All in all, it seems Moore had a positive effect but even he couldn't save the mutant that Mangini tried to cobble together.

In moving on from Schotty, Rex cast out the Coryell-styled offense. In letting Callahan walk, Rex passed up the chance to install a true west coast system too. I’ll give Rex some credit here; he saw a west coast offense operated in Baltimore all those years with Brian Billick and Matt Cavanaugh and it might have been easy for him to gravitate to what he had been around before, especially with Cavanaugh and Callahan already on staff. The west coast offense in all its different forms is by far the most popular offensive system around the NFL these days. Finding coaches to work with would have been easy. But perhaps Rex just had a bad taste in his mouth from his days in Baltimore. Or maybe Callahan just wanted out. Hmmm....

Enter Tony Sparano with the Erhardt-Perkins playbook that he received from Bill Parcells while in Dallas. For many reasons, it is clear why Rex and Mike Tannenbaum went in this direction. For Rex, a well run Erhardt-Perkins offense is all about ground and pound, ball control and clock management just like he wanted all along. For Tanny, it’s a chance to dip into the vast Parcells-Belicheck-Coughlin pool of coaches and players. Also, for Tanny, it is a chance to get back in the group of people he got his come-uppings with. After six long years of dealing with a mutant hybrid offensive system nobody fully understood, the team is moving forward with a system that is well known, easily understood by players and well coached throughout the league. Many players and coaches already have the basics of the system from their previous experiences around the NFL.

We now have the same playbook Parcells brought with him where ever he went, be it the Giants, New England, the Jets or Dallas. It’s the playbook that Parcells and his OC Erhardt used with the Giants in 1986 and 1990 Superbowls and with his OC Perkins and the Patriots in the Superbowl loss in 1996. It’s the playbook that Erhardt took with him to Bill Cowher’s Steelers in the 90s; they made but lost the Superbowl in 1995. It is the playbook that Bill Belicheck and Charlie Weiss ran up to New England and won those Superbowls with in 2001, ‘03 and ‘04. It’s the foundation of the playbook that Belicheck will bring with him to the Superbowl this year. It’s a good bet that Tom Coughlin took it down to Jacksonville when he coached there. Of course, Coughlin hired Kevin Gilbride as his OC in Jacksonville and Gilbride has made many changes with the most recent version of their playbook going with Coughlin, Gilbride and the Giants to the Superbowl this year. Two variations of the playbook also met up in the Giants-New England Superbowl a few years back. It is the same playbook that Parcells and Weiss worked with when they were with the Jets in the 90s (to date my favorite Jets offense). After Mangini wised-up, it’s the playbook that Mangini and Brian Daboll tried to install when he went over to Cleveland from the Jets; at least they beat the Patriots once (after the loss, Belicheck called the Cleveland offense a sort-of-west-coast-thing. That was likely a jab-joke for his former assistants as they were apparently running Belicheck's own offense against him, instead of the west coast thing they had with the Jets. It was also possibly a reprimand to Mangini - with BB saying essentially, when you leave New England and take the defensive plan with you, you also take the offensive plan and hire coaches from the Parcells, Belicheck fraternity; this of course, is a Parcells and Coughlin staple too; all of the fraternity must be offerd a job first). It also happens to be a relative of the playbook Rich Kotite and Erhardt ran when the Jets went 1-15 in 1996, but let’s move past that quickly. It is purportedly the foundation for whatever Sean Payton and Drew Brees are doing in New Orleans. It's what they are working with in Kansas City too; just look at the coaching staff there and all you see is Parcells disciples and Jets players from the 90s.

As easy as it is to see the hiring of Tony Sparano as the hiring of a Miami cast off, you have to look past Miami to see the full scope of the hire. Sparano was offensive coordinator at Boston University when Chris Palmer was the head coach. Palmer also gave Sparano his first NFL gig in Cleveland. Palmer’s resume is littered with stops where ever Parcells or Coughlin went. Just the same, Sparano worked for Coughlin in Jacksonville and Parcells in Dallas. When Parcells was hired to run Miami, he brought Sparano over to be the headcoach. Just the same, Sparano went on to bring in Parcells, Belicheck and Coughlin guys because they know the Erhardt-Perkins system. Sparano hired Dan Henning as his first OC. Henning after all was the Jets QB coach in 1998-99 and the OC in 2000 when Parcells was in charge. In 2011, Sparano hired Daboll as his OC. Daboll was an offensive assistant coach in New England and then ran the system as Mangini’s OC in Cleveland. Dave DeGuglielmo was the offensive line coach for Coughlin when Coughlin was head coach at Boston College. DeGuglielmo also spent time with Coughlin and the Giants.

Even Matt Cavanugh is connected. Even though Cavanaugh ultimately picked up the west coast system as his system, he was a backup QB under Erhardt in New England from 1978-82 and again with Parcells, Erhardt and the Giants in 1990. Perhaps his fate is yet undetermined because he knows the old system. Or perhaps it is because Cavanaugh also played for Buddy Ryan in Philly, then he and Rex were assistant coaches together under Buddy in Arizona, and then coordinators together in Baltimore and now coaches on the Jets. After all, it is just an inbred world of NFL coaches.

Perhaps Tony Sparano will be a great offensive coordinator. Perhaps he will not. But the most important aspect of this hire is that Rex has chosen an offensive system to be his own. He undoubtedly likes the history and the bloodlines of the Erhardt-Perkins system. He claims to like the “verbiage.” He has said he wants to get in the offensive classrooms and learn the offense. So even if Sparano doesn’t work out long term, we now have an offensive system that exists outside of just poor ole Schotty’s head. Once installed properly, we can swap in-and-out Erhardt-Perkins offensive coaches just as has been done so many times before by Parcells, Belicheck, Coughlin and even Sparano himself.

[afosomf]

Spoke with Jim Miller on Friday about Soprano. Expect zero motion, Just Line up and Go. I have my doubts i will leave it at that

[Larz]

thanks ! I like sparano and the asst hires, I think it will be a good staff

[Integrity28]

Good post.

Sparano made Pennington and Matt Moore look good. Made Reggie Bush look like an every down back, while receivers I believe averaged over 15 yards per catch. He's not the sexy hire, but i have faith he can be the right hire.

[sg3]

if you watched games, opponents pretty much ignored all the motion before the snap since they knew the play that was coming was Tomlinson into the middle of the line, a short 4 yard out pattern or a screen pass. Mostly what the Jets got from all the stupid motion were false starts from their RT and illegal formation calls because Mulligan was in the wrong place

With Son of Marty gone, they will have to prepare for different and certainly more creative and less predictable stuff

[afosomf]

if you watched games, opponents pretty much ignored all the motion before the snap since they knew the play that was coming was Tomlinson into the middle of the line, a short 4 yard out pattern or a screen pass

With Son of Marty gone, they will have to prepare for different and certainly more creative and less predictable stuff

LOL

[Lupz27]

Spoke with Jim Miller on Friday about Soprano. Expect zero motion, Just Line up and Go. I have my doubts i will leave it at that

Yup, you will see the pro-set offense run with very little wrinkles, the last coach to run a offense exclusively like this was Tom Landry, it died in the NFL when he stopped coaching, this is Sparano's offense of choice, if anyone wants to know what it is, and you have watched the Jets for a long time it's the exact offense Walton ran here in the mid 80's.

To be fair every offense ran in the NFL has mutated from the pro-set but nobody runs it without wrinkles, or expanding off of it anymore. Sparano never had a chance to control a full offense in the NFL, in Dallas he had Parcells tell him what offense to run with Halley designing the passes, and in Miami he had his own offensive Coordinators pu their own spin on his philosophy.

I'm not saying there won't be more of a Earnhardt-Perkins feel, but I wouldn't be shocked if it was just straight up pro set.

Like I said if you remember the 86 Jets offense every play had a formation with a RB, FB, TE, and 2 WR's, this kept guys like Toon, and Walker off the field on more plays then they should have been IMO. This offense can work against low talent, or poorly coached teams, but IMO will get shut down by elite defenses that can stop the run easily, there is a reason why NO NFL team runs this exclusively anymore.

Here is a write up on the pro set offense

Pro Set

The Pro Set was the default NFL scheme for most of the 1960s to the 2000s. While it is more of a formation, the underlying philosophy of the pro set was based on becoming more successful at passing while still providing 1 or even 2 backs to help protect the QB.

The Pro Set features a TE, 2 WRs, and a Halfback and fullback, often split behind the QB. While QBs can take a snap from the center from the shotgun position, in general the pro set QB takes the ball under center to allow for better play action fakes to the running back.

The Pro Set in the 1970s and earlier was generally a running offense that used play action fakes to set up deep passing attempts when defenses stacked up vs the running game.

The Pro Set enabled NFL teams to run successfully and is structurally a sound set. So much so that even though the Coryell and West Coast Offenses were dramatic changes in view to a pass first philosophy, both have historically been executed out of the pro set formation.

Teams who use it

Dallas Cowboys - under former coach Tom Landry

Miami Dolphins - with Chad Henne.

[Maxman]

Good post.

Sparano made Pennington and Matt Moore look good. Made Reggie Bush look like an every down back, while receivers I believe averaged over 15 yards per catch. He's not the sexy hire, but i have faith he can be the right hire.

Awesome point on Reggie Bush.

[#27TheDominator]

I don't get it. It's a ground and pound, but it's what the Pats and Saints are running? The same playbook? C'mon. Good coaches use what works. Good coaches also hire and teach each other. They aren't carbon copies of each other. FWIW, I don't see complaining about the pro set. The piece posted indicates that it is perfect for play action which is what most of us have been crying for all these years. Sparano was successful in Dallas. There is no reason to believe that was only due to the input of Haley and Parcells, but it's no guarantee he'll be successful here. I also don't understand how we will be both simpler and more unpredictable. What will hopefully happen is the team will be come better at what it does and therefore more sucessful. I don't think Schottenheimer was predictable. But thee team didn't seem to master the system.

[sg3]

have to disagree

every game pretty much the same

try and run the ball for a series or two (unfortunately LT into the line, mostly) followed by a quick give up on that switching to pass, pass, trickery, pass, pass and pass

If everybody in the stands knew this was the scheme, so did defensive coordinators

[Lupz27]

I don't get it. It's a ground and pound, but it's what the Pats and Saints are running? The same playbook? C'mon. Good coaches use what works. Good coaches also hire and teach each other. They aren't carbon copies of each other. FWIW, I don't see complaining about the pro set. The piece posted indicates that it is perfect for play action which is what most of us have been crying for all these years. Sparano was successful in Dallas. There is no reason to believe that was only due to the input of Haley and Parcells, but it's no guarantee he'll be successful here. I also don't understand how we will be both simpler and more unpredictable. What will hopefully happen is the team will be come better at what it does and therefore more sucessful. I don't think Schottenheimer was predictable. But thee team didn't seem to master the system.

It's really going to be simple, the plan is to master a set of plays (IE bread and butter plays), the idea in the pro set is to master, and execute these plays to perfection, basically lineup, and tell them what your gonna do, and still be able to beat the defense. The Perkins/Hanley took the concept a little further by running these same plays, but out of different formations to confuse the D so they didn't know what was coming, and execute it for even better results. No the question is will Sparano expand on the pro set like Perkins/Hanley, or run it straight up like the Walton coached Jets.

[#27TheDominator]

It's really going to be simple, the plan is to master a set of plays (IE bread and butter plays), the idea in the pro set is to master, and execute these plays to perfection, basically lineup, and tell them what your gonna do, and still be able to beat the defense. The Perkins/Hanley took the concept a little further by running these same plays, but out of different formations to confuse the D so they didn't know what was coming, and execute it for even better results. No the question is will Sparano expand on the pro set like Perkins/Hanley, or run it straight up like the Walton coached Jets.

Sounds exactly like the Saints...

[KSJets]

Spoke with Jim Miller on Friday about Soprano. Expect zero motion, Just Line up and Go. I have my doubts i will leave it at that

Why don't you try talking to a former player who was actually, you know, GOOD. Not someone like Jim Miller who you seem to think has this inside knowledge about what the team plans on doing.

[Lupz27]

Sounds exactly like the Saints...

I don't know if your being sarcastic, or serious, but the Saints have done what Schotty tried to do, except the difference between Schotty, and Payton is Payton isn't hard headed, he took his hand picked QB sat down with him, and created an offense that suits his QB's skills, they don't run 1 specific offense they are a crazy hybrid that has possibly the best play caller in the NFL (another huge difference between him, and Schotty).

I know Schotty does not have Brees, or the total control over a team to incorporate his philosophy 100%, but 1 thing is for sure Schotty is not, and will never be the play caller Sean Payton is. I know this doesn't concern us, what does is Sparano a good play caller? If his Dolphins teams are an indication, I believe he will come up conservative, and settle for FG's, but that's just my opinion.

[Blackout]

Awesome point on Reggie Bush.

reggie bush was a monster this year

[#27TheDominator]

I don't know if your being sarcastic, or serious, but the Saints have done what Schotty tried to do, except the difference between Schotty, and Payton is Payton isn't hard headed, he took his hand picked QB sat down with him, and created an offense that suits his QB's skills, they don't run 1 specific offense they are a crazy hybrid that has possibly the best play caller in the NFL (another huge difference between him, and Schotty).

I know Schotty does not have Brees, or the total control over a team to incorporate his philosophy 100%, but 1 thing is for sure Schotty is not, and will never be the play caller Sean Payton is. I know this doesn't concern us, what does is Sparano a good play caller? If his Dolphins teams are an indication, I believe he will come up conservative, and settle for FG's, but that's just my opinion.

I was being sarcastic. Couldn't have been more sarcastic. It wasn't really directed at you, though.

The OP indicated that the Saints run the Erhardt playbook. This is what the Sparano supposedly runs. According to the OP Schottenheimer was trying to run the Coryell offense. The fact is, all NFL offenses are hybrids. It's not like the Jets ran some unusual "mutant" that was doomed to fail. I'd prefer to categorize them by philosophy-run first, short passing, etc. The plays they run may have roots in certain systems, but equating the current Gilbride Giants with a ground and pound philosophy is silly.

[afosomf]

Why don't you try talking to a former player who was actually, you know, GOOD. Not someone like Jim Miller who you seem to think has this inside knowledge about what the team plans on doing.

Dude As good or bad as jim miller was in NFL, makes no relevance, he is 1000X smarter than you or myself regarding football knowledge. He knows Cavanaugh very well, he knows our offense.

[SenorGato]

if you watched games, opponents pretty much ignored all the motion before the snap since they knew the play that was coming was Tomlinson into the middle of the line, a short 4 yard out pattern or a screen pass. Mostly what the Jets got from all the stupid motion were false starts from their RT and illegal formation calls because Mulligan was in the wrong place

With Son of Marty gone, they will have to prepare for different and certainly more creative and less predictable stuff

Creative and unpredictable are not two things I expect this offense to be called. Or as one poster out it, LOL.

[Lupz27]

I was being sarcastic. Couldn't have been more sarcastic. It wasn't really directed at you, though.

The OP indicated that the Saints run the Erhardt playbook. This is what the Sparano supposedly runs. According to the OP Schottenheimer was trying to run the Coryell offense. The fact is, all NFL offenses are hybrids. It's not like the Jets ran some unusual "mutant" that was doomed to fail. I'd prefer to categorize them by philosophy-run first, short passing, etc. The plays they run may have roots in certain systems, but equating the current Gilbride Giants with a ground and pound philosophy is silly.

Ok NP, yea from what I have read, and observed, the Saints run a smash mouth running game, with a west coast passing game in PHILOSOPHY only (pass to set up the smash mouth running game/run to daylight) and they use Perkins/Earhart terminology, and their play action philosophy off smash mouth, and run a spread style passing formations, and QB drops, with air corryel route combinations. So yea it's a mutation of the pro set, but so far away from a true pro set.

If Sparano runs a true pro set O here (Think 1986 Jets) with no mutation at all do you think it will work?

[bLguerriero1]

good read.. i think sanchez will be able to grasp this offense much better, especially after 3 years of schotty... its not that sanchez looked awful but there were times he looked overwhelmed by either his reads or just the offense as a whole... and the lock out didnt help... but im excited, i think they can make it work