Can This Quote Be Accurate?

[pbmax]

Nolan Interviews, Waiting on Williams, Moss Not Ready?

According to Bob McGinn at JSO, this is a third person account of Moss' interview with the Rams:

JSO CONTENT REMOVED

That has to be a misquote, doesn't it? He doesn't know defense?

In other news:

->Nolan interviews

->No word on Gregg Williams whereabouts

[HarveyWallbangers]

I have a hard time believing it. Dude was an NFL LB for 11 years, and he's been an NFL coach for 10 years. Now, he may not have come across very well in the interview, but I doubt it's because he doesn't know defense.

[mission]

That would put a big new wrinkle in all our theories ...

[mraynrand]

Re: Can This Quote Be Accurate?

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Sounds more like they interviewed Barry Switzer.

[Fritz]

Agreed -0 maybe he interviews for crap, but to imagine that he doesn't know defensive schemes after coaching for years...

If it's true, then we shouldn't have been blaming Schotty all this time. Dang.

[Patler]

If its true, he should have been let go with the rest.

[Fritz]

Patler, you are in a firing mood these days.

Any players you'd like to see fired?

[sheepshead]

Now Oakland wants to interview him.

[sepporepi]

I think with the (maybe untrue) statement, that he does have no clue about his job he immediately is apealing to the Raiders

[Fritz]

I was thinking the same thing. If Al Davis hires Moss, then we know for sure it's true.

[Patler]

Patler, you are in a firing mood these days.

Any players you'd like to see fired?

Seriously though, Moss was elevated to Assistant head coach in part to be the liaison for MM in the defensive meetings, etc. MM said at the time it was not to "oversee" the DC but to provide a closer link to the HC. To bring defensive expertise to the headcoach office. I thought that was a lot of bunk, because the DC could form the same link to the HC. Moss was there to check up on Sanders for McCarthy. I always felt McCarthy looked at Sanders as a guy he was "trying", not necessarily one he trusted in the position. He wasn't part of the "inner circle" and then Moss was brought into the inner circle via his promotion. There were questions about Sanders performance as a DC even after the first year, and Moss was elevated to give MM a second opinion. If he doesn't have the defensive expertise to be a DC he isn't serving his purpose on the Packer staff as Assistant head coach.

Just my opinion, obviously. To me, if you don't believe in the guy, don't hire him; and I never felt MM believed in Sanders. He just liked him personally and decided to give him a chance.

[sharpe1027]

Re: Can This Quote Be Accurate?

The best coaches are not always those with the most complex strategies. The best coaches are the ones who get their players to execute, whatever strategy is that they choose.

Thus, IMO, the complexity of a coach's defensive scheme is less important than being able to get the players to do the basics really damn well and being able to make the right adjustments (often minor) to account for your personnel. The best teams do what they do so well that they make their opponents adjust to them, not the other way around.

[Noodle]

Agree, Sharpe. Complexity for its own sake is a waste of time.

Great coaches teach. Great coaches motivate. Great coaches modify schemes to fit players. Great coaches are creative and are closer students of their own tendencies than anyone else. Great coaches steal ideas from others all the time and make them their own. Truly great coaches come up with the great ideas, but you can be great just by having a good ear for something new and the flexibility of mind to give it a go.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Agree, Sharpe. Complexity for its own sake is a waste of time.

Great coaches teach. Great coaches motivate. Great coaches modify schemes to fit players. Great coaches are creative and are closer students of their own tendencies than anyone else. Great coaches steal ideas from others all the time and make them their own. Truly great coaches come up with the great ideas, but you can be great just by having a good ear for something new and the flexibility of mind to give it a go.

Elegantly put, but a lot of people are afraid to try new things in fear of reprecussions. Now, factor in that these guys have a couple hundred grand to a mil riding on "trying something new" and you'll see why it isn't always that easy. You are right, the truely great ones adapt. Fail to evolve and die.

[pbmax]

Well, I emailed Mr. McGinn and he very kindly replied. He said the quote (a third hand source - this was not a quote of Moss' words) was verbatim and specifically addressed defense.

The context was that even Moss felt like he should be a coordinator first before a head coach. To McGinn, he felt like this was a truism, that to truly understand how to choose and implement a defense, you must be a coordinator first.

I think Silverstein mentioned earlier that Moss had a specific plan to become a head coach, eventually. He might have taken the interview even though he truly wanted to be a defensive coordinator first. If this was planned, then I salute him for sticking to it and knowing himself.

But like Patler, I wonder how much use he was as an Asst. HC. And I wonder if Moss was carrying water for McCarthy in those defensive meetings. This might have been some of the source of the internal friction.