Bill Callahan, Technician In The Trenches
by David_Wyatt on Jan 15, 2010 4:35 PM EST
14 comments
Greg Bishop of the New York Times wrote a fantastic article today on Bill Callahan and his attention to detail, you can read the article here. Bishop in my opinion is one of the better football writers out there today, and the Times run more in depth, analytical pieces than say the Post or Daily News which always interests me a little more.
He became what he had always envisioned, only instead of teaching history, he taught linemen. He loved the "schematics" involved, the "variables," the way pure strength hinged on leverage and angles. He likened it to solving a crossword puzzle and he called himself a fundamentalist, in the football sense.
His current players describe him as a technician, concerned with the tiniest details, from precisely where a foot should land to the degree it should be turned.
One area that always interests me is that some coaches are designed more for 'lesser' roles, not to say they are not as important, but that they don't get quite the notoriety. Some coaches are more at home in a basement watching film, devises schemes like a mad scientist than they are out on the podium. Attention to detail in one area with little responsibilities to other areas of the team. I seem to get that impression with Callahan, head coaching is just not right for some people, perhaps he is one of them.
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It's all about the "O"....
If anyone needs a lesson on how invaluable the offensive line is, look at some of the teams in the NFL who aer sorely lacking in those positions. The Redskins have been hurting there for several years, and their QB is treated like a pinata while the running game never gets on track. Aaron Rodgers was manhandled brutally until the coaching staff in Green Bay was finally able to somewhat solidify his protection. Tom Brady doesn’t look like the same QB without his protection, while Peyton in Indy is able to take a couple extra seconds before his throws.
That doesn’t even speak of the pulls and stunts they do to free up a back for yardage or blocking for a catch out of the backfield on a screen play.
I could go on, but there isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t value a man like Callahan. Your offense simply can’t gel without a strong line up front.
Thank you for a thankless job!
I agree with the general idea of how important the O-Line is,
but the fact that Manning never gets sacked is far more on Manning then it is on the O-Line. He never gets sacked because he reads defenses better then any QB ever has and he gets the ball out of his hands quickly when he has to. The Jets O-Line is sick, and I am glad Callahan is our guy, and I totally agree with the point that any team can have stud skill position players but without and offensive line it doesn’t mean a whole lot. I just disagree on Manning, that’s all. It is a solid line, but I think Manning deserves more credit then the line, he reads the defense pre-snap, adjusts his own play, and gets the team into the best situation possible depending on what he see’s in the defense. He is once in a lifetime good.
"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS
O-line is very important.
But you can still win without a very good line. See last years Pittsburgh Steelers. A good defense will always keep you in the game.
Callahan was a clusterfool as a head coach...
…but the things that made Callahan a colossal failure at Nebraska with a roster size of 120 have made Callahan a huge success dealing with eight offensive linemen.
I don’t think you want Bill Callahan as offensive coordinator (unless he’s given up his obsession with forcing the forward pass), let alone as a head coach, but you’ve got to be absolutely giddy with the job he’s doing as o-line coach.
Hey Mike, thanks for the input. There is a bit of talk right now that Callahan is the front runner for the offensive coordinator position when and if Brian leaves. Brian has come out and said that he is happy here and is not seeking a head coaching job, but if he were to leave, you think that promoting Callahan to the position would be a mistake?
Don’t really watch much Nebraska football, didn’t watch a single game when he was calling the shots, so it’s interesting to get the perspective of someone that did watch him in ‘power’
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There's always a chance that the man has learned his lessons...
But I really don’t think much of Bill Callahan as an offensive coordinator. At Oakland, it was Jon Gruden calling the plays. In his final season at Nebraska, he selected a 4-star NFL draft prospect who transferred to Nebraska at quarterback over a guy who had spent 4 years toiling in the program without any playing time. Coaches know best, correct?
With the star quarterback, the Husker offense was moribund, getting blown out against USC, Missouri, and Oklahoma State, then losing badly to Texas A&M. Nebraska only scored 59 points in 4 losses in October 2007 before the “star quarterback” suffered a broken collarbone, forcing Callahan to change quarterbacks. The backup came in hot, then sparked the offense down the stretch, scoring 163 points in the final 3 games.
Those tendencies that make Bill Callahan a great o-line coach might make him a liability if you increase his responsibilities. He’ll want to do the same for the quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers. And he won’t have the time to spend with the o-linemen. He just doesn’t like to delegate much or empower other coaches. It’s not so dangerous if you have a head coach like Jon Gruden managing Callahan, but it could be deadly if you give Callahan free license on the rest of the offense.
Read what Matt Slauson had to say about the difference between Callahan the head coach and Callahan the o-line coach. They’re two different men. One is outstanding in his field, the other was recently named “Worst. Coach. Ever” by the Sporting News.
You decide which one you want.
We've Got to Be the Dumbest Team in America
obviously Bill Callahan said that when he coached the Raiders. We Broncos fans love anyone who calls the Raiders out for what they really are. In all seriousness, Callahan’s a sharp guy and I’m sure he’s instrumental in the Jets’ success.
Brad James
by the new Bradfather on Jan 16, 2010 2:36 AM EST reply actions
The Peter Principle
People are promoted to their level of incompetence. Callahan’s a great case study.
I don’t see why everybody’s so opposed to him working as a coordinator, though. He did a good job in Oakland.
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