Todd Bowles

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Thought this was a good summary of him. What I liked is how he worked as a UDA to make it. Then worked in personell and got some scouting perspective until moving into the coach ranks. Love the aggressive D and aggressive mind-set and the results have been very encouraging. Big question to me is how does he lead and does he have a big picture vision that is necessary to be a head coach.

 

Todd Bowles

Sports journalists love to throw around descriptors like "fearless" and "gambler." For much of the '13 season, the media reveled in labeling Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera as "Riverboat Ron" for his willingness to go for it in fourth down situations when most statistically-minded people agreed that he should. The NFL and its coaches are conservative by nature, and even those who step out of that mentality do so in a very limited way.

The exception (if one exists) is Arizona Cardinals assistant Todd Bowles, the mad scientist of football defense.

Bowles is an NFL lifer. He entered the league in '86 as an undrafted free agent safety who carved out an eight-year career and started for a Super Bowl champion. When his playing career ended, Bowles joined the Green Bay Packers' personnel department, earning a second ring in the process. After spending three years calling defenses at the college level, he returned to the NFL as a defensive backs coach for a series of teams before replacing Tony Sparano as the interim head coach in Miami. Bowles went 2-1, yet received little consideration for the full-time job. A two-year stop in Philadelphia followed with Bowles ultimately landing with the Cardinals, where head coach Bruce Arians hired him as his defensive coordinator in '13.

During his two years in the desert, Bowles has forged one of the league's most aggressive and effective defenses. In '13, his defensive line led the NFL with an adjusted sack rate of 9.5 percent, helping the Cardinals relinquish the seventh-fewest points. Many expected those numbers to tank in '14 with starters Daryl Washington, Darnell Dockett, John Abraham, Calais Campbell, Matt Shaughnessy, Patrick Peterson, and Alex Okafor missing all or part of the season. Yet somehow with spare parts, duct tape, and an unquenchable thirst for quarterback blood, Bowles has MacGyvered together a top-10 unit in both DVOA and traditional metrics.

More than any coach in football, Bowles loves to blitz. He sends five, six, and even seven rushers with little regard for what convention dictates about the down or situation. On the final and defining play of the Cardinals 24-20 win over the Eagles earlier this season, Bowles threw a jailbreak blitz at Nick Foles, leaving his defensive backs on an island with Philadelphia's many capable receivers. And it worked. The pass rush forced a hurried pass from Foles that landed harmlessly out of bounds, sealing the game for Arizona. Where most coaches would fall back into zone, Bowles' defense pins its ears back and trashes the offensive line.

 

Bowles' aggressive style is both what makes him one of the NFL's premier defensive minds and a potentially risky hire for teams. Coordinators prone to gambles have someone directly above to rein them in when necessary. With few exceptions, head coaches answer to no one when it comes to coaching decisions. The track record for risk takers like Bowles stepping into the big chair is mixed to say the least. For every Sean Payton, there are a handful of Gregg Williams and Todd Haley hires.

Still, Bowles possesses actual experience as a head coach and has proven he can work with a dearth of talent. Those qualities alone should earn him consideration for a head coaching position this offseason.

[adam]

I really feel like our team needs a defensive-minded HC with a great OC. Not the other way around.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I really feel like our team needs a defensive-minded HC with a great OC. Not the other way around.

I agree with you. I think Bowles would fit the bill, the question is who would he be bringing as an OC.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

I think the quick answer is sketchy at best. That being since he's unproven in a leadership role not sure the Chicago psyche could take another year or two of plodding along IF it didn't work out. (yes I know he had a record of 2-1 as HC but what exactly does that prove?). The fact that Trestman (so far) hasn't shown great and sustained success as a relatively unknown, despite he being an HC in Canada, probably wouldn't make it a comfortable hire. I still think NFL "established" will be the better answer.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I think the quick answer is sketchy at best. That being since he's unproven in a leadership role not sure the Chicago psyche could take another year or two of plodding along IF it didn't work out. (yes I know he had a record of 2-1 as HC but what exactly does that prove?). The fact that Trestman (so far) hasn't shown great and sustained success as a relatively unknown, despite he being an HC in Canada, probably wouldn't make it a comfortable hire. I still think NFL "established" will be the better answer.

If Harbaugh is out there, not getting him would be a bad answer. I was the guy who was so pissed we didn't hire Andy Reid. I found it pure lunousy that we weren't interested in a guy who was one of the best coaches in the entire league. Just seemed too easy to have a candidate like that out there. I feel the same way if Harbaugh is truly available. Pay him whatever he wants. IF he isn't, there won't be any proven / established NFL commodities out there. The only guy who legitimately might want to coach who had extended success is Shanny.

 

I will say the more Washington is a disaster the more I give Shanny the benefit of the doubt. I do not think Cowher / Gruden are going to coach. I do no think anyone else is what I'd go after and after Smith gets fired in Atlanta, I won't be interested because his team has had the same problem our team has had from an underachievement perspective.

[AZ54]

I still think this decision is at least another year away unless we completely fall apart the rest of the way. What I saw in the Vikings game says that isn't going to happen. At this point in his career choosing Bowles would be a risky decision and I think it's likely teams will want to see another season from his defense before feeling comfortable with his track record. I believe he'll get invited to some interviews though. Harbaugh's decision point is this offseason so he won't be available next year. Chip Kelly's success means teams will be more willing to look at other college coaches who run similar schemes.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I still think this decision is at least another year away unless we completely fall apart the rest of the way. What I saw in the Vikings game says that isn't going to happen. At this point in his career choosing Bowles would be a risky decision and I think it's likely teams will want to see another season from his defense before feeling comfortable with his track record. I believe he'll get invited to some interviews though. Harbaugh's decision point is this offseason so he won't be available next year. Chip Kelly's success means teams will be more willing to look at other college coaches who run similar schemes.

The Vikings are not good. I didn't see much anything that makes me think we have solved any of our major issues, etc. I would be extremely irritated if we rationalized not making a change at this point. If we finish out the season on a long winning streak and playing good football, then maybe I can get on board, but it is going to take a lot, especially because I have very gaping concerns about the organization as a whole.

[madlithuanian]

Exactly.

 

Last week was fools gold. This week is too. The only telling bit would be if we were to lose in dynamic fashion. Winning by 10 is basically what a mediocre team at home is supposed to do to a bad team.

 

 

 

The Vikings are not good. I didn't see much anything that makes me think we have solved any of our major issues, etc. I would be extremely irritated if we rationalized not making a change at this point. If we finish out the season on a long winning streak and playing good football, then maybe I can get on board, but it is going to take a lot, especially because I have very gaping concerns about the organization as a whole.

 

[AZ54]

The Vikings are not good. I didn't see much anything that makes me think we have solved any of our major issues, etc. I would be extremely irritated if we rationalized not making a change at this point. If we finish out the season on a long winning streak and playing good football, then maybe I can get on board, but it is going to take a lot, especially because I have very gaping concerns about the organization as a whole.

 

 

If I knew you were the owner I'd likely see things differently.

 

History says that Bears ownership will keep Trestman around for another season barring a totally disastrous 2nd half of the season.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

If I knew you were the owner I'd likely see things differently. History says that Bears ownership will keep Trestman around for another season barring a totally disastrous 2nd half of the season.

 

Unfortunately so. If Trestman is on a 1 more year leash, then what D coordinator will accept a job coming into a "lame" season if they decide to make changes? This is why they are they are a circus show, this is why they cannot hire competent established coaches. This happened in Lovie's tenure and continued into Marc's. The only change I see going into next year is promoting Paul Pasqualoni into DC. I had to chuckle when seeing "Chris Harris - Defensive Quality Control" and wonder what his job entails to be in control of quality?

 

 

[AZ54]

Unfortunately so. If Trestman is on a 1 more year leash, then what D coordinator will accept a job coming into a "lame" season if they decide to make changes? This is why they are they are a circus show, this is why they cannot hire competent established coaches. This happened in Lovie's tenure and continued into Marc's. The only change I see going into next year is promoting Paul Pasqualoni into DC. I had to chuckle when seeing "Chris Harris - Defensive Quality Control" and wonder what his job entails to be in control of quality?

 

That is true regarding the D coordinator. I felt Pasqualoni was brought in as a backup DC candidate should we go that direction. FWIW Pasqualoni has been a HC before as well albeit at the collegiate level. I totally agree we cannot get back into that mess where the DC (or OC) is effectively on a 1yr deal under a prove-it-or-lose-it head coach.