[NFL] so who's the coach of the year?

[silverwhisper]

mike smith in ATL, sparano in MIA, someone else?

i think my vote's with sparano. how about you guys?

[Brother Brian]

I've got to go with Smith in the ATL.

Rookie QB, Chargers backup at RB, and a locker room that should have been a mess. Going into the year, people said 8-8 would be a successful year, and nobody was talking playoffs.

It's that added bit of a locker room in disarray that makes it so impressive.

Also, I want to throw Big Bill in NE for consideration. I don't think he did as much as Smith, but what other team in the NFL could lose their All Pro starting QB 15 minutes into the year, and finish 11-5. Oh, plus their starting RB, 2 DB, and Defensive Captin. Without Peyton, where are the Colts? With David Carr at the Helm, the Giants struggle to make .500. We saw what happened to the Cowboys when Romo missed games.

[silverwhisper]

i think belichick gets props for coaching his team to 11-5 with the backup, although for me, that doesn't edge out taking a 1-15 team into the playoffs with someone else's cast-off under center.

while i'm impressed with mike smith in ATL, the difference in previous year vs current year records is the dealmaker for me re: sparano.

[Brother Brian]

i think belichick gets props for coaching his team to 11-5 with the backup, although for me, that doesn't edge out taking a 1-15 team into the playoffs with someone else's cast-off under center.

while i'm impressed with mike smith in ATL, the difference in previous year vs current year records is the dealmaker for me re: sparano.

See, to me the difference in records between years can't be the only thing you look at. Calling Pennington a "Cast Off" is silly. Before the season started some people were saying Miami got the better of the deal. The Jets got a name, the Dolphins got a QB who is perfect for what they want to do.

Sparano gets a lot of credit from me. I'd put him second behind Smith. I still feel that the Wildcat is a gimmic and that it's got a short shelf life, but it worked for them this year.

I just think that Smith walked into a much worse situation, and get's the props from me.

[Wook]

Flip a coin between Spranno and Smith both deserve it.

[carmachu]

mike smith in ATL, sparano in MIA, someone else?

i think my vote's with sparano. how about you guys?

Yeah I have to go with Sprano in MIA myself. Although props to BB's pick and NE, going fomr 1-15 to the playoffs in a single turnaround is pretty impressive.

[silverwhisper]

BB: i agree the situation in ATL was horrible, and smith's success this year's been a real feel-good story for the league. i guess we prioritize a bit differently is all.

[Brother Brian]

BB: i agree the situation in ATL was horrible, and smith's success this year's been a real feel-good story for the league. i guess we prioritize a bit differently is all.

Pretty much. To be honest, I thought the Dolphins last year should have been better than 1 - 15, and that they just needed to put a couple pieces together. I expected a slower growth, with a 500 team this year and a playoff contender next, but I thought their potential was far greater than Matt Ryan and Michael Turner would offer.

[silverwhisper]

sorry, i'm relegating myself to observer status as i lack the ability to identify a cover 2. :>

[Brother Brian]

Cover 2 has to do with what role the safeties play. Rather than covering a man, or inching forward, they stay back to offer support to a DB/LB who's missing their coverage, or to protect the long ball.

IDing the Cover 2 is reletively easy. Pre snap, you're looking to see how the safeties are cheating. If they seem to be favoring moving at a Y away from the ball, you're likely looking at a cover 2.

At the snap, if the safeties drop back, (as opposed to blitzing, moving to cover a specific reciever, or spying the play,) that's a cover 2 shell.

Cover 2 can either be played as a zone or a man 2 man, although typically it is played with man to man coverage.

The problem with Cover 2 is that it tends to leave holes underneath for slants and quick ins. Wes Welker has profited nicely this year from teams playing Cover 2 to prevent long balls to Randy Moss.

Also, there is a variation on the Cover 2 known as a Tampa 2. The MLB, (or one of the MLB in a 3-4), drops back to cover the gap created when the safeties clear out. The only problem with this is that you may not have enough coverage on quick routs by the TE or RB in the flat.

There, now you know and can discuss football again.

[Detritus]

I'd have to give the edge to Mike Smith, with Sparano #2, and then Belichick and Harbaugh Nos. 3 & 4. Matt Ryan is probably the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, too, although Matt Forte and maybe Chris Johnson will have something to say about that.