Alex Smith questions whether defensive head coaches can develop quarterbacks (1 Viewer)

[liveoakh]

Alex Smith questions whether defensive head coaches can develop quarterbacks

Whether a young quarterback becomes a great quarterback depends on many factors.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

“There is a different mentality, from my career, when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith said. “There’s a different mentality you have, especially as a young quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when really the [coach’s] mentality is ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation.’ . . . That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start.”
It’s an intriguing point. In recent years, I’ve expressed a preference for offensive head coaches because, if things go well for the offense, the offensive coordinator gets a head-coaching job somewhere else — and the defensive coach will have to then go find a new coordinator. With an offensive coach, if things go well, the core partnership doesn’t change.

Me: I like DA, but I never wanted a defensive minded coach for this reason. Last yr. Pete took a lot of heat for some real basic play calling. I really think it was the defensive mind set of DA. is where we derived the uninspiring play calling. I just hope we don't see the same with Carr this season from DA/Pete.

 

[GilFinnerty]

The play calling is fine. Carmichael is a guy that doesnt like confrontation, I think there was a issue of holding guys accountable on that side of the ball. I dont think DA has enough clout to do it on that side of the ball. Why so many mistakes from key players.

 

[Stalwart385]

Alex Smith questions whether defensive head coaches can develop quarterbacks

Whether a young quarterback becomes a great quarterback depends on many factors.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

“There is a different mentality, from my career, when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith said. “There’s a different mentality you have, especially as a young quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when really the [coach’s] mentality is ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation.’ . . . That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start.”
It’s an intriguing point. In recent years, I’ve expressed a preference for offensive head coaches because, if things go well for the offense, the offensive coordinator gets a head-coaching job somewhere else — and the defensive coach will have to then go find a new coordinator. With an offensive coach, if things go well, the core partnership doesn’t change.

Me: I like DA, but I never wanted a defensive minded coach for this reason. Last yr. Pete took a lot of heat for some real basic play calling. I really think it was the defensive mind set of DA. is where we derived the uninspiring play calling. I just hope we don't see the same with Carr this season from DA/Pete.

If we just drafted a rookie I would be concerned. Part of the good fit with Carr is he doesn't need Allen to bring him along. He knows what to do. Him and Carmicheal shouldn't need Allen to be involved.

It's kinda like Payton needing a defensive coordinator and defense he can be hands-off with for the best results. Allen needs a QB that doesn't need development. He just needs them to be able to do their thing. I hope he isn't sticking his nose into the offenses business too much. Had the same fear as Payton and the defense. I think some of the worst years that was happening. Good results will ease the concern.

BTW I think that should go down to personnel as well. Dennis Allen should be able to do more with less on defense. More resources should be thrown at the offense overall when you have a defensive head coach.

 

[los226]

Defensive head coaches will only have great offensive success if they have an elite QB running the show. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen type QB’s.

Anything less than that and they will tell their QB, rookie or vet, to not screw it up, so that they can win with their defense.

 

[Taker597]

I honestly have more of an issue with the ultra conservative nature of Allen. I'm going to hope that a new QB may give him some confidence to be more aggressive.


Granted.... If it extremely noticeable that Allen hasn't changed. Regardless of W/L... I'll think it maybe in the best interest to move on after this season. I've just never seen an ultra conservative coach ever win a championship.

 

[latechsaint26]

The play calling is fine. Carmichael is a guy that doesnt like confrontation, I think there was an issue of holding guys accountable on that side of the ball. I dont think DA has enough clout to do it on that side of the ball. Why so many mistakes from key players.

I talked to Matt Flynn the other day about DA and Pete. Says he didn’t think DA was a good HC but acknowledged Raiders had limitations.

Said Pete was one of the smartest guys he’d been around and that it was on QBs and Pete would be fine. Liked the Carr signing.

Also, try Matt’s electrolyte stuff MyHy. He’s cured hangovers. I’m not even an LSU fan (obviously), just a good product.

 

[Hedon James]

Alex Smith questions whether defensive head coaches can develop quarterbacks

Whether a young quarterback becomes a great quarterback depends on many factors.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

“There is a different mentality, from my career, when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith said. “There’s a different mentality you have, especially as a young quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when really the [coach’s] mentality is ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation.’ . . . That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start.”
It’s an intriguing point. In recent years, I’ve expressed a preference for offensive head coaches because, if things go well for the offense, the offensive coordinator gets a head-coaching job somewhere else — and the defensive coach will have to then go find a new coordinator. With an offensive coach, if things go well, the core partnership doesn’t change.

Me: I like DA, but I never wanted a defensive minded coach for this reason. Last yr. Pete took a lot of heat for some real basic play calling. I really think it was the defensive mind set of DA. is where we derived the uninspiring play calling. I just hope we don't see the same with Carr this season from DA/Pete.

I agree with this assessment. but today's NFL is seriously tilted in the offense's favor...the NFL WANTS offenses to rack up yards and score points. That's why i think an ELITE defensive coach may be called for...an elite DC can help mitigate some of the built-in advantages of offenses, IMO. I think the NFL has forgotten that defenses and special teams are capable of scoring points also and, when it happens, is often WAY more exciting and entertaining than when the offense does it.

I'm not a fan of those games where teams score at will.....reminds me of basketball...scoring is nothing special, it happens all the time. I much prefer soccer, where ONE simple mistake can lead to ONE score, which may determine the game. Maybe baseball is the happy medium, where scoring happens enough to be interesting, but not so much as to lose the excitement of the score.

If the scale of "scoring" looks like this: basketball > baseball > soccer
the scale of "excitement" is reversed, IMO. The NFL used to be right there in the middle, competing with baseball, but at a faster pace. Ever since Roger took charge, it's been trending in the direction of basketball, but a slower pace.

I'd like to see more defense, with rules that don't provide an inherent advantage to one side of the ball. Until that happens, I think an ELITE defensive HC, or an ELITE DC is preferable. But the argument for an offensive HC and QB development is valid.

 

[Saint Greg]

That’s why we have a quarterback coach.

 

[Hedon James]

That’s why we have a quarterback coach.

to develop your QB....true. but come gametime, if the OC/QB want to light up the scoreboard, but the HC wants you to throttle down and turn it into a grindfest/war of attrition....you throttle down, or you won't be there long.

 

[nolaswede]

Defensive head coaches will only have great offensive success if they have an elite QB running the show. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen type QB’s.

Anything less than that and they will tell their QB, rookie or vet, to not screw it up, so that they can win with their defense.

Speaking with Andy last year, that’s exactly what I heard. Now, he is not a top QB, but that’s what worries me in general with DA.

I coach(a different sport) and I think it’s so important to avoid coaching “not to mess up”. Even as a player back in the day I hated when coaches did that to me.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I still think our O and D lines were the pivotal reasons for our record last year
How deep in your playbook can you go with a porous line and stacked box?

BUT the article is a fun general theory bc it gives interesting insights but maybe not a lot of perspective
I would bet there are just as many examples of offensive minded coaches thwarting the development of young QBs bc they didn’t rein in hyper confident young QBs

The fun but maddening thing about football (particularly nfl) is there are too many moving parts/factors and too small sample sizes to have a factual definitive take away about any aspect of the game

 

[fishing4food]

The NFL division championships in 2022: 49'rs, Eagles, Bengals, and the Chiefs. All of their head coaches were offensive coordinators at one time.
Last 4 Super Bowls have been one by teams whose coaches were offensive play callers. Last defense coach to win was New England in 2019 but they had Tom Brady. Seems that offensive minded coaches are the new thing?

 

[GeneHansen]

Are we reaching a point where "don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation" is considered bad football?

No offense to Alex Smith, but those things will always be winning football, and should probably be a part of any young QB's development.

We had AD last year, and he checked the ball down quite a bit in key situations, and we all got frustrated.
But we would've been ready to run him out of town after a few weeks had he gone out there and produced multiple Arizona Cardinal type games.

 

[jboss]

Well unless something happens to Carr I don't think this is an issue for us. I don't think he needs much development at this point in his career. Only question is how well he fits into our offense. And how good our offensive scheme and playcalling is.

 

[dutar76]

Always heard you should play to win instead of playing not to lose. If you have an elite defense and an elite running game, then you can get away with a slow clock-eating smash-mouth conservative style of playcalling. But your eventually going to play teams with elite offenses, and if they find a few cracks in your defense and get ahead of you on the scoreboard, you're in trouble that you're not built to get out of.

As for developing a young QB, I can definitely see Smith's point. Especially if that QB has the talent to become elite. Imagine a coach throttling down a young Mahommes instead of turning him loose on the world.