[CBFF] PFW coaches' grades

[Phil DeNomme]

Sounds about right.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of ShannonToBeRead
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 8:25 AM
To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
Subject: [CBFF] PFW coaches' grades

Knew you all would want to know what Smith's grade was.

Tom S.

--

Features - NFL pro football articles and coverage from Pro Football Weekly




The grades are in


PFW presents its annual report cards for the NFL's 32 head coaches


 Jan. 8, 2008



Although school is not quite out for eight of them - with their final
exams beginning this weekend in the divisional playoffs - Pro Football
Weekly's final grades ("A" through "F") for the head-coaching class of
'07 have been carefully compiled. We tell you who passed, who failed
and who barely managed to make the grade - in addition to giving you
all the reasons why.


AFC East |  AFC North | AFC South |  AFC West
 NFC East | NFC North |  NFC South | NFC West

AFC East

Dick Jauron | Buffalo Bills

In a season rife with obstacles, Jauron deserves credit for steering
the Bills through rough waters. The defensive-minded coach weathered a
rash of early-season defensive injuries, getting admirable play out of
a host of middling players. An 0-3 start had some proclaiming the
Bills down for the count, but Buffalo responded by rattling off
victories in five of their next six games, lifting an undermanned team
into the thick of the playoff race. Along the way, Jauron deftly
handled a potentially divisive quarterback conundrum, giving J.P.
Losman appropriate but not excessive opportunities to prove he was the
right choice before permanently handing the reins of the offense to
rookie Trent Edwards. An unimaginative offense was largely the fault
of coordinator Steve Fairchild, who is leaving Orchard Park to assume
the head-coaching role at Colorado State. Jauron's selection to
replace Fairchild will go a long way in determining what type of grade
he garners in 2008.

Grade: B

Cam Cameron | Miami Dolphins

As the genial Cameron can attest to, nice guys finish last. In his
first and only season as Dolphins skipper, Cameron showed that he may
have been out of his element as a head coach. It started as far back
as April, when Cameron drafted WR-RS Ted Ginn Jr. instead of QB Brady
Quinn and then took QB John Beck in the second round - two heavily
criticized picks who failed to vindicate Cameron during the season.
Other shoddy personnel decisions, most notably signing oft-concussed
QB Trent Green, whose season would end unceremoniously with another
concussion, also came back to haunt Cameron. But while offseason
decisions set him back, it was his game-day strategy that ultimately
doomed the 1-15 Dolphins. His ultraconservative game management
prevented a few chances to win, and he never second-guessed his
decision to give unilateral control of the defense to coordinator Dom
Capers, despite that unit's persistent ineptitude. New V.P. of
football operations Bill Parcells and recently hired GM Jeff Ireland
pulled the plug on the Cameron era Jan. 3, setting in motion a search
for a successor.

Grade: F

Bill Belichick | New England Patriots

Having peerless individual talent certainly helps, but going an
unprecedented 16-0 in a league designed to engender parity is a feat
only possible with coaching excellence. Already considered the premier
coach of his generation, New England's historic 2007 campaign ensured
Bill Belichick's placement among the all-time great head coaches.
Because other franchises and college programs routinely raid his
staff, Belichick's accomplishment is made all the more impressive
considering coordinators Josh McDaniels (offense) and Dean Pees
(defense) are only in their second season as NFL coordinators. The
numerous blowout victories might be the most eye-catching, but
Belichick's uncanny ability to pull the proper strings in close calls
against the Colts, Eagles and Ravens might be an even better barometer
of his coaching brilliance. His notorious rigidity with the media and
illegal videotaping of the Jets in Week One drew the ire of many, but
it would be unfair to let those issues cloud his overall body of work.
No coach adapted better to his personnel and opponent, and no coach
personified perfection better than the man in the hoodie.

Grade: A

Eric Mangini | New York Jets

After a 10-6 campaign in 2006 earned Jets head coach Eric Mangini the
nickname "Mangenius," he has spent his second season in New York
ridding himself of the label. A defensive guru, Mangini's stubborn
adherence to the 3-4 scheme is the root of the defensive woes. The
team he inherited was stocked with D-linemen and linebackers brought
in to operate within former coach Herm Edwards' 4-3, and while he got
away with them in '06, he had no such encore performance. But more
disturbing than his mishandling of the X's and O's was the way he drew
contempt from those inside his own locker room. Players grew irritated
with the restrictive nature with which he ran the team - particularly
off the field. In turn, a few prominent players, such as ILB Jonathan
Vilma and NT Dewayne Robertson, are rumored to be seeking trades. Only
an overtime victory over the Steelers and  Draft Day coups in picking
up inspiring rookie defenders Darrelle Revis and David Harris save
Mangini from a failing grade.

Grade: D-minus

Top of page


AFC North

Brian Billick | Baltimore Ravens

Some of what happened to the Ravens in 2007 was out of Billick's
control. Injuries ravaged both sides of the ball all season. At no
point did the Ravens seem at full strength, from when they lost QB
Steve McNair and OLT Jonathan Ogden in Week One to the loss of ILB Ray
Lewis in the embarrassing Week 15 loss at Miami. But Billick is
primarily to blame for an offense that continued to lag behind the
curve and didn't put any fear into opposing defenses. QB Kyle Boller
has not developed into what the Ravens thought he would become; that
is also on Boller and his coaching staff. Had he been retained,
Billick would have faced a win-or-else situation in 2008. However,
owner Steve Bisciotti fired Billick the day after the Ravens' season
ended, ending a nine-year run at the helm.

Grade: D

Romeo Crennel | Cleveland Browns

Coaches are hired to be fired, the saying goes. And preseason
projections of "coaches on the hot seat" are becoming as much a
preseason tradition as NFL teams charging full price for exhibition
games decided by players unlikely to make the final roster. Three
months ago, it was all but assumed the Browns would finish in last
place in the AFC North and that Crennel would be fired after the
season (if he even lasted that long). Now? Crennel's job security is
not such a hot issue, not after the Browns posted their first winning
season since 2002 and finally made some progress. Along the way,
Crennel's even-keeled demeanor has drawn praise. He's never wavered in
his approach. And as his young team has matured, Crennel has finally
gotten off the hot seat - and finally gotten some credit in his third
season in Cleveland. Indeed, patience has paid off for the Browns and
Crennel.

Grade: B-plus

For more on Romeo Crennel, see our feature "Up close: Staying the course "

Marvin Lewis | Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have missed the playoffs in four of Lewis' five seasons
and are perhaps as far away from the postseason as ever in his time
with the club. Lewis' reputation as a defensive mastermind has taken a
major hit during his tenure. Try and try as they may, the Bengals
haven't found the right mix of talent. What's more, the unit's mental
errors are costly and troubling. Meanwhile, the offense is at a
crossroads after failing to meet expectations this season. QB Carson
Palmer wasn't as sharp as he had been in past seasons. Nor was WR Chad
Johnson, whose Cincinnati career may be nearing its end. Lewis built
the majority of this roster - and it appears some significant turnover
could be coming this offseason. A shake-up of the coaching staff has
begun with the firings of defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan and LB
coach Ricky Hunley. Lewis' supporters will point to injuries -
especially on defense - as a major reason for the Bengals' struggles.
But any way you look at it, the Bengals disappointed in 2007. Lewis,
the face of the franchise, may have to make some hard decisions in the
weeks and months to come. And he'll have a lot at stake next season.
Team owner Mike Brown is a patient man, but he can't be happy.

Grade: D-plus

Mike Tomlin | Pittsburgh Steelers

Tomlin is intelligent and well-organized; were he not coaching in the
NFL, it wouldn't be a surprise if he were making a fortune on Wall
Street. He had the unenviable task of taking over a veteran club that
was accustomed to Bill Cowher and Cowher's coaching staff. But Tomlin
has fared well, for the most part. The Steelers reached the playoffs
in spite of some late-season struggles, but they were eliminated in
the wild-card round by Jacksonville - at Heinz Field. The defense
allowed fewer yards than any other in the league. Tomlin and defensive
coordinator Dick LeBeau have meshed their philosophies relatively
well, though you would have to expect some defensive personnel changes
in the offseason now that the patient Tomlin has had a season to
observe the "D." The offense wasn't overly impressive statistically
but was still potent, thanks to a remarkable season by QB Ben
Roethlisberger, who took a beating behind an offensive line that needs
to be revamped. Overall, Tomlin's first regular season in Pittsburgh
went relatively well.

Grade: B-plus

Top of page


AFC South

Gary Kubiak | Houston Texans

Slowly but surely, the Texans are looking more and more like a
contender. That's a credit to Kubiak, who's built an enviable passing
attack that's thrived with either Matt Schaub or Sage Rosenfels at the
controls. The Texans still need a No. 1 running back, but their
commitment to the run has opened up opportunities in the play-action
passing game. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator
Richard Smith has young and exciting talent to work with in the front
seven, including DE Mario Williams, DT Amobi Okoye and MLB DeMeco
Ryans. A potentially thorny decision looms at quarterback, where
Rosenfels outperformed Schaub when the latter was out of the lineup
with a left shoulder injury. Next season, Kubiak will be judged on how
he handles the QB situation - and whether Houston finally makes the
playoffs.

Grade: B-minus

Jack Del Rio | Jacksonville Jaguars

No longer do his players see Jack Del Rio as Mr. Nice Guy. And for a
Jaguars club coming off an 8-8 campaign, his change in attitude has
made all the difference. Long characterized as a "players' coach," Del
Rio started making his players more accountable, highlighted by his
unprecedented suspensions of OT Richard Collier and OLB Justin Durant
for alcohol-related arrests. His assertiveness rubbed off on a team
that developed into one of the league's toughest, a club that had the
audacity to go for it on fourth down 33 times - more than any other
team in the league by far. Del Rio's strong-arming of V.P. of player
personnel James Harris in the preseason regarding who would be
quarterback was the most important of his aggressive decisions - David
Garrard's breakout campaign clearly justified the decision to cut the
Harris-backed Byron Leftwich. Only the disappointment of losing two
games to the Colts separate Del Rio from an "A," yet his team beat the
Steelers twice at Heinz Field, including a dramatic wild-card win that
sends the Jaguars to New England for a divisional playoff game.

Grade: A-minus

Tony Dungy | Indianapolis Colts

There hasn't been any Super Bowl hangover for Tony Dungy. Actually, he
may have done an even better job this season than he did in '06. Even
with superstars Dwight Freeney (foot) and Marvin Harrison (knee)
shelved for much of the season, the Colts rolled to a fifth straight
AFC South title. Those two players aside, Dungy impressively overcame
the departures of numerous other key figures, including one to
retirement (OLT Tarik Glenn), some to free agency (including OLB Cato
June and CBs Jason David and Nick Harper and RB Dominic Rhodes) and
some to injury (DT Anthony McFarland and OLB Rob Morris, among
others). The defense, Dungy's specialty, was the best it has been
since Dungy came aboard in 2002, despite having to mold cohesion out
of a unit featuring only one starter older than 27. The fact that the
Colts went 13-3 in spite of so much turnover is testament to Dungy's
ability to quickly maximize his players' talent.

Grade: A

Jeff Fisher | Tennessee Titans

Fisher, the NFL's longest-tenured head coach, has a team that appears
poised to be a consistent contender like his Titans clubs of
1999-2003. Fisher's best teams don't beat themselves on offense and
play tough, physical defense. This edition of the Titans generally did
just that. Sure, the offense needs a playmaker or two, and QB Vince
Young's second NFL season was marked by inconsistency, but the defense
- led by a strong defensive line - made significant strides. In a
conference where the top contenders have explosive offenses,
Tennessee's grind-it-out approach is its calling card, and perhaps its
greatest strength. That consistency of approach is a credit to Fisher.

Grade: B-plus

Top of page

AFC West

Mike Shanahan | Denver Broncos

It was clearly a disappointing season in Mile High country, and while
injuries played a significant role, the coaching should not escape
criticism. Mike Shanahan fired defensive coordinator Larry Coyer after
the 2006 season and replaced him with the well-regarded Jim Bates. But
Bates' scheme never took hold in Denver, as the Broncos struggled
against the run all year due to gap-control issues, miscommunication
and poor tackling. Several of Shanahan's moves in a free-agency
spending spree backfired as well, as DE Simeon Rice and DT Sam Adams,
among others, were released during the season. The stellar in-game
adjustments that we had grown accustomed to during the Shanahan era
weren't as prevalent in '07, which turned out to be just his second
losing season in a 13-year career in Denver. Some sources also noted a
lack of effort from the Broncos in the final month of the season.

Grade: C-minus

Herm Edwards | Kansas City Chiefs

Herm Edwards' job is safe in K.C., but there is no question he came
under fire in his second season at the helm during the Chiefs'
nine-game losing streak down the stretch.   Critics cite an overly
conservative offensive game plan as a major issue, but in fairness,
the Chiefs were left without much of an identity on that side of the
ball after RB Larry Johnson went down with a foot injury, and the team
battled major deficiencies along the offensive line throughout the
season. Defensively, it was an up-and-down campaign for coordinator
Gunther Cunningham, as he continued to blend in some of his own
schemes with Edwards' strict cover-2 philosophies, yielding only
mediocre results. A major overhaul is expected with the roster in the
offseason, and perhaps the coaching staff, especially offensively.

Grade: D

Lane Kiffin | Oakland Raiders

After the Art Shell debacle was mercifully cut short after just one
year, a real emphasis was placed on the Raiders finding a solution for
the long term, considering the Raiders had hired and fired three
coaches since Jon Gruden left following the 2001 season. We'd be
remiss to suggest the jury isn't still out on young Kiffin, but there
is no questioning the presence of a better attitude in the locker
room. With a dark cloud lifted following the end of Shell's tumultuous
tenure, the players have bought into Kiffin's system, the ground game
is more reliable and the Raiders have been increasingly competitive
despite Kiffin being short on experience. However, a lack of
discipline still rears its ugly head too often in Oakland, Kiffin
caught some flak for the way he juggled his quarterbacks, and a
promising, young defense took a noticeable step back under coordinator
Rob Ryan in 2007, with one NFL scout suggesting they "lacked the same
passion" they played with the year before.

Grade: C-plus

Norv Turner | San Diego Chargers

It wasn't the ideal situation for Turner to get back into the
head-coaching ranks, having to replace 14-game winner Marty
Schottenheimer after the relationship between Schottenheimer and
general manager A.J. Smith was deemed to be fractured beyond repair.
The expectations were huge, and Turner got off to a rocky 1-3 start
that included questionable play-calling decisions and had the
Chargers' faithful chanting Schottenheimer's name. But eventually he
got the ship righted by relying more on LaDainian Tomlinson and the
leadership from within the locker room and having defensive
coordinator Ted Cottrell crank up the heat a bit in the pass rush. It
hasn't been the smoothest of seasons in Southern California, and
critics of Turner remain, but he has his club playing very well down
the stretch and it is again being mentioned among the league's elite.

Grade: B

Top of page


NFC East

Wade Phillips | Dallas Cowboys

There's little question that Phillips inherited a talented team, but
he also has pulled mostly all the right strings. He has been a breath
of fresh air - exactly what this team  has needed, some veterans have
suggested, after four years in lockstep behind the rigid Bill
Parcells. Phillips has the reputation of being a players' coach, and
the reputation has served him well. The Cowboys looked loose and
energetic en route to locking up the NFC's top seed heading into the
playoffs, and the player whom few head coaches have worked well with -
Terrell Owens - has been mostly a good soldier during one of his best
seasons. Phillips deserves credit for making what had been a good
defense into a top-tier unit and for delegating and putting so much
trust in offensive coaches he hadn't worked with before. The results
have been terrific. Yes, the Cowboys have not played their best
football the past month of the season, but they haven't had to,
either. The knock on Phillips for years has been that he hasn't been
able to win in the playoffs (0-3 career), but this Cowboys team
appears talented, motivated and prepared.

Grade: A

Tom Coughlin | New York Giants

There are many things to laud, including the successful replacement of
Tiki Barber, the team's 7-1 road record and a third consecutive
playoff appearance. Coughlin's hiring of defensive coordinator Steve
Spagnuolo also was an inspired move. The defense rallied from a
miserable first two games into becoming a top unit that recorded 53
sacks on the season. Discipline was an issue last season (101
penalties for 881 yards) but has been a positive (77 for 652) in 2007.
And of course, the team has survived its annual rite-of-injury
passage, losing several starters and remaining competitive. These are
things that likely will lead the Giants to give their coach an
extension. Yet, there are also reasons to question Coughlin. His team
only went 3-5 at home and lost twice to the Cowboys. Also, the team
turns the ball over way too often (34), an indication that Coughlin's
attention to discipline hasn't paid off in all areas. But the biggest
mystery has been the lack of improvement by Eli Manning; the former
No. 1 pick is only marginally better - and that might be kind - than
he was three years ago, and part of that falls on Coughlin. Still,
Coughlin has done a respect-able job in tough circumstances.

Grade: B

Andy Reid | Philadelphia Eagles

It must be mentioned first and foremost that this has been Reid's
toughest year to date in terms of distractions. With the arrests of
two of his sons, which caused him to take a leave of absence in March,
and the subsequent court dealings, it has been an extreme burden
placed on Reid and his family. And yet the results on the field have
fallen short of what had been expected, given that last year's Eagles
came very close to making the NFC title game and this year's model -
at least on paper - appeared to be a stronger squad. It has been a
tricky year, too, for Reid in terms of handling QB Donovan McNabb and
the constant questions about his future with the team. But credit Reid
for deflecting most of the negative attention, sticking with McNabb
when he was healthy and not veering from his plan to win as many games
as he can, even after the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs.
The team has been relatively stingy on defense and effective in terms
of moving the ball, and yet scoring has been a problem. One critical
failure has been the team's 3-5 record at home. And some say Reid's
arrogance cost him two victories - going without an established punt
returner in Week One and not giving replacement OLT Winston Justice
more help in Week Four.

Grade: C

Joe Gibbs | Washington Redskins

It has been both very easy and very difficult to criticize Gibbs this
season. The criticism typically stems from what sometimes appears to
be sideline confusion and in-game strategy. This was none more
apparent than in the Week 13 loss to the Bills in which Gibbs called
back-to-back timeouts, which is considered an unsportsmanlike-conduct
penalty by league rules. Of course, the reason Gibbs can be excused
for that move is that it came just days after the shocking death of
Pro Bowl S Sean Taylor. His murder rocked the franchise, and it moved
Gibbs and owner Daniel Snyder deeply. Few would have been surprised if
the Redskins had rolled over at that point, but mere days after the
Buffalo game mess, the team ripped off the first of four straight
wins, getting back into the playoff picture, and doing so with backup
QB Todd Collins. The team's most impressive wins down the stretch were
the 32-21 win at Minnesota, tilting the playoff edge away from the
Vikings and toward the Redskins, and their 27-6 win over the Cowboys
in Week 17, a victory that secured a postseason berth. Despite some
serious derailments along the way, you have to credit Gibbs and his
staff for their solidarity during this toughest of seasons.

Grade: B-minus

Top of page

NFC North

Lovie Smith | Chicago Bears

It's true he didn't miss any blocks or tackles or drop any passes, but
after receiving a hefty new contract extension for the super job he
turned in last season, Smith made one suspect move after another this
season. It was his brilliant idea to sign S Adam Archuleta, whose best
days were way behind him. Smith's assertion that pass-rush specialist
Mark Anderson could be an every-down player also turned out to be
totally off base, as Anderson got trampled in several games. Smith
also weakened the coaching staff by getting rid of defensive
coordinator Ron Rivera and DL coach Don Johnson. His failings filtered
down to offensive coordinator Ron Turner, whose unit sputtered more
often than not, and new defensive coordinator Bob Babich, whose unit
missed way too many tackles and didn't force nearly enough turnovers.
Smith gained more control over the operation than ever before, but at
season's end, it was clear that his team had taken several steps
backward, conjuring up unpleasant memories of the Dick Jauron regime,
which went downhill after reaching a 13-3 peak in 2001.

Grade: C-minus

Rod Marinelli | Detroit Lions

At the midpoint of the season, the Lions stood at 6-2 with a chance
not only to end a  seven-year playoff drought but also seriously
challenge for the team's first division crown since 1993. Six games -
all losses - later, the team was eating humble pie, left to pick up
the crumbs and wonder what went wrong. Rumors of discord and
infighting between coaches and players, and coaches and coaches, have
made for what became a tough working environment. QB Jon Kitna, who
spoke openly in the preseason about the team's chances of winning 10
games or more, has called out several veterans for their lack of
commitment and leadership. And with each loss, the finger-pointing
escalated throughout the locker room. Marinelli expressed his disgust
with the team's deteriorating discipline after it had avoided that
problem during its hot start. And his weekly struggles to get
offensive coordinator Mike Martz and defensive coordinator Joe Barry
on the same page as to what Marinelli wants has hurt, too. That said,
this is not a tremendously talented team, and the two early losses by
a combined 66 points should have said as much about the team as the
six first-half wins by a combined 81 points did.

Grade: C-minus

Mike McCarthy | Green Bay Packers

The youngest team in the league for the second straight year has
responded quite favorably to McCarthy, who has pushed all the right
buttons this season and has established himself as a very serious
candidate for Coach of the Year honors - as well as a significant
contract extension in the not-too-distant future. McCarthy has
successfully tightened the screws on future Hall of Famer Brett Favre
and inspired his veteran signalcaller to become more of a thinking
man's quarterback. His team continued to do exceptionally well on the
road, he has been able to very effectively communicate one-on-one with
his players, and his ability to keep those players fresh and at peak
efficiency with a lot of well-thought-out personnel shuffling has paid
off nicely. McCarthy is hardly flashy in front of the cameras, but his
no-nonsense, straightforward manner and extreme attention to detail
have earned him residence in the NFL's high-rent head-coaching
district.

Grade: A

For more on Mike McCarthy, see our feature "Up close: Right coach at
the right time "

Brad Childress | Minnesota Vikings

Childress was not a popular figure last season with many players, the
media and fans, and he made only minor changes to assuage the critics
who claimed he was too hard-headed and straight-laced. And early this
season, he fostered his reputation with his conservative handling of
Adrian Peterson's touches, despite the rookie's early success.
Childress also was criticized for his insistence on playing QB
Tarvaris Jackson, who looked still-green and rushed. Defensively,
Childress and coordinator Leslie Frazier took heat for sitting too
much in their base Tampa-2 system, which led to the pass defense
getting torched often. Eventually, the coaches changed their approach
with these things and more, using Peterson more often, getting more
out of Jackson during a five-game win streak and changing up defensive
looks and having success despite missing a few starters. It was a run
that got the Vikings into solid playoff position going into their
matchup with the Redskins in Week 16. But Childress was thoroughly
outcoached by Joe Gibbs and Co. in the game. Peterson was bottled up,
Jackson was terrible and the defense had few answers for QB Todd
Collins, of all people. It was a mixed bag for the Vikings and
Childress, both of whom improved in Year Two - just not enough.

Grade: B-minus

Top of page

NFC South

Bobby Petrino | Atlanta Falcons

After Petrino realized he wasn't getting the Falcons out of the NFC
South's basement any time soon, he took off and started bossing the
hogs in Arkansas. It was another gutless move by a man who has a track
record of such behavior, but in the long run, Atlanta is probably
better off without him. Players could tolerate losing more than they
could tolerate Petrino. His tenure was marked by the suspension and
eventual jail sentence of Michael Vick and a slew of injuries to key
members of the offensive and defensive lines. He may deserve some
credit for developing offensive talent like WRs Roddy White and
Laurent Robinson, a rookie, but Petrino made a bad situation at
quarterback worse. One week Joey Harrington would be the starter, then
Byron Leftwich the next, before he finally settled on Chris Redman.
Shortly thereafter, he phoned in his resignation to team owner Arthur
Blank and left a note informing players of his decision to bail on
them. The Falcons have played hard for interim head coach Emmitt
Thomas, but it hasn't led to much success. Thomas did a serviceable
job inheriting a disastrous situation.

Grade: F

John Fox | Carolina Panthers

The Panthers' season crashed, burned and blew away in the wind when QB
Jake Delhomme underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery after
suffering an elbow injury in a Week Three game. Fox can pin much of
his team's struggles on the loss of Delhomme, but not entirely. Teams
like the Vikings and Redskins went without their No. 1 quarterback for
a decent chunk of the schedule but remained competitive and in the
playoff picture. Fox's troops looked lifeless for a large part of the
season, dropping five in a row at one point, before a late-season
resurgence. Fox's biggest errors have come in his management of
Carolina's offense. He has been too unimaginative with his
play-calling and seems to have fallen in love with the punt. He has
been loyal to some veterans on both sides of the ball to a fault, and
it has cost his team. Young players who could have spent time
developing their skills in mostly meaningless games down the stretch
will need more time early next season to adjust to being a pro.

Grade: C-minus

Sean Payton | New Orleans Saints

After winning Coach of the Year honors in his first season at the
helm, Payton looked like he was in the grips of a sophomore slump
early. The Saints started the season 0-4, and their 2006 run to the
NFC championship game was being called a fluke by many observers.
Payton, though, proved himself all over again and led his squad back
to respectability and almost into the playoffs. The coach committed a
fair share of mistakes, and, to his credit, he almost always publicly
acknowledged them, even calling a Dec. 2 loss to the Bucs one of the
worst jobs he'd ever done. His play-calling can be erratic at times,
and he'll make risky decisions even when his team is ahead, which came
back to haunt him in the Bucs game. Payton has to devote a healthy
portion of his early offseason to addressing how he can shore up a
sagging defense. A mixture of personnel changes and perhaps even
shuffling out an assistant or two might be necessary.

Grade: C

Jon Gruden | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In what was billed as a potential make-or-break year for Jon Gruden in
Tampa, he and the Bucs responded with a vengeance. The squad went from
worst to first in the NFC South and overcame a series of injuries that
decimated its RB corps. Gruden has done a masterful job, taking
castaways like QB Jeff Garcia and RB Earnest Graham and turning them
into the leaders of an efficient, effective offense. His use of
oft-forgotten personnel like WR Ike Hilliard and TE Jerramy Stevens
has been impressive. The Bucs have also weaved in and developed young
talent on defense, although much of the credit for that should go to
defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. First-round pick DE Gaines Adams
has improved steadily, and fourth-round FS Tanard Jackson looks like a
steal. Gruden plugged in DE Greg White, a 28-year-old first-year
player, and he led the team in sacks after having played for Gruden's
brother, Jay, at the end of an illustrious Arena League career.

Grade: A-minus


NFC West

Ken Whisenhunt | Arizona Cardinals

The arrow appears to be pointing up in Arizona under Whisenhunt, whose
eight victories are the most by a first-year Cardinals head coach
since Vince Tobin had seven in 1996. Recognizing their new head
coach's considerable intelligence and appreciating the fact that he's
an ex-NFL player who has been through the wars, the Cardinals' players
seem to genuinely respect Whi-senhunt, who quickly got them to buy
fully into his Steelers-style system on both sides of the ball. Almost
all of the defensive players who were asked to take on new roles
(Karlos Dansby moving from OLB to ILB, Calvin Pace moving from DE to
OLB) came through with flying colors. Whisenhunt's willingness to make
adjustments, if need be - most notably allowing QB Kurt Warner to cut
loose in the passing game - was also well received. On the downside,
the fact his team had major problems with penalties is disappointing,
considering how much he stressed the importance of being smart and
fundamentally sound. Whisenhunt's clock management was also shaky on
occasion, and his decision to replace veteran P Scott Player with
ex-Steeler Mike Barr was a major personnel blunder.

Grade: B

Scott Linehan | St. Louis Rams

Yes, the Rams had one of the most injury-plagued seasons in league
history. But they still had more than enough talent to win at least
three or four more games this season. Linehan's reputation as an
offensive mastermind took a major hit, as the Rams finished the season
near the bottom in scoring, and the unit's three biggest stars - in
order, RB Steven Jackson, QB Marc Bulger and WR Torry Holt - got into
animated disputes with Linehan during games on three different
occasions. Further evidence of Linehan's less-than-stellar performance
this season is the fact his team was outscored 258-96 in second halves
and finished 1-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Linehan's
decision-making was questionable from the get-go, when he opted to
keep his offensive starters under wraps in the preseason, which
resulted in them looking terribly flat early on. Linehan's listless
body language and lack of emotion certainly didn't help his cause, and
in the court of public opinion in St. Louis, team president John
Shaw's decision to retain him has received considerable heat.

Grade: D

Mike Nolan | San Francisco 49ers

In his third year on the job, Nolan didn't coach to the level of his
talent. He was often indecisive, unlike prior years, and his game-day
decisions left a great deal to be desired.  In addition, his
communication with his players wasn't good, particularly in the case
of QB Alex Smith, with whom he developed a rift that might not ever be
fully repaired. In Nolan's defense, however, it was an unusual year
for him, having to deal with the death of his father, former Niners
head coach Dick Nolan, in addition to the team's inexplicable losing.
In exchanges with the media, it was easy to tell how much stress he
was under, but to his credit, Nolan never threw in the towel,
continually striving to find answers. His resilience carried over to
his players, who for the third straight season finished strong. Some
team insiders believe Nolan actually could come out of this year's
mess having learned some beneficial lessons. The team's owners did
promote Scot McCloughan to the post of general manager days after the
close of the season, reducing Nolan's authority over personnel matters
but also freeing him to concentrate more on his coaching.

Grade: C

Mike Holmgren | Seattle Seahawks

Longtime team observers believe Holmgren has turned in one of his best
coaching jobs ever this season. To get 10 wins out of a team that has
had so many problems blocking and running the ball has been a major
accomplishment indeed. Holmgren's abrupt change of course in the
middle of the season - returning to his roots with a pass-heavy
offense efficiently directed by QB Matt Hasselbeck - took an ordinary
team on the way down back up to a fourth straight division title and a
No. 3 playoff seed in the NFC. The team has also shown major
improvement on defense, with free-agent additions Patrick Kerney, Deon
Grant and Brian Russell all proving to be extremely savvy investments.
The only thing keeping Holmgren from getting an "A" grade this season
was his initial reluctance to get involved in "coaching" his coaches
before finally taking a very hands-on approach to solve some of the
problems on the offensive line.

Grade: B-plus

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