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Pat Kirwin gives Bresnahan props


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[size=3][b]Unsung Heroes: Only the strong survive[/b] [/size]
[i]
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst[/i]


(Editor's note: For nine years, I have written the Unsung Heroes column during the season to bring attention to the people behind the scenes that help make some of the extraordinary things happen in the NFL on any given weekend. At the end of the year, the Unsung Hero of the Year is presented a trophy made in the name of Chip Myers, a longtime NFL assistant coach and former player who passed away just days after he was elevated to his first coordinator's position with the Minnesota Vikings. Chip was well respected by everyone in the coaching ranks and embodied all the virtues assistant coaches need to be successful. He was humble, a good teacher, a loyal friend and a tireless worker.)

(Oct. 25, 2006) -- Week 7 in the NFL was the seventh week in a row that every game was sold out, and it was the second week in a row we all witnessed a coordinator let go because his group didn't get the job done on the field.

Being an assistant coach or coordinator in the NFL is a very tough profession and it's hard enough without the thought of getting fired on a Monday during the season. Maurice Carthon of the Browns was an Unsung Hero just a few weeks ago and now he's out of work. Is it his fault that the QB has one year of experience? His star receivers are healthy for the first time and the offensive line is below average at best, especially with the loss of their center, LeCharles Bentley. I'm not sure the word "unsung" does justice for the guys who are working around the clock in this league.

This week I have three defensive coordinators, two offensive coordinators and a position coach who deserve recognition for the effort they put in all week long getting their players ready to win.
[b]
Darrell Bevell, offensive coordinator/quarterback coach for the Minnesota Vikings.[/b] Bevell played for head coach Brad Childress in college and spent six years learning the pro game as the quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers. Bevell is part of an offensive staff that brought the Vikings into Seattle and ended the Seahawks' 12-game home winning streak by putting 31 points on the board. Minnesota's running game produced 175 yards, and the most impressive part of the passing game was the fact that nine different receivers caught the ball. The halfback option pass was a great call for a 15-yard touchdown to top off one of the best performances of the day in the league.
[b]
Richard Smith, defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.[/b] Smith has been coaching pro football for 19 years and I first met him when he was with the Denver Broncos as a special teams coach in the early 1990s. This past week, the Texans beat the Jaguars and held them to seven points. Smith came into Houston this season and had to convert the defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and blend in rookies to the lineup. Not an easy task! But it all came together against the Jaguars as the Texans allowed just 220 total yards and 26:30 of possession time. As for his rookies, linebacker DeMeco Ryans is a contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year and is on pace for over 100 tackles, and DE Mario Williams picked up another sack.
[b]
Rob Ryan, defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.[/b] Ryan coached for the Cardinals in 1994-95 and then had to go back to junior college coaching and Oklahoma State before he got another job in the NFL. He persevered and landed up under Bill Belichick in New England in 2000. Now in his third season with the Raiders, he has his side of the ball playing with intensity every week. In the Raiders' win over Arizona, his defense had three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and didn't give up a touchdown. Edgerrin James was held to 34 yards rushing and the Cardinals offense was just 1 of 11 on third down. The Cardinals fired their offensive coordinator in the week leading up to the game, but it looks like that wasn't the answer.

[b]Chuck Bresnahan, defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. Bresnahan played linebacker for the U.S. Naval Academy from 1979-82 and broke into the NFL as a coach in 1994 with the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals defense has been criticized for being poor against the run, but it held the Carolina Panthers to 60 yards rushing in the win. Bresnahan's defense won the third-down battle over Carolina, which only converted 2 of 11 opportunities. To ice the game, the Bengals got Jake Delhomme to throw an interception in the end zone, which ended a drive that should have at least tied up the game and sent it into overtime.[/b]
[b]
Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator/quarterback coach for the New England Patriots.[/b] McDaniels is another one of those young coaches Belichick puts under his wing and develops. He came to the Patriots at 25 years of age, and after the departure of Charlie Weis to Notre Dame, he quickly became Belichick's guy on offense much like Eric Mangini did on defense when Romeo Crennel left for the Browns. McDaniels also coaches the quarterbacks and would have to be considered on the fast track in NFL circles. Coaching Tom Brady isn't hard, but helping with an offense that passed on the opportunity to re-sign its top two receivers is a challenge. New England is the first team to sweep a division opponent this season, and sooner rather than later we are going to start hearing about a 30-year-old coach up in Foxborough who grew up in Canton, Ohio.
[b]
Mike Waufle, defensive line coach for the New York Giants.[/b] Waufle is a guy who joined the Marines right out of high school and served our country for three years before pursuing his college degree. He got his first chance to coach pro football in 1998 with the Raiders under Bresnahan. I guess Bresnahan liked that military background since he was a Navy man. Anyway, Waufle joined the Giants in 2004 as the defensive line coach. The Giants had their biggest win of the season the other night in Dallas and the defensive line had 12 tackles, four sacks and an interception. Since the bye week, the Giants have 16 sacks in three games and most of them have come from the defensive line. Oh, by the way, when Waufle wants to talk about his days in the Marines, all he has to do is go down the hall to special teams coach Mike Sweatman, who also had a distinguished career in the Marines.

[url="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9753732"]http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9753732[/url]
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Guest WhoDeyForever
Is it just me or did we blitz a lot more Sunday? It worked good espically with Ahmad in the middle..I hope to see this Sunday also aganist ATL.
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[quote name='Rumble in the Jungle' post='372081' date='Oct 25 2006, 04:13 PM']we need to keep vick in the pocket![/quote]
Easier said than done.

I think Vick will run on us, but I think the Bengals will hold the rest of the Falcons in check more easily, which will be what ultimately wins the game for the Bengals.

With Vick it will be case of damage limitation IMO.
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It shouldn't be bad.

They run like crazy, but we'll be able to pass on them, run up the score, and at that point, no amount of running is going to help them.

And even with Kaesvihard sucking 99% of the time, our defensive backs and pressure package will be better than they can handle.

They lost their guard Lehr, their worst guard, but it's something we can exploit.
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What I've read about Vick is that he'll run towards the sidelines a lot and once he sees a defender "let up" on him cause they think he's just gonna go out, he suddenly turns on the jets again, cuts back and takes off for more yards.

I'd like to see Jumpy cream Vick once or twice, that would be cool.

This is the kind of game where Jonathan Joseph will be VERY helpful with his speed and tackling ability, I wouldn't be surprised to see JJ in a lot more than the slow and horrid tackler Tory James.
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Guest WhoDeyForever

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='372162' date='Oct 25 2006, 07:11 PM']OLBs and DEs will be important in this game...[/quote]

I've said it and I will say it again...Geathers should START DAMNIT! :rant:

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[quote name='WhoDeyForever' post='372183' date='Oct 25 2006, 07:42 PM']I've said it and I will say it again...Geathers should START DAMNIT! :rant:[/quote]

Look at what Vick did to Polamalu last week. Geathers wil be fine in his role as a pass-rushing specialist for the time being, as long as he does a good job containing him, and not making the mistake of chasing him when someone hasn't covered his ass.

You can't rush Vick in a conventional way, plus he seems to be getting the hang of playing football in the pocket. I can't be mad because he did put Shittsburgh in their place, and threw 4 TDs on their defense like Carson did.

We are in for a hell of a game this Sunday.


Bengals still win, but this is gonna be a good game.

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[quote name='WhoDeyForever' post='372183' date='Oct 25 2006, 07:42 PM']I've said it and I will say it again...Geathers should START DAMNIT! :rant:[/quote]

I think you'll see Geathers get the VAST majority of the reps this week.

No way can you have Bryan Robinson trying to do backside pursuit on Michael Vick.

Geathers and Smith. You don't need Robinson's size versus their smallish line.

We've got some fast outside backers in Miller and Johnson. So I'm not worried there.

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Guest fredtoast
[quote name='WhoDeyForever' post='372069' date='Oct 25 2006, 05:02 PM']Is it just me or did we blitz a lot more Sunday? It worked good espically with Ahmad in the middle..I hope to see this Sunday also aganist ATL.[/quote]

It also seemed to me that we blitzed a lot more, and that most of them came up the middle.
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[quote name='WhoDeyForever' post='372069' date='Oct 25 2006, 05:02 PM']Is it just me or did we blitz a lot more Sunday? It worked good espically with Ahmad in the middle..I hope to see this Sunday also aganist ATL.[/quote]

definetely blitzed more... i was so releived to see bres not be so damn conservative. who knows what he will do against vick though.
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