Why I think the Cowboys kept Bill Callahan

[Risen Star]

It definitely improved via better talent, but that goes hand in hand with solid coaching.

I don't agree. Either the talent is there or it's not. Coaching doesn't create talent.

 

[TheSport78]

I don't agree. Either the talent is there or it's not. Coaching doesn't create talent.

Sweet! Can I be the Cowboys OL coach then?

 

[Nirvana]

Improvement came also from the unit playing together enough to start to gel with the scheme. I wouldn't mess with the ingredients coaching wise if I could avoid it. So keeping Callahan makes sense from that standpoint.

 

[bark]

Improvement came also from the unit playing together enough to start to gel with the scheme. I wouldn't mess with the ingredients coaching wise if I could avoid it. So keeping Callahan makes sense from that standpoint.

I agree... Offensive lines take time to gel and play as a unit

 

[xwalker]

Frederick was a huge upgrade over Costa. Tyron had a year under his belt playing LT. Leary was ready to play in the league. Waters was better while he played.

I don't think coaching has anything to do with the improvement. Hudson Houck was a good OL coach. He had no talent to work with.

Coaching was a huge part of Free playing better. They changed the scheme to resolve Free's problems. They had Bernadeau/Water keep a closer than normal spacing to Free. The prevented the outside pass rusher from beating Free to the inside and allowed Free to over-set to the outside which gave him a big advantage. They had Fred block right to compensate for Bernadeau compensating for Free. This resulted in Leary being on an island on many pass plays similar to an OT.

The also schemed around Free's issues in the running game. Free is a wall-off type run blocker that can't power block. They ran plays that allowed him to be effective as a wall-off blocker. The Cowboys run plays would often get the outside rusher going against Free to run himself out of the play.

Coaching and Leary's ability to handle himself were the primary reasons that Doug Free improved.

The Cowboys Zone Blocking Scheme was good enough that it was being discussed by opposing team's players in interviews.

 

[TheSport78]

I agree... Offensive lines take time to gel and play as a unit

Also, Tyron Smith progressed at a tremendous level, and let's be honest, the Cowboys underestimated the value of the center position. Most of us knew that Phil Costa was a marginal player at best, but the Cowboys thought they could "get by."

It's pretty apparent that left tackle and center are undoubtedly the two most important positions on the OL.

 

[Risen Star]

Sweet! Can I be the Cowboys OL coach then?

I think the coaching has been fine all along. The only way for coaching to be the difference is for there to have been poor coaching in the recent past. I don't think that's the case. Houck is a very good OL coach. So is Callahan. The difference is personnel, IMO.

 

[texbumthelife]

I think the main reason is Jerry wants Garrett to have every opportunity to succeed this season and prove him right. So he wants all the continuity among the staff he can get.

And I want to agree with you, Risenstar, because he has been on fire as of late, but what Marinelli did with the defensive line last year screams in the face of your argument. Talent is very very important, as well as chemistry. But a coach who knows the strengths and weaknesses and how to play to the strengths of each player, while steering them away from weaknesses, can do a lot with less.

But the key on the offensive line last year was Freebeard playing at a very high level and Tyron becoming one of the best left tackles in the game. This allowed the coaches to scheme and coach up the other guys. So, it was definitely a combination of things last season.

 

[TheSport78]

I think the coaching has been fine all along. The only way for coaching to be the difference is for there to have been poor coaching in the recent past. I don't think that's the case. Houck is a very good OL coach. So is Callahan. The difference is personnel, IMO.

You may be right, but Houck was also in his final years of coaching and maybe he didn't coach up to his "potential" like he had in the past. It's possible he was "burnt out" like Parcells. So many variables...

 

[texbumthelife]

I think the coaching has been fine all along. The only way for coaching to be the difference is for there to have been poor coaching in the recent past. I don't think that's the case. Houck is a very good OL coach. So is Callahan. The difference is personnel, IMO.

Houck was a great coach--a decade ago. I think the game passed him by, much like Kiffin. I think Callahan's stubbornness, which has been exhibited everywhere he has been, has him in danger of being passed by as well.

 

[Risen Star]

I think the main reason is Jerry wants Garrett to have every opportunity to succeed this season and prove him right. So he wants all the continuity among the staff he can get.

And I want to agree with you, Risenstar, because he has been on fire as of late, but what Marinelli did with the defensive line last year screams in the face of your argument. Talent is very very important, as well as chemistry. But a coach who knows the strengths and weaknesses and how to play to the strengths of each player, while steering them away from weaknesses, can do a lot with less.

What did Marinelli do with our DL?

It was part of what may be the single worst defensive performance in the history of the team. Why does this guy get so much love? He coached bad players to play badly.

I didn't say a coach is irrelevant. I said he can't create talent. He can only coach it. If the 2013 OL consisted of a 1st year starting LT Tyron, Livings, Costa, Bernadeau and Free, I don't think anyone would be talking about how much they've improved in a year.

 

[Risen Star]

Houck was a great coach--a decade ago. I think the game passed him by, much like Kiffin. I think Callahan's stubbornness, which has been exhibited everywhere he has been, has him in danger of being passed by as well.

Well I don't know how you can really think that with the talent he had to work with. It was horrendous.

The game's passed him by but Rod Marinelli should be saluted for what he did here in 2013.

What?

 

[Risen Star]

You may be right, but Houck was also in his final years of coaching and maybe he didn't coach up to his "potential" like he had in the past. It's possible he was "burnt out" like Parcells. So many variables...

I'd say considering the Cowboys replaced 3/5ths of the starting OL last offseason it kind of speaks to whether it was just a matter of the OL coach getting the most out of his players.

 

[rpntex]

Which I am sure he would if he could. Not sure if that would be possible if he were offered a position above his current title of "assistant OL coach".

That doesn't matter. In the eyes of the NFL, anything other than a head coach is simply classified as an assistant. Leaving a position as assistant OL coach for a position of coordinator is not a promotion in legal terms. You're still an assistant coach, and you can be blocked from leaving. Only if you're getting a HC job does your owner have to release you.

 

[TheSport78]

I'd say considering the Cowboys replaced 3/5ths of the starting OL last offseason it kind of speaks to whether it was just a matter of the OL coach getting the most out of his players.

Like I said, many variables...

 

[OhSnap]

It's quite possible that Monte Kiffin is still on the Dallas coaching staff because of Rod Marinelli's wishes and accepting or rejecting the defensive coordinator job.

With that being said, if the Cowboys would've allowed Bill Callahan to go to Cleveland or Baltimore as the OC, I believe that Frank Pollack would have followed him. The Cowboys were more afraid of losing Pollack, and not so much Callahan.

It's pretty apparent that the running game (when committed to) and the offensive line progressed in 2013, and I believe it was mainly because of Pollack.

Thoughts?

I think the line got better because they stayed more healthy than the last 2 years and of course Fredrick is the best 1st rd pick this team has had in a while as far as paying off immediately. They did a great job with Leary too taught him a whole new position and got 16 games from him that's a steal. Jerry knew a little bit about what he was talkin about when he bragged about getting him. Take that Jerry bashers

 

[JBS]

Lolol. How do people still not know these rules?

 

[texbumthelife]

What did Marinelli do with our DL?

It was part of what may be the single worst defensive performance in the history of the team. Why does this guy get so much love? He coached bad players to play badly.

I didn't say a coach is irrelevant. I said he can't create talent. He can only coach it. If the 2013 OL consisted of a 1st year starting LT Tyron, Livings, Costa, Bernadeau and Free, I don't think anyone would be talking about how much they've improved in a year.

So a coach can or can not coach up players and make them better?

 

[TheSport78]

Lolol. How do people still not know these rules?

Sorry for not knowing the rule, but there's no need to condescend. In truth, if the Cowboys would've let Callahan go to CLE or BAL, we don't know what the Cowboys would've done with Pollack if he wanted to follow Bill.

 

[xwalker]

I'd say considering the Cowboys replaced 3/5ths of the starting OL last offseason it kind of speaks to whether it was just a matter of the OL coach getting the most out of his players.

Smith, Free and Bernadeau were all starters in 2012. Leary and Frederick were the new starters. That means that they replaced 2/5ths, not 3/5ths of the starting OL.