A friend sent me this late last night. I thought I would have seen posted by now.

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/1...ers-effort-tanking-threw-game-marcellus-wiley

lol. This is genius.

Tecmo - Week 2 @ Rams

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...o-miss-third-straight-game-with-a-concussion/

Robert Quinn likely to miss third straight game with a concussion
Posted by Josh Alper on December 14, 2016

Getty Images

The Rams and Seahawks will kick off Week 15 in Seattle on Thursday night and it looks like the Seahawks won’t have to deal with Rams defensive end Robert Quinn as they try to get their offense back in gear after last week’s blowout loss to the Packers.

Quinn has missed the last two games with a concussion and is listed as doubtful to play for the Rams on Thursday. That would make five missed games overall for Quinn, who also spent a night in the hospital last month before returning to the lineup that week.

Cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh) is also doubtful for the Rams while safety Maurice Alexander (concussion) and running back Benny Cunningham (neck) have been ruled out. Defensive lineman Matt Longacre (heel) is questionable to play in interim coach John Fassel’s first game since getting bumped up to replace the fired Jeff Fisher.

The Seahawks ruled out running back C.J. Prosise (shoulder) and defensive end Damontre Moore (foot). Linebackers Brock Coyle(foot) and Dewey McDonald (illness) are questionable.

I have read in various posts over the years, that certain position/HC's are QB whisperers. That by their unique abilities, they are able to develop a QB into a Tom Brady...a Drew Brees...a Joe Montana...

Of course, an offensive minded coach will create the Oline that can pass protect, and the WR group that can run great routes...If all that it took was a QB with skills to follow the offensive gameplan, then Jeff George and Ty Detmer would have been stars. If a QB has inherent abilities like pocket presence, vision, throwing ability, and just plain guts, is THAT what counts?.....So do coaches like Bill Walsh, Don Coryell, Bill Bellicheck, Don Shula, do anything but provide the surrounding environment that allows a QB to do his thing, or do they do specific coaching that makes a QB a franchise QB?

http://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/story?id=1953234&columnist=pasquarelli_len

LSU coach decides NFL can't wait
Dec 26, 2004

• Len Pasquarelli

After three days of emotional deliberations, personal and professional discussions with family members and close associates which tore Nick Saban in two directions, the Miami Dolphins have a new head coach.

Saban decided Saturday to leave his comfort zone at LSU, a university for which he has great respect and fondness, and accept the task of rebuilding the Dolphins organization. The decision came after long Thursday and Friday sessions at his home in Baton Rouge, where he weighed his future with his wife, Terry, and his agent, Jimmy Sexton.


"We've never ever taken over successful programs," said Saban,
who announced his decision, after apprising university officials and his players of it, at an evening news conference in Orlando on Saturday. "We've taken challenges that were difficult, worked hard and had an effect in a positive way. That's one of the reasons I feel I can be successful in this
challenge."

The contract will be for five years and is worth $4.5 million-$5 million annually. It will also provide Saban with near-absolute control over football-related decisions and allow him to help reshape the organization following a disastrous 2004 season.

He will take over in Miami after coaching LSU in its bowl game on Jan. 1. The Tigers, who won their final six games this season to finish at 9-2, will face Iowa in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

The following day, the
Dolphins conclude their worst season since the 1960s, and their
first losing season since 1988.

Saban on Wednesday was formally offered the Dolphins job and told Dolphins and school officials he might need a day or two to come to a decision. Clearly, he wanted a resolution before Christmas, when his team was scheduled to leave for its bowl game, but could not meet his original timetable because of his strong feelings for LSU.

Sexton spent much of Wednesday meeting in Fort Lauderdale with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga discussing contract parameters. The two made what one source termed "significant progress" toward a deal, but an agreement wasn't struck. There remained some details to be hammered out and, more important, Saban needed time to examine the offer and review his own priorities. Sexton then hunkered down with Saban for nearly three days to discuss the options.

On Friday morning, Huizenga flew to Baton Rouge for another round of meetings. He had hoped to bring Saban back to Miami with him on his private plane, but the coach reiterated that he needed more time.

At no time, sources said, did LSU attempt to significantly augment Saban's contract. Two sources said that, at the outset of the process with Miami, school officials told Saban and Sexton how far they could go financially. There was never a formal counteroffer in an attempt to keep him in Baton Rouge.

There are likely to be dramatic changes now in the Dolphins organization.

Miami will hire a new team president to replace the much-respected Eddie Jones, who will retire in March, and the hiring of Saban could also end the tenure of general manager Rick Spielman, who has been a part of the search for the successor to Dave Wannstedt. It is anticipated that Saban would want to bring aboard his own general manager or personnel director to head the scouting department.

"We most certainly want to have success in an organization that
has been rich in tradition and success in the past," Saban said.
"[We're] going to work extremely hard to try to restore that
success."

One of the deal-breakers 11 months ago, when Saban rejected the Chicago Bearshead coach job, was that he was not offered control over some staffing and personnel matters. Confidants of Saban have reiterated to ESPN.com that control, particularly in terms of acquiring players, was a more critical issue to him than finances.

Saban began taking a hard look at the Miami job a year ago, when it appeared Wannstedt might be in trouble, following a second non-playoff season. A candidate for several NFL jobs since leaving the league to become head coach at Michigan State in 1994, Saban has always indicated he would return to the league only under optimum conditions.

Part of his attraction to the job was that Huizenga is regarded around the league as an owner who does not meddle in football matters, who essentially gets out of the way and lets his coach do his job.

"Your boss is always really important," Saban said. "And I
was really, really impressed with Wayne Huizenga in terms of what
he wants to accomplish, what his vision is for this team and what
his goals are. I would like to work in partnership with people like
that."

The other intriguing element for Saban is the opportunity to rebuild a football organization to his own specifications.

The Dolphins first huddled with Saban on Dec. 14, in a late-night meeting, and it was clear from the outset that he topped the Miami wish list. Teams officials also interviewed former Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell, currently a league vice president, and interim head coach Jim Bates for the position. But there was never any doubt that Saban was their man if a deal could be struck.

Saban, 53, has enjoyed great success at LSU, and leaving the school would be a difficult decision for him. As late as Tuesday morning, even before he had the Dolphins offer in hand, he told athletic director Skip Bertman that he probably faced a tough call and praised the school for its commitment to him and his family. After rebuffing the Bears advances, Saban signed a new seven-year contract, making him the highest paid college head coach in the country.

His team won the national championship in 2003 and, in five seasons in Baton Rouge, he compiled a 48-15 mark.

Following the Tigers' practice Sunday in Orlando, their first
since his announcement, Saban said the team is taking his imminent
departure well.

"At some point in everyone's life, they have to make some kind
of career decision that affects other people, and that's how I
explained it to them," Saban said. "They have managed this well --
better than I have."

LSU All-American defensive end Marcus Spears said the Tigers
weren't surprised by Saban's decision.

"It's not the first time coach has had to entertain the idea of
taking another job," Spears said. "I think most of the guys are
happy for him. Some young guys may have concerns, but that's
normal."

In stints at LSU (2000-present), Michigan State (1995-99) and Toledo (1990), Saban had a record of 91-41-1.

His previous NFL experience came as secondary coach with the Houston Oilers (1988-89) and the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns (1991-94), where he worked on the staff of longtime friend Bill Belichick.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here

.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...d-coach-121416?cmpid=feed:-sports-CQ-RSS-Feed

The Los Angeles Rams are in need of a head coach that can turn water into wine, especially with quarterback Jared Goff. Kyle Shanahan’s scheme in Atlanta has Matt Ryan posting perennial All-Pro numbers.

Even better, the Falcons have experienced a lot of success in spreading the ball around this season. Shanahan has developed a knack for getting Atlanta’s raw athletes the ball in open space.

Taylor Gabriel is the example of the difference a player can make when properly utilized.

Ultimately, the Rams need a head coach who can maximize the offensive talent already in place. One can assume Rams GM Les Snead saw Gabriel’s 64-yard touchdown play on Sunday and thought about Tavon Austin.

Or how about the potential of Todd Gurley running the ball inside Kyle Shanahan’s offense? The Rams don’t have the best offensive line in the league but then again, neither do the Falcons.

Los Angeles needs a head coach who can generate optimism and motivate fans along the West Coast. Stan Kroenke will soon be selling luxury suites in Inglewood’s new, $2.66 billion stadium, a task made easier with washed-up Jeff Fisher gone.

The Rams’ marketing team would have no problem selling a new era behind Kyle Shanahan to season ticket holders. Shanahan is young (37), innovative, and he’s got the football pedigree.

Of course, Kyle’s father is 2-time Super Bowl winning coach, Mike Shanahan.

Offensive guys filled all seven NFL head coaching vacancies last offseason. As the league continues to evolve, rules designed to protect player safety are handicapping defenses. This puts pressure on offenses to put up big yards and constantly outscore the opposition. Developing franchise quarterbacks remains essential as rarely do teams win big games without a good on under center.

Having worked with a few different types of quarterbacks, Kyle Shanahan may be as flexible as coaches come. Matt Schaub played out a pair of career years while Shanahan’s was Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator. Shanahan also ran the Washington Redskins offense during Robert Griffin’s Rookie of the Year season.

Shanahan spent a year as Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator before joining the Falcons. Speculation indicated Shanahan was not in agreement with the Browns’ front office on Johnny Manziel as the starting quarterback.

Kyle Shanahan makes too much sense for the Los Angeles Rams and should be one of their first interviews this offseason.

I'm guessing this type of condition goes on more than we realize but I don't remember any other NFL player talking about this before.
********************************************************************************************
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2016/12/eagles_brandon_brooks_diagnosed_with_anxiety_condi.html


CSNPhilly.com

Eagles' Brandon Brooks diagnosed with anxiety condition
By Eliot Shorr-Parks | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles starting offensive guard Brandon Brooks revealed Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with an anxiety condition which caused him to miss two of the team's last three games, including last Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Washington Redskins.

"I found out recently that I have an anxiety condition," Brooks said at his locker. "What I mean by anxiety condition ... not nervousness or fear of the game, what it is is I have an obsession with the game. It's an unhealthy obsession right now. I'm working with team doctors to get everything straightened out and get the help I need."

Brooks said that he woke up around 4 A.M. the morning of the team's game against the Redskins and was vomiting uncontrollably. After arriving at Lincoln Financial Field, Brooks was so weak that he was unable to stand despite receiving treatment from team doctors.

"The only time you guys notice is game day," Brooks said. "But it's happened Friday, Monday, Tuesday. It can happen any time."

Brooks also missed the team's game in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, and twice missed games last season when he was a member of the Houston Texans.

"For the longest, I thought it was an ulcer or something physical with my stomach. I didn't know it could possibly be something else. I would get sick maybe twice a year. But it wasn't like how it was this time, where it was one game I played, then the next game it happened again."

Going forward, Brooks sounded confident that he would not be missing any more time now that he has gotten to the root of the problem.

"I'm taking steps now. First, once you got an issue or problem, you got to admit. I admit it. I accept it. I own it," Brooks said of his anxiety condition. "Get the medication I need to tone it down ... (I'm going to) talk to somebody, figure out why I've constantly searching to be perfect and if I'm not perfect, I don't feel like I've done my job or that it was good enough."

Brooks said that he has been taking medication since he missed the team's game against the Packers, but that it is going to take time to have an impact.

"I love the organization. The organization has been great," Brooks said. "They're supporting me with this -- the head coach (Doug Pederson), my position coach (Jeff Stoutland), Howie (Roseman). I'll make it through. I'll be okay. Nothing I'm ashamed of. I own it."

John looks much more relaxed and showing lots of energy.

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Gurley needs to pull his dreads back so we can see his face.

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It's fun sometimes to make a guess, a prediction on what might happen. I'm intrigued that Fassel has had 3 days to prepare the team, that some Rams players have been accused of going through the motions and not giving 100%, that Goff has had another game of experience, that the weather Thursday night will be dry but 27 degrees. I wonder things like how the Fassel/Greg Williams interaction and relationship is going. Or more importantly if Fassel has told Boras he has to change it up and do something different.

So what is going to happen Thursday night?

My thought is that it's either going to be really bad, a blowout like 41-10 ... or ... our Rams are going to pull off an upset in a close, low scoring game like 13-12. I do not think it'll be in between, like 24-17. It's either getting blown out by a high, lopsided score ... or we win in a low scoring affair.



What do you ROD members think?
How will the game play out tomorrow night in Seattle?

Just depressing as hell.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...he-rgiii-trade-nobody/?utm_term=.ab4557504f23

With Jeff Fisher’s firing, we now know who won the RGIII trade: Nobody

ByDan SteinbergDecember 14 at 11:40 AM

The three lead actors in perhaps the saddest trade in NFL history made one last joint appearance on stage this week. And you didn’t want to grab tissues, or clutch your heart, or admire the pathos of it all. You just wanted to look away. Does the theater come with barf bags?

There was the still-unemployed Mike Shanahan having his name floated a possible future hire in San Francisco, only to have Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio immediately refute the report, writing that “the team won’t be hiring Mike Shanahan in any capacity.” There was his buddy Jeff Fisher finally losing his job three days before a game — which saved him the ignominy of setting the NFL’s losses record in front of a prime-time audience Thursday night. And there was Robert Griffin III, the kid whose fate Shanahan and Fisher had helped decide, throwing a flea-flicker interception from his own end zone for an 0-12 team bumbling its merry way to 0-13.

“Please clap,” they might as well have asked. Nobody clapped.

Why bring this up now? Because Fisher went out of his way to troll the Redskins over his cleverness, sending out his RGIII-acquired players as captains two years before losing his job. Because Rams GM Les Snead once wrote on his whiteboard, “build to dominate using Redskin picks,” right before a thoroughly dominating 17-28 stretch. Because Daniel Snyder, Bruce Allen and Shanahan flew to the Bahamas to celebrate their franchise-resuscitating trade, which nearly imploded their franchise a few years later. Has any disaster been jointly celebrated so many times? Did Chamberlain do Crown Royal shots in the Bahamas after signing the Munich Agreement?

So let’s remember that trade as evidence that no period of caution is ever long enough. Some analysts have suggested the Nats’ recent trade — a passel of prospects for one big sure thing — could wind up as a win-win. The Nats will fill a gaping need, and the White Sox can rebuild their rotation, and both fan bases will be happy. This is pleasant to think about, like trading a lumber for an ore, and then eating some chips and dip while waiting for your next turn. Sometimes, though, everyone loses, even if you can’t see it in real time.

“I’m going to always call this [a] win-win,” Snead told The Post in 2012. “This is something we’ll have to look at in five years. But even in five years, I don’t think you’re going to be talking about a winner and a loser. I think this will be a win for both sides.”

Well, he’s right about one thing: No one is talking about a winner and a loser. The trade was NFL ebola: Everyone who touched it needs to be quarantined.

Shanahan called Griffin “a guy who has a chance to take us to the promised land.” But he managed to look both dictatorial and incompetent as his tenure here wound down. He was the man who allowed the prize acquisition’s body to be ruined, who was unable to check his quarterback’s personality, who presided over a failing regime with more leaks than a Metro tunnel. He was a two-time Super Bowl winner before that epic trade; now he does Web ads for NFL Ticket Exchange.

Fisher, on the other hand, earned praise for making off with just about all of Washington’s picks. “Jeff ought to break his arm patting himself on the back for getting that deal,” NFL.com draft analyst Gil Brandt told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The term I use: You oughta be put in jail for stealing. The Rams stole.”

It’s what every smart team is supposed to do: stockpile picks, build through the draft, construct a proper foundation. Turns out that doesn’t guarantee success, especially if you can never find (ahem) a franchise quarterback. Fisher’s captains prank indicated just how clever he still thought he was. That was two years ago this week. Since then, the Redskins have gone 17-14-1, the Rams 11-21. Wide receivers aren’t the only ones who drop the ball in celebration before actually crossing the goal line.

Griffin, meanwhile, wound up with a franchise whose coach needed to win quickly, whose fan base was willing to crown him before a single snap and whose owner was eager for a new best friend. Maybe he was doomed by his college offense and slight frame. But would his career have needed a laugh track if he had been drafted by the Packers, or the Broncos, or the Patriots?

It isn’t just them; everyone who came into contact with this trade wound up reeking of stale cabbage. Washington’s fan base spent four years devouring itself, and those hard feelings still aren’t gone. St. Louis lost its football team entirely. Washington’s defense remains talent-starved, and it’s hard not to think of those missing draft picks. The Rams used them to hit on some players and miss on others; just three of the eight picks they netted from the Griffin deal outlasted Fisher, and none has been to the playoffs. The Redskins have the NFL’s 24th-best record since making the deal. The Rams are 27th.

“This team is on the fast track,” quarterback Sam Bradford once said of the Rams, when asked about the RGIII trade. That was before he was himself traded twice.

Perhaps the trade’s only winner was Kirk Cousins. The years of drama meant he didn’t get a real chance to shine until the end of his rookie deal, which led to his current franchise tag — and a price tag that keeps rising. The Griffin drama wound up making Cousins an awful lot of money. Are there any other winners?

So maybe don’t fly to the Bahamas to celebrate your trade wins, NFL executives. Don’t tally up your winnings on whiteboards, and don’t brag about them with your choice of ceremonial captains. Save the victory laps for the actual victories and the “win-win” talk for actual wins.

And now we wait to see about Fisher’s next job. Maybe NFL Ticket Exchange is hiring.

I don't know if any of you follow UFC but I figured since the main event is two real cuties I'm sure a few of you could appreciate this fight this Saturday. I've followed Waterson for years being from New Mexico and looking forward to seeing her taking a big step coming over to the UFC from being the champ in Invicta. Paige isn't no push over though and this is going to be an interesting fight. If you don't know any of the fighters here is a vid:
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Not only is my favorite fighter fighting but Super Sage Northcutt is fighting and I really think this guy is the next biggest thing that is going to happen to the UFC. I forsee him grabbing the championship and keeping it for a while.

Anyways anybody else follow MMA or UFC? If you are a fan of the other fighters I'm willing to bet on my fighters!

I will try to keep up on these. It may not be daily and I will also probably be posting some trivia from the NFL as a whole. Good luck and have fun.

Note: These questions will change almost daily. I will unsticky them as soon as I post the answer.

OK so here is the deal. Years ago I found an LA Rams Trivia Game in a Goodwill. I pretty much bought it as a piece of memorabilia. Now with the Rams moving back, I thought it might make for a fun game for some of us old timers. Odd thing is that about 70% of the questions have nothing to do with the Rams.

So here is what I will do. I will post the questions that are Rams related and let you guys answer. I will then post the answers the next day. These are not easy questions as far as I can tell but maybe the memory function of my brain has been compromised.
.View attachment 11961
There is only basically one rule. No search engines or internet sites to look up answers that you will post later. I realize some will still look up the answers. I know I would if I didn't have the cards. But I want to see how many out there actually know the answers. So if you do feel like looking them up on the internet, just don't post the answers. Comment all you want.

Now - keep in mind. I said the internet is off limits. But if you have books, magazines, football cards, etc... feel free to use them. That may seem hypocritical but it's about time some of us got some use out of all that stuff we've bought over the years.

Cheers.

......to my most dear friends.....my Ramily.

I changed my Avatar this year in hopes of creating new and positive juju for the Rams and what do we see...... 4 wins to date.

Now some may argue that the termination of Fisher is a start of positive juju, but I prefer the winning record/playoffs kind.

Therefore, in hopes of enhancing the positive juju of the Rams moving forward, I will be in search of a new Avatar. Wish me luck my Ram brothers.....

GO RAMS!

I admit, its Christmas and its fun to spitball coaching candidates. Gruden, Harbaugh, Shanahan, McDaniel's, Turner, Bob Cooter, and Shaw. DASHER, DANCER, PRANCER, VIXEN, COMET, CUPID, DONNER, and BLITZEN. And one Reindeer to lead them all! So how do we find Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer? The next Belichick? ( God I threw up in my mouth typing his name.) But let's face it. We all want a head coach who can create a Dynasty. Right? Of course right.

I apologize in advance for redundancy and I should have posted this in Mackeyser's thread but that thread veered away from its original subject matter. Still Mackeyser said it best,

" Kevin Demoff is NOT a football person and should have zero say in football operations.

So, if Les Snead isn't part of the decision, who is going to be at the vanguard in selecting the next Rams HC?

Or are the Rams going to pick a GM first? or perhaps hire them in tandem? And if in tandem, how does that work? How would the evaluation of the HC candidates work in that case?"

Let me toss in my 2 cents.

1. We need a head coach who checks his ego at the door thus allowing his offensive and defensive coordinators complete creative power to run their respective units. A head coach who knows his own weaknesses.

2. We need a head coach who can spot an offensive and defensive geniuses and hire those guys. NO NEPITISM! Its not personal... its businesses.


3. We need a head coach who can adapt week to week, accentuating Ram strengths, create mismatches thus exploiting enemy teams weaknesses.


4. We need a head coach with the impeccable ability to spot draft and free agent talent or know a GM who can spot the talent and hire that GM.



I could go and on and on and on. But what's the point? The point is we need someone WHO CAN SIFT THROUGH THE PRO AND COLLEGE RANKS AND HIRE THE NEXT BELICHICK.

Stan K needs to find the guy who can find the guy who can the hire men who will lead us to numerous Super Bowls. Who is this mysterious man. I don't know. That's not my job. But if it were my job I would search high and low for Football people who have hired MULTIPLE successful coaches. I'm looking at the Patriots, Steelers, Giants, Ravens, and the Packers. Who hired their head coaches? And then I'd pay through the nose for the man who found and hired all those successful coaches to lead the search for the next Ram's Head Coach.



Bottom Line- Stan K needs to find and hire an expert on head coaching talent and then let that man hire our next head coach. My heart can't take another decade of spinning our wheels.

On the morning of Dec. 6, 2010, a plane touched down at Akron-Canton Airport. Thom McDaniels turned on his phone as the plane slowed, and it rang immediately. It was his son Josh. The day before, Thom had watched Josh's Broncos lose to theChiefs in Kansas City. Now, Josh had some news.

"Dad, the Broncos let me go this morning," Josh said. "I want you to know I'm fine. Laura is fine. Tell Mom for me, would you?"

Not long after, Thom called his son back. Like most good dads, Thom doesn't hold back when he thinks his son needed to be told something. And when Thom has something to say about coaching, his words are well received by his son.

These days, Thom mows greens on a golf course. But for 38 years, he carved a legend in northeast Ohio as a high school football coach. Josh started tagging along to his practices when he was five years old.

"You need to write down everything you would do differently if you ever get a chance to be a head coach again," Thom told him. "Do it while everything is fresh in your mind. Over time, add to it."

Josh created an Excel document on his laptop. He named it "lessonslearned.xls."

For a long time, McDaniels had been living on fast forward. After playing a role in three Patriots Super Bowl championships, he was hired as head coach of the Broncos at the don't-know-what-you-don't-know age of 33. The Broncos gave him almost as much power as his former boss Bill Belichick had in New England.

McDaniels quickly traded quarterback Jay Cutler and reshaped the organization to what some called "New England West." He won his first six games as a head coach but then lost 17 of his next 22.

He lost his team and lost himself in the process.





Joe Mahoney/Associated Press


That winter and into the spring of 2011, McDaniels had plenty of time to ponder it all. He took a job in St. Louis as the offensive coordinator. His wife Laura and their children stayed in Colorado to finish out the school year. That was the offseason of the NFL lockout, so there were no players to coach.

The other Rams coaches would clear out of the facility early and head home for dinner with their families. McDaniels would order from a local restaurant that delivered. If not, he would save some leftovers from lunch or microwave a couple of instant oatmeal packets he had picked up from the breakfast buffet at his hotel and stashed.

He was alone in his office for five or six hours every night until 10:30 or 11. The room was barren—no photos, mementos or decorations. The shelves were empty. A couple of boxes with his belongings sat in a corner. The view out his window for too long was a gray sky and a snow-covered practice field.

In the silence, McDaniels found himself. And he began to imagine a new coach.

"I was by myself—just me and my thoughts," McDaniels says. "I had very little interaction with other people. I had time to go back over everything we did in Denver, the decisions we made, step by step. I could slow it down."

There were many lessons to be considered, about big things and small: the length of meetings, player discipline, to call plays or not call plays, developing assistant coaches, time management, how to build the roster, handling the media, scheduling, how hard to work players...on and on.

Much of what he thought about had to do with relationships. He continued the dialogue with his father and reached out to others he trusted, including Ted Crews, who was in charge of Rams public relations at the time, and Bill O'Brien, who had succeeded him as offensive coordinator in New England.

"He was more willing to take advice," Thom McDaniels says.

He had some long talks with Tony Dungy, his one-time rival with theColts. Dungy told him he needed to self-reflect every year, whether he was fired or won the Super Bowl. They talked about the importance of being yourself and trusting instincts. Having fun is not a bad thing. Dungy stressed that a head coach's consistency with a team really mattered. They talked about the formula that makes a good coaching staff. Dungy gave him some ideas about keeping his faith at the center of his life as his coaching world turned.

"I could relate to where he was at the time, having been fired myself," Dungy says. "He's a very smart guy, and we just talked about finding the next spot—the one that would be best for him."

At the time, the right next spot was a step back—back to New England as an offensive assistant. Five years later, he's offensive coordinator and could be close to finding another next spot.

"I would look at his years in Denver as a positive, not a negative," one NFC general manager says. "It made him realize he needs to rely on his strengths. He now realizes that Belichick is a rarity, and no one can run the show like him. [But] like Bill, Josh can adapt to any circumstance, and he can do this with limited prep time. ...

"If I were an owner, hiring Josh would be a no-brainer."



"Lesson Learned: Take time to digest information and make good, PATIENT decisions. Never rush into anything—all things are important. Impulsive—is a bad word—listen to everyone and make the RIGHT decision. Nothing gets fixed quickly."

Trading Cutler was not McDaniels' intention when he arrived in Denver. He had heard some things and was sniffing around. Then Cutler started to get suspicious, and the relationship started to turn.

Rather than try to salvage things, McDaniels said screw it. He traded him.





David Zalubowski/Associated Press


"I learned the hard way," he says. "We could have avoided that, no question."

As he grayed, Thom McDaniels recognized he became a more thoughtful, measured and calculating leader. He told his son he needed to do the same. And Josh acknowledges that he was too reactive and emotional during his Denver days.

"I don't know that I was as patient as I needed to be in most situations, whether it was game-planning, on the sidelines, preparation for the draft, personnel moves, whatever," he says. "There is an element of this game that tests your ability to slow down and make a good decision. I was allowing the way I felt at the moment to make the decision."

McDaniels still wants to be passionate, but he wants to channel his emotion in a productive way.

He is, for instance, trying to clean up his language.

"I don't think swearing sends a good message," he says. "When I do it, I feel bad about it. Before, I don't know that I ever even thought about it. My frustration would be apparent. Now my response to a bad practice is to try to find the positives and show them how to learn from mistakes."

This year, McDaniels could have become flustered about having quarterback Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season. He could have become exasperated when Brady's backup Jimmy Garoppolo sprained his shoulder. He could have fired a clipboard when third-stringer Jacoby Brissett injured his thumb.

But he just kind of rolled with it.

"It is what it is," McDaniels says with a smile and a shrug. "We'll be ready."

McDaniels is focused on living in the now—not on when Brady comes back or when the playoffs start or when he gets a chance to be a head coach again. His attention this week is on beating the Bills, whether it's with Garoppolo, Brissett or even Julian Edelman at quarterback.

Instability at QB often exposes coaches. For McDaniels, it has been a showcase. With two backups, the Patriots have scored more points than all but four teams. McDaniels has shown flexibility in game-planning and diligence about long-term development as well as short-term preparation.

Instead of coming unglued under difficult circumstances, he has embraced them.





Steven Senne/Associated Press


"I enjoy coaching all of the quarterbacks," he says. "The games are great, but my favorite thing is getting an opportunity to spend time with a position group and just teach.

"You have to navigate the different levels of learning. Jimmy is an eager learner. Jacoby is a smart guy who loves football. He wants to get better and invest himself in it."



"Lesson Learned: LISTEN better. To anyone who tells me something. There are so many people who can help us win & have wisdom I don't have. I will do my part in teaching but can never stop learning myself. Best results come from a group effort!"

As a head coach, McDaniels had to deal with many more team employees than he did and does as an offensive coordinator. But he really didn't have time for the director of accounting or community relations liaison. He was there for football, right? They could talk to his assistant.

McDaniels was guarded. He kept to himself. It seemed like the bridge between the rest of the building and McDaniels' office was raised most of the time.

If someone had an idea, McDaniels wasn't all that interested in hearing it. He'd rather do something himself and know it would be done to his standards than delegate to a subordinate. He unwittingly suppressed creativity and growth.

Now? "I've had an opportunity to truly understand the value of interpersonal relationships and the feelings people have in the building, coach to player, player to coach, person to person," he says. "I don't know that I ever considered that before."

His goal is to be a resource to those he works with, a servant leader. He wants to empower co-workers by trusting and sharing the responsibilities of guiding a team.

Not long ago, Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll was assigned to put together a third-down scouting report. Daboll came up with a new way of presenting it. He ran it by McDaniels first. It gave McDaniels pause. In the past, he would have told him to redo it the way that McDaniels was most comfortable. But he knew Daboll felt good about the report and had worked hard on it.

Green light given.

"As much as we are on the same staff, we don't all think the same," McDaniels says. "That's OK. Before, I might have been frustrated with that. Now I feel that's a healthy thing."

Watching and talking to Belichick during his second Patriots tenure has made this clear to him. "After being a head coach myself, I look at him in a different light when he speaks to the staff or players," McDaniels said. "I appreciate how supportive he has been of me, and I see how supportive he is to others."

When he was in Denver, McDaniels wore a hoodie with cutoff sleeves to practice at times. Was he trying to be a Belichick clone? Maybe, but he isn't now. He has great respect for the way Belichick does things, but he wants to be Josh McDaniels.





Charles Krupa/Associated Press


The respect is mutual. "I just know he has done a great job at everything I have ever asked him to do," Belichick says.

While Belichick always has considered McDaniels smart, dependable, well prepared and team-oriented, he says this: "Being with two other organizations, Denver and St. Louis, and knowing how intelligent and perceptive he is, Josh undoubtedly has gained perspectives that he wouldn't have otherwise had. I'm sure that has helped him grow professionally."



"Lesson Learned: Be considerate of assistant coaches' time, their emotions & make sure they always know how much I care. Push them, hold them accountable and love each one of them personally. We win as a team, we lose as a team and I always take responsibility for the losses. They get the credit when we win—they deserve it."

In McDaniels' second season as a head coach, the Broncos hosted theRaiders in a game that could have turned around their season. The Raiders gave them a 59-14 whipping. McDaniels gathered his assistants in the locker room and chewed them out. He assessed blame and vented.

The young McDaniels never took time to think about how people he worked with might be feeling. He either was lost in the moment or was thinking ahead about what he had to do next.

One former assistant said McDaniels' people skills were a problem.

"I was tough on assistants," McDaniels says. "I didn't do a good enough job of making them feel good, in terms of what they were doing for us. I have learned how important that is to make sure they understand how much you appreciate them. They need to be able to enjoy working with you. There is no doubt I appreciated them. I just don't know that I demonstrated that."

When he came back to New England, McDaniels noticed something: Belichick knew all of his children's names—Jack, Maddie, Livia and Neenah. He thought about that.

While leaving a recent game, McDaniels bumped into offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia and his wife Susan in the parking lot. He stopped to thank them. Scarnecchia returned to the Patriots this year after a two-year retirement.

"It's so good to have him back," he said to Susan. "I hope you are enjoying this."

Four years after McDaniels' tirade following the loss to the Raiders, his Patriots endured a similar embarrassment, this time losing 41-14 at Kansas City. Instead of railing at his offensive assistants, McDaniels apologized for not doing his job well enough. He told his staff and his players he had confidence the Patriots would bounce back from the loss.

He was right. The Patriots went on a tear and ended that season in a confetti shower, passing around a silver trophy.



"Lesson Learned: I wanted to practice until I felt we totally had it. Wrong Choice. I need to lighten the load and REALIZE the value in allowing the players to feel good about that. Players who feel you are taking care of them will give you all they have during the week and on Sunday."

There was friction and distrust between McDaniels and some of his Broncos players. In a 2013 interview with 750 The Game in Portland (via PFT), punter Mitch Berger said McDaniels wouldn't talk to him or look at him if he performed below his standards. "I never played for a guy in my life who guys wanted to play for less," he said. "He was just a guy you didn't care about."

Having a feel-good relationship with players, McDaniels thought at the time, wasn't important. Scoring touchdowns, sacking the quarterback, having more takeaways than the opponent—that's what he thought was important.

He thinks differently now. At one point, it dawned on him: His father always seemed to strike the right balance between being demanding and compassionate with this players, and he was beloved for it. Without mutual respect, he realized, it's almost impossible to achieve mutual goals.

When McDaniels returned to the Patriots in 2012 and was reunited with Brady, the coach and quarterback had to figure out how to work with one another again. Their last full season together was 2007, and each had grown since then.





Charles Krupa/Associated Press


Brady had ideas about how to do things differently. He liked the way O'Brien had handled aspects of the offense. McDaniels' playbook and his approach had evolved in five years. There was some tension between them on game-planning.

"I got used to Billy's style," Brady says. "Josh wasn't a part of the processes it took to get to where we were when he came back. You spend a few years apart, and it's not like you come back together and it's instantaneous.

"We had to work back towards communication and trusting each other and believing what the other was saying would mesh. I usually end up deferring to him, because I have a lot of trust in him."

McDaniels adds: "We had a lot of discussions. It took time. It took some giving. We learned to communicate effectively together to the point where it's not going to be all my way, it's not going to be all his way. We worked really hard on our relationship, and I think it's in as good a place now as it's ever been because we have given the other person the trust and the respect."

Brady says he talks with McDaniels more than anyone else.

"I think Gisele gets jealous of the time I spend talking to Josh," he says. "But she understands. This is something we both care deeply about."

Brady and McDaniels spend time talking about Gisele, Brady's supermodel wife, too. And Laura, and the rest of their families. Remember: McDaniels, 40, is just one year older than Brady. They experienced marriage and children on a similar timetable. The other day they had a conversation about how the book The Five Love Languages applies to relationships with their children.





Jim McIsaac/Getty Images


"He may need me more in that regard than he does for something else," McDaniels says. "Somebody else can draw up a play."

It has been rewarding for Brady to witness the maturation of McDaniels.

"I trust him, I respect him, I love him like a brother," Brady says. "He's not just my coach. He'll be a friend the rest of my life. We've been through a lot of wins, losses, tough seasons and incredible seasons. It's been a fun ride to experience with him."



"Lesson Learned: Stay fresh & healthy—don't overdo it—it will eventually burn me out! Never let that happen!!!"

By December 27, the 2009 season had become a grueling one for McDaniels. His Broncos had just lost to the Eagles, and he was miserable and frustrated. He was gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, but he couldn't steer his team where he wanted it to go.

As the parking lot cleared at Mile High Stadium, McDaniels decided he should lie down in the coaches' locker room. That's where Ben McDaniels, Josh's brother and his offensive assistant on the Broncos, found him. His color was off. He was feeling light-headed and overheated, and he had a migraine. Doctors were called.

He almost was proud of his condition. He figured he was a wounded warrior of sorts. He was the work-through-anything football coach who ate poorly, didn't sleep enough, had little balance in his life and ignored symptoms of ill health.

That was then. This past offseason, he started working out a few times a week at TB12—Brady's training facility, which emphasizes high-intensity workouts. He also cut down on carbs and started eating a lot of fish and vegetables. He lost 20 pounds, and he feels better than he has in a decade.

During training camp, he and Daboll took a brisk walk almost every day through Patriot Place, the open-air shopping center adjacent to Gillette Stadium. They would spend maybe 45 minutes de-stressing, talking about families, vacations, other sports or anything that wasn't work-related.

McDaniels looks vibrant. He smiles a lot. Especially when he is around his family.

Shortly after the Patriots dismantled the Dolphins two Sundays ago, McDaniels picked up Maddie, 10, from a friend's house. On the ride home, he asked her about her gymnastics training. She asked about the game.

"Remember that nice man who gave you the book he wrote?" he said to her, referring to tight end/children's book author Martellus Bennett. "He scored a touchdown."

Once home, he wished A.J. a happy birthday and scratched behind his ears. A.J., white, brown and affectionate, is one of two Lagotto Romagnolos in the house. Bear, cocoa-colored and rambunctious, is the other. The dogs were imported from Italy.

When 12-year-old Jack walked in, football was the subject.

"How was your flag football game?" McDaniels asked. They talked about it for a bit, and then Jack wanted to know why Dad called so many runs up the middle against the Dolphins. Everyone had a chuckle.

While Laura tended to Livia, 6, and Neenah, 3, who were face painting, Josh set up the carry-out trays of chicken salad, pasta and Italian sausage.

After dinner, the McDaniels like to sit around and talk and laugh, maybe with a cooking show on TV. One of the girls doing cartwheels. Another reviewing homework. Jack playing video games on the computer.

"This line of work can swallow you up," Laura says. "But when he's with the kids, he can stop what he's doing and talk about the school dance.

"That wasn't easy for him. He's worked on it and still is working on it. I think he has changed."

Josh is doing what he needs to do in order to share himself with his family.

"I've learned if I don't take time to enjoy the things that are important to me, I'll look back 20 years from now and say, ‘What did I do this for?'" he says. "If that means leaving work early so I can see the kids and coming back earlier the next morning when they are sleeping anyway, that's what I'll do."





Charles Krupa/Associated Press




"Lesson Learned: Lean on my faith and be myself—I love this game and enjoy working hard at it to compete with the very best. Trust our process and enjoy each day—it's a blessing to work in this game—let people see how much I treasure this privilege."

By now, more than a hundred lessons learned populate McDaniels' laptop. This one may be as important as any.

Known for his hugs and for making men feel good about themselves, Jack Easterby came to the Patriots as their character coach in 2013 after serving as the team chaplain of the Chiefs.

The Southern gentleman has been praised by Brady and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, among others, for helping to reshape the Patriots' culture by encouraging service to others, humility and poise.

"He has changed a lot of lives, and I'm on that list," McDaniels says. "He's one of my best friends, and he's got me to embrace how important faith is in my life. It's changed me as a person in terms of how I interact with everyone. It's changed my outlook on everything."

McDaniels looks forward to Saturday night bible study with Easterby and the coaching staff, as well as Sunday services at Waters Church when he is not calling plays.

"From my eyes, I think he's a more balanced guy at this point," says his brother Ben, now an offensive assistant with the Bears. "His faith is of significance in his life now. That's visible to me. I've witnessed that."

The McDaniels boys—father Thom and sons Jay, Josh and Ben—sometimes exchange spiritual and inspirational texts. In May, Josh texted this to the others:

"If u want to be happy for an hour, take a nap.

…for a day, go fishing.

…for a week, take a vacation.

…for a lifetime, serve others."

Josh McDaniels is happy again. He probably will be when he finds his next spot too.

Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at@danpompei.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2016/10/24/detroit-lions-jim-bob-cooter/92709216/

Lions notes: Offensive success traced directly to Jim Bob Cooter
Carlos Monarrez , Detroit Free Press12:25 a.m. EDT October 25, 2016
It has been replaced by nascent MVP chatter.

The success traces back directly to Cooter, who would almost certainly become a target for head coaching jobs after this season if Stafford and the offense maintain anything close to this clip.

“I think he’s definitely capable,” receiver Golden Tate said Monday of Cooter’s head-coaching prospects. “I hope he stays here. I don’t think you want to move too fast now. That’s moving at lightning speed to go from QB coach to the OC to head coach that quickly. But we just want to win games right now. We’re not worrying about all that.”

Yes, Cooter is young. He doesn’t turn 33 until July and he hasn’t even led an offense for 16 contiguous games. Only seven men have been NFL coaches in the modern era before they turned 33, with disasters like Lane Kiffin, Dave Shula and Raheem Morris recently being promoted. Then again, John Madden took over the Raiders when he was 32, and he’s in the Hall of Fame and on the cover of a video game.

The Lions (4-3) don’t want to get ahead of themselves while they’re riding a three-game winning streak as they head to Houston (4-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. Fox). And that means trying to quell any talk of anything regarding the postseason — or the potential of a Cooter video-game franchise.

“I’m not certain,” coach Jim Caldwell said of how much interest Cooter might get as a head-coaching prospect after this season. “I know he’s not focused in on that aspect of it, but there’s no question he’s doing a real nice job with the guys.”

Players also sing Cooter’s praises. With his top two running backs out, as well as his top pass-catching tight end, Cooter has made the offense work by hook or crook.

Besides Stafford, Cooter has seemed to squeeze the last ounce of utility out of every player. Tate has become a key weapon lately, helping manufacture a run game with shovel passes and sweeps.

With Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick down, the Lions still put up 94 rushing yards Sunday. That included Justin Forsett, just 13 days after he joined the team, gaining 33 yards on eight carries for a 4.13-yard average — his best on at least eight carries in more than a year.

“I’m not sure how much you guys know, but Jim Bob’s a very, very, very intelligent guy,” Tate said. “His play-calling has been phenomenal. ... Every single game we’ve been in it when it came down to it. He’s finding ways to put us in position to win. He understands what we all do well and he’s put us in positions to do that.”

Tate said Cooter’s intelligence manifests itself in the chess-like game he plays — and often wins — against opposing defensive coordinators. But Cooter also shows his smarts in meeting rooms, where he gets all his players to understand the plan.

“I just think he understands the game very well, and when he speaks about it and how he explains it I think … every guy can understand it,” Tate said. “We have a whole room full of guys, 20-something players on offense, and every guy understands exactly what he expects of us because he explains it so well.”

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HILL PROMOTED TO ACTIVE ROSTER

With Harkey placed on injured reserve and the Rams’ secondary looking like it will be without a couple players on Thursday, Los Angeles promoted cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday.

Hill was waived on Nov. 22 after an off-the-field incident that is now still a legal matter. Hill said after Tuesday’s practice that he’s grateful to have another chance with L.A.

“I’m just going to take this and run with it, be humbled and thankful for everything that’s going on. And just learn from it and keep growing,” Hill said.

The cornerback has 37 total tackles and three passes defensed in nine games — four starts — in the 2016 season. Now back up from the practice squad, Hill said he wants to show that he’s improved even in the few weeks where he’s just been on the practice squad.

“I’m coming with a lot more here. I’m trying to come out there vicious,” Hill said. “I’ve got a chip on my shoulder that I’m going to play with. And I want to show everybody that that’s not me.”

While there could have been times Hill doubted he would make it back to the active roster, the cornerback said he tried to stay positive as much as possible.

“I just continually worked and tried to stay ready, and tried to sharpen my tools that I’ve got, so when my opportunity does come, I can come out there and show what I’ve got,” Hill said. “So I didn’t really get too up or too down about the situation. I just came out there and worked every day.”

... with our offensive line-up without Fisher as his overseer ? It appears Boras may have complete autonomy over his offense these final 3 games. Fassel mentioned in his media introduction that he may not even have time to sit in on the QB meetings with only a few days before the next game. We have had recent success against Seattle, so maybe they stick with what has worked in the past, although there may be no time like the present to try and make his own mark.

Question 2 : Will Gurley get to 1000 yards with 3 games remaining ?

Question 3 : Will Fisher Jr. remain as a DB coach if Williams manages to stick as DC in 2017 ?