Fantasy Football Info For Serious Players
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What a difference a year makes. Last season, only three NFL franchises replaced their head coaches, although 16 teams replaced at least one coordinator. This year, 10 teams have a new head coach, which in most cases involves a changeover in the coordinator positions, too. Unlike like last season, when it seemed the trend was to move to a 3-4 defensive front, there is no clear cut trend in philosophy or schematic approach on either side of the ball. If there's one notable trend in the 2006 coaching changeover, it's the relative inexperience of the collective hires. Seven of the new head coaches are first timers, which adds a layer of uncertainty to the upcoming season. Buffalo Bills
What to expect on offense: New head coach Dick Jauron is defensive-minded, and will give OC Steve Fairchild a lot of autonomy in trying to reinvigorate the Bills offense. Fairchild served as the offensive coordinator in St. Louis the last three seasons, and presumably will bring many of the components of Mike Martz' spread attack to Buffalo. But don't presume Fairchild will be as pass happy now that he's calling the plays. Fairchild was a RB coach in Buffalo years ago, and understands the weather conditions in Buffalo not to mention the team's personnel begs for a more balanced approach. Fairchild must assess the relative merits of his trio of QBs (J.P. Losman, Kelly Holcomb and Craig Nall) to determine which QB to build the offense around. Each brings a decidedly different skill set and playing style to the table. What to expect on defense: In 2003 and 2004 the Bills ranked among the league's best defenses, but fell apart last season due to free agent departures and irreplaceable injuries. The Bills hope they've filled the holes through a combination of a defensive-focused draft and the addition of Dick Jauron at the helm. Jauron and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell are installing a Cover-2 defense this year. It's called the Cover-2 because of the tendency to keep two defensive backs deep each in charge of half the field. The success of the new scheme will hinge on a healthy return of LB Takeo Spikes as well as the successful replacement of S Lawyer Milloy with Donte Whitner or Matt Bowen. Denver Broncos
What to expect on offense: Mike Shanahan realized it wouldn't be easy
to find someone to replace Gary Kubiak as the team's offensive coordinator.
So instead he found two people: Rick Dennison and Mike Heimerdinger. Dennison
was promoted from offensive line coach to coordinator. He has been with the
Broncos for the entirety of Shanahan's tenure and his promotion signals the
team's commitment to retaining the status quo. Mike Heimerdinger returns to
the Broncos having spent the last six seasons as offensive coordinator for the
Tennessee Titans and New York Jets. Heimerdinger was named Assistant Head Coach,
and will primarily focus on the passing game. Regardless of the team's personnel,
the Broncos will continue to run Mike Shanahan's classic offense that uses a
zone-blocking scheme in the run game and an aggressive derivative of the West
Coast offense in the passing game. Detroit Lions
What to expect on offense: New head coach Rod Marinelli was fortunate to land one of the league's most innovative offensive minds in Mike Martz. While Martz had his critics as a head coach, few can question his success as offensive play-caller. In Detroit, Martz will have relative autonomy as long as he gets results. Martz is a fan of a wide-open spread passing attack and has a cadre of former 1st round draft choices in his arsenal. Both projected starter Jon Kitna and backup Josh McCown stand to benefit from Martz' tutelage. The big question will be whether Kevin Jones realizes his considerable potential under HC Rod Marinelli's disciplined watch and Martz' innovative game plans. What to expect on defense: Marinelli is bringing Tampa's Cover-2 to Detroit, and has enlisted Donnie Henderson to help run the show. Henderson was a victim of circumstance after a successful run with the New York Jets. He was on the short list of just about every defensive coordinator opening and chose the Lions, in part, because his attacking style and stern demeanor fit well with Marinelli's own disposition. The Lions have some solid pieces to the defensive puzzle, and Henderson and Marinelli will try to finish the puzzle through discipline and game-planning. Expect a fair amount of blitzing, particularly from the linebacker position as the team's defensive front four isn't well suited to get to the quarterback outside of DE Kalimba Edwards. Green Bay Packers
What to expect on offense: The core tenets of the passing offense will remain intact because Mike McCarthy is a West Coast offense guy and former Packers QB coach. It's the ground game that is going to undergo some changes this season. New offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski will install a zone-blocking scheme that he learned while coaching with the Atlanta Falcons. The coaching staff believes a zone-blocking scheme will allow the Packers to keep Ahman Green and his backups healthier without losing any productivity. What to expect on defense: The Packers have a new defensive coordinator for the third straight season, although the changes this year will be more subtle and personnel-driven. Bob Sanders, last year's defensive line coach, was promoted and will maintain the system installed last year by Jim Bates. The Packers use a 4-3 defensive front but line their ends out very wide in order to force the running game inside. What Sanders lacks in experience he gains in a personnel upgrade with as many as five or six new starters including rookie LB A.J. Hawk and veteran Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson. Houston Texans
What to expect on offense: Gary Kubiak spent more than a decade alongside Mike Shanahan in Denver and will bring the same offensive system to the Texans. He and offensive coordinator Troy Calhoun, also a Broncos assistant, will make pass protection their top priority. David Carr needs to be kept on his feet or the offense can't improve elsewhere. The Texans moved to a zone-blocking scheme last year to better utilize Dom Davis' cutback abilities; and it's no surprise that Kubiak and Calhoun will retain that system as it's the hallmark of the Broncos consistent run success. What to expect on defense: Richard Smith, who coached with Kubiak in Denver years ago, joins the Texans after serving as the Dolphins co-defensive coordinator last season. He's a proponent of the 4-3 defensive front, and aggressive press coverage in the secondary. Smith won't be afraid to blitz when needed, but the team also believes that the new defensive end combination of Anthony Weaver and rookie Mario Williams will generate a consistent pass rush. Kansas City Chiefs
What to expect on offense: Incoming head coach Herm Edwards was smart enough not to rock the boat. Although the team lost heralded OC Al Saunders, Edwards promoted offensive line coach Mike Solari to coordinator, and with good reason. While Solari doesn't have the play-calling experience of Saunders, he understands the system and is the driving force behind the team's stellar offensive line and power running attack. Given the productivity and age of the Chiefs offensive personnel, it makes a ton of sense to maintain the status quo. What to expect on defense: In a somewhat surprising move, Herm Edwards decided to retain incumbent coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Cunningham, brought back to Kansas City last year to revive a woeful defense, facilitated minor improvement but the Chiefs were still in the bottom third of the league. Edwards, a defensive mind, will be tasked with turning around a defense that has few established playmakers. They will continue to run a base 4-3 front, while Edwards likely will ask the secondary to use more man coverage. Miami Dolphins
What to expect on offense: Nick Saban has said he doesn't want wholesale changes to his offensive system under new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, but time will tell if that's feasible. After all, the team has two new quarterbacks, Joey Harrington and Daunte Culpepper, and Mularkey, the Bills head coach last year, is an established offensive mind with a different approach from departed OC Scott Linehan. Mularkey has a tendency to bog down the players with a massive playbook and he must learn from his past mistakes. The team will run a pro set offense and use Ronnie Brown to set up a downfield passing attack. What to expect on defense: Defensively the Dolphins will continue to use a hybrid defensive front, mixing the base 4-3 front with plenty of 3-4 looks. Dom Capers replaces Richard Smith but his title is actually Special Assistant. While Dom Capers has a storied history as a defensive coach, make no mistake, Nick Saban remains the driving force defensively. Saban, like his good friend Bill Belichick, believes in confusing the opposing quarterback with a variety of pre-snap looks; and will rely on a veteran defensive unit to make that happen. In the secondary, the Dolphins use a lot of zone coverage. Minnesota Vikings
What to expect on offense: Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell are proponents of the West Coast offense and will borrow from the terminology and formations of their predecessors in Philadelphia and Green Bay, respectively. Childress will call the plays, as Andy Reid did while Childress was OC in Philadelphia, which leaves Bevell to run the practices and install the game plan on a week-to-week basis. Although Childress is coming over from Philadelphia, don't expect him to throw as often as Reid does. Childress is a proponent of strong running game having been the offensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin prior to his NFL tenure. What to expect on defense: Mike Tomlin will bring his experience as the Buccaneers' secondary coach with him by virtue of the Cover-2. Tomlin will use the Cover-2 and base 4-3 front that has been so effective in Tampa all these years. Ultimately the question is whether Tomlin, at 33 years old, has the personnel in place to make the transition seamlessly. New England Patriots
What to expect on offense: As long as Tom Brady is under center and
Bill Belichick is running the show, the Patriots offense isn't going to undergo
dramatic changes regardless of who holds the offensive coordinator title. Josh
McDaniels, last year's QB coach, has been promoted as a testament to the job
he did a season ago. At 29 years old, he's the youngest OC in the league and
will undoubtedly have a lot of "input" from Belichick at every turn.
New Orleans Saints
What to expect on offense: Sean Payton cut his teeth coaching under Jim Fassel and Bill Parcells, and will bring a balanced, prostyle offense to New Orleans. Neither he nor his offensive coordinator Doug Marrone have a ton of play-calling experience and it remains to be seen how aggressive they will be. With a new quarterback, Drew Brees, and All-World rookie Reggie Bush in the mix, there is explosive potential but a lot of moving parts. Expect the team to run the ball aggressively while throwing off play-action. What to expect on defense: The Saints will run a 4-3 defensive front and won't be afraid to blitz under new defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs. Gibbs will attack at every turn, which may open up the Saints to giving up a big play or two, but Gibbs' believes in forcing the pressure at every turn and creating turnovers. The Saints personnel, particularly in the secondary, may not be ready for that kind of scheme. Time will tell. New York Jets
What to expect on offense: The Jets have a young and inexperienced coaching staff and it's difficult to say with great conviction what either side of the ball will look like until we see it on the field. The Jets tried to retain incumbent OC Mike Heimerdinger but he refused which led to the hiring of Schottenheimer. Brian Schottenheimer, at 32 years old, has never called plays and served as a QB coach the last two seasons under his father. Between his lack of experience and the uncertainty at the quarterback position, about the only thing we can be sure of is that change is afoot. What to expect on defense: On this side of the ball we have a little more clarity as Mangini was the Patriots defensive coordinator last year. Mangini promoted linebackers coach Bob Sutton to defensive coordinator and both will have a heavy hand in game planning. The team will move to a 3-4 base defense, and will rely on the same kind of pre-snap adjustments that worked so well in New England. Oakland Raiders
What to expect on offense: Who said you can't go home again? Al Davis may have finally decided that if he's not going to win it all, he might as well lose with a team that plays his way. Davis rehired Art Shell, who rehired Tom Walsh so we have to assume we'll see the same aggressive deep passing attack that was the hallmark of the Raiders for so many decades. With Shell onboard, it's a fair bet that the Raiders offensive line will play better. But the real question is, can Shell and Walsh, both out of active coaching for years, get enough production out of Aaron Brooks to stay competitive in an ever-changing league? Philadelphia Eagles
What to expect on offense: Very little will change in Philadelphia, at least on Sundays. Andy Reid has always called the plays and will continue to do so. Mornhinweg, a trusted Reid confidante, will now be tasked with the day-to-day game planning, film study and practices much in the same way Brad Childress was. St. Louis Rams
What to expect on offense: Scott Linehan has enjoyed successful stints as offensive coordinator in Minnesota and Miami, and now gets his shot at running a team. He and Greg Olson, most recently the QB coach in Detroit, will run a balanced prostyle offense that continues to play to the team's strengths while putting a greater emphasis on pass protection. The Rams will use multiple formations (2-WR, 3-WR, 2-TE) and won't use the spread formation as regularly as they did under Martz. What to expect on defense: Jim Haslett is a tough-nosed, former linebacker who brings valuable experience to a young coaching staff. Haslett's time as the Saints head coach will serve him well as he tries to fix a defensive unit that has languished the last few seasons. The team will use a 4-3 defensive front and will rely on speedy linebacker play. Haslett will blitz when appropriate, but not as a rule. San Francisco 49ers
What to expect on offense: A year after the 49ers returned to their West Coast roots, the team has reversed course again with the hiring of Norv Turner. Turner, one of the leagues' most respected offensive minds, remains a proponent of the classic, prostyle two-back offense that was his hallmark in the Cowboys Super Bowl days. Head coach Mike Nolan will give Turner plenty of leeway given Turner's vast experience as a head coach himself. Ideally, Turner will craft a power running attack that will take pressure off Alex Smith and give him a chance to throw downfield off play-action. Seattle Seahawks
What to expect on defense: Marshall actually took over midway through the 2005 season after Ray Rhodes fell ill, so expect very little change on the defensive front. The addition of LB Julian Peterson means the team has more flexibility in its blitz packages, but the Seahawks were already among the league's best at getting to the QB a season ago. Washington Redskins
What to expect on offense: The Redskins have never met a coach they weren't willing to pay premium dollars for, the latest being Al Saunders. Saunders, who so masterfully ran the Air Coryell offense under Dick Vermeil, was lured to Washington to coach under Joe Gibbs, the ultimate Coryell protégé. In a very surprising move, Gibbs is handing over play calling duties to Saunders, the first time in Gibbs career. Saunders believes that execution is as important as scheme. The Redskins will primarily run a single-back set, but they are unlikely to rely on the H-back as much with Saunders calling the shots. Other Notable Coaching Changes
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