Norton is out as DC

[Stream Hawk]

Great news, but too bad for Ken. He was such an inspirational linebacker coach, but definitely does not have what it takes to lead a Defense. Wonder what the chances are that they bring in some new blood, and not Hurtt? Also that Pete lays off a bit?
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sea ... urces-say/

[trents]

Unless the Hawks can fix third down woes and the imbalance in time of possession on offense, any defensive scheme is going to struggle.

[I-5]

If only we we had nabbed DQ to be our DC after Atlanta fired him last year.

[NorthHawk]

If only we we had nabbed DQ to be our DC after Atlanta fired him last year.

He might not have wanted to work under Pete again and went to Dallas where he had more autonomy.

[RiverDog]

Unless the Hawks can fix third down woes and the imbalance in time of possession on offense, any defensive scheme is going to struggle.

^This^

Our offensive woes, including our 23rd ranked 3rd down conversions, our dead last 4th down conversion percentage, and Russell's 3rd down completion percentage, puts a huge strain on our defense.

Norton is just one more coordinator that Pete's thrown under the bus in the past 5 years. How many virgins must we throw into the volcano before we start holding someone else accountable?

[Hawktawk]

I cry no tears for Norton but our lack of offensive continuity through games is the biggest reason we are watching the playoffs . Looks like Norton will be sacrificed at the altar though. Our late season success was all about the offense pulling its weight finally . I’m ambivalent .

[curmudgeon]

Meh. I can think of two others farther up the food chain who should be sacked…….

[c_hawkbob]

Meh. I can think of two others farther up the food chain who should be sacked…….

But won't be, that ship has sailed.

[mykc14]

But won't be, that ship has sailed.

No question, it would have happened by now. I really hope PC brings in somebody who has a bit of a different defensive perspective than he does. This defense needs a new set of eyes. Also, what does it say when you have a defensive minded head coach and the defense has been really bad the past few years? Is bringing in a new D coordinator really going to change that? I sure hope it does.

[NorthHawk]

Don’t bet on it.
Pete has complete control and believes in his program. It would be a big surprise if he let a
coordinator to stray from his vision even if the ship is sinking.

[RiverDog]

No question, it (firing Pete) would have happened by now. I really hope PC brings in somebody who has a bit of a different defensive perspective than he does. This defense needs a new set of eyes. Also, what does it say when you have a defensive minded head coach and the defense has been really bad the past few years? Is bringing in a new D coordinator really going to change that? I sure hope it does.

Don’t bet on it. Pete has complete control and believes in his program. It would be a big surprise if he let a coordinator to stray from his vision even if the ship is sinking.

I agree with both of those comments. Pete has shown a reluctance to change his offensive philosophy even though offense isn't his strong suit. He would be even more stubborn and immovable if someone tried to get him to change his outlook on defense.

[mykc14]

Don’t bet on it.
Pete has complete control and believes in his program. It would be a big surprise if he let a
coordinator to stray from his vision even if the ship is sinking.

Unfortunately, I agree. I see him brining in another person who is well versed in his system. I understand why a coach would do this, but when your system isn't working then you need to adjust, have another set of eyes look at it. When PC won in college he had better athletes. When he had the best defense in the NFL he had borderline (or better) HOF'ers at LB, CB, and S and a SS that may have been had his career not ended early from injury. There are very few NFL defenses who wouldn't be good with that type of talent, and to his credit he was involved with drafting all of them. The problem is they don't have that type of talent now and need to run a system that doesn't allow teams to get easy dink and dunk receptions between the 20's.

[Old but Slow]

Hopefully he won't promote from within. "His guys" may be more comfortable for him, but he needs to see some fresh thinking.

[TriCitySam]

This is a positive step. Yeah, Pete is in charge, but he also gives his guys some freedom and he isn't the one make D calls on game day. I had heard speculation the "expermentation" that kinda took Dunlap out it for a while was Norton's experiment. Don't know that for sure, but I gotta believe if Norton was just following Pete's orders there would be no change. I believe he wants to improve the D and is looking for someone to bring more to the table.

[Aseahawkfan]

I want someone who knows how to run Pete's defense well, but can diagnose scheme issues better and faster.

Norton's more of an inspirational leader. He was great with the LBs. But not sure how well he can call the x's and o's even if he didn't have much talent to work with.

[Hawktawk]

Meh. I can think of two others farther up the food chain who should be sacked…….

Yeah it’s looking like Pete sacrificed his staff to save his own skin . I seem to recall a similar off-season after 2017 when the edict was fire everyone . Kris Richard went out with the bath water , an unfair and stupid firing as he was far better than Norton has been . And as I recall since that big shakeup we are 1-3 in the playoffs and now a big miss. The one win was against a Josh MCown led Eagles squad in the wildcard in 2019.

So I can’t get too excited . The progression with Seattle was drafting Wilson to pair with such a talented fearsome defense they didn’t need him to win many games by outscoring teams in shootouts . The fact he was on his rookie deal and able to work without a dominant line allowed them to pay defenders . As they aged and left and the defense became weaker Russ began to win games for us , be the clear reason for a win . It’s why he’s making 35 mil. He has always been clutch . The first half of last year was his zenith putting up Star Wars numbers and being the favorite for MVP at mid season . Then something changed as he was merely average down the stretch , dreadful in the playoff and inconsistent prior to his injury and more so after .

He wound up with a decent stat line for injury consideration . But it’s like Brock and Salk said the other morning . What was the last Russel Wilson signature game winning drive ? That’s why we’re 7-10 instead of 11-5 or better . Our offense couldn’t close the deal many times . Titans . Vikes was 2 score game shut out second half . With Russ injured Geno gets picked vs the Rams driving for the win . The closest thing to a clutch drive was Genos game tying drive when DK had a brain cramp. Couldn’t blame the D for GB, WTF, AZ, Rams . Had the ball with a minute to go at home vs the Bears . You saw it. We all did .

The last 2 games reminded me of 2012 late season when we started blowing people away with our offense which is encouraging and why I advocate Penney .

I’m not sure where mr clutch went and I hope he comes back or if not hopefully he asks out . One thing these firings show is Carroll was not correct saying it was all systems go . I don’t trust his word on Russell either.

[I-5]

I didn't love seeing defensive tackles dropping into coverage or that we treated screen plays like something newfangled, but one thing about Norton is that you never doubted that the players always played hard for him. I've seen other teams when they haven't. I hope whoever takes his place will get an equal amount of effort.

[Hawktawk]

I didn't love seeing defensive tackles dropping into coverage or that we treated screen plays like something newfangled, but one thing about Norton is that you never doubted that the players always played hard for him. I've seen other teams when they haven't. I hope whoever takes his place will get an equal amount of effort.

I never understood the zone blitz , ever . Why the hell put linemen in pass coverage . If I recall it’s what Gus Bradley tried vs Atlanta in their heyday. You always hate to see a good guy and good coach fured . I get it and he’s got plenty of money but still I kind of feel like the defense has been made the scapegoat

[RiverDog]

I didn't love seeing defensive tackles dropping into coverage or that we treated screen plays like something newfangled, but one thing about Norton is that you never doubted that the players always played hard for him. I've seen other teams when they haven't. I hope whoever takes his place will get an equal amount of effort.

Yeah, he was probably out of his league as a DC, rather he might have been more cut out to be a position coach. But who knows. All I know is that Pete is the one that selected him, so if Norton failed, Pete failed as well. Norton shouldn't be made into a scape goat in order to cover for the old man.

[Aseahawkfan]

Yeah, he was probably out of his league as a DC, rather he might have been more cut out to be a position coach. But who knows. All I know is that Pete is the one that selected him, so if Norton failed, Pete failed as well. Norton shouldn't be made into a scape goat in order to cover for the old man.

Pete and John don't have much room to fail. They need to rebuild the D-line and Secondary. Right now it's a shadow of what it once was. If your D-line can't do the job, the rest just gets destroyed.

[obiken]

Our offensive woes, including our 23rd ranked 3rd down conversions, our dead last 4th down conversion percentage, and Russell's 3rd down completion percentage, puts a huge strain on our defense.

Norton is just one more coordinator that Pete's thrown under the bus in the past 5 years. How many virgins must we throw into the volcano before we start holding someone else accountable?

I agree River, but you and I liked Kenny Norton, but this move was long over due. You can hardly compare him to the Offensive Vestal Virgins that he went through like Hefner did Playmates!

[Aseahawkfan]

I agree River, but you and I liked Kenny Norton, but this move was long over due. You can hardly compare him to the Offensive Vestal Virgins that he went through like Hefner did Playmates!

Hefner led a good life.

[I-5]

Hefner led a good life.

Hefner lived the Playboy life every man dreams of...and he was also creepy as hell.

[Agent 86]

By Michael-Shawn Dugar Jan 18, 2022 21

Why the Seahawks fired Ken Norton Jr., and who’s next up as Pete Carroll’s DC?

The Seahawks’ offseason shakeup is underway, as coach Pete Carroll has fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis.

Norton was hired in January 2018 to replace Kris Richard, who was fired after Seattle failed to make the playoffs following the 2017 season. From 2018 to 2021, Seattle’s defense ranked 18th in Expected Points Added per play, according to TruMedia. That’s an overly simple yet instructive way of viewing Norton’s firing. After all, coordinators are typically fired for one of two reasons: Either their side of the ball isn’t good enough or they’re not aligned philosophically with the head coach. In Norton’s case it was likely both.

Seattle’s defense in 2021 was tough to get a feel for. It held up well when playing situational football, ranking in the top half of the league on third down, inside the red zone and at the goal line. That’s how Seattle finished 11th in scoring defense (21.5 points per game) despite being on the field more than any defense in the league. But aside from those situations, Seattle was either underwhelming or flat-out bad in most other facets, save for having an elite run defense.

Based on performance, it would be easy for Carroll to justify firing Norton. Plus, it’s not as if those issues were exclusive to this season. Here are some other notable Seattle defensive ranks during Norton’s tenure, via TruMedia:

7th in red zone efficiency (55.9)
9th in total turnovers forced (98)
10th in rushing yards allowed per game (110.1)
10th in opponents points per drive (1.95)
11th in goal-to-go efficiency (71.7)
13th in yards per rush allowed (4.32)
14th in scoring defense (22.80)
17th in third down conversion rate (40.2)
19th in sacks (151.0)
21st in yards per attempt allowed (7.30)
23rd in percentage of opponent drives that ended in punts (34.7)
23rd in fewest explosive plays allowed (489)
24th in yards per play allowed (5.67)
28th in yards per game allowed (373.7)
32nd in passing yards allowed per game (263.7)

But statistical performance is just one tool used to evaluate a coordinator. Seattle’s situation is also unique in that there has been a significant talent drain on that side of the ball in the post-Legion of Boom era, which began during the 2017 season before Norton was hired. As a result of that that talent drain – and offensive evolution across the league — Seattle had to adjust its scheme. In the LOB days, the Seahawks ran Cover-3 and not much else and it worked because they were more talented than everyone else. But as ex-Seahawks coordinators learned when they were hired away as a head coaches, solely relying on Cover-3 is difficult when you don’t have generational talent on the roster.

In recent years, including the years with Norton as coordinator, Seattle started to mix it up, using Cover-3, Cover-4, Cover-1 and even some Cover-6. Adjusting the defense in this way requires collaboration and buy-in from all parties. And when the defense isn’t performing, as has been the case the last four years, changes are typically made. Carroll likely made this change because he and Norton weren’t on the same page. We just watched this play out when offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was fired due to “philosophical differences” last offseason.

So, who replaces Norton?

Answering this question begins with assessing the dynamics of being a defensive coordinator under a head coach with a defensive background who also has final say over personnel. Seattle’s setup is different than others. Said one source familiar with the situation when asked whose defense it truly is in Seattle: “It’s Pete’s.”

That makes it hard from outside looking in to assess potential candidates to replace Norton. Odds are that anyone on the market who has coordinated a competent defense in the past was running their defense. In Seattle, would the new defensive coordinator just be running their version of Carroll’s vision? If so, it’s hard to project what that would look like, even if that particular candidate has a strong track record.

There is another element that makes it hard to fully assess Norton as a coordinator in Seattle: talent. When Norton arrived, Carroll and general manager John Schneider were in a funk when it came to drafting elite defensive players. They drafted 22 defenders from 2013 to 2017 and nabbed just two Pro Bowl-calibers in defensive end Frank Clark and cornerback Shaquill Griffin, neither of whom signed second contracts in Seattle. The 2018-19 drafts were even worse, and the front office eventually had to make trades to supplement the lack of high-end talent selected in the draft. In free agency, Seattle’s defensive signings have been underwhelming and rarely impactful. It’s hard for any coordinator to succeed under these circumstances.

Did Norton maximize the talent he was given? Without bolstering the roster, what evidence is there that a new coordinator will immediately produce significantly better results?

This is not necessarily a defense of Norton, who at the end of the day didn’t produce championship-caliber defenses. But it’s a look at what makes coordinator jobs in Seattle difficult to dissect. The same was true of the offensive coordinator situation last offseason. Carroll obviously has a philosophy he’d like to live and die by, and offenses are largely a function of the quarterback running them. So, without changing the philosophy or the quarterback, there was a cap on how much a new play caller would realistically change the situation in Seattle.

The Seahawks are arguably right back in that place on the defensive side of the ball. Carroll’s core principles will remain intact. First and foremost, he wants the defense to stop the run. He wants to limit explosive plays, generate quarterback pressure without a heavy reliance on blitzing and generate turnovers. The 2020 and 2021 drafts have looked more promising than previous years with the acquisitions of Jordyn Brooks, Darrell Taylor, Alton Robinson and Tre Brown. However, unless Carroll and Schneider strike gold in the 2022 draft, the new defensive coordinator won’t be handed a cupboard full of talent.

Considering the context, what, exactly, are realistic expectations for a new play caller? This is important when assessing candidates, whom we’ll dive into here. All stats are provided by TruMedia unless otherwise stated.

Clint Hurtt (Seahawks defensive line coach/assistant head coach 2017-present)
Carroll is likely to consider at least one in-house candidate and the most notable of the bunch would Hurtt, who joined the staff in 2017 when the defensive line was headlined by Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. Since then, the defensive line has been a bit of a mixed bag. The run defense has remained fairly stable and become dominant in the last couple of seasons, but the pass rush has been a mess, thus the acquisitions of high-profile players such as Jadeveon Clowney, Carlos Dunlap and Jamal Adams. Despite those efforts, Seattle has failed to field a dominant pass rush save for the second half of the 2020 season.

It’s tough to say how much of the failures and the successes of that unit can be directly attributed to Hurtt’s coaching acumen. The same goes for the development of the young players in that position group. The Seahawks’ defensive line draft picks since 2017 were Naz Jones, Malik McDowell, Rasheem Green, Demarcus Christmas, LJ Collier, Taylor and Robinson, along with undrafted free agents Poona Ford and Bryan Mone. Only a handful of these players have become useful pieces. Is that due to talent, lack of development or some combination of the two? Carroll has that answer – or at least a good feel for the answer – and it’ll likely influence his decision on the next coordinator.

One unique positive about Hurtt could be his ability to marry his vision with Carroll’s philosophy, since he’s been in the building for the past five seasons. Executing that plan is easier said than done, and it’s unclear what Hurtt’s vision for defense would look like, but he’d be in position to hit the ground running in a way the external candidates would not. He’s also intimately familiar with the roster.

Gus Bradley (Raiders defensive coordinator 2021-present)
Bradley coordinated Seattle’s defense from 2009-12 and spent three seasons with Carroll before becoming the Jaguars’ head coach in 2013. Bradley was most recently part of a Raiders coaching staff that may not be retained as the organization searches for a general manager and a head coach. The Raiders in 2021 finished 29th in defensive EPA per play and 19th in DVOA (17th against the pass, 25th against the run). So, at least on paper, the Raiders weren’t very good. But they did rush the passer at a high level and didn’t allow very many yards per play. However, they were one of the few teams worse than Seattle at generating turnovers.

A reunion with Bradley would be more about his ability to work with Carroll. The two have obviously worked well together in the past and Seattle had one of the best defenses in the league last time they were on the same staff. But that was of course back when Seattle had the Legion of Boom and ran a bunch of Cover-3, which is what Bradley had the Raiders running this year. Las Vegas led the league in Cover-3 snaps and had the lowest percentage of man coverage snaps while ranking 30th in total number of split-safety snaps. The Seahawks as currently constructed cannot run that scheme and produce an elite defense. Doing so requires consistently putting heat on the quarterback with a four-man rush, employing top-tier zone corners and a rangy single-high. Re-signing free safety Quandre Diggs would fulfill that final requirement but the rest of the roster would need to be overhauled with a major talent upgrade for a trip back down Cover-3 memory lane to work.

The Seahawks don’t have to run that exact scheme if Carroll hires Bradley again. They could, in theory, put their heads together and try to cook up a new defense that adjusts to how offenses have evolved over the years. That would be the ideal situation in this scenario, with the hope that they can re-capture some magic from Carroll’s early Seahawk days.

Patrick Graham (Giants defensive coordinator/assistant head coach 2020-2021)
Graham, 42, spent the last couple years working under Joe Judge, who was fired on Jan. 11. The Seahawks should be familiar with Graham’s defense. It’s the one that had Seattle’s offense looking completely out of whack in a Week 13 loss to the Giants in 2020. Seattle entered that game with the third-best offense in the league, scoring 31 points a night. The Seahawks scored just 10 against Graham’s unit, which did an excellent job mixing coverages and pressuring Russell Wilson while maintaining the core principle of eliminating explosive passes. Although the Giants as a team weren’t very good in 2020, Graham impressed enough on his side of the ball to attract interest as a potential head coach. He opted to stay with Judge — who like Graham is from the Bill Belichick coaching tree – and led a defense that matched Seattle’s EPA per play of 0.02 in 2021 despite having a weaker roster and an offense that was the worst in the league by EPA per play.

Graham and Carroll would not be a natural scheme match in the same way that reuniting with Bradley would be. But at a time when Seattle’s roster isn’t stacked with talent, hiring someone who can make do with what he’s given while finding ways to take away the opponent’s strength is worth considering.

Vic Fangio (Broncos head coach 2019-2021)
Fangio has a strong reputation as a defensive coach, even though his run as a head coach in Denver left a lot to be desired. His defensive mind is hardly questioned, though, and it’s not hard to look around the league and find teams wrecking offenses with the type of split-safety scheme the former Bears defensive coordinator has used over the years. In 2020, Brandon Staley became a popular head coaching candidate when he orchestrated a Rams defense that was the best in the league and managed to defend explosive passes with split-safety looks without jeopardizing their run defense. Staley is from the Fangio tree and has studied him for years. It’s easy to see why pairing Fangio with Carroll and merging their two philosophies in a way that best maximizes the strengths of Seattle’s roster would appeal to Seattle’s head coach. Fangio has proven he can run a successful defense pretty much everywhere. (Of note: Seattle has reportedly requested to interview Fangio’s defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell.)

But this is where the dynamic between Carroll and his new coordinator is important. Carroll is very hands-on with his defense. Fangio as the head coach in Denver was the defensive play caller. He clearly likes to have his hands firmly on the defense as well. That’s not to suggest the two can’t co-exist, but autonomy matters to an extent in these situations. The names may change but the question remains the same: Would Fangio – or anyone else on this list — come to Seattle and have the freedom to run the defense his way?

[NorthHawk]

That's along the lines of what we've been discussing in this forum.
Would Pete give any new DC the autonomy he would want?
I doubt it, personally, but maybe Pete is getting a little desperate.

[c_hawkbob]

If I had my druthers it'd be Gus, followed by Hurtt.

[mykc14]

If I had my druthers it'd be Gus, followed by Hurtt.

For me I would like Fangio, but a guy who is really intriguing is Ed Donatell. He was Fangio's D coordinator and has worked with Carroll. Although not a complete outsider he should offer a different perspective to PC and the Hawks and could be a really good hire, but what do I know. I was excited about the Waldren hire last off-season and our offense wasn't great this year.

[NorthHawk]

Good point. Pete needs to hear from someone who would offer a different perspective but still
within the framework of Pete’s Defense.

[Agent 86]

Just read the Seahawks have also requested an interview with Sean Desai who was the Bears DC last year (promoted to that spot in January 2021). He is just 38 years old.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/19/reports-seahawks-request-interviews-with-ed-donatell-sean-desai/

[Vegaseahawk]

Just saw this while bopping around the intra nets...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/seahawks-request-interview-with-joe-whitt-jr-for-dc-role/ar-AASXbcf?ocid=uxbndlbing

[curmudgeon]

Hopefully one of these candidates can select multiple hall of fame defenders. That’s what it takes for Pete’s D to be effective…..

[NorthHawk]

Hopefully one of these candidates can select multiple hall of fame defenders. That’s what it takes for Pete’s D to be effective…..

Yes, even going back to his teams in college where he developed his program and philosophy,
his simple schemes demanded superior talent to challenge for a championship.

[I-5]

It's mind-boggling the level of talent the Seahawks drafted on defense at the dawn of the Pete Carroll era. Makes you wonder if Kam, Earl, Sherm, etc would have had the same level of success/notoriety on other teams, or if there was something in the water at the VMAC that helped mold their legendary status. In other words, would Kam still be Kam if he played in Cleveland with different players?

[Hawktawk]

Hopefully one of these candidates can select multiple hall of fame defenders. That’s what it takes for Pete’s D to be effective…..

Exactly . It’s one of his weaknesses as a coach . Adapting to talent on hand . Holmgren did the same thing when he ran out of receivers in 2008 insisting on throwing it all over , got Hass hurt , 4-12. Late last year they actually did mix some coverages and played better .

[Aseahawkfan]

Yes, even going back to his teams in college where he developed his program and philosophy,
his simple schemes demanded superior talent to challenge for a championship.

Complex schemes rarely win championships. Simple bread and butter schemes 90% plus of the time is what wins with maybe a few wrinkles mixed in.

No one wins Super Bowls without superior talent, so that's an issue with any team. Scheme or motivation or anything else does not beat talent. You're either better than the people playing across from you or you're getting beat.

[Hawktawk]

One need look no further than the Cowboys winning a third SB with idiot Switzer as coach to prove your point. I still believe a truly great coach can win with less talent. Mike Vrabel comes to mind as does Bill Belichick

[Aseahawkfan]

One need look no further than the Cowboys winning a third SB with idiot Switzer as coach to prove your point. I still believe a truly great coach can win with less talent. Mike Vrabel comes to mind as does Bill Belichick

Belichick had the greatest QB in NFL history as his QB. And he cheated. And he still had a lot of amazing players like Richard Seymour, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and the like.

Bill Belichick won in the draft on a yearly basis and lucked into the greatest QB in NFL history as some 6th round, looks like nothing pick. Bill Belichick has never deviated from using the draft or low cost high value trades like Wes Welker for winning. It's Pete Carroll who went away from the winning formula with his shiny toy trades, whereas Bill Belichick has kept true to the winning formula always. He just needs another good QB to get back to winning, though he'll never find another Brady. No one will I can't imagine.

New England never had a lack of talent. Even when they played us in the Super Bowl, we were depleted as wide receiver and injuries depleted our defensive talent throughout the game. Even when it came down to the stupidest play call in NFL history for the Patriots to win.

[mykc14]

One need look no further than the Cowboys winning a third SB with idiot Switzer as coach to prove your point. I still believe a truly great coach can win with less talent. Mike Vrabel comes to mind as does Bill Belichick

Mike Vrabel hasn't won anything of consequence yet, although I do like him as a coach.

[Hawktawk]

Belichick had the greatest QB in NFL history as his QB. And he cheated. And he still had a lot of amazing players like Richard Seymour, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and the like.

Bill Belichick won in the draft on a yearly basis and lucked into the greatest QB in NFL history as some 6th round, looks like nothing pick. Bill Belichick has never deviated from using the draft or low cost high value trades like Wes Welker for winning. It's Pete Carroll who went away from the winning formula with his shiny toy trades, whereas Bill Belichick has kept true to the winning formula always. He just needs another good QB to get back to winning, though he'll never find another Brady. No one will I can't imagine.

New England never had a lack of talent. Even when they played us in the Super Bowl, we were depleted as wide receiver and injuries depleted our defensive talent throughout the game. Even when it came down to the stupidest play call in NFL history for the Patriots to win.

Belichick had the greatest big game QB in history because he benched a #1 pick that had been to a super bowl due to a near fatal injury for a skinny kid he took in the 6 th round . At the time the entire league was incredulous . Even after Bledsoe saved them in the Afc title game he stayed with Brady . He traded players like lawyer Milloy and Richard Seymour in their prime , chandler Jones comes to mind as well .

As for him winning 49 because of the worst play call ever I agree . But it only happened because Belichick spent 2 weeks forcing a rookie DB named Malcolm
Butler to get over the top and disrupt a trips right rub route every single practice . Bill had identified a play Seattle had run exactly 3 times in the season for 3 touchdowns . In postgame interviews Butler said BB kept saying “ you have to get over the top . The only way to stop it is get over the top . “ he said the only time he ever beat the receiver to the spot was in the game . It helped that Russ threw a terrible ball far out front and high. had it been properly placed it could not have been picked . Much like Atlanta forgetting to run the ball after being up 25 in the third Seattle had to screw up to lose . But NE has always been ready to pounce on mistakes .

Yeah all great careers are born partly of luck but BB made his own luck . He’s the greatest coach in history . He won a game throwing 3 times in a hurricane . Hate him if you must . I do . But give him his due

[obiken]

Ken Norton is better off to go to College and restart there.