Gruden had a penchant for signing every available journeyman QB, trying to keep them all on the roster, and never giving any one of them enough snaps to find out what they could do. It worked for a minute with Rich Gannon and Brad Johnson....didn't go so well for Chris Simms, Brian Griese, Bruce Gradkowski, Tim Rattay, Luke McCown, Jay Fiedler, Jared Allen, Jake Plummer, or Jeff Garcia. This was all executed erratically, as well...I remember him pulling Jeff Garcia for Gradkwoski in a game after Garcia had just thrown a TD, and Tampa had botched their surprise onside kick attempt. It's also noteworthy that he won the SB his 1st year with the team, then went 45-53 (counting two 0-1 playoff appearances) for the rest of his time in Tampa, which got him fired.
Agreed and that was one of the worst sb ever. Even Tim Brown said Bill Callahan screwed the Raiders by making them throw the ball instead of running the ball. Gruden knew exactly what was being called. Gruden is so damn overrated.
The only successful QB's that he has had at the NFL level were Gannon and Johnson, both post-30 vets who had their best seasons under him. As the Eagles coordinator he had Rodney Peete and Ty Detmer and Bobby Hoying, all of whom failed. The Raiders drafted one QB while he was there: Marques Tuiasosopo his last season. The Bucs drafted Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski. He may not be a QB killer but he has not developed a young QB at the NFL level and he's had a few to work with.
gruden sucks. fuck that guy. I do hope someone hires him as coach though so I can get back to watching MNF
great post yeah he didn't develop anyone. On TV Gruden talks so arrogantly about working with Brett Favre you'd think he picked some random hillbilly out of Mississippi and made him great. Gruden was a water boy in Green Bay and had about 0.001% influence on Favre's acquisition to Green Bay and his success. He never developed a single young QB
Add in guys like Griese and Garcia, who were also post-30 vets, but who were very hit-and-miss from game to game under Gruden. The part where he asked Chis Simms if his ruptured spleen was "In his head" was my favorite, because nobody knew if was so dumb he thought Simms had a psychosomatic spleen injury, or if he was so dumb he thought a person's spleen was located in their skull cavity.
I don't think anyone could have developed those bunch of stiffs. Bruce Gradkowski was the best of the lot, and he has been a career backup. Chris Simms and Bobby Hoying were flat out awful. Peete, Detmer and Hoying only less awful. Gruden's far from perfect, but imo is light years better than Bowles. It's a moot anyway, because he's not gonna return to coaching, but what other former HC with an offensive background is available? The Jets need an experienced HC. The rookies aren't cutting it and never have. Pete Carroll was awful with the Jets, but then analyzed where he went wrong and changed/fixed his approach and is now mentioned as one of the top HCs in the league. I believe that Gruden has had time to analyze and realize his mistakes and would be a much better HC the 2nd time around.
at least he is sort of honest about it and doesn't try to get other jobs. he knows he was fortunate and he landed softly in that booth. good for him for recognizing that and staying there and not trying to be something he really isn't.
He still takes interviews right? But he definitely would rather get drunk on MNF then coach. Can't blame him.
I can't either. The latest CBA is ruining the game. The play is sloppy, tackling is sloppy and haphazard, and blocking is pathetic because the players don't hit each other enough in practice. They tire more easily, and I wouldn't be surprised if injuries are up due to lack of two-a-days getting them in shape. It's also ridiculous that players can't work with coaches during the off season if they want to. It's also absurd imo that players at some schools after their rookie mini-camp can't have any contact with their teammates or coaches until June because their school is on a quarter system. That has happened to McCaffrey and the Panthers. Combined with the character of many players these days, and my days as a football fan are numbered. Even if the Jets finally get it right, I may not be around or even care.
he is an effective self promoter Did not hurt that he played his former assistant in that Super Bowl either. But you are right. Where are the QBs, QB Man?
The whole off-season, no two-a-days, no hitting is really a result of vastly improved equipment combined with bigger, stronger, faster players. The equipment is the danger and no one in the NFLPA or the league gives it a second thought, they just reduce the contact time in practice etc. Why is it that hockey players wear helmets much lighter than NFL helmets with basically the same equipment (i.e. shoulder pads, leg pads, tail pads) make contact going 5x faster (physics would dictate the speed of forces colliding is more violent in hockey) yet don't suffer anywhere near the injurys as the NFL? The NFL equipment, specifically the helmet is protection in the NHL but its a lethal weapon in the NFL. Until the NFLPA and the league wakes up to the fact that their helmets are causing serious injuries and they need to be changed to a more hockey like helmet and change rules regarding hits that are penalties in the NHL this sport will continue losing fans and it will eventually be supplanted by other sports. That's my 2 1/2 cents worth..
I agree, and it's more than just the helmet...it's all the other pieces of equipment they're allowed to wear: full face shields, arm pads, gloves, etc. that enable them to be human battering rams. But there's another aspect too that isn't mentioned at all: the change to one-way players. In the old days, when players played both on offense and defense, there was some restraint because if you really hammered somebody while you were on "D", you knew your time would come when your team had the ball. But now DBs and LBs can lay out WRs and RBs with impunity. I know you can't turn back the clock, but I've often said that they ought to resurrect the old style of football: two-way players; limited subs to prevent coaches from calling the plays and also limit specialized players; minimal equipment - thin-shelled helmet and either no facemask or a single barred one. thin shoulder pads, a protective cup and cleats. And of course no instant replay, or Spiking to stop the clock, or "The ground can't cause a fumble". Call me old-fashioned, but I think this version would be much better than the video-game using live players that the NFL has become.
Please tell me you're not talking about Gruden. That QB talk is a clear interview for OC jobs and he speaks overtly about teams like he is in interviews for them. The fact that he's still broadcasting is a testament to his inability as a coach. Look at Cowher. Basically 20 years as a coach, maybe 3 that mattered, and the fucking guy still gets offers, and he sucked. Kordell Stewart. Kordell fucking Stewart. Fuck both of them.
Ditka called the NFL out on the whole "Helmet is a weapon" a few years back. Of course, the NFL and the media IMMEDIATELY steam rolled him for it. It's hard for the people to see how decreasing the protective capabilities of a helmet can improve brain safety. I also get that nobody wants to be the guy who signed off on weaker helmets when the next big injury happens. However, those two hurdles do not, in my opinion, validate the current situation of giving every player a head-mounted battering ram.
One good thing we can take from Rich Gannon's resurgence with the Bucs is that Jeremy Bates assisted Stan Parrish with the Quarterbacks.
Sorry, my friend, but Rich Gannon never played for the Bucs, and didn't have a "resurgence." Gannon spent 6 years with the Vikings, the first 3 of which he was a backup and he only appeared in 7 games. The last 3 years of that time with the Vikings he appeared in 41 games and started 23. During those games, he threw 40 TDs and 35 interceptions, and his completion percentage averaged 56.2333. He then spent 1 year with the Redskins where he started 4 of the 8 games in which he appeared, completed 59.2% of his passes, and threw 3 TDs and 7 interceptions. Next, he move on to the Chiefs, where over 4 seasons he appeared in only 27 games, starting only 119 of those, had a 59.45% completion average, and threw 16 TDs and 12 interceptions. In 1999 he moved on to the Raiders. In his first and only year under Gruden, Gannon started all 16 games, completed 59% of his passes, and threw 24 TDs and 14 interceptions. It was the first time in his career that he had thrown over 16 TDs. For the next 3 seasons, Gannon averaged a 64.4666% completion percentage, 27 TDs and 10 interceptions. Now it could be that the light just finally went on by it self for Gannon, but it also could be that Gruden had a huge impact on Gannon's thought processes or fundamentals, which enabled him to play at such a high level. His last two seasons with Oakland, his appearances and stats tailed off dramatically. He was 37 and 38 during those seasons, and I don't recall if he was injured, but he didn't play much. http://www.nfl.com/player/richgannon/2500754/profile
Whoops thanks for the edit .. I meant Oakland. He played with Gruden from 1999 - 2001. When Gruden pulled him out of the mediocre trash can in 1999 he steadily progressed all the way to 2001. Gannon led the Raiders to the playoffs in 2000 & 2001 for the first time in 10 years and had an MVP year in 2002 where they went to the Super Bowl and ironically lost to Jon Gruden and then went back to the trash can. Year-Team-GM's-C%--Yds----TD--INT--Rate 1990-MIN---14--- 52.1--2,278-16--16--68.9 1991-MIN---15----59.6--2,16---12----6--81.5 1992-MIN---12----57.0--1,905--12--13--72.9 1993-WAS---8----59.2-----704---3----7--59.6 1995-KC------2----63.6------57---0----0--76.7 1996-KC-----4-----60.0-----491---6----1--92.4 1997-KC-----9-----56.0---1,144---7---4--79.8 1998-KC----12----58.2----2,305--10--6--80.1 1999-OAK--16----59.0----3,840--24-14-86.5 2000-OAK--16----60.0----3,430--28--11-92.4 2001-OAK--16----65.8----3,828--27--9--95.5
