Tag: Arthur smith

Report: Titans’ Arthur Smith a potential HC target for 3 teams

Smith has called the plays for one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL this season.

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There will be a real interest in Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for a head-coaching vacancy in 2021, and now we have a good idea which teams could be looking for his services.

According to Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, at least three teams are expected to target Smith, including the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, and Houston Texans.

Of course, all three of those teams will cast a wide net to find their next head coach, so Smith is just one of multiple candidates listed for each team in the report.

Titans VP of player personnel, Ryan Cowden, was also named in the report as a possible target for the Washington Football Team’s general manager opening.

Just speculating here, but Smith could also become a name to watch for other teams that are expected to have a vacancy following the regular-season finale, like the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Smith will be one of the most talked-about names this offseason thanks to his wealth of success as the Titans’ offensive coordinator.

Tennessee sported one of the best offenses from Week 7 of last season when Ryan Tannehill took over as the starting quarterback and the Titans made a run.

That success has continued during the 2020 season, with the Titans sporting the No. 3 offense in the NFL going into Week 17. In fact, with the way the defense has played, the Titans wouldn’t be where they are without their explosive offense.

Should the Titans lose Smith and need a new offensive coordinator next season, it would be a familiar place for this franchise to be in.

In 2019, the Titans had former offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur poached by the Green Bay Packers, and since 2010 the franchise has seen seven different coaches at the position.

Report: Detroit Lions have begun initial stages of head coaching search, already interviewed Marvin Lewis

According to NFL Network, the Detroit Lions have begun the initial stages of their head coaching search and have already interviewed Marvin Lewis.

According to a joint NFL Network article written by Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo, the Detroit Lions have begun the initial stages of their head coaching search and have already interviewed former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.

After 16 seasons coaching the Bengals, Lewis was let go in 2018 and is currently a co-defensive coordinator at Arizona State, working alongside former NFL coach and current Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards.

Per the report, Lewis interviewed with the Lions last Thursday and is the first of several candidates the Lions will be considering.

The Lions have put “in as many as 10 interview slips for head coaching candidates” for current NFL coordinators/coaches, and are even exploring the college ranks as well.

The NFL network made a point to mention several other candidates as well, including 49ers’ DC Robert Saleh, Chiefs’ OC Eric Bienemy, and Titans’ OC Arthur Smith as potential targets. All of which — including Lewis — were among the top-10 candidates we at Lions Wire included in our initial coaching candidates examination.

Not included in our top-10 but also mentioned in the NFL Network piece, was former Lions’ tight end and current Saints’ assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell. After taking over as interim coach for Miami in 2015, Campbell joined the Saints and is widely considered a head coaching waiting.

Additionally, if the Lions were to pursue a college coach, in our top-10 list, we listed Iowa State coach Matt Campbell — whom both Lions Wire editors Jeff Risdon and Erik Schlitt are big fans of –, while NFL Network suggested Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald — who we also profiled in a separate piece.

Finally, the NFL Network also mentioned some general manager names that the Lions are expected to interview, including several we at Lions Wire have already profiled: Seahawks GM John Schneider, Colts’ Ed Dodds, Vikings’ George Paton, and Seahawks’ Scott Fritterer — who we identified in our GM candidates article — as well as Rams’ Director of college scouting Brad Holmes.

New names we have yet to profile include Saints’ VP of player personnel/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot, Steelers’ VP of football administration Omar Khan, Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay, and Patriots front office consultant Eliot Wolf, who is better know for his time with the Packers front office.

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Texans’ Week 17 with Titans Wire

The Houston Texans finish up their 2020 season with a Week 17 showdown with Tennessee. The Titans Wire helps preview the season finale at NRG Stadium.

The Houston Texans take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 3:25 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

To help preview the season finale for the Texans (and possibly Tennessee), Titans Wire managing editor Mike Moraitis answered a few questions.

 

Texans Wire: Of course a win gives the Titans some hats. Can they advance any further with the scenarios?

MM: The highest the Titans can get is the No. 4 seed. There were scenarios where the Titans could have moved up had they finished with a better record than the Steelers or the same record as the Bills, but both of those avenues have been erased.

 

TW: Can A.J. Brown and Corey Davis get to 1,000 yards in this game?

MM: For sure. Davis needs just 55 more yards, while Brown need 76. Both totals are certainly attainable, especially against the Texans’ lackluster defense. Ryan Tannehill is also 397 yards shy of 4,000, and Derrick Henry can hit 2,000 yards if he runs for 223 on Sunday.

 

TW: Does Anthony Firkser do anything outside of playing the Texans when he is a superstar?

MM: What Firkser did in Week 6 was definitely an outlier, as he has never posted another game similar to that one. He has slid down the depth chart to No. 4 as the year has progressed and is now at the bottom of the totem pole as far as tight end snaps are concerned.

 

TW: How does Malcolm Butler not get a Pro Bowl?

MM: Well, we all know the Pro Bowl voting process is extremely flawed to begin with, but it also doesn’t help that the entire defense has been a train wreck around him, which definitely overshadows the great season he’s having.

 

TW: Would Arthur Smith make a good head coach?

MM: From what players and coaches say, Smith has been a good leader behind the scenes, although that’s difficult to judge from our standpoint since we aren’t in the locker room, at practice or in meetings. As a play-caller, I think he’s a bit overrated. He makes questionable calls week in and week out, and my opinion is that his success has more to do with the talent the Titans’ offense has rather than some magic touch he has. Prior to Ryan Tannehill taking over last season, the Titans’ offense couldn’t buy points.

 

TW: With Steve Underwood out of the organization, has anyone picked up the dynamic facial hair game?

MM: Unfortunately not, but Underwood’s shoes were always going to be impossible to fill. His facial mane is legendary.

 

TW: What is your prediction?

MM: This game is going to be close, as the Titans’ defense figures to provide little resistance against Deshaun Watson. However, Tennessee is the hungrier team here and as currently constituted has a better offense overall than Houston. It’ll be a shootout, but the Titans win and clinch the AFC South. Titans 41, Texans 31.

MythBusters: Why Ryan Tannehill is a scheme-transcendent, top-five NFL quarterback

Ryan Tannehill isn’t often recognized as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, but the stats and tape tell the story: He absolutely is.

In this series, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar dives down into the NFL’s common myths and examines what the real story is. In this installment, it’s time for a greater appreciation of Ryan Tannehill, who has developed from an iffy guy in some bad Dolphins offenses to one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks — regardless of scheme or personnel — with the Titans.

How many NFL quarterbacks are truly scheme-transcendent? In other words, how many quarterbacks could succeed at or near their current levels of efficiency no matter their offensive structure? It’s a very short list at any given time. Right now, you’d probably bring up Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson (heck, you could argue that Wilson would be even better in other offenses), Deshaun Watson, and unless the system required the quarterback to run 100 times a season, perhaps Tom Brady.

If I bring up Ryan Tannehill’s name, you’d probably respond that without running back Derrick Henry and the specter of play-action, Tannehill is Just Another Guy. It is the purpose of this particular MythBusters piece to disabuse you of that notion. That’s the story, and most people are sticking to it. In truth, Tannehill has proven this season that he can succeed in just about any structure as the facilitator of the league’s top scoring offense.

In 2019, Tannehill’s first season as the Titans’ starting quarterback (an honor he didn’t actually gain until Week 7), he was by far the NFL’s most efficient quarterback when using play-action. Including the postseason, per Pro Football Focus, Tannehill completed 77.1% of his passes for 1,382 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 140.6. Russell Wilson ranked second with a passer rating of 124.6, to show you how large the divide was. Add in Tannehill’s numbers when he wasn’t using play-action — a 64.6% completion rate with 16 touchdowns, four picks, and a passer rating of 101.7 — and it could be said that while he didn’t collapse when not using play-action, it certainly helped, as did Henry’s presence to influence linebackers and safeties and create stacked boxes that Tannehill could exploit.

Through the first 14 games of the 2020 season, Tannehill is once again working defenses to death when using play-action. He’s completed 62.6% of his passes for a league-high 1,580 yards, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 114.4, If those numbers (especially the league-high 10.2 yards per attempt) tell you that the Titans are using play-action to create even more shot plays this season… well, sort of. On play-action throws of 20 or more air yards, per Sports Info Solutions, Tannehill has 10 completions in 19 attempts for 414 yards, 314 air yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Last season, Tannehill completed seven passes on 15 attempts for 313 yards, 240 air yards, two touchdowns, and no picks. If you prorate that over a full season, there isn’t much of a difference in opportunity.

But here’s where the narratives about Tannehill go south. This season when he’s not using play-action, Tannehill’s been absolutely ridiculous: A 68.7% completion rate (much higher than with play-action) for 1,902 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, a passer rating of 108.2… and 19 touchdown passes to just two interceptions. Only Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson have higher passer ratings with no play-action. The increased diversity and effectiveness of the Titans’ passing game in this regard is one reason Tennessee leads the NFL with 436 points (31.1 points per game) after 14 games, and why Tannehill’s overall numbers have been dizzying since he became the team’s full-time starter.

Does it help that the Titans have Derrick Henry loading up against stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) on 29.91% of his runs? Sure, it does. But Henry faced stacked boxes on 35.31% of his runs in 2019, per NFL Next Gen Stats, so it’s not quite the factor it used to be. Defenses are respecting the quarterback in this case at a higher rate than last season, and there are obvious reasons for that.

So, why is Tannehill so effective without his alleged crutches? First, it’s no fun for any defense to have to deal with receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis all the time, especially as Davis has come on in the second half of the season.

Second, they’re great in the passing game with heavy personnel. Per Sharp Football Stats, Tennessee leads the league in “12” personnel (one running back, two tight ends) at 33%, and in “12,” Tannehill has a 100.2 passer rating with seven touchdowns and three picks. The Titans have also run “13” personnel on 9% of their plays (only the Browns and Giants have used it at a higher rate), which makes a defense waver between stacked boxes and coverage alignment for more explosive plays. When in “13” personnel, Tannehill has a 124.7 passer rating, with six touchdown passes to no interceptions. Just as sure as you’ll see play-action out of those heavier packages, you’ll also see motion used without it to influence a defense.

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The NFL’s best offensive play-callers

Sean McVay, Kevin Stefanski and Matt LaFleur are some of Touchdown Wire’s choices for the best offensive play-callers of 2020.

What makes a great offensive play-caller?

In his book “Finding the Winning Edge,” the legendary Bill Walsh wrote:

For every call that was made that was well conceived, thoroughly practiced and called just at the right time, but failed because the ball was batted down or dropped, there was a parallel occurrence. An equal number of times, I made a call that was not as concise or as well-schooled and was called at the worst possible time given the defensive alignment, but was successful due to some extraordinary effort or talent by a particular player.

So… luck?

Perhaps that plays a role. But Walsh ended that paragraph as follows: “Sound decision making enables you to reduce the amount of uncertainty in any given situation as much as possible. As a consequence, the variables you have to deal with will be reduced.”

Therein lie the keys to being a great play-caller. Yes, you need to put your players in position to be successful, but part of that comes from dictating the defensive personnel, the matchups and sometimes even the exact coverage that the defense will run on a given play, and then running a design to attack that.

These are some of 2020’s best offensive play-callers, many of whom accomplish those exact goals with what they call.

10 coaches the Lions should consider for their coaching vacancy

10 coaches the Lions should consider for their coaching vacancy

The Detroit Lions have finally fired coach Matt Patricia and while Darrell Bevell is the interim coach, it’s time to begin looking for the long-term replacement.

Lions Wire editors Jeff Risdon and Erik Schlitt have put their heads together to come up with a Top-10 list of candidates we believe Shelia Hamp Ford should heavily consider for the vacancy.

Those candidates are listed below in alphabetical order.

Jets could have one less team competing for a new head coach

The Jets could be one of only a few times looking for a new coach if they decide to fire Adam Gase.

The Jets haven’t fired Adam Gase, yet, but his days are numbered as long as the team keeps losing.

Fortunately, the 0-9 Jets might not have less competition in their inevitable search than initially expected.

Right now, only the Falcons and Texans are technically in the market for a new head coach after firing Dan Quinn and Bill O’Brien, respectively, earlier this season. But the Texans like interim head coach Romeo Crennel,
so much they might name him their full-time coach before starting a search, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

This would – potentially – leave the Falcons as the only other team in need of a new coach, and interim Raheem Morris is 3-1 since taking over for Quinn on Oct. 12. Other teams like the Jaguars, Lions and Cowboys could fire their head coaches as well after poor seasons, but the odds of the Jets landing a top-tier candidate would significantly improve if the Texans’ job was off the board. 

Joe Douglas will have a lot to work with when marketing his team to potential hires.

The Jets have a plethora of draft picks – four in the first round of the next two drafts, including a likely top-five pick this year – at least $80 million in cap space and young players like Mekhi Becton, Denzel Mims, Quinnen Williams and Sam Darnold – unless the Jets draft a quarterback in the first round. That’s a solid core to work with for someone looking for a team on the rise, especially when the alternatives are cap-strapped teams, like the Texans and Falcons, and middling teams, like the Lions and the Jaguars.

Despite the Texans’ money and draft pick woes, Houston probably has the best opening because they have a top-10 quarterback in Deshaun Watson who is under contract until 2025. There is a lot of work to do on that team, but not having to worry about a quarterback is huge for any new coach. So if Houston retains Crennel instead of dipping its foot into the coaching pool, it would level the playing field for the Jets.

Suitors for the Jets include Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. It’s impossible to know how interested any potential candidate is without knowing what other jobs are available, but the opportunity to mold a team is there especially after Douglas stripped the Jets of most of their unnecessary baggage and contracts and flipped them for cap space and picks.

First things first, though: The Jets have to fire Gase before they officially start their head coaching search. Until that happens, the Jets are stuck with the team – and the coach – they currently have as they continue towards oblivion in the 2020 season.

Stock up, stock down after Titans’ Week 10 loss to Colts

Which Titans saw their stock rise or fall after Week 10?

On a night that started with such promise, it quickly evaporated into a humbling reality check for the Tennessee Titans, who suffered a gut-wrenching 34-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night.

It was a bad day for the Titans and all their fans and there is no real way to sugarcoat it. What was once a dreamlike 5-0 start for the Titans has suddenly disintegrated into a 6-3 disaster after losing three out of their last four games.

In reality, there are a lot worse things than being 6-3 after 9 games. In fact, there’s a lot of teams that would trade places with the Titans in a heartbeat.

There is still time for Tennessee to get this train rolling again before playoff time, but they are running out of wiggle room.

With all that said let’s take a look at who helped and hurt their stock following Thursday’s 17-point loss to the Colts.

Titans land in top 10 of The Athletic’s offense rankings

The Titans made the top 10 of The Athletic’s offense rankings, but should have been higher on the list.

The Tennessee Titans’ offense exploded in the second half of last season, performing as one of the best units in the NFL down the stretch.

After a 2-4 start that saw Tennessee score 16.3 points per contest, the switch was made from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill in Week 7, leading to the Titans scoring 30.4 points per game in their last 10 contests, the third-best mark in the NFL in that span.

As a result, Tennessee went on a 7-3 run, which ultimately helped land the team in the playoffs and allowed it to make an eventual postseason run all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

Things are looking good for the Titans to post similar numbers in 2020, as 10 of the team’s 11 offensive starters will return, with the lone exception being right tackle Jack Conklin.

Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic recently ranked every offensive unit in the NFL, and the Titans landed at No. 9 on the list.

If offensive coordinator Arthur Smith coached in a bigger market, owners likely would have been falling all over themselves to hire him as a head coach in the offseason. Smith was one of the most creative play-callers in the NFL in 2019. The Titans return 10 of 11 starters, including Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown, who averaged 2.98 yards per route run as a rookie — tops among all wide receivers. The questions with Tennessee are: How much will Tannehill regress? And how productive can Henry be after last year’s workload? Tannehill became the second player in NFL history (Joe Montana was the first) to complete over 70 percent of his passes and average over 9 yards per attempt. The chances of him repeating that performance are slim. If Tannehill regresses slightly and is still a top-10 quarterback, the Titans will be in good shape. If it’s more than that, they’re in trouble. Henry, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which he had 409 touches. Will he look like the guy we saw bowling over defenders in the postseason, or will he show signs of being worn down?

Here’s a look at the eight teams that landed in front of the Titans.

  1. Kansas City Chiefs
  2. Baltimore Ravens
  3. New Orleans Saints
  4. Dallas Cowboys
  5. Seattle Seahawks
  6. San Francisco 49ers
  7. Arizona Cardinals
  8. Indianapolis Colts

Of those eight teams, the Titans finished with more points per game (25.1) than two of them — the Cardinals (22.6) and the Colts (22.6) — so we can certainly make the case they should be at least two spots higher.

Whether or not the Titans can match or better their 2019 success will depend upon Tannehill, who is almost universally expected to regress after posting an elite season.

The good news for Tennessee is that nothing has really changed to make you think that will happen — or at least not to the lengths some are expecting.

Sure, Tannehill doesn’t have a track record of elite play to bank on, but he remains at the helm of a run-heavy, quarterback-friendly offense that runs through Derrick Henry and utilizes the play-action, something Tannehill excelled at last season.

And that’s an identity that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith embraces, so expect more of the same approach in the coming campaign.

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Titans’ Arthur Smith talks WR competition, Derrick Henry’s workload, more

Smith fielded a number of questions from reporters Wednesday.

The Tennessee Titans have quite the task to live up to in continuing last year’s offensive success.

The man in charge of all of that, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, fielded a host of questions from reporters on Wednesday.

Of course, some of those surrounding star running back Derrick Henry, who ended off last season with the NFL’s rushing title with a total of 1,540 yards on the ground.

Behind Henry, the Titans have rookie rusher Darrynton Evans out of Appalachian State.

Smith also weighed in on the addition of former offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson, whom the Titans selected with the No, 29 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Moving over to receiver, Smith mentioned several names for the fourth spot on the depth chart.

He also referred to wideout Corey Davis an “unsung hero” on some plays from the 2019 season,

The Titans look a bit different at tight end this year with veteran Delanie Walker officially off the roster. But there are some players to watch in that room, and Jonnu Smith probably comes to mind first.

Smith is looking forward to the pass-catcher continuing to come into his own.

As things begin to open up more and COVID-19 restrictions continue to loosen up across the country, it will be interesting to see how this year’s team comes together when they get back to the football field.