Tag: Bobby Slowik

9 potential replacements for Saints head coach Dennis Allen

The Saints may not be preparing to fire Dennis Allen, but they should be. Better head coach candidates are out there like Jim Harbaugh, Ben Johnson, and Brian Flores:

Will the New Orleans Saints move on from Dennis Allen after this season? They probably should. He hasn’t met the expectations set for him in either of his first two years as their head coach, and he’ll need to to beat two NFC South rivals that defeated him soundly earlier this season just to finish the 2023 campaign with a winning record.

The Saints went all in on his vision for the team by signing his preferred quarterback Derek Carr to a lucrative contract and repeatedly trading up in the NFL draft for prospects he wanted the most, costing them much-needed picks that could have been used to restock an aging roster. And Allen hasn’t had anything to show for it. It’s time to move on from the coach with the 184th-ranked career winning percentage in NFL history whether the Saints’ brass wants to admit it or not.

So who are their options if they do dismiss Allen from his post? Years of poaching have thinned out the crowd of candidates ahead of the latest coaching carousel, but there are some intriguing names on the market. Here are five coaches we’d like to see wearing black and gold:

Betting odds for the next Chargers head coach

Who is the frontrunner according to the betting odds?

Who is going to be the next Chargers head coach?

While it’s still early, with three weeks left in the season, oddsmakers believe that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to be the successor to Brandon Staley at +200 odds, per BetOnline.ag.

This means a $100 bet would get you $200 if you bet on Harbaugh to be Los Angeles’ new head coach and he is hired.

Here are the rest of the potential candidates after Harbaugh and their odds:

Coach Odds
Bill Belichick +300
Ben Johnson +400
Kellen Moore +500
Frank Smith +700
Eric Bieniemy +1200
Bobby Slowik +1200
Lincoln Riley +1600
Ryan Day +1600
Dan Quinn +1800

The Los Angeles Chargers’ head coaching job is more baggage than beauty

Justin Herbert aside, there are a lot of holes currently on the Chargers’ roster, and not a lot of resources to fix them.

‘Twas the week after firing Brandon Staley, and all through L.A.

Chargers fans were giddy thinking of coaches Dean Spanos could pay

Yes, the inevitable finally happened- the Los Angeles Chargers fired Brandon Staley off the heels of a 63-21 dismantling in Las Vegas.

All that can be said about Staley has been said. he was a supposed defensive genius whose defenses got progressively worse even with a nice litany of players at his disposal, and his in-game decision making was often incoherent as it was inconsistent.

The question now is who will be under the headset in 2024 for the Chargers? For obvious reasons, Chargers fans have started to get visions of Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dancing in their heads. His offensive schematics have helped turn Detroit into one of the most dynamic offenses in football, and Jared Goff has had a career renaissance over the past two seasons. One could only imagine the possibilities if he had someone as talented as Justin Herbert at his disposal.

Other trendy candidates include current Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

In the midst of all the speculation and borderline certainty that this team is the place to be for head coaching candidates, we need to take a step back and see the much larger picture.

There is a very large elephant in the room that needs addressed. Outside of Justin Herbert, there isn’t much to love about the Chargers. And Chargers fans are standing way too close to that elephant to even realize its an elephant at all.

Yes, Herbert is obviously very alluring for someone like a Ben Johnson or a Bobby Slowik. He would very likely thrive in Johnson’s Frankenstein monster of an offense that combines a lot of west coast concepts, as well as a lot of influence from Adam Gase, whom he spent time with while he was in Miami. The same way he would likely thrive in a Shanahan-style offense with Bobby Slowik. Besides the possibility of having Herbert being very seducing, though, what is the Chargers’ sales pitch? I don’t think they have one.

Let’s look at their roster right now. Who is Herbert throwing to? Mike Williams, who is always hurt, and Keenan Allen, who is going to be 32 next season. Not to say they aren’t talented, but no one is racing to sign up for that. Outside of those two? Quentin Johnston has been a tumultuous disappointment, and they drafted him ahead of Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison-ouch. Jalen Guyton is going to be a free agent and isn’t a legitimate No. 3 receiver to begin with. Both Austin Ekeler and Josh Kelley are slated to be free agents, and I doubt they bring back Ekeler. Tight end Gerald Everett is also a free agent.

“Well, they can bring in new talent in free agency.”

Au contraire.

The Chargers are projected to have the third-lowest amount of cap space in the league next season. Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams all have cap hits north of $30 million. Mack will be 33. Bosa will be 29. Allen will be 32. Williams will be 30. 58 percent of their cap is tied up in those four players. Then 2025 comes and Justin Herbert’s extension kicks in. Plus, you still have to pay Rashawn Slater.

They have all these things to worry about in the not-so-distant future, while having to figure out how to fix the 29th ranked defense in the NFL- I don’t see a big race to that job taking place. Especially when you can go to a place like Washington, whose new ownership looks like they’ll be patient with a full rebuild and will have the most cap space in the NFL. New England will also be an alluring job for similar reasons, should it become available. They’ll have the third most cap space in the league and be able to start largely from scratch offensively.

This is also why I think it’s not the smartest move trying to pursue Bill Belichick. The roster will need somewhat of an overhaul, and he’s proven to be a really bad general manager over the last several seasons, especially when it comes to one of the Chargers’ biggest needs- receiver. Their best move would be to pursue a young offensive-minded coach and pair him with a GM that can build a winner around Justin Herbert.

With that said, I wouldn’t assume the top candidates will be trampling and tripping over one another trying to be the guy to get the job. Pursuing the Chargers because of Justin Herbert is like dating a beautiful woman who just got out of prison- There’s certainly some attraction, but there is a lot of baggage that comes with it. And for Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, and whomever else is pursued to be the next coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, they are going to have to decide if that baggage is worth the risk.

Why has Texans RB Dameon Pierce disappeared in 2023?

Dameon Pierce was expected to be a key part of the Houston Texans’ offense in 2023, but the RB has disappeared.

This wasn’t the script for Dameon Pierce.

Last year, as a fourth-round pick from Florida, the running back was a bright spot for an underperforming Houston Texans team. He ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry while briefly flirting with the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in what was almost a 1,000-yard campaign prior to injuries. By all accounts, it appeared that Pierce would be Houston’s running back of the future.

The expectations only grew when Houston hired coach DeMeco Ryans, who brought with him offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and the San Francisco “Shanahan” West Coast scheme. It was an offense that had been extremely friendly to running backs for the San Francisco 49ers and had seen Christian McCaffrey explode for some of the most productive games of his career in 2022.

Throughout training camp the coaching staff was extremely complimentary of Pierce, with Slowik himself even believing in July that, “For us to be a good offense, we have to have Dameon at his A-game.” There was no shortage of belief.

13 head coach candidates for the Chargers in 2024

Here are 12 head coaching candidates for the Chargers to keep an eye on over the coming months.

The Chargers have cleaned house, firing head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.

With a star in Justin Herbert at quarterback, Los Angeles will be one of the most intriguing head coaching vacancies this offseason.

Here are 13 candidates to keep an eye on over the coming months.

15 possible HC candidates for the Panthers in 2024

Here are 15 names to keep in mind as Panthers owner David Tepper embarks on his third head-coaching search

Here we are again.

For the second time in as many years, the Carolina Panthers are in the market for a new head coach. Monday morning’s firing of Frank Reich, who lasted a miserable 11 games in Charlotte, now opens the door for yet another leader for this unstable franchise.

So, who will that leader be?

Well, it’s still too early to tell. But here are 15 possible candidates that could be of interest to owner David Tepper and company:

Texans OC Bobby Slowik says ‘nothing has changed’ with RB Dameon Pierce

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik says that Dameon Pierce still has the same role despite Devin Singletary’s productive game.

The Houston Texans run game struggled to produce a 100-yard rusher until Week 10, the second game starter Dameon Pierce missed with an ankle injury.

Running back Devin Singletary had a career game in the Texans’ 30-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The reserve generated 30 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown.

With a tally that high, the question becomes: What happens to Pierce?

According to Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, one big game from Singletary doesn’t alter their outlook on Pierce or the running back roles.

“Yeah, nothing has changed,” Slowik told reporters Nov. 16. “I’ve kind of been saying this for a while — I really believe in having guys that can distribute carries. I think that keeps you fresh as the game keeps going, especially through the course of a season.”

While the Texans rode Singletary with 30 carries last week, Slowik emphasized that type of production has a toll on a back throughout the season.

“You have 30 carries in multiple games, that adds up fast, and we don’t want to put that on any one player, so it really won’t be any different than it was before,” said Slowik. “I know ‘D.P.’ [Pierce] is working his tail off to try to get back as soon as he can. When that happens, we’ll roll.”

Houston gets back in action in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals for 12:00 p.m. Central Time kickoff from NRG Stadium.

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Texans OC Bobby Slowik explains how Ka’imi Fairbairn injury changed play-calling

Ka’imi Fairbairn’s injury in Week 9 had a slight effect on play-calling, according to Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

The Houston Texans were put in a unique position to start the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 at NRG Stadium.

Trailing 17-10, the Texans would have to mount a comeback without kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who injured his quad. The Texans had running back Dare Ogunbowale take over the kickoff duties, but trusted him with just a 29-yard field goal out of desperation to take a skinny 33-30 lead early in the fourth quarter.

According to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, the Texans’ play-calling felt some effects from the Fairbairn injury.

“I would say the only thing it really changed was third-down going into fourth-down,” Slowik told reporters Nov. 9. “First, second-down, it didn’t adjust much. We were confident in what we were doing, and we were going to keep doing it. The only difference really becomes when you get into like high-red areas — normal field-goal areas — you knew rather than punt, we were going to be aggressive on fourth.”

There was an instance where a conservative third down play-call was acceptable due to the Texans’ willingness to go for it on fourth down, as exemplified by Houston’s sequence with 14:20 to go in the game facing goal-to-go on the 9-yard line.

“It happened once in the red-zone where we had a third-down call that we knew we could take a pretty aggressive in the end zone because we felt confident about our fourth-down call as well,” Slowik said. “That really was about the only time it came up as far as changing what were doing.”

Stroud hit tight end Dalton Schultz for a 9-yard touchdown to give Houston a 30-23 lead.

Regarding two-point conversions, Slowik indicated they immediately became options.

Said Slowik: “We had already gone into the game — we were already prepped with two-point plays, two-point thoughts — not necessarily three of them — but that’s always something we talked about.”

The Texans signed kicker Matt Ammendola to the practice squad earlier this week.

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Devin Singletary can make case as Texans RB1 versus the Buccaneers

Houston Texans running back Devin Singletary has an opportunity to entrench himself as the starter with a good outing versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Houston Texans rushing offense will undergo an interesting trial in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Starter Dameon Pierce may be sidelined with an ankle injury. The second-year running back has also had a frustrating start to the season with 109 carries for 327 yards and a touchdown. Pierce’s yards per carry are a paltry 3.0 compared to his 4.7 a season ago.

If the Texans are without Pierce, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is confident in the other backs in the stable — from Devin Singletary to Mike Boone and even Dare Ogunbowale and practice squadder Gerrid Doaks.

However, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik elaborated on the skills of one particular back when asked about his ability in Week 9 should Pierce not play.

“We really like what they do, and ‘Motor’ [Singletary] is one of the best at — if you just say regardless of athleticism — who is just one of the best football players you have on the team? Without a doubt, Devin Singletary is one of those guys.”

Pierce has yet to have a game over 4.0 yards per carry, and has yet to even approach 90 yards rushing. Houston’s ground game is also the third-worst in the NFL at 3.3 yards per carry and 10th-worst at 91.9 yards per game.

If the Texans are able to spark their run game with Singletary as the lead back, it could open the door for Pierce to take a backseat, especially when Singletary is already highly regarded.

Said Slowik: “He does everything. He does everything really well, he does it very smooth and with the right mindset. He’s aggressive in everything he does. He’s confident. I think he’s one of everyone’s favorite people on the team for that reason. So, we have the upmost confidence in really that whole group.”

Singletary has 49 carries for 183 yards and seven catches for 43 yards through seven games.

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Bobby Slowik explains how Texans could work around WR Robert Woods’ absence

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik talked briefly how the Houston Texans’ passing game could adjust for a possible absence of WR Robert Woods.

The injury report does not bode well for Robert Woods.

The 11th-year receiver has been a non-participant in two of the three practices due to a foot injury — and this is coming out of a bye week.

More than likely the Houston Texans will be without Woods’ services when they take on the Carolina Panthers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time for Week 8 at Bank of America Stadium.

While Woods has been a productive member of the Texans’ receiving corps, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik explained for reporters Oct. 26 that Houston’s skill positions are about the functionality as a group, not a particular player.

“I’ve mentioned this before, but we have a whole stable of receivers that we feel really good about,” said Slowik. “We think all of them have traits and things that they do really well. We want each of them — we want to put all of them in positions to take advantage of their skills. ‘Woody’ [Woods] has his skillset that he’s really good at and that we take advantage of, and he continues to grow in.”

If the Texans can’t use Woods against the Panthers, Slowik offered Nico Collins, Tank Dell, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson as other wideouts who have something to offer out in the pattern.

Said Slowik: “It’s not so much like — ‘Oh, man, if we miss any of these guys, we’re missing this piece.’ It’s more, ‘Okay, as a group, these two guys do this other thing well — how do we take advantage of the same hole maybe in a different way? That’s really anytime we miss anybody as a skill player on offense.”

Woods has caught 22 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown through six starts.

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