Tag: Offensive Coordinator

Steelers OC: QB battle was decided by who had the best deep ball

Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith stated that while Justin Fields had a solid deep-ball, Russell Wilson’s amazing deep-ball forced the teams hand.

While the decision to start Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson over Justin Fields in last week’s contest was polarizing, to say the least, Head Coach Mike Tomlin appeared to make the right call. No specific rhyme or reason was given for the decision, other than Tomlin’s desire to ‘win championships.’ 

It confused former players, analysts, and fans, especially since Fields had led the Steelers to an impressive 4-2 record through six games. However, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith shed some light on why the decision to start Wilson over Fields was simpler than people made it out to be. 


It seems Wilson’s talent in throwing his immaculate deep ball, as displayed throughout Week 7’s contest, was a huge reason he got his opportunity to showcase his signal calling in 2024. This ‘greed’ on the offensive side of the ball is much appreciated, as although Fields’ athleticism is impressive, the passing game overall has become an area of concern in recent years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Arthur Smith on Roman Wilson’s debut: ‘It’ll happen sooner or later’

There appears to be no sense of urgency from OC Arthur Smith to get the talented WR Roman Wilson onto the field to make his debut.

Although Pittsburgh is teetering on the brink of losing three straight games, specifically due to offensive struggles and a lack of dynamic wide receivers, there appears to be no sense of urgency to get rookie WR Roman Wilson onto the field.

Steelers’ offensive coordinator Arthur Smith offered an explanation during media availability on Thursday, citing several recovery aspects, such as missing training camp and being out of game shape. Smith concluded that we could expect Wilson to suit up his debut “sooner or later.” He acknowledged that Wilson is working very hard to get on the field, but noted that the wide receiver missed a lot of football conditioning.

https://twitter.com/MarkKaboly/status/1844408331139449025

Fans who eagerly awaiting the playmaking ability of the shifty and explosive Wilson will need wait just a little longer.  When Smith and Mike Tomlin eventually realize how much the offense needs a player of Wilson’s caliber, hopefully it isn’t too late.

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Broncos Twitter reacts to Jets stripping Nathaniel Hackett of playcalling duties

What does Nathaniel Hackett even do with the Jets now?

The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh this week but opted to keep offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on staff despite their offense struggling through the first five games of the season.

New York’s decision surprised NFL fans and pundits. Their next move was less surprising: interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday that Hackett has been stripped of playcalling duties and Todd Downing is taking over.

Saleh planned to make that same change, but he was fired. Ulbrich apparently liked Saleh’s plan and he’s now implementing it.

No longer tasked with calling plays, Hackett’s role with the Jets is unclear, but they aren’t firing him. Here’s a sampling of how Denver Broncos fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X.

Hackett served as Denver’s head coach in 2022. He was fired with two games remaining that season after starting 4-11. Last offseason, new Broncos coach Sean Payton said Denver’s 2022 season “might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”

It seems that Payton’s comments have been justified.

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Broncos were fortunate to avoid Aaron Rodgers disaster in 2022

The Jets are a mess seemingly in large part because Aaron Rodgers is running the show. Thank goodness the Broncos did not trade for him.

When the Denver Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach in 2022, there was heavy speculation that the franchise did so with the hopes of luring quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Denver.

If that truly was the plan, it backfired as Rodgers opted to instead remain with the Green Bay Packers for another season. The Broncos then traded for Russell Wilson, which ended up being a disastrous trade, but landing Rodgers might have been even worse for the franchise.

Rodgers ended up joining the New York Jets one year later and now just one season and five games into his tenure, the veteran franchise has turned the franchise upside down.

The Jets fired respected coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, a move that appears to be Rodgers getting his way. Meanwhile, there’s been no news that New York plans to fire Hackett, who now serves as their offensive coordinator.

With Rodgers and Hackett running the show, the Jets have the sixth-worst offense in the NFL, averaging 286.6 yards yards per game. New York’s 18.6 points per game rank eighth-worst in the league.

The Broncos, meanwhile, moved on from both Hackett and Wilson and the team is now led by Sean Payton and they have a 24-year-old quarterback in Bo Nix. Had they successfully landed Rodgers three years ago, Denver likely could have still had Hackett and Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December.

The Jets are a mess in large part because they acquired an aging Rodgers and seemingly let him run the show. The Broncos are fortunate to have avoided such a disaster.

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Purdue announces former high school coach as new OC for matchup vs. Wisconsin

Purdue’s new play-caller has little college coaching experience

Purdue head coach Ryan Walters named analyst Jason Simmons his team’s new play-caller entering Saturday’s matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers.

The information came as Walters met with the media for his game-week press conference on Monday. It follows the program’s decision to fire former offensive coordinator Graham Harrell after Saturday’s 28-10 loss to Nebraska.

Purdue enters Saturday’s game in Madison, Wisconsin with a 1-3 record after three consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Oregon State and Nebraska, respectively. The team is averaging just 21.8 points per game, ranked No. 106 in the nation. That total plummets to 12.6 when Week 1’s 49-0 win against Indiana State isn’t considered.

The Boilermakers are hoping the move to Simmons as the play-caller will help redirect the offense in the right direction. The unit has talent — headlined by QB Hudson Card and RB Devin Mockobee. It needs to find a rhythm, or the losses will continue.

Simmons joined Purdue as an analyst this season after spending 2023 as running backs coach at Miami (OH). He was previously the head coach at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana from 2018-22, that after holding the same role at Noblesville High School from 2016-18.

His resume lacks any significant college football coaching experience. His one year at Miami (OH) in 2023 is his only at the college level.

Wisconsin and Purdue will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT in what is nearing a must-win for both programs.

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Wisconsin upcoming opponent fires offensive coordinator after 1-3 start

Some big news before next weekend

Purdue has fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell after a 1-3 start to the 2024 season, the latest loss a 28-10 defeat at the hands of Nebraska.

Head coach Ryan Walters makes this significant move ahead of the Boilermakers’ upcoming matchup against the struggling Wisconsin Badgers.

Harrell joined the program with Walters in 2023. He previously held offensive coordinator positions at North Texas (2016-2018), USC (2019-2021) and West Virginia (2022).

Purdue averaged just 21.8 points per game during the first four games of the young season. It began with a 49-0 win over Indiana State, then followed with point totals of 7, 21 and 10 respectively in its next three losses. The team is 1-3 through four weeks and ranked No. 89 overall in ESPN SP+. Its offense is down at No. 84 in the nation.

Walters has his own issues to fix on the defensive side of the football — Purdue has allowed point totals of 66, 38 and 28 over the last three weeks as well. This change will likely be one of many to come as the Boilermakers continue to struggle in the post-Jeff Brohm era.

Wisconsin will host Purdue at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Saturday. It is a must-win for the Badgers if they have any chance at bowl eligibility. Purdue’s coaching change should shake things up entering the contest. For the Boilermakers, the on-field product can’t get much worse.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Klint Kubiak listed as one of the most impactful coordinators of 2024

Klint Kubiak was the Saints’ biggest offseason acquisition, and he’s delivered on those expectations. He needs to keep it up:

Klint Kubiak was without a doubt Dennis Allen’s biggest offseason acquisition for the New Orleans Saints. This was the belief before the season started, and he’s showing why many were excited about the hire. Bleacher Report has Kubiak as one of the most impactful coordinators through three weeks.

The Saints offense looks nothing like last year’s unit both conceptually and production-wise. The most impressive part of the transformation is the skill positions are the same guys. It’s still all Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed at wide receiver. But Alvin Kamara has looked rejuvenated, and Derek Carr  has looked much-improved.

Taliese Fuaga and Lucas Patrick are the only true additions, but it’s a clear difference. Keeping it at the offensive line, Trevor Penning has played better after moving to right tackle. The offensive line as a whole performed much better than expected in the first two weeks before Erik McCoy went down in Week 3.

The Saints ranked second in points per game under this new system. The team has been using creative formations and motion frequently. Carr is taking advantage of the higher use of play action. Kamara is on pace to break last year’s rushing total by Week 8. If your offense is primarily the same but it looks and performs different, then the most logical place to look is the offensive coordinator. Kubiak has delivered on high expectations early on,  but he needs to keep it up through a long season.

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Broncos and Jets to face off in second edition of the Nathaniel Hackett Bowl

Nathaniel Hackett and the Jets beat the Broncos 31-21 last season. Denver gets a rematch on Sunday.

The New York Jets (2-1) are set to host the Denver Broncos (1-2) in Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday.

The Jets’ offense, of course, is coached by Nathaniel Hackett, who returned to Denver last season and beat the team that fired him less than a year after he was hired as the Broncos’ head coach in 2022.

There was some hoopla before that matchup because earlier in the offseason, current Denver coach Sean Payton slammed the previous regime, saying 2022 “might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”

Hackett said hearing those comments was frustrating, and Jets coaches and players quickly came to his defense. New York then beat the Broncos 31-21 at Empower Field at Mile High, giving Hackett the last laugh, at least in 2023.

Now the two teams are set for a rematch with Payton coaching Denver’s squad and Hackett coaching the Jets’ offense under head coach Robert Saleh. They’ll face off at 11:00 a.m. MT on Sunday (view the TV map here).

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Chiefs OC Matt Nagy discusses the offense without Isiah Pacheco: ‘It’s the next man up mentality’

Kansas City #Chiefs OC Matt Nagy discusses the offense without Isiah Pacheco: ‘It’s the next man up mentality’ | @EdEastonJr

Mastering an offense and building chemistry with players is an essential formula for a Super Bowl-winning team. The Kansas City Chiefs understand this mindset, and the recent loss of another vital offensive player could affect that game plan.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spoke with reporters on Thursday about the changes in the offense due to Isiah Pacheco’s injury.

“Yeah, it’s certainly a little bit different, but that’s expected; Pops (Pacheco) is doing a good job recovering, and that part of this game is injuries, but we know how much he wanted to be out there,” said Nagy. “But for us football-wise, the Xs and Os part, I think the guys that we have in here now have really been able to get a chance to be in this offense, get some valuable reps, whether it be at training camp or preseason, and now it’s the next man up mentality, and so, you guys know who the guys are that are here.”

With his fierce running style during the season’s first two weeks, Pacheco was often utilized in the passing game. Nagy is focusing on getting the rest of the running back room up to speed while Pacheco recovers.

“For us, the biggest thing is just making sure that we put them in optimum situations and probably don’t try to do too much one way or the other with any of them,” said Nagy. “And understand, too, that it’s a little new to these guys, and that’s OK. We just help them through the process, but there’s a lot of excitement about them, too.”

The Chiefs will likely become a running back by committee unit again while Pacheco is out or until someone stands out from the room.

Broncos OC reveals how Bo Nix can improve, with a positive spin

“There’s going to be growth from when he makes mistakes,” Broncos OC Joe Lombardi said of rookie QB Bo Nix.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix struggled in his NFL debut against the Seattle Seahawks last week but he never quit, battling back to help the Broncos make it close at the end.

Speaking to media members on Thursday, Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was asked what areas Nix can improve in Week 2.

“There was one play in particular where I think we had a chance at a big play, and he just had the wrong footwork,” Lombardi said. “He was a little ahead of the throw, which caused it to look very inaccurate. Just a couple little details like that and a couple of throws. The two interceptions, he kind of forced them in there.”

There’s plenty of room for improvement from Nix, but Lombardi put a positive spin on the QB’s ability to learn from mistakes.

“The thing I like the most is when we came in on Monday and watched the film, before anything was said, he knew,” Lombardi said. “He had answers for everything. You could see that there’s going to be growth from when he makes mistakes. So I would say that nobody on offense, including the coaches, had a great day on Sunday. I think everyone getting a little bit better is going to help him the most.”

Nix (and everyone on offense) will get an opportunity to bounce back when the Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

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