Tag: scott linehan

Myles Brennan and the end of an era that never happened

For a guy that only started three games, Brennan’s name will be remembered for a long time.

Not every story has a fairy tale ending.

College football is special, not because of the game on the field, but because of the stories and myths behind the curtain.

The story of [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and his time at LSU is a complex one. Since he first committed to the program, he’s seen two coaching changes. He was a part of a team that lost Troy and a team that won it all.

He committed when [autotag]Cam Cameron[/autotag] was offensive coordinator and has since seen four more OCs — six if you count [autotag]Joe Brady[/autotag] and [autotag]Scott Linehan[/autotag].

He’s played through a pandemic, suffered injuries and watched [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] win a Heisman.

Brennan arrived at LSU with plenty of hype. [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] took over and promised to change the offense. Brennan was going to be the guy that ended LSU’s quarterback woes.

He saw some action in 2017 as he sat behind [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag]. The assumption was that Brennan would take over in 2018. That was before Burrow arrived.

To the surprise of many, Brennan didn’t transfer. He stuck around.

A quarterback with his talent level would have had no trouble finding a new home, but he chose to stay. After battling behind Burrow for two years, it was finally going to be Brennan’s moment.

Then the pandemic happened.

LSU was hit hard. This was a program already trying to replace a ton, and COVID-19 disrupted nearly everything. LSU was having to install a new offense when it didn’t even know if there was going to be a season. [autotag]Ja’Marr Chase[/autotag] opted out, and suddenly Brennan lost his top weapon.

Brennan’s first few games in 2020 were good — not great, but good enough. He struggled behind the offensive line, and in the loss to Mississippi State, he looked like a guy that was making his first career start, which he was.

Despite a terrible offensive line, young wide receivers and an offensive staff that was figuring it out on the fly, Brennan still managed to throw for 1,112 yards in just three games.

Then he got hurt. Just as he was settling in, he was finished for the year. A devastating blow.

Alright, so 2021 was going to be his chance, right? This was it. He was healthy, and LSU was ready to rebound back to relevance after 2020.

Just before camp, Brennan broke his arm on a fishing trip. Again, he was done for the season. As the season ended, Brennan entered the transfer portal. It made sense. After all that time at LSU, nothing had gone his way. It was time for a fresh start.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] spoke with Brennan and convinced him to return to LSU. [autotag]Max Johnson[/autotag] had transferred, and it looked like there was a clear path for Brennan to start.

In his sixth-year, he’d finally get a real opportunity.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] then transferred to LSU and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] continued to progress. As fall camp continued, it became evident that the battle was down to Daniels and Nussmeier.

This time, it was it. This was final. After six years, Brennan would not be LSU’s quarterback.

For a guy that only started three games, Brennan’s name will be remembered for a long time. A lot of that may be just because we talked about him for six offseasons.

Outside of 2019 when Burrow was the clear starter, Brennan was a part of five separate position battles.

Brennan was a good quarterback. I think what he did in 2020 was enough to convince us of that.

I wonder what would have happened in 2020 if Chase didn’t opt out, if there were no pandemic and LSU had the entire offseason to prepare. I think with a healthy Brennan and Chase, LSU goes 7-3 that year.

Unfortunately, that’s all hypothetical. And the story of Brennan and LSU is just that — hypothetical.

It’s the end of an era that never really happened.

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Cowboys News: Best and Worst from 2020, takeaway review

The Cowboys have a number of former players finding success in the NFL, as players or coaches. Plus, names to remember for the NFL draft

With the Dallas Cowboys watching the playoffs from home, more attention is being paid to former Cowboys, at least for this weekend. Saturday night, Dez Bryant has a chance to get farther in the playoffs than he ever did in Dallas, as does Cole Beasley. Former Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is the leading man to run Urban Meyer’s offense in Jacksonville, and former Cowboys TE Dan Campbell might potentially land his first head coaching gig with the Lions.

The Cowboys draft needs are abundant and clear, and the theme of the needs is defense. Get familiar with names of potential defensive prospects that Dallas could add come late April. A pair of young defensive backs were a bright spot for the Cowboys this season. The Cowboys staff writers going over their best and worst events from the 2020 season. Plus, is it already time for this young Dallas defender to switch positions again?

Report: Former Cowboys OC Scott Linehan may join Urban Meyer in Jacksonville

Scott Linehan was run out of Dallas on a rail after the 2018 season, but could find new NFL life under a new Jaguars staff being assembled.

Following the 2018 season, Cowboys fans couldn’t wait to see offensive coordinator Scott Linehan sent packing. But one team’s trash is another team’s treasure, and Linehan’s name has surfaced this week as a prime candidate for the same role in Jacksonville under newly-tabbed head coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer was hired as the Jaguars’ sixth head coach this week, following three national championships in the college ranks at Florida and Ohio State. Meyer had been a studio analyst for the past two seasons at Fox Sports. Now as he assembles his Jaguars coaching staff, he is reportedly- according to ESPN- eyeing the former Cowboys offensive coordinator, a longtime friend.

Linehan joined the Cowboys staff in 2014 as passing game coordinator. He came into the job with considerable coaching experience under his belt at the college and pro levels. In the NFL, he had spent time on staff at Minnesota, Miami, and Detroit, and had been the head coach for the St. Louis Rams for three seasons.

In Dallas, Linehan ended up serving as the de facto offensive coordinator after playcalling duties were transitioned away from Bill Callahan. Linehan took over the OC job officially in 2015.

In his four seasons with the Cowboys, the offense finished 22nd, 5th, 14th and 22nd in total offense and 31st, 5th, 14th and 22nd in points per game. Kellen Moore was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator after Linehan’s departure.

Linehan spent the 2019 season out of football. He worked as LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2020. After the Tigers’ remarkable championship season in 2019 with Joe Burrow under center, Linehan’s passing offense finished this past college season ranked 35th in the country in terms of average passing yards per game.

If hired for the Jacksonville job, the 57-year-old Linehan may be charged with building an offense around Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, widely thought to be the Jaguars’ desired pick when they select first in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys will make their pick with the No. 10 slot.

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Urban Meyer eyeing Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator

Scott Linehan has emerged as the early favorite for Urban Meyer in Jacksonville for offensive coordinator. Not the best,, but a smart one.

Urban Meyer has been hired as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the first name to pop up for his offensive coordinator is Scott Linehan. Reports are that Linehan is one of the favorites and could very well join Meyer on his staff. Linehan most recently was the passing game coordinator for LSU.

As a Cowboys fan I can tell you a lot about Scott Linehan and to be frank, we in Cowboys country were not fans. Linehan has traditionally been a very conservative play-caller and his designs have been fairly vanilla. There were many times fans would call the play before the ball was snapped, and yes, even opposing defenses.

LSU ranked 35th in total offense this past season and while the Tigers certainly lost players, there was a noticeable difference in the offense from last season. Linehan traditionally has been a run-first, play-action style coordinator that hasn’t had a lot of exotic looks or route combinations. So why would Urban look toward Linehan at all?

Well, the answer may lie in what Urban is thinking for the draft. Should the Jaguars, who have the first overall pick, look at drafting Trevor Lawrence, having Linehan will keep a simple playbook for the transition from college to the NFL. The same can be said for drafting Justin Fields, but Lawrence is a more traditional (granted not a lot) style quarterback than Fields is.

The Jaguars need to rebuild the entire offense, and Linehan leans heavily on drafting and signing the offensive line to protect his quarterback. This is the perfect way to get a young quarterback comfortable and in the best position to succeed. It may not be flashy and it may not last, but for the immediate future, Linehan is the safest pick for Urban Meyer.

Report: Scott Linehan viewed as a top contender for Jags’ OC job

Urban Meyer seems to have his eyes on a mentor of his to be the Jags’ offensive coordinator.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it official with Urban Meyer. However, there is still work to be done in terms of filling out his staff.

The addition that will arguably be the most important will be at offensive coordinator — and Meyer has a former mentor in mind for the job. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is a prime candidate for the job. 

Linehan, 57, spent 2020 as a passing game coordinator with Louisiana State University. He parted ways with the program last month after replacing current Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who was the Tigers’ passing game coordinator in 2019. 

Linehan is someone who Meyer has often credited for mentoring him back in the 90s and early 2000s when he was an assistant for Notre Dame and eventual head coach at Bowling Green. As a result, some of Linehan’s advice (along with others) helped Meyer create an offensive philosophy.

Linehan also makes a lot of sense for Meyer because he brings NFL head coach and coordinator experience to the table, which is huge for a coach learning the ways of the NFL. He spent 2002-18 in the league as a coach making notable stops in Minnesota, St. Louis (as the head coach), Detroit, and Dallas, to name a few places.

While in Dallas, Linehan coached Dak Prescott from his rookie season through the 2018 season. However, he parted ways with the Cowboys on Jan. 19.

Jags fans may remember Linehan’s name from the 2020 offseason. The reason for that is because he was one of a few coaches interviewed for the Jags’ offensive coordinator vacancy. 

While serving as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator (2015-18), Linehan’s units were ranked 20th, 26th, and 23rd in terms of passing. Those aren’t impressive figures, but it’s worth noting that Dallas was second (twice), then tenth in his last season as a rushing unit. That might be music to James Robinson’s ears, though fans may be concerned about the pass. 

Report: Former Lions OC Scott Linehan connected to opening at LSU

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman is reporting that former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is taking a position at LSU as their passing game coordinator.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman is reporting that former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is taking a position at LSU as their passing game coordinator.

Linehan was with the Lions under coach Jim Schwartz from 2009 through the 2013 seasons and was quarterback Matthew Stafford’s first offensive coordinator as a professional.

Linehan organized his vertical offense to rely on Stafford’s big arm but he also heavily leaned on future Hall-of-Famer (maybe as soon as the next cycle) Calvin Johnson.

In their third season together (and finally healthy) Linehan orchestrated Stafford’s only 5,000-yard passing season in 2011, while Johnson’s career year came the following season in 2012 when he caught 122 passes for 1964-yards receiving.

Linehan will take over at the defending National Champion LSU Tigers for Joe Brady who accepted an offensive coordinator position with the Carolina Panthers.

Last season, Brady and Steve Ensminger — LSU’s offensive coordinator — made a formidable duo designing and calling plays for the Tigers, producing one of the best offenses in college football.

Report: Another former NFL head coach interviewing with Panthers

Linehan’s last job in the NFL was as the Dallas OC but he also has been a head coach.

According to a report by Chris Mortensen at ESPN, the Panthers have an interview scheduled with former Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan this weekend. He’s also lined up to speak with the Giants and Jaguars.

Linehan’s last job in the NFL was as the Dallas OC but he also has been a head coach. He led the Rams from 2006-2008, compiling a record of 11-25 before he was fired early in his third year after an 0-4 start.

While it’s not clear from Mortensen’s reporting what role he’s interviewing for, we can make an educated guess based on his history.

Most of Linehan’s experience has been working with wide receivers and quarterbacks. Before the Cowboys promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2015 he spent a year as their passing game coordinator. It’s a good bet that’s the position Linehan is interviewing for here.

The Panthers haven’t had one in the past, but Matt Rhule is doing things differently and will be using more specialization. For example, yesterday it was reported the team is rehiring former linebackers coach Al Holcomb to be their run defense game coordinator, a new position.

While adding Linehan to the staff wouldn’t exactly scream fresh thinking, it’s clear Rhule wants to balance out the relative inexperience of his coordinators at this level. Joe Brady has already been hired as the offensive coordinator and Phil Snow is expected to be announced as DC any day.

The Panthers are also interviewing two other former head coaches. According to the Athletic, both Mike McCoy and Ben McAdoo are in the running for the quarterbacks coach position.

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Report: Former Cowboys OC Scott Linehan set to interview with Jags for a staff position

In addition to the interview they had with Ben McAdoo, the Jags will also be interviewing Scott Linehan, per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

The Jacksonville Jaguars currently have three vacancies on their offensive staff and will need to get them filled soon as the NFL Combine is right around the corner next month. They’ve reportedly interviewed Ben McAdoo for their offensive coordinator vacancy already, and according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, another assistant will be interviewing this weekend in former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

Linehan, 56, hasn’t coached since the Cowboys 2018 season as he parted ways with the team afterward. He had previously spent five seasons with the team under Jason Garrett as a passing game coordinator (2014) and offensive coordinator (2015-18) where he coached Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot amongst notables.

Prior to that, Linehan made stops with the Minnesota Vikings (2002-04), Miami Dolphins (2005), St. Louis Rams (2006-08) and Detroit Lions (2009-13). His stint with the Rams was as a head coach while the others were as an offensive coordinator.

The Jags may be very well looking at Linehan as an offensive coordinator but it’s worth noting his work with young signal-callers has been solid (coached Prescott and Matthew Stafford), so it’s possible he could be getting a look for the quarterbacks coach vacancy, too. His experience is something that could benefit Gardner Minshew II a ton as the rookie will be looking to build off a good showing from 2019.

Report: Giants to interview former Cowboys OC Scott Linehan

The New York Giants are scheduled to interview former Dallas Cowboys OC Scott Linehan for a spot on their coaching staff.

This week, it almost appeared to be a certainty that the New York Giants were going to hire former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to be Joe Judge’s offensive coordinator.

That hasn’t happened . . . yet. They are still going through the interview process and will reportedly interview Garrett’s offensive coordinator in Dallas the past four seasons, Scott Linehan, this week.

Linehan has had a long career as a coach going back to the mid-1980s. Along the way he’s been the offensive coordinator at Idaho, Washington and Louisville at the college level and Minnesota, Miami, Detroit and Dallas in the NFL. He was the St. Louis Rams’ head coach from 2006-2008 compiling a 11-25 record.

The Giants want to get this OC hiring correct, which is why they are making sure not to leave any qualified candidates out. It looks as if Mike Shula could follow Pat Shurmur to Denver, so he’ll be out of the running soon (not that he was a serious candidate to begin with).

It’s also possible that the Giants may be looking to pair Garrett and Linehan, potentially making him a passing game coordinator or something of the like. Time will tell exactly what they are thinking.

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Kellen Moore rediscovered wrinkle that helps evade Linehan’s predictability

Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore sent the NFL a message: if the Cowboys can run the ball effectively, they will keep running it.

The Dallas Cowboys trounced the Los Angeles Rams for their most important and impressive victory of the year. The 44-21 win gets them back to .500 and tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at 7-7 for first place in the NFC East.

The Cowboys offensive coordinator got back to his winning ways, and he did it by calling an offensively-balanced game as he did early in the season. With the offense executing well enough to score points and the defense only giving up one touchdown, Kellen Moore was able to maintain a balanced approach. In the the previous three games, Moore called a balanced game in the first half, but resorted to passing from the shotgun almost exclusively in the second half.

Moore showed  that when the Dallas Cowboys can run the ball effectively, he will keep running it.

Here’s how.

The Context

This weekly examination of the Cowboys pay calling began as a simple question: would  Moore, the guy touted as having a genius football mind, be less predictable than the previous coordinator, Scott Linehan?

Linehan was predictable in the most pedestrian of ways: he called running plays more than 80% of the snaps the quarterback took from under center, and he called passing plays on more than 80% of the shotgun snaps.

This is an ongoing attempt to assess whether Moore is any less predictable than Linehan based on the formation and play calling mentioned above.

You can read the stats from all the previous games here.

The Raw Data from Week 15 versus the Los Angeles Rams

Where these stats differ from the official game logs, it is because we have intentionally included plays nullified by penalties and/or we included scrambles by the quarterback as passing attempts.

Dallas ran 67 offensive plays against the Rams. Quarterback Dak Prescott was under center for 28 of those plays (42%) and in the shotgun for 39 plays (58%). The week before, against the Chicago Bears, Prescott was in the shotgun for more than 80% of the plays.

Moore called 40 running plays, two runs off play-action, 17 pass attempts,  and eight pass attempts off play-action.

First half snaps under center

The Dallas offense ran 42 plays in the first half. Prescott was under center for 14 of those plays. Of the 14 snaps from under center in the first half:

  • 10 were runs
  • one was a pass attempt after dropping back from under center
  • three were play-action passes

First half snaps from shotgun

Prescott was in the shotgun for 28 snaps in the first half. Moore called:

  • 13 runs
  • 10 passes
  • two runs off play-action
  • three passes off play-action

The thing that stands out the most is that Moore called for rushes on 53.5% of the shotgun snaps. That is more runs from the shotgun (15) in a half than Moore has ever called in an entire game. The previous high for runs from the shotgun in a game was 13 against the Giants in Week 10.

In the first half, Moore called 25 runs and only 17 passes.

Dallas scored 28 points in the first half. Only one of those touchdown drives was short. Other than the one drive that started inside the Rams 10, the Cowboys had three long drives (90 yards on 15 plays, 97 yards on 14 plays, and 75 yards on three plays).

Moore continues to use play-action on more than 25% of the passing attempts. This week it was six play-action passes out of 17 total pass attempts (35%).

If you include the two play-action runs, then Moore called for play-action on 19% of all offensive plays.

In the five game games before the Bears in Week 14, Moore had only called a total of three play-actions runs. Against the Bears and Rams, he did it twice in both games.

Many fans want Moore use the running abilities of Dak Prescott more often.

Second half snaps from under center

Dallas only ran 25 plays in the second half.

Prescott was under center for 14 plays. On those 14 snaps:

  • 12 rushes
  • one pass after dropping back from center
  • one play-action pass

Second half snaps from the shotgun 

  • five rushes
  • five pass attempts
  • one play-action pass

The Cowboys had a lead to protect in the second half; Moore called eight pass attempts and 17 rushes.

This is the kind of run-heavy football that Moore wants this team to play. The only problem is that they haven’t been able to establish the early leads that would allow them to be that kind of offense.

Moore called 11-consecutive runs in the fourth quarter. Seven from under center and four from the shotgun. Compare that to the end of the last two games (28 and then 24 consecutive pass attempts from the shotgun). The Cowboys scored 10 points off those 11 runs.

Although Ezekiel Elliot (2) and Prescott (1), shared in those 11 fourth-quarter runs, rookie running back Tony Pollard deserves most of the credit. He had a nifty 33-yard jaunt on the field-goal drive, and then he had the 44-yard scamper for the touchdown.

Totals for the game

Moore called 67 plays in Week 15. Prescott was under center for 28 plays and in the shotgun for 39.

Moore called 42 running plays:

  • 22 when Prescott started under center
  • 18 from the shotgun
  • two off play-action (both from shotgun)

Moore called 25 pass attempts:

  • two when the quarterback drops back from center
  • four off pay-action when Prescott starts under center
  • 15 from the shotgun
  • four off play-action in the shotgun

The Dallas offense was balanced in terms of the under center/shotgun distribution (28 under center compared to 39 in shotgun), but considerably more run heavy than most weeks (42 runs and 25 pass attempts).

Conclusions

Moore called more runs from the shotgun (18) than any other game this season.  He called more runs in total (40) than any game this season. Not surprisingly, he called his fewest number of passing plays in a game this season (27). They scored more points (44) than any other game this season.

The Cowboys ran the ball on 62% of the plays. They averaged 5.8 yards per carry.

In terms of the predictability, Moore has been able to distance himself from the 80% threshold associated with Linehan in one of the two formations (under center or shotgun), but rarely has he done it from both formations in the same game.

Moore called runs on more than 50% of the shotgun plays (20 rushes out of 39 snaps). However, he called runs on almost 80% of the snaps that Prescott started under center (22 rushes out of 28 snaps).

Miscellaneous Observations

After the 20-yard reception off play-action by tight end Blake Jarwin in the second quarter, Troy Aikman remarked, “That is what the running game does for you.” Apparently no one has told Troy Aikman about Cris Collinsworth’s discovery that effectively running the ball has no impact on the success of play-action passing.

Aikman’s comments on the merits of running the ball may be the most astute observation that viewers have heard during a broadcast since Tony Romo, in Week 13, commented, after a nice run by Elliott, that running was the “way to beat the best defenses” and that the Cowboys offense needed to “go through Elliott.”

If the Dallas Cowboys get on a run and have any playoff success, surely people will look back and realize that the 97-yard touchdown drive (14 plays) was the TSN Turning Point in their 2019 season.

The Cowboys successfully converted 7 of their 13 third-down attempts. They are now 85-175 for the year, which is 48.5% and best in the NFL.

The Rams successfully converted just four of their 12 attempts. The Cowboys defense is now 60-175 for the year, which means they prevent a first down on more than 65% of attempts (fourth best in the NFL).

According to Football Outsiders, Dallas is second in the NFL with an average of 40.76 yards per offensive drive; fifth with 2.4 points per drive; third with 6.57 plays per drive; and sixth with .279 touchdowns per drive.

The Cowboys travel to Philadelphia this week to face the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. Dallas desperately needs to win this week to keep their momentum going into the playoffs.

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