Grading the AFC Coaches - An evaluation of NFL coaches

With NFL football on the horizon, it's time for an overview. During the teeth of the season – amid the ups and downs of the playoff races, injuries, and the inevitable controversies – it's sometimes difficult to keep "the overall" in perspective. Very often, it's when a team is suffering through adversity that coaching strength is revealed. I'm one of those who believes it's important to remember the character and background of a team's leader. Knowledge of the essence of a team's coach won't alone give you a pointspread winner, but it can be a big help. In this issue, let's look at the AFC coaches.



Bill Belichick, New England – A: Three Super Bowl titles in the last four years without putting his team on the brink of a salary-cap precipice. As thorough and as well prepared as they come, a master of flexibility on offense and of disguise and deception on defense. Creates a furious loyalty among his assistants. Despite an honestly unpretentious personal style, has gone 34-4 straight up and 27-9-2 vs. the spread (12-4-1 on the road and 4-1-1 as a dog) the last two years. (He did, however, forget to cover the last two Super Bowls, tying the pointspread against Carolina and yielding a late touchdown to Philadelphia).



Jeff Fisher, Tennessee – A-: Don't be fooled by last year's injury-ruined season. Among the best at developing young players and finding their best roles. Came within a yard of tying the Rams on the last play of Super Bowl XXXIV. Is 3-2 straight up as a visitor in the playoffs, with one of the losses at New England by three points. Rebuilding this year.



Dick Vermeil, Kansas City – B+: Also smart and very thorough, but some say he's lost a bit of his edge, partly because his players become somewhat immune after a while to his emotional, but endearing, style. I agree. Has had one of the top offenses each of the last three years (scoring 29, 30, and 30 points per game), but has failed to solve his team's defensive problems due to a combination of poor drafts, free-agent decisions, and questionable schemes.



Mike Shanahan, Denver – B+: Offense-minded two-time Super Bowl winner who also has failed to form a championship-caliber defense, leading to consecutive playoff humiliations at Indy. Can be knocked for tying his star to erratic QB Jake Plummer (tied for most interceptions last year).



Brian Billick, Baltimore – B+: Incredibly, won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer at the controls, and has shown he knows how to build a well-rounded team. But tied his fate to a rookie QB (Kyle Boller) two years ago and has so far failed to provide a "proper" receiving corps for him.



Herman Edwards, New York Jets – B+: Even without superior talent, would have advanced to the AFC title game last year if his kicker (Doug Brien) could have made a tough, clutch field goal in cold, windy Pittsburgh. Rates a B+ "with a bullet" this year, now that he's jettisoned dubious offensive coordinator Paul Hackett.



Tony Dungy, Indianapolis – B+: Added last year to his reputation as a good coach who can't get his good team over the hump in the playoffs. Has so far failed in Indiana to develop an intimidating defense like he had at Tampa Bay.



Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh – B+: As solid as they come, especially considering that the Steelers rarely tap deeply into free agency. Struck it rich in last year's draft with QB Ben Roethlisberger. But seems to lack that magical inspiration of Belichick, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Walsh, and so on.



Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego – B: Nineteen years an NFL head coach, 12 times in the playoffs, five wins; those are telling stats. LaDainian Tomlinson was already a 1,200-yard rusher before Marty arrived. Planned to start rookie QB Philip Rivers over Drew Brees last year until Rivers' holdout.



Dom Capers, Houston – B: The expansion Texans have developed steadily (4-12, 5-11, 7-9 in three years), but totally geeked their chance to be a .500 team last year by losing their finale, at home, to awful Cleveland (which had lost nine straight at the time).



Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville – B: Has shown good potential in two years as a head coach while guiding the team through a talent deficit due to age and salary cap problems. But his team blew its playoff chance with a game 15 home shutout loss to Houston.



Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati – B: Deserves praise for pushing skinflint ownership into the 21st century. And his offense is scary to foes. But where's that defensive wizardry he's supposed to possess?



Mike Mularkey, Buffalo- C+: 2004 rookie who deserves kudos for his team's 6-1 finish, except that the "1" came at home in the Bills' finale with the playoffs within reach against a Steeler team that was holding out key starters! Thus, his weak 3-6 start doomed Mularkey at the end. "Plus" upside due to strong basics.



Norv Turner, Oakland – C-: Would rate a "D" except for his offensive acumen. Went 3-10 from October on, saying his undisciplined players didn't "quit" on him. However, 2004 Raider rankings of last in rushing, 31st in points allowed, 31st in sacks, 30th in defense, 29th in turnover margin, and "tops" in most penalties say otherwise.



Nick Saban, Miami – Incomplete: Was an "A" coach in college. Former assistant (in Cleveland) and close friend of Belichick. Intelligent, intense, insistent. Says his first prayer in church each week is that he won't lose his temper while rebuilding the troubled Dolphins. For the sake of his blood pressure, let's hope it's answered.



Romeo Crennel, Cleveland – Incomplete: 57-year-old, 37-year career assistant; 25 of them in the NFL, most of which under Parcells and/or Belichick. "Cleaning house" in Cleveland with a new QB, a Parcells-style offense, and a 3-4 Belichick-style deception defense that garnered him three Super Bowl rings as defensive coordinator with the Pats.



Next issue, the NFC coaches.

Chuck Sippl is the senior editor of The Gold Sheet, the first word in sports handicapping for 48 years. The amazingly compact Gold Sheet features analysis of every football and basketball game, exclusive insider reports, widely followed Power Ratings, and a Special Ticker of key injuries and team chemistry. Start your handicapping with the extraordinary 2005 Gold Sheet Football Annual, now available on newsstands nationwide.Or, you can reserve your copy by calling The Gold Sheet at (800) 798-GOLD (4653), and be sure to mention you read about it in Card Player. You can look up The Gold Sheet on the web atwww.goldsheet.com.