Peter King makes a strong statement about the shift in offensive coordinator control in Indianapolis:
I think if I'm a Colts fan, I love Clyde Christensen taking over the offensive coordinator (and play-calling) duties from Tom Moore. Not that it's going to be any great overhaul of an already prolific offense. Peyton Manning likes and respects Christensen; I could see that watching three practices during the Super Bowl with the way they'd come together several times during practice and Christensen would make suggestions and Manning would nod. And I think Christensen, who has mentored all the receivers on the team (he's been huge in the development of Pierre Garçon and the quick ramping-up of Austin Collie), will have a better feel than Moore for the patterns each receiver can best run.
Well, as a Colts fan, I'm not unhappy that Christensen is taking over the play calling duties, but I'm also not doing back-flips over it. Tom Moore is proven. He is the gold standard. In fact, I could argue he is one of the best offensive coordinators in this league right now while also being one of the best of all time.
Christensen, on the other hand, is totally unproven.
His one stint as an offensive coordinator was in 2001 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a mixed result. The Bucs offense was ranked 15th in the league in points but 26th in yards. They were also 28th in the league in passing TDs. The team went 9-7 that year and got destroyed in the playoffs by the Eagles in the first round. The Bucs went on to fire then-head coach Tony Dungy along with Christensen and the rest of the offensive staff. Dungy and Christensen came to Indy shortly after getting tossed from TB, and the rest is history.
Since Christensen arrived in 2002, he has done a tremendous job coaching the wide receivers. Whether developing a first rounder like Reggie Wayne or coaching up an unknown like Pierre Garçon, Christensen has rebuilt his reputation since the Glazer family ran him out of Tampa Bay. But to say that I would "love" him taking over for a legend like Tom Moore is a bit of a stretch.
Again, I'm happy Christensen now has more control. However, unlike Tom Moore, Christensen has an awful lot to prove. If the offense struggles in 2010, Christensen will likely shoulder much of the blame, fair or unfair.