Colts Hiring Chuck Pagano As Head Coach Truly Signals 'New Era'
by Brad Wells on Jan 25, 2012 6:01 PM EST
in Colts Analysis
Email
Print'New era.'
Two words Jim Irsay has used repeatedly to describe where the Indianapolis Colts are heading in 2012. Now, with the hiring of former-Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano as the Colts new head coach, the organization is truly entering uncharted territory.
The firing of Bill and Chris Polian was the beginning, and the hiring of first-time general manager Ryan Grigson continued to hammer home the message. The Colts could have opted to promote from within, handing the G.M. duties to their director of player personnel Tom Telesco. However, Telesco's best friend is Chris Polian, and he owes his career to Bill. Simply promoting Telesco didn't read 'New Era.' It read 'Polian-Lite.'
Then there was the news that the franchise would retain Jim Caldwell as head coach (while also hiring Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator). If Caldwell had stayed, 'New Era' would have been about a relevant as 'New Coke.' Caldwell had to go, and when Spagnuolo left his coordinator interview (which Caldwell participated in) without a deal, Caldwell's fate was sealed.
Replacing Caldwell is someone very different. Gone are the coaches from the Tony Dungy tree. The temperament both Dungy and Caldwell practiced on the sidelines will be replaced by Pagano, a man who once told the media, on the record, that his coaching stint as an assistant in Oakland was comparable to a prison sentence.
No, seriously. He actually said that, and he did so with a I-could-give-a-crap-how-Oakland-feels-about-this expression on his face.
Pagano is known for his brashness and his humor. He is considered a 'players coach,' and is not afraid to speak his mind to media. He also likes to run defensive formations out of a 3-4 base, working with large, interior tackles to mix with multiple blitz packages. He is a pressure guy. Someone who designs defenses to attack the quarterback from all angles.
More Rex Ryan. Less Tony Dungy.
This is a big shift. Tempered, pragmatic responses along the lines of 'take care of the little things' are going to be replaced by phrases on par with comparing Oakland to San Quentin.
Oh, and the Tampa-2? Likely gone. Bend-but-don't-break defense? Seeya. Zone coverages? Adios.
Get ready for blitz, blitz, and blitz some more. That's Pagano's background, which also happens to be Grigson's as well. Grigson scouted for Jim Johnson in Philadelphia, where blitzing all their linebackers was considered a prevent defense.
This is going to be a very different culture in Indianapolis. Very different indeed. From my perspective, it's a change that is long overdue. Interesting side note: Pagano was brought to the Ravens organization by John Harbaugh in 2008 to coach their secondary. John is the brother of Jim Harbaugh, the man who recruited and coached Andrew Luck at Stanford. If I have to draw out the connections even further for you, you've been living under Gibraltar the last three months.
Some people might not like this 'New Era,' and those some people probably go by the name of 'Peyton Manning.' Regardless of what those some think, change was needed. Desperately needed. In this case, the change we are getting could be a very welcome breath of fresh air.
Welcome to Indianapolis, Coach Pagano.
Go Colts!
69 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
So what's the deal with Clyde Christensen?
Is his FATE with Pagano or the Manning situation?
by ColtsFanNChiTown on Jan 25, 2012 6:10 PM EST reply actions
Clyde
Smart money is he’s gone.
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue and editor of SB Nation Indiana.
Keeping Christensen,
would be like keeping Curly, but firing Moe and Larry. Irsay’s on a roll. Don’t stop now.
good one !!!!
and you know the difference between men and women Men think the 3 stooges were geniuses, women think they were idiots
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 25, 2012 7:28 PM EST up reply actions
What has he done to deserve a reprieve?
He showed no imagination or ability to adapt to a change in personnel this past season. The failures on the offensive side of the football should be laid at his feet. If he hasn’t done it already, he needs to put his house up for sale.
With Peyton having September surgery, Orlovsky only being brought in in camp and Collins 2 weeks prior first game, it’s not on Clyde, that the offense sucked.
It's not...
But by mid-season, when our QB play was horrendous, and our running game was averaging 4.5 yards a pop, why did we continue to air it out like we still had Peyton Manning under center?
That is on Clyde Christiansen (and Jim Caldwell).
www.Coltsider.com
check out the new Colts blog!
by kmbryant09 on Jan 26, 2012 9:36 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yesterday
I was a little hesistant with the direction in which the Colts were going. Today I am feeling more confident we are heading in a new great direction. Just hope Peyton is still around for the new era. But regardless we will return to greatness and it will be soon!!!
I think Christensen stays
After all, this 2011 Ravens win vs Colts was their first since 2001.
Luck is no Painter, he can work this offense and if the OL is made better, Christensen’s stupid calls will not matter.
he is horrible had some really bad play calls games 2,3,4,5,6
all games they could have won
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 25, 2012 7:29 PM EST up reply actions
Execution is the key word.
You deem it a bad play call but in the end its the players execution. No matter how good a design the play is all it takes i one player to mess up in timing, protection and then it turns into a bad play call.
so many questions..
1. What are thoughts on Freeney being a standup guy now? And Mathis if he stays.
2. Is it likely he brings free agent Ladarius Webb with him?
3. Will Jerry Hughes be more effective now?
4. Are we in need of another LB?
5. Who on the Colts roster best fits his scheme?
6.Will the need for a new NT be pushed up the list of priorites this offseason?
by BleedingBlueAndWhite on Jan 25, 2012 6:17 PM EST via mobile reply actions
1. Freeney can’t play OLB, Mathis can.
2. Webb is RFA
3. Yes, probably
4. Or two
5. They all fit, just aren’t talented enough…
6. Yes
Don't underestimate the players
they will be determined to be part of this team.
I love speculating.
1. I think both will be gone, even though Mathis could be a good-enough OLB.
2. As Ty wrote. Not gonna happen.
3. If he ever will, this is def. his chance. I’m a believer.
4. Angerer and Kavell in the middle. Wheeler and Hughes on the outside. We could maybe use another guy or two, but it isn’t our biggest need.
5. The LBs and safeties. We need big man-to-man corners and bigger D-line.
6. Absolutely.
by Peter Storgaard on Jan 25, 2012 6:27 PM EST up reply actions
The signing of Pagano
indicates that Irsay admits to the problem in indy.. Defense. I think we may be in for a suprise come draft day if Manning is cleared to play. Ask your self if your a HC with the mind of DC your mind set is Defense, your focus is defense. As for christensen he is done if manning is done.
by kbreboot on Jan 25, 2012 7:56 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Or...
You bring in a defensive minded HC, and give him the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning. Let Pagano focus on the defense, and Luck/new Offensive Coordinator focus on the offense.
The best of both worlds.
www.Coltsider.com
check out the new Colts blog!
by kmbryant09 on Jan 25, 2012 8:47 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The more I look at ther talent on D...
The more I see that a 3-4 move could be sweet provided they get a good NT though the draft or FA…
I actually think Freeney not Mathis may be the odd man out because he isnt big enough to be a 3-4 DE and I dont know if his style of play would fit in as an OLB in a 3-4.
Mathis who was touted as a 3-4 OLB would be a stud in a 3-4 and then Hughes could finally be used properly…Angerer is a hell of a tackler and emerging playmeker and would benefit from having a true NT. Even if they keep Freeney not Mathis he is a HOF player than could likely adjust his style
Drake and Anderson are perfect 3-4 DEs. High Motors, size, speed solid against the run…they would just HAVE to get a NT in the 325-345 range like Poe from Memphis or Ta’amu from Washington in the draft or sign a FA like a Franklin…
So it seems they need a NT and to draft a CB and a S with value…I also theorize that Lacey who played better once Coyer got axed may be a better cover corner than a zone guy. Maybe Lacey can play nickel…
Poe or Ta’amu NTs should be available at pick 33
Lester FS should b available at pick 65
Ryan Broyles WR should be available at pick 97
Maybe they roll dice on a Cliff Harris in a later round…
by (206)NightRidah on Jan 25, 2012 6:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
yes need a big bad NT
haven’t had one of those since Corey 2005 and Booger 2006
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 25, 2012 7:31 PM EST up reply actions
I’m not sold on Poe and I don’t know if he can make the transition to the NFL. I like Ta’amu and I really like Josh Chapman from Alabama. Also, I’m fairly sure Lester is staying in school. Plus we need a strong safety, Bethea has FS locked down.
You are right Lester is staying
I think Bethea could move to SS. He is an awesome hitter and tackler but his speed and ball hawking skills are not what he is know for
by (206)NightRidah on Jan 25, 2012 9:09 PM EST up reply actions
Also, last I saw, Chapman was a bit undersized, only 310lbs.?
Not anything near the 340-350lbs. you want in an NT. If that is his correct weight and his current. Of course he could bulk up, but you’re adding 20-30lbs. and that can really affect playing speed, etc.
by AnotherWriter on Jan 25, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Yea I agree
I think 325 is minimum for a 3-4 NT and many of them are 340 ish
by (206)NightRidah on Jan 25, 2012 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, just too small.
Cobble, Poe, Ta’ amu. Thats about it in the upper tier/rounds.
by AnotherWriter on Jan 25, 2012 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
Of course, this assumes the Colts do move to the 3-4. That’s not guaranteed. Marvin Lewis used to coach the defense in Baltimore and he runs a 4-3.
I think the thought is they'll run some hybrid variation.
Pagano is masterful with matching scheme to his personnel. I think we’ll see some of both.
by AnotherWriter on Jan 26, 2012 12:40 AM EST up reply actions
Jerry Hughes must be very happy
He has been an absolute bust since he was drafted; but, he was projected by a lot of smart folks to be a blitzing OLB in a 34 scheme. If the Colts do go to a 34, it will be the best (and perhaps last) chance Hughes has to make a splash.
Clyde is still OC
which means there has been no decision to move on from Manning yet.
by JCub3d on Jan 25, 2012 6:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Good hire
New era. Exciting. Clyde is likely gone, it’ll be interesting to see how Pagano fills out his staff. Hopefully we don’t get Cam Cameron haha.
Irsay is on a roll
I admire his moves this offseason very much. Fourteen years of Bill Polian was stabilizing for the franchise, but more importantly gave Jim the chance to soak up a ton of wisdom from some terrific football men.
Now, it seems he has hoisted his franchise squarely onto his own shoulders and is following a vision he himself has generated. No need for an older, wiser guru like Bill Polian to come in and show him how its done. He got it a long time ago, and his moves thus far display, perhaps more than anything else, the self-reliance he feels to hire men new to their new jobs knowing he has the chops to guide them and give them the freedom to grow and help lead this franchise into a new phase.
I am very excited about Pagano and Grigson, and look forward to watching them craft a new Colts identity. An identity that I look forward to seeing. Irsay has said quite plainly that he wants a more dynamic defense, and more balanced production from both sides of the ball. Not simply a great QB with a lot of elite but high-priced toys for him to play with. We will probably draft Andrew Luck and send Peyton on his way, but the real emphasis this year and at least the next will be on transforming this defense into a bunch of snarling, agressive ass-kickers that take no damn prisoners ! :-)
I agree with you.
And, regarding the Manning situation, it needs to be handled with complete class. Manning is class and has done so much for Indy. I don’t want him to be kept in the dark and out of the loop. So, far,…..it doesn’t feel right. The rest of the stuff….yes. But, the Manning situation,…no.
Agree
I want Peyton treated with the respect he has earned and richly deserves. I remember the way Johnny Unitas was disrespected in his final playing days. Don’t wanna see the sequel.
by oldecoltsfan on Jan 25, 2012 7:08 PM EST up reply actions
nicely written
I like the portrait of the maturing Jim Irsay. I’m going to reserve my enthusiasm for the transition to the new philosophy. This will be a 2-year transition at least.
For those who are clamoring for a big 3-4 NT, realize that it will really take 2. You need a back-up capable of relief work and filling in during games inevitably missed due to injury.
I’m a little bit afraid of chasing a moving target — the in-vogue defensive scheme of the era. The tampa-2 had its heyday in the late 90s and early 2000s, giving way to the 3-4. We’re going to be a late-adopter of the 3-4, and there’s no telling how long before it is passe, before the countervailing tendencies of offense and defense have pushed the curve further. To adopt the 3-4, Pagano does seem to be the best choice.
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important. -- Eugene J. McCarthy
by zherebyonki on Jan 26, 2012 12:11 AM EST up reply actions
Wait... I don't understand...
… there’s another kind of defense out there besides “bend but don’t break”?
Keep the faith!
Yeah
The “don’t bend and don’t break” and the “bend and break”.
We were playing the latter kind in 2011.
by Peter Storgaard on Jan 25, 2012 6:46 PM EST up reply actions
Or stay 10 yards away and don't crowd ?
Ha-ha ! I kind of like the kind of defense where the corner walks up and wallops somebody in the mouth just to make them cry !
Kinda like the old Baltimore Colts defenses with Lenny Lyles and Mike Curtis.
This quote cracked me up
Grigson scouted for Jim Johnson in Philadelphia, where blitzing all their linebackers was considered a prevent defense.
Good one BBS…Hopefully this is the beginning of a softer, more humorous and amiable Brad Wells. I’m not sure I can handle another season of toxic rhetoric.
Also,
I know this has no bearing on the real world but, I’ve played Madden using the Colts with a 3-4 defense, and I have to say that the Colts will have no problem moving to a hybrid 3-4 /4-3 as long as they have a semi-decent offseason in terms of FA aquisitions and draft picks. Can’t wait to see the team stop giving 10 yard cushions to every WR on every play.
by pattymac on Jan 25, 2012 6:51 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
whoever invented that was brilliant
to realize there are so many people who don’t have anything better to do than play fantasy games LOL
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 26, 2012 6:24 AM EST up reply actions
A coach with some actual testosterone.
We haven’t had that since Mora, unfortuately. It’s long overdue.
That didn’t go very well as you will recall
by udllama on Jan 25, 2012 7:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I don't know....
we got an ‘legendary’ rant from it.
YES, DEFENSIVE ERA
I know all you LUCK lovers are going to disagree. BUT what if this means the COLTS are going in a much different path than Irsay has led us to believe. Pagano is a great hire, but is defense! Could this be a sign Irsay is going to trade the #1 pick and build a GREAT defense? Keeping the OC makes NO sense. Maybe Manning is closer to being HEALTHY than we are led to believe. Face it, offensively quality players and system is NOT the problem. Using draft picks to get Pagano’s style of players makes sense, DC in N.Car in 2007! Couple of studs comeing out of there this year. Irsay said he would take a QB with that pick, Well tradeing it and drafting one later is essentially taking a QB? Monet issues can be helped with releasing some other players. Freeney, Bracket, Addai, Lacy, Bullit to name a few! I think there is still alot going on behind the scenes than Irsay lets on. I for one will keep an open mind and look forward to what surprise comes next!
Good question ninpojames
Ask yourself why Buffalo went to four straight Super Bowls, but lost them all. Luck of the draw? Fortunes of war? A drafting mistake here or there?
Polian is a future Hall of Famer, I agree, but wasn’t Mr. Perfecto by a longshot.
one, mario harvey, an ILB was briefly with the steelers, a 3-4 team
the other, freeman, was a Saskatchewan Roughrider, so who knows.
Any Canadian colt fans wanna weigh in?
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important. -- Eugene J. McCarthy
by zherebyonki on Jan 26, 2012 12:19 AM EST up reply actions
This could be good.
I’m excited for a change on defense. It just wasn’t working for years, so hopefully Pagano can get it going. That said, he’s a defensive guy, so I hope the offense doesn’t suffer. There are still many questions to be answered, but it seems like progress.
if only for reason of continuity, i hope christiansen stays
he knows what it takes to run an elite offense, mentored Peyton, keep him for Luck
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important. -- Eugene J. McCarthy
by zherebyonki on Jan 26, 2012 12:21 AM EST up reply actions
What's this obsession with 3-4
Why is it so hard to understand, that Pagano was a longtime secondary coach (nothing to do with front 7) and he inherited the Ravens D as it is now. And they are more 4-3 than 3-4.
exactly with the right people a 4-3 is fine
we need a big bad NT and 2 physical DBs who can play man-man and a good strong safety to help Bethea
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 26, 2012 6:25 AM EST up reply actions
Just because we hired a Defensive-minded coach means we are going to be a defensive team
Perhaps they hired him b/c he contained the qualities they wanted in a HEAD coach The man won’t be a coordinator. Doesn’t mean he won’t focus on the defense, but don’t presume that it will happen. As poster said above, this is a philosophy change as much as anything else.
Also, Don’t forget, Brian Billick was an offensive “genius” and his Baltimore team won the Super Bowl with a kick ass and an average QB.
What we DO want is a coach that plays to his teams strengths no matter what side of the ball they lay on. Don’t you think Belichick is doing that right now by utilizing his TEs in unusual ways? That’s what we need. A coach who adapts HIS game plan around the players that he has in his possession now…..
Dear Diary, Kevin is so hot. Today he was raking the yard. God I wish he'd throw me into that pile of leaves.
exactly
not like the puppet who was just fired who was a nice guy but not a Head caoch
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Jan 26, 2012 6:26 AM EST up reply actions
He comes across very well.
I like hearing him say the team is going to be explosive on both sides of the ball!!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Detroit Lions DT Nick Fairley arrested again; now has more NFL arrests than NFL sacks
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
