As long as sports have been around, there has been a “chicken or the egg” type argument about who really makes a team, the players or the coaches. Is it the coaches’ preparation, motivation and schemes that set up a team for victory, or does on-the-field talent truly trump all else?
If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have told you without a doubt it that was talent that won games.
If you put together a team built around Tom Brady, Calvin Johnson, Clay Matthews and Darrelle Revis, it wouldn’t matter if they were coached by me, they are going to win a lot of games. However, in the wake of the New Orleans Saints’ “bounty-gate,” I have had to rethink my position.
If you weren’t aware, the Saints’ coaching staff was leveled by suspensions this season after it was discovered that former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had been putting bounties on opposing players’ heads.
Williams has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL and is no longer affiliated with the Saints. Head coach Sean Payton was banned for the entire 2012 season and his interim replacement, Joe Vitt, was suspended for the first half of this year.
Put all this together and you get an 0-3 start for a team that was expected to not only make the playoffs, but also contend for a Super Bowl.
The roster is largely built around the same core of players it has been for the last three years, when the team averaged over 12 wins per season and earned three playoff bids.
After Sunday’s 27-24 loss to Kansas City though, the Saints are just one of two teams left in the league that has yet to win a game (sorry, Cleveland).
Yes, New Orleans has been competitive in each game so far, but quarterback Drew Brees and Co. just haven’t been able to put it all together and earn a “W.”
The Saints have lost to Washington, Carolina and Kansas City this season— all of whom have earned their only win of the season against the Saints.
Without Payton (who is regarded as an offensive-minded coach), the Saints’ normally dominant offense has slipped. They are fifth in passing yards per game, but they are getting just 92.7 rushing yards per game so far this season, down from the 132+ yards they averaged last season.
Defense has never been the Saints’ strong suit, but without Williams and Vitt (who also serves as the team’s linebackers coach), they have been downright awful.
New Orleans is giving up 215 rushing yards and 477 total yards per game, good for last in the NFL in both categories.
Just look what they did for Jamaal Charles. Going into Sunday’s game, the Chiefs running back had just 90 rushing yards on the season and was coming off of an embarrassing three yard performance against Buffalo.
After Sunday, Charles is now leading the NFL in rushing yards as he gashed the Saints for 233 yards on the ground, including a nearly untouched 91-yard touchdown run.
The Saints are giving up 34 points per game (third worst in the league) and own a minus two turnover ratio. This is not a recipe for success.
New Orleans was up 24-6 against Kansas City in the third quarter, but allowed the Chiefs to score the final 21 points to grasp defeat from the claws of victory.
The teams’ problems don’t stem from lack of talent — they have star players in Brees, Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, Marques Colston and Jonathan Vilma. Their struggles are a direct result of the lack of coaching that these players are receiving.
Talent can put a team up 24-6. Coaching allows that team to hold onto the lead and get a victory. Talent can get you over 27 points and 377 yards per game. Coaching gets you numbers in a much more important category: the win column.
Who do you think is responsible for winning games? Can talent ever really be trumped by coaching? Let Matt know by tweeting to him @M_R_Masterson.
