Theismann links Schottenheimer to Falcons on 680TheFan
Brian Schottenhiemer was the offensive coordinator the past six seasons for the New York Jets. By Kathy Willens, AP
Could Brian Schottenheimer, formerly of the New York Jets, be the Falcons new offensive coordinator?
NFL Network’s Joe Theismann, who knows Schottenheimer from his days coaching with the Washington Redskins, linked him to the Falcons in a radio interview this morning on 680TheFan’s morning show, the Rude Awakening with Chris Rude, Sandra Golden and Perry Laurentino.
Here’s part of the interview:
“[Brian] felt like he was saddled and limited by what Mark Sanchez can do in New York,” Theisman said. “Mark is really not that good. He’s a hard-working kid. He wants to be good. But he doesn’t understand the game of football the way Matt does.
“You have to play the position with the knowledge of where you are on the field, what the score is in the game. What [you] can do. What [you] can’t do. What are the things that are required of me. Really, the only route that Mark throws effectively is the quick post. He’s going to have a whole lot more to work with, with Matt Ryan.”
They asked him to clarify his comments.
“I’ve [unaudible] Brian was going to be the offensive coordinator.”
The Falcons have stated that they would do their search privately, but we have a call into them to see if they’ll comment on Schottenheimer. (Expecting a no comment).
We have calls into the Theismann to see if he will expound on his knowledge of the Atlanta search.
Either way, I’m going to revise my working list of candidates to replace Mike Mularkey. Smith said he wants a balanced attack and doesn’t believe you can be one-dimensional.
1. Dirk Koetter
2. Brian Schottenheimer
3. Terry Robiskie
4. Hue Jackson
5. Brian Billick
*Removed: Mike Martz, the architect of the “World’s Greatest Show of Turf.” He’s chillaxing at his home in San Diego. If his phone rings, he’d answer it. Word is that he’d be interested in talking about the post.
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
Get instant updates on Twitter at AJCFalcons and you can join the Facebook Fan page at AJC Falcons.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
259 comments Add your comment
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:03 pm
This list of prospective offensive coordinators looks just like the University of Alabama’s.
Sid
January 12th, 2012
12:04 pm
Can Brian Schottenheimer be objective, cold hearted, and unemotional enough for the Atlanta Falcons to hire him………? I think not.
Fan since '66
January 12th, 2012
12:04 pm
The greatest show on turf was a thing of beauty, as is watching the Saints and Packers when they are rolling. Still, I like being able to run the ball. I have no problem with the Falcons being a running team that can throw the ball, better for clock management. However I want us to be a scoring threat from anyplace on the field. For me, that means a RB that can take it the distance. If Turner is thunder, who’s lightning? Quizz reminds me of Dave Meggett. Don’t know how he gets 1300 yards but our offensive front looked bad against the Giants, did not look like a power running team.
s
January 12th, 2012
12:05 pm
just glad we got new ones coming in. good grief the offense play calling was awful this year.
Josey Wells
January 12th, 2012
12:06 pm
Let’s get Phil Jackson out of retirement and run the Triangle Offense………LoL
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:06 pm
One of the things that make the Saints so tough to defend is that they do run the football. They have an extremely underrated running game. Honestly though, we may have only one offensive lineman who could start for New Orleans.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:09 pm
I’m a big Michael Turner fan and I believe he can still be very effective, but you have to be concerned about his increasing size. He seams to get larger each season.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:12 pm
Anybody remember this Michael Turner: http://img.printstown.com/sportingnews/2008_03_03_MICHAEL_TURNER_LARGE.JPG
PMC
January 12th, 2012
12:14 pm
Really, honestly, after a year like that, I think we need to temper our expectatons of this team. They are ways off from a playoff win, they haven’t really even competed well in the playoffs since early 2009. There are a lot of flaws that may take more than a year to get fixed not to mention the competition is getting better.
old man
January 12th, 2012
12:15 pm
I wonder if Schottenheimer is taking heat along with Sanchez in NY. Did he ask Theismann to talk up a place for him to land on his feet?
I take Ryan all day over Sanchez. They are about equal throwing the long ball. I agree Ryan seems to float everything over 20-25 yards in the air. Less than that, I think his arm weakness is overstated. Short and intermediate he seems to have some zip and accuracy, over 25 not so much.
Two factors that are still important are footwork and release. Ryan is slow, but his drop back footwork is very smooth. And he has a very quick release.
Physical on the keeper? No. Laser beam throws over 25 yards. No. Better than Sanchez? Hell yeah. Ryan was #8 on QB rating this year, right below Eli and right above Alex Smith. With about one half second longer on each pass attempt, he could be in the top five in the league. Not like Brees or Rogers, but in his own way.
Draft and sign O-Line.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:19 pm
I agree with you old man.
Jay Dubu
January 12th, 2012
12:19 pm
No go on Brian Schottenheimer. The Jets’ offense has been horrible for the past 4 years. The Falcons don’t need to bring in someone that has already failed on the job.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:21 pm
I also agree with you Jay Dubu.
joe kill
January 12th, 2012
12:24 pm
matt ryan is a better qb than sanchez all day long sanchez is a bum. But I just want the falcons to find a good oc who will utlize julio and roddy well julio and roddy are not really possesion recievers and mularkey treated them like they were please dont hire mike martez he is a nut sure.
Mr. Blank will do whatever it takes to win and I love that
GO Falcons!
old man
January 12th, 2012
12:24 pm
2011 Ryan QB rating #8 in the NFL
2010 Ryan QB rating #11 in the NFL
2009 Ryan QB rating #20 in the NFL
Still has the playoff issue, but I think we need to ride this pony some more.
Code Blue: draft and sign O-Line.
Mr. Panic Button
January 12th, 2012
12:27 pm
Oh I know TD and Smitty has bumped their heads. This guy is the new version of Mularkey. Why do you think the Jets let him walk? Same old conservative offensive game. The ball will not be thrown down field a lot. Ask Plaxico and Santonio.
just sayin'
January 12th, 2012
12:27 pm
@old man…u think half a second would make melt’s downfield javelin tosses more accurate?..he has no ZIP on a ball thrown more than 15yds past the line of scrimmage…he can’t hit a receiver in stride…even juliet has to wait on the check down passes…melt will not get any better on his long passes no matter who is his QB/OC coach…
JSS
January 12th, 2012
12:31 pm
Schottenheimer and Bratkowski should be blackballed out of the NFL… No, the Bengals offense was not balanced. Players never knew which portions of the game plan were going to be from week-to-week and it drove players crazy (some literally like Chad Johnson Ochocinco)! Schottenheimer does not handle offensive rhythm well. And it is not just Sanchez (he’s going to take more rewiring to save his career), he did more to mess with Drew Brees’ passing and route reads than anything in San Diego. That is why I always scream at folks who try to compare Ryan and Bree’s first 4 years in the League… There is the Schottenheimer equation, and the answer is stay away!
Jay Dubu
January 12th, 2012
12:34 pm
“Smitty’s way” amounted to 2 points against the Giants, and the defense scored those.
Time for ole Smitty to make some adjustments to “his way”.
Dennis
January 12th, 2012
12:35 pm
119th. But I’ve been first many times before and didn’t see it as a big deal. Still don’t.
Repeating Mistakes
January 12th, 2012
12:37 pm
Check out Bleacher Report on Mike Martz:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1018348-why-getting-rid-of-mike-martz-was-great-move-by-chicago-bears
I love this line:”At the bye week of the 2010 season, the Bears seemingly had to threaten bodily harm to their offensive coordinator to get him to enhance the protection scheme and run the football. But it took a record number of sacks that almost got QB Jay Cutler killed to get Martz to change, and even then he did so grudgingly.”
Hw doesn’t sound like a good fit for Matt Ryan’s health
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:37 pm
If Matt Ryan has no ZIP on any ball more than 15 yards then I’m sure the Falcons will cut him immediately. After he’s cut, no team in the NFL will give him a 2nd chance and he’ll end up having to do something else with his life. No NFL caliber QB can make it in the league with an arm that weak. You are greatly overexaggerating.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:39 pm
How did Matt Ryan overthrow Julio Jones in the 1st quarter of the Texan’s game if he has a noodle arm? Did he punt the ball over Julio’s head.
Nique
January 12th, 2012
12:39 pm
Why is Todd Haley not on your list? Things have hit a snag between him & K.C. as well as him & Ari. He was talking to another team two days ago, I’d like to see him at least be in the mix as well. But I’d be ok with Brian Schottenheimer, especially if he brings the O-Line coach over with him from the Jets!!!
vesaversa
January 12th, 2012
12:40 pm
“Mark is really not that good. He’s a hard-working kid. He wants to be good. But he doesn’t understand the game of football the way Matt does.”
Mat Ryan doesn’t understand how to read a defense he dons’t understand how to feel the pressure and when to move up in the pocket when team blists him .But i will give Mat a break his front O-line didn’t do a great job at protecting him this year .I am looking forward to next season.
Humbug
January 12th, 2012
12:42 pm
The only reason Matt Ryan is viewed as weak on long passes is that the OL does not allow him time to find the receivers downfield. He has the arm and just needs the OL to give him time to look downfield.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:43 pm
You can go ahead and take Terry Robiskie’s name off that list. No way that’s happening.
just sayin'
January 12th, 2012
12:44 pm
@sho….i’m not the only one saying he has a noodle arm…i’ve not seen any RAC stats, but….anyone who watches his games can see he not accurate past his ‘check down’ range…constantly MISSES his long, stretch the field passes..the receiver almost never hits his long receivers in stride.most of his sideline passes are caught by the ball boys…not saying he’s not smart…just not a QB that can propel a team to the NEXT level…
daroosta
January 12th, 2012
12:45 pm
Mularkey all over again if so.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:45 pm
Paul Boudreau is a fantastic offensive line coach. He has done very well with very little talent. The Falcon’s offensive line plays extremely hard and they are gritty, but they aren’t very talented. That becomes apparent in certain situations like “QB sneak” and obvious passing situations.
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:50 pm
All I’m saying is that if his arm is as bad as your making it out to be, how much longer do you think he can be a QB in this league before they cut him? Can Chris Redman or John Parker Wilson push him for the starting job? Do you think we have the resources to trade for a strong armed QB like Tebow. (sarcasm)
SawThat1nce
January 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
@12:40…….How is Ryan suppose to move up in the pocket, when the pocket is collapsing in front of him?
June Jones
January 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
It’s Jerry Glanvile’s fault. I can fix it because people like me. I’m a likable guy…..
JSS
January 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
Shonuff
January 12th, 2012
12:39 pm
“How did Matt Ryan overthrow Julio Jones in the 1st quarter of the Texan’s game if he has a noodle arm?”
Because like a water hose that is suddenly turned on, you have no idea where the water is going to go if you let go… Past 15 yards and on deep outs, that is what you’re getting with Ryan (a crap shoot).
SawThat1nce
January 12th, 2012
12:57 pm
Whoever they get as OC, the GM needs to build a stronger OLine.
ATL Now
January 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
with schottenheimer, the Falcons O will explode in 2012! Look for a division title and deep playoff run! The Falcons are back!!!
miked
January 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
If they hire Brian Schottenheimer they should have just kept MM. I hope that Falcons aren’t that dumb.
old man
January 12th, 2012
1:10 pm
@JSS
Actually, the deep out is not a bad throw for Ryan. Remember the pass his rookie year to Jenkins in the Chicago game? That was a 26 yard frozen rope that would have hit a freakin’ bread box. (Look it up–26 yards exactly, with zero YAC.) If there is any pattern it is that he is more comfortable throwing to receivers running east-west routes, as opposed to north-south. You just seldom see someone running a crossing pattern more than 30 yards downfield.
old man
January 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
And, Ryan is very good at hitting people in stride running east to west. Less so north to south.
Whopper Dawg
January 12th, 2012
1:20 pm
Ledbetter, apart from Billick, your list makes you want to throw up. For that reason, I have no doubt that TD and Smith will select someone from your list apart from Billick.
Michael M.
January 12th, 2012
1:20 pm
Can anyone fix the Falcons ? Come on mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Jarrett
January 12th, 2012
1:21 pm
Brian Billick is Mike Smith’s brother-in-law isn’t he? He has the job if he wants it probably.
Dirty Bird Nation
January 12th, 2012
1:22 pm
The worst O-Line in any FOOTBALL, The Atlanta Falcons. All falcon linemen should be release immediately, Center, Both Guards and both Tackles. I saw McClure(center) let the giants guard run right by him and Body Slammed Ryan last saturday. The Falcons haven’t had a descent OL in a long time. Sam Baker was a reach(First Rounder) and will never be be a useable lineman in the NFL. The current starting LB group is suspect also. There is no one who stand out in this group. Look at free agency to fill the voids on both sides of the ball.Look at how the Saints OL and DL play, enough said.
Sid
January 12th, 2012
1:23 pm
Falcons finished the regular season 17th in Rushing, Michael Turner finished the regular season 7th in individual rushing. That’s just hard to compute as many times as I saw Turner brought down for less than a cloud of dust.
Opie
January 12th, 2012
1:23 pm
DOL, you have to be kidding me. This ___ hole just got fired in New York for having one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Why in the hell would the Falcons hire the loser? He is a notch below Mularkey who is also lousy. Nepotism rule in the NFL. Hid dad who has never won a big game in his life and Mike Smith are Kindred Spirits. Two regular season warriors who can never win anything of consequence. Only in the NFL can you be rewarded for being mediocre in your job responsibilities. Where the hell is the accountability in this league? I wish us ordinary citizens had it this easy!!!
As a 40+ year Falcon Fan I am convinced once ATL finish 6-10 next year, Arthur will wake up a fire this dunce cap pretending to be a head coach. Dirk Kotter was dirt in Jacksonville last year, he was fired by Jack Vanessa Delrio because his offenses stink.
How much proof do you delusional bloggers need to realize Mularkey and Van Gorder were not the issues to our conservatism. It starts and ends with Mike Smith, the idiot who passes on drafting talent each year for choir boys with no talent. or heart. Season ticket holders, you better withhold your funds because TV looks to be the better option. Dimitroff and Smith will not seach for the better qualified OC/DC, they want yes men who buys into the Marty Ball two yards and a cloud of dust theory and bend but don’t break zone defenses!!
SirReal
January 12th, 2012
1:35 pm
@dirty bird nation I agree with you about the O-line but NOT AT ALL about the LBs. DBs mayeb but not LB. They were and are the strength of the D. Last time I checked Lofton was well respected around the league, was in the top 5-10 tacklers too. Let’s not forget Weatherspoon. Thats our rising leader on D.
In other news: NFL.com just reported that Billick is also on the list. I’d take him over Schotty. WHen I see how he breaks down game film fo the Birds in the Coaches Show, I think he’d know what to do with Ryan and this offense. I think he’d be a nice fit here. Also, we’re looking at Mel Tucker on D.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 12th, 2012
1:37 pm
” There is one important difference between Sanchez and Ryan that you overlooked. Matt Ryan has not won a playoff game. Sanchez has won 4 playoff games by taking his team to the conference championship twice. They have the same expectations with the same experience level, but one has taken his team further.”
Sanchez won playoff games the same way Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl. Playoff wins are important, but they are only useful when comparing and contrasting similarly skilled players. I am one of the more consistent Ryan critics who posts here but it is plainly obvious if you watch both that Ryan is a significantly better player than Sanchez.
To be honest there is not much difference between Sanchez and Tarvaris Jackson, except Sanchez is slower and gets overhyped because he plays in New York. Ryan doesn’t stare down receivers and get baffled by coverages the way Sanchez does.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 12th, 2012
1:38 pm
Regarding Billick I find it hard to believe he would leave his broadcasting job for anything less than a head coaching job. From his point of view taking a coordinator position makes little sense, even if it is for his brother in law.
Sid
January 12th, 2012
1:39 pm
Jarrett
January 12th, 2012
1:21 pm
Brian Billick is Mike Smith’s brother-in-law isn’t he? He has the job if he wants it probably.
********************************************************************
That’s the biggest reason not to hire him…………. But, Billick did hire Smith at Baltimore…………..
I wonder how Arthur feels about nepotism. I think they will pull the trigger quickly.
Falcon Red
January 12th, 2012
1:40 pm
I received an email from the Falcons earlier this week to renew my season tickets. (Right after that embarrasing loss, no less!) Yeah…I don’t see that happenin’!