Today, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that Sean McDermott was given the interim defensive coordinator label.  While the move was widely expected, it still comes as a tremendous blow to the team, especially the defense, and to the city as well.  The Eagles are a team that expect to challenge for the Super Bowl this coming year, and the loss of Jim Johnson is one that cannot easily be overstated.

A hallmark of the Eagles has been Johnson patrolling the sidelines, calling pressure defense after pressure defense.  He devises new wrinkles all of the time, and seems to have an uncanny knack for knowing exactly when to call a pressure scheme, and what scheme to use.  There are usually two or three defensive coordinators that get any substantial press as being the best in the NFL, and Johnson is always, always in that group.  He deserves it; his Eagles have been defensive juggernauts for several years now.  The offense may go up and down, but the one constant in Philadelphia has been a consistently aggressive and challenging defense.  That attribute is entire Johnson's doing, and that's what makes this loss so painful.

As ESPN has said, Sean McDermott has been running the defense since mini-camps.  Johnson's on-going battle with cancerous tumors on his spine has prevented him from coaching.  While McDermott has a near-total comprehension of Johnson's exotic schemes, it remains to be seen whether or not McDermott has the same 'touch' or not.  That's the one element of a defensive coordinator's job that cannot be replicated by anyone else.  That's why this loss is so difficult to swallow.  McDermott may know all the technical elements of the defense, but does he have the touch, the timing?  Can he make the adjustments, and add the same little wrinkles that Johnson did?  Can he get that defense - who to a man loves Johnson - to play the same way for him?  Unless Johnson can build a personal defense against cancer and return to the NFL, McDermott is going to have to adapt very quickly.  I am sure that he is both capable and qualified.  But it's highly unlikely he'll be quite as good as Johnson, or quite as capable.  It's a most challenging task to follow a legend.  McDermott has that task.

As I'm sure every real NFL fan will understand, this also serves as a public "get well soon" message.  The NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles, are better with Jim Johnson in it.  Get well soon, Jim.

In the era of the salary cap and parity, it seems that every year one team makes a huge leap forward and earns a playoff spot (or at least some serious cred) where most observersed believed the team was closer to dead than anything else.  Last year, we had three such teams: the Arizona Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons. 

This year, all 3 of those teams are getting much closer inspection.  The Cards have endured a pretty rough off-season and with the turnover in the coaching staff and player animosity, things are poised for the Cards to tumble.  The Falcons improved by adding TE Tony Gonzales - a mid-range passing weapon was really the only thing Ryan lacked last year.  The Dolphins should continue to be a good team, but the reality they face is a tougher schedule and a Patriots team that will surely include Tom Brady. 

So who's poised to rise from the ashes of a poor 2008 season and battle to make the playoffs?  There are some contenders...

The "trendy" pick is the Cincinnati Bengals.  Now, some of that is because Chad #85 says so, but in reality there are a lot of things that Bengals faithful can look at and feel a sense of hope.  When he's healthy, Carson Palmer is among the league's best and most accurate passers.  He's smart, strong-armed and has a great touch for the ball.  As both Pittsburgh and Arizona showed last year, having a star QB is more of a benefit than can easily be put into words.  Plus, he understands how to work that Cincy offense.  But the real reason the Bengals are getting some love is that most people believe they have upgraded their defense enough to make them a much better overall team.  The hard part is their division, and to some degree, their conference.  They will have to vault above either (or both) the Ravens and Steelers, not to mention the Chargers, Pats, Colts and/or the Titans.  That's a dominant listing of teams you have there; cracking it will take a tremendous season.  That being said, there's some real reason to think that the Bengals can do it.

Another interesting pick could be the Houston Texans.  Like Cincy, they have a long, uphill climb in their own division.  But both sides of the ball seem to be improving steadily.  If the Texans can pick up where they left off last year, and continue moving forward, they could be in a position to unseat the Colts or Titans.  It's a long shot, because talent-wise, both the Titans and Colts have edges in key areas.  But the Texans have displayed an ability to move forward steadily, and really haven't had any major distractions this off-season.  Neither the Colts nor Titans can make that same claim, and one has to wonder how much the loss of Haynesworth will impact the Titans defense. 

Could the Buffalo Bills make a post-season run?  This would qualify for a major surprise.  The "TO Show" notwithstanding, this isn't a team that's really built to tackle the big dogs in their own division, let alone its conference.  The Bills have kind of been a moribund team for 3 straight years.  Trent Edwards and HC Dick Juaron seem awfully mild-mannered; their ability to 'handle' TO may be the focal point for this entire season.  Talent-wise, the Bills are below all three teams in their own division.  But you just never know, and since the Bills have some decent talent in key spots all over the field, and on both sides of the ball, if they get the right blend of things rolling, who's to say they can't make the playoffs?

Could (ahem) the Oakland Raiders make a run?  To their credit, the NFC West is comparatively weak than other divisions.  The Chargers will likely be the top dog in this division, but with Denver's implosion and KC's rebuilding process, there is a clear path for the Raiders.  The problem is that they don't have a known quality at QB.  Russell might one day be a good QB, but not only is the jury still out on that, but the early returns regarding Russell's practice habits, etc., are not good.  Like the Bills, it would take almost a perfect culmination of events. 

But then again, the 2008 Falcons were projected as being one of the NFL's worst teams!  Anything can happen, right?

In the NFC, the only 'East' team that gets any kind of discussion are the Redskins.  They've had their own fair share of upheaval this off-season, starting with the QB situation.  The Skins improved on defense with Haynesworth and a good draft, and their offense wasn't all that bad with Campbell.  The brutal truth of the matter is that the Eagles and Giants are both definitely better, and the Cowboys seem a little better.  Getting into the playoffs means having to forge a road through what will likely be labeled the best division in football (again) and that makes the job that much more difficult.

The Chicago Bears have a lot of reasons to feel confidence.  Now, they get on this list only because they missed the post-season last year.  They, like the Vikings in 2008, are a borderline team.  It won't take much to make, or miss, the playoffs.  The addition of Cutler, however, ideally positions the Bears to return to the playoffs after their brief absence. 

Like the NFC North, in which 3 teams all have legit playoff hopes, the NFC South has 3 teams with legit playoff hopes.  So instead, let's look at the Bucs.  Can the Bucs make a run back to the playoffs?  There are suggestions that perhaps they can - they will roll out a solid defense and solid running game.  But there are so many questions at QB (like who's going to start!) that it makes choosing the Bucs as a "surprise" team very hard to fathom.  But, for argument's sake, let's say Josh Freeman sheds that 'raw talent' label very quickly, especially considering some of the player/coaches he'll have like Byron Leftwich.  The Bucs have enough talent to go far.  Unsetting the Falcons, Pathers and Saints, however, will require a lot more than mere talent.

Out west, the Niners are perhaps the team to watch.  There are some good reasons why this is true - Singletary very well may through sheer force of personality make this a better team.  The West is considerably weaker than the other 3 divisions in the NFC, as both the Seahawks and Cardinals have some exploitable weaknesses.  But both teams figure to be at least as good as last year or significantly improved, which means the Niners will have to improve a great deal as well.

Overall, as I wrote this, what strikes me as that there are a lot of divisions in the NFL that have some really intriguing teams.  The NFC East, South and North all have some really interesting stories that will have to play out over the course of the year.  With all of the good teams, of which I think the NFC has more, it creates a situation in which there will be at least 2 or 3 'good' teams that miss out on the playoffs.  The AFC is a little more top-heavy; there are more 'better' and 'worse' teams in the AFC than in the NFC.  In any event, what's sure to happen is that there will be some teams in both conferences that miss the playoffs (surprising everyone) and some teams that make the playoffs (again surprising everyone).  We just have to watch and wait to find out who will be the 2009 NFL Surprise Teams!

The Packers are making a defensive switch from the 4-3 scheme to the more challenging and sophisticated 3-4.  Their linebackers are going to be put under enormous pressure this year, and with some of the offenses in the NFC North, this makes the Green Bay Packers' defense one to watch in 2009.

Being a Steeler fan means that I've watched the 3-4 defense since Cowher was named the head coach in 1991.  We've been blessed here with great linebackers for virtually that entire time, but since the philosophy has never wavered, the Steelers have always been able to draft their type of guys that fit the scheme.  The first year of any kind of major philosophical switch is a key one, but this one might be the most challenging of them all.

In 2008, the Packers fell back into the pack with a 6-10 record, one year after reaching the NFC Championship Game.  It was really the injuries that crushed the Packers defense, because once the injuries mounted, failure upon failure hit this team.  They fired their defensive coordinator because they needed a fall guy, and the new one (Dom Capers) is a long-time 3-4 proponent.  One reason?  Capers - along with LB coach Kevin Greene and secondary coach Darren Perry - are all Cowher/Steeler alums. 

The 3-4 becomes such a difficult defense because it, more than the 4-3, requires that all seven front defenders do their job correctly, make the correct reads and play their position exactly to plan without regard of what anyone else does.  When this works well - in New England, Baltimore or Pittsburgh - you see the results.  When it fails, it usually does so in dramatic and explosive fashion.  A bad 3-4 play can easily take a normal 3-4 yard run and have it turn into a 11-12 yard one.  It can take a well-defensed pass defense and allow a big gainer or worse.  It's this tricky nature of the defense - the fact that all 11 men really do have to be constantly on the same page - that creates a very small margin of error in this defense.  When a team does it's job well, the 3-4 creates opportunities in the pass pressure that a 4-3 simply cannot match.  The 4-3's pass rush scheme is usually straight forward - the edge rushers are fast and get upfield quickly, and the two interior guys put forth a huge push and collect blockers.  The 3-4 allows defensive coordinators the luxury of changing sides, overloading a side with pressure (often resulting in television announcers claiming the move is a 'blitz' even though only 4 guys rush the ball) and can wreak havoc upon the offensive reads because they simply aren't sure where the pressure will come from.

In the Packers favor they have a long-time 3-4 coach in Dom Capers.  As a head coach he never quite tasted a ton of success, but as a defensive coordinator he's great.  With him he brings coaching talent that understands the 3-4 game, and knows how to work within it.  Plus, the Packers have drafted well at LB, and this defense gives them the ability to work wonders with that athletic talent.

On the flip side, however, the Packers play 4 games against teams that figure to have already top offenses in the run game (Vikings) and one that ought to be far better because of the new QB talent (Chicago).  The Lions, too, will probably feature as much of a run-heavy offense as they can.  This means that the Packers will be put to the ultimate test this year.  If that 3-4 scheme isn't clicking by the time the Minny Vikes come calling (with or without Favre), the Vikings are going to run all over them courtesy of All Day.  If it's not clicking, then Cutler will have his way with the Pack's D (with or without quality receivers).  Plus, the Packers have to play the AFC North this year, a division that has 3 teams that figure to have pretty solid or better offenses (Cincy, Pittsburgh & Baltimore).  That's no easy task for a new defense.

For Packer faithful, it has the potential to be a long year if the scheme's complexities aren't mastered quickly.  But if Capers et al can work some magic, it may reinvigorate a team, and put the Packers back solidly into playoff discussion.  As I said, it bears watching carefully.

The list of ex-coaches sitting on the sidelines this year is awfully long, awfully talented, and will likely cast a lengthy shadow upon the entire NFL this year and into the next off-season.  It's generally accepted any more that there will be signficant coach turnover in the NFL.  Every year, websites and bloggers discuss which coaches are on the 'hot seat' and speculate that without a stellar season, that coach will lose his job.  With the cadre of talent on the sidelines, I would think that some owners will look long and hard at the talent patrolling the sidelines of his (losing) team, and the list of coaches waiting for a call, and pick up the phone - both to fire the current guy and inquire about the other guy.

Mike Shanahan.  In what was perhaps the most surprising termination, Shanahan got the boot after his Broncos imploded last year, losing 3 straight games to lose the division and lose out on the chance at the playoffs.  That implosion was laid at Shanahan's feet - he couldn't coach his guys to a win (or motivate them) and his GM duties were being questioned more and more each and every year.  Denver had a great offense under Shanny, but that defense was woeful, and seemed to get worse each year. 

There's no doubt that Shanahan could immediately provide a boost to a struggling franchise.  He's seen as an offensive wizard, and his body of work certainly supports that.  Yet, an owner looking at Shanahan will have to deal with that ego, and his desire to run the entire ship.  Some owners won't like that, and so the list of owners that would give Shanny a hard look are probably slimmer.  That doesn't mean he won't soon be an NFL coach.  Shanahan will likely be one of the first guys called by an owner looking to stabilize the franchise.  Working out the details won't take too long; Shanahan himself is on record saying he wants to return to the NFL one day.

Mike Holmgren.  Holmgren has said that he needs a break, needs a chance to step away from the game for a while.  But most people expect him to one day come back; once he rests, relaxes and rebuilds the energy necessary to coach, he'll likely get a long, hard look.  Holmgren has a lengthy body of work that is virtually all positive.  He's won a Super Bowl, appeared in another one, and has done wonders with teams like Seattle.  For the Seahawks to become nationally relevant is perhaps the most impressive feat of his career. 

Holmgren, like Shanny, will probably want more control over the football operations.  Again, that's a tough nut to crack, but in Holmgren's case, I think that if he was working with the right sort of GM, the partnership would work well.  Holmgren, like Shanahan, is an offensive minded coach, and will want a certain type of player on his team to get the most out of his offense.

Jon Gruden.  Gruden's firing came at a surprising time, but I don't think that it was much of a surprise overall.  He's been wearing thin in Tampa, and perhaps the chance was necessary.  Gruden brings an intense, fiery personality to the sidelines, and while he may be difficult to relate to (among other coaches and his players) that doesn't mean he's a good coach.  He knows how to get the most of his players, and puts them into a position to win.  Had Oakland (re: Al Davis) been a little wiser, perhaps that franchise might not have fallen upon their current hard times.  Gruden was the kind of coach that could stand up to Davis (perhaps the reason for his firing, then) and gotten production.  His pass-heavy offense is a tough one to defense.

Gruden may or may not return.  He may find TV work easier, more fun, and better for him than returning to the sidelines.  But I think that his personality won't let him stay away from the sidelines too long.  Listen to him carefully on MNF this year - the criticisms he levels may indicate whether the burn to coach is still there.  I would think the first time he says 'well, this is what I would have done' you have a signal that Gruden is thinking ahead.

Tony Dungy.  Of the ex-coaches, Dungy is the only one in which the chances of him returning are virtually zero.  Still, one never knows - it might take a quiet conversation or the perfect situation.  My guess with Dungy is that if he returns to football, it will be either in an advisory position or as a GM.  I think he'd make a terrific GM, by the way.  But, as I said, the chances of him returning are less than 1%.  But he's out there, and I'm sure that inquiries will delicately come his way from time to time.

Bill Cowher.  Now, Cowher is the only really defensive minded coach that's out there, and he too has stated that he wants to return to the game.  But in Cowher's case, I think that he's going to be very careful about it.  It will take possibly more money than any of the previously mentioned coaches; rumor has it Cowher wants no less than $8 million a year to coach, and one thinks he'll demand $10 a year.  He's a difficult, stubborn man to deal with because in all things its his way or no way.  But, he's easily the best motivator of the group, and relates extremely well to his players.  Cowher most likely won't end up in the AFC North - no matter how many rumors swirl about Cleveland - because he'll see it as a betrayal to the Rooneys.  Even though he was upset with them regarding his contract, it's obvious that he's not all that interested in crossing swords with them.

Personally, I think that Cowher will likely be lured to a southern team, and perhaps next year.  If I were John Fox or Jack Del Rio, I'd be worried a little about my job.  The Carolina job would be almost tailor-made for Cowher; he's moved to Carolina, obviously put down roots there, would not face the Steelers except once every three years (or potentially in the Super Bowl) and the Panthers are already built along the lines of Cowher's liking. 

Speculation is wonderful, and of course no one knows exactly what's going to happen.  All four of these coaches will be sought out - and Dungy will get some questions, too - by various owners who want to get back to winning ways.  I wouldn't surprise me one bit to see one or more of these guys back in the league in 2010 or 2011.  It really wouldn't.  The thing is that all of these guys have solid track records, have won Super Bowls, have dealt with Super Bowl pressure and expectations, and have generally all been highly successful head coaches.  Those facts alone virtually guarantee that they will get a job at some point.  One things for sure - the 'hot seat' for coaches is made all that hotter because these guys aren't currently working.  The constant discussion regarding troubled coaches will quickly rise to the level of a roar because of these talents waiting in the wings.

Pro Football Talk (.com) is reporting that during a recent OTA, coach Mike Singletary almost made first round draft choice Michael Crabtree cry.  The report centered on Crabtree's broken foot, and how he was out jogging.  Singletary reportedly had a "discussion" with Crabtree about this, and according to the report, Crabtree grew "teary-eyed" because he wanted to practice.  Hmmm.

Singletary is rapidly becoming known as a coach who's more in your face than any other in the NFL.  It matches his playing style - that constant intensity.  The constant NFL Films picture of Singletary's face when he's readying himself for a play, and the blazing look in his eyes, ought to be a good predictor for what Singletary is like patrolling the sidelines.  Can that hyper-intensity bring out the best in the Niners, or will it backfire?  For a while, it'll work I think.  But that's not really here nor there.

The biggest problem with first round draft picks is that changing roles from BMOC to "just another rookie" can be confusing.  It's made worse when the player is in a prima donna position (WRs being the biggest prima donnas on most teams).  Now take a guy like Singletary, who accepts nothing except for total intensity all of the time, and you have a recipe for Crabtree to be hurt.  Of course, growing teary-eyed just because he got yelled at for jogging doesn't exactly fit the profile of a football player, but let's not judge him too harshly yet.  Learning to fit in as a rookie on a football team has got to be one of the hardest things to do.  You have to learn a brand new, extremely complex playbook.  You have coaches that are more demanding than ever.  Your film study is through the roof, meetings all of the time, and pressure unlike anything you've felt before.  In Texas Tech, Crabtree was isolated - in college terms and I'm sure on his own team.  He was a star, a super star, and heard it all of the time.  Now, the most applicable words he'll hear is "what have you done for me lately?"  I would say that takes one hell of an adjustment, wouldn't you?

Crabtree will probably turn into a pretty solid receiver in the NFL.  Most receivers that are drafted that high turn out - there are always exceptions so don't list them - but in the main, it's a position in which making a high draft pick often works out to some degree.  Not everyone is Randy Moss, so drafting Crabtree does not automatically mean he'll be an instant success.  Some guys simply take longer, and require more work and study.  For a guy like Crabtree, he has his work cut out for him.

As I understand it, playing receiver in the NFL is a very challenging business because of the read and recognition element to the position.  When defenses disguise coverages, they are not only targeting the quarterback.  Sometimes they are targeting the receiving corps, too.  So Crabtree will be faced with having to see and adapt to something that isn't on paper.  Nor was it something he would have much done in TT - there, he just ran the longest and fastest.  It wasn't so much of a read & react offense as it was intricate routes designed to take advantage of lesser athletic defenses.  Learning that the position of a corner will dictate a route, or the quarterback's first look, is something that takes time and reptition. 

Crabtree has better get some thicker skin.  The combination of a blistering head coach and the demands of the position will combine to create far more pressure than he's ever felt before.  He needs to get tougher mentally if he hopes to succeed.  Maybe that was Singletary's idea.  We don't know.  We can't know.  But we can sure speculate.