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Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
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Posted: 1/24/2013 6:52 PM
Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo, announce plans for 3-4 defense
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 24, 2013, 6:43 PM EST AP
Sean Payton is back as the Saints’ head coach, and his first act is to fire his defensive coordinator and reshape his defense. The Saints have announced that Payton fired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and secondary coach Ken Flajole, and that Payton wants to shift to a 3-4 defense. “ I personally want to thank Steve and Ken for their contributions during what was an unprecedented 2012 season ,” Payton said in a statement released by the team. “Philosophically we are changing our defense to a 3-4 alignment and right now is the best time to accomplish this transition.” Spagnuolo replaced Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator a year ago, after Williams left for St. Louis — and before the news broke that the Saints had previously run a bounty program that would result in Payton being suspended for 2012 and Williams being banned indefinitely. Now Payton is back and Spagnuolo is out.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/24/sa ints-fire-steve-spagnuolo-announce-plans-for-3-4-d efense/
Last edited 1/24/2013 6:53 PM by CTGiant
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Posted: 1/24/2013 7:30 PM
Re: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
Welcome Home Assistant Head Coach Spagnuolo!  |
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Posted: 1/24/2013 9:25 PM
Re: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
interesting........
Spags has had some issues implementing his D in recent years. I wonder if he needs to try and re-invent himself by hanging around another philosophy and going from there.
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Posted: 1/24/2013 9:42 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
Sorry to say, I don't want Spags back. I may be the only one here who is going to say that.
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- NYgIANts
- Pro Bowler
- 2913 posts this site
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Posted: 1/24/2013 10:08 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
I'm not sure. You can't go home again. His stock has plummeted since he left here. It's not like he'll walk in and all of a sudden the defense will be good again. But I'm not wedded to Fewell either.
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Posted: 1/24/2013 10:30 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
Yea, I prefer Fewell's read & react defense. Worked wonders this past season.
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Posted: 1/24/2013 11:08 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
TheShade wrote: Sorry to say, I don't want Spags back. I may be the only one here who is going to say that. Yup. |
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- bigjuje
- Pro Bowler
- 3085 posts this site
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Posted: 1/24/2013 11:24 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
I hate to also agree...the star has
burnt out.
As Stoney has mentioned...the possibility
of also moving to the 3-4 is out
of Spag's territory.
He won't get another DC job and will have to
become assistant from the bottom up.
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Posted: 1/24/2013 11:45 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
I looked at the Saints 2012 record and they gave up a huge amount of points. In 2011, Williams as DC, they gave up 20 or less points in 9 games and did very well overall. Spags defense did not do well when he was a HC in St Louis. With that said, after the first two games in 2007, his Giants defense was outstanding. I suspect that his handling HC responsibilities in St Louis and N.O. has something to do with why his defenses in both locations were so atrocious.
It is apparent that there is no intention of firing Fewell and I do not see Spags taking an assistant's job. If the DC position was open, I would want him back.
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Posted: 1/24/2013 11:45 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
TheShade wrote: Sorry to say, I don't want Spags back. I may be the only one here who is going to say that. Me too.
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I'd rather be a disappointed optimist than a vindicated pessimist.
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- bigjuje
- Pro Bowler
- 3085 posts this site
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Posted: 1/24/2013 11:56 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
He'll be permanently out of a job is
he doesn't take an assistant job.
His name doesn't carry weight enough
to earn the DC position anymore. They
hire from college first.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 9:59 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
He didn't handle the HC responsibilties in N.O. and he did a horrible DC job there ,as well as some players have spoken out against him !Once around is enough,especially with what he's shown the last 4 years.....nothing at all !
His Defense allowed 57 yards a game more than the second worst !!.....WOW!!!
Last edited 1/26/2013 12:37 PM by bleedblue10
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Posted: 1/25/2013 10:07 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
The Giants have moved on, I don't think they would even consider taking him back.
Then again what do I know?
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Posted: 1/25/2013 10:18 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
I dunno. Offenses have compensated for athletic DEs exploding up-field by exploiting the edge with athletes. Look at Osi this season. How many times did they exploit his love of blowing-up field by moving an athletic QB outside him, or a swing pass into the flat or a quick slant over the B-gap? Offenses let our Des take themselves out of the play by when we blow up field to try to get the pocket passer.
Maybe our NASCAR package was ineffective not because out players are worse but because offenses have found plays to exploit it due to its predictability?
Gotta move with the cheese. Answer the answer the answer....
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Posted: 1/25/2013 10:31 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
TheShade wrote: Sorry to say, I don't want Spags back. I may be the only one here who is going to say that. I am with you. I would not want him back. I wonder if the Eagles are interested. Rumor is Chip Kelly wants to bring Todd Grantham from Georgia in as his defensive coordinator but that the Eagles have resisted him. I wonder how Kelly and the Eagles would feel about Spags. He may have to head to college or take a job at a position level. I have a hard time blaming him for the hell that the Saints went through all last season.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 11:08 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
Another example of why someone should not always leave for greener pastures. While I understand the desire to be a head coach, he was hired as a DC by the Giants after being just an assistant with the Eagles. That is a heckuva promotion. He should have stayed in NY for a few more years and enjoyed the success they had going there. Instead he went to an atrocious team like the Rams and that backfired big time. Then he went to the Saints, who have never had a great defense, and failed there too. Now he's on the verge of being out of the sport. If he had stayed in NY, who knows if they would have won more championships, plus he'd be in line to either take over for Coughlin or get a job with a better organization than the dreadful Rams.
I still prefer his schemes to Fewell's. Fewell is read and react and Spags is attack. I prefer attack, but that doesn't matter because the Giants are sticking with Fewell.
Good teams rely on their stars,
Great teams rely on each other.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 11:40 AM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
I agree with YeOlde, offenses know how to counter guys like Osi now. Osi, while he was a great player for the Giants for many years, has hurt this team badly lately by stubbornly taking the same outside rush over and over again, and repeatedly allowing opposing offenses to run right through his vacated spot, or by having the quarterback step up there or throwing screens there.
I'm not going to say that you can't rush the passer because that is one of the great fundamental aspects of football, but you cannot simply sellout and give up your position time and again. I am not sad to see Osi go, not one bit. Kiwanuka is a much more fundamentally solid DE. He might not have the upfield burst or snap count timing like Osi did, but he defends the run better and he's more disciplined in keeping containment on the QB or RB. I think replacing Osi with Kiwi is going to help the run defense a lot.
Good teams rely on their stars,
Great teams rely on each other.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 12:02 PM
Re: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
This is falling into place nicely. I feel like Dr. Evil watching it all unfold from my evil lair.
I said here in early January the only real interesting scenario (vis a vis Fewell) was the situation in New Orleans: my theory was that Gregg Williams would get re-instated (and then re-hired) by Payton. Instead, Payton just canned Spags - with Williams a non-factor. Whatever works.
Now, for the Giants, it becomes less about Fewell, and more about bringing back a guy they never wanted to lose in the first place. When Spags left for St. Louis, we tried to make him the highest paid Defensive Coordinator in the league. We did "all we could" to keep him. Similar to John Fox - who we also never wanted to lose.
And now - here we are. And Spags is available for substantially less $ than he was 4 years ago. The "kicker" is the Saints about to part ways with MLB Jon Vilma. I'm not his biggest fan, but he's a Rosenhaus client: wouldn't it be convenient to bring in Spags, and also score a clear upgrade MLB that already knows his scheme?
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Posted: 1/25/2013 12:11 PM
Re: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
leagued - that is the scheme, believe it or not.
Fewell tries to tailor his schemes to everybody's strengths - when Osi is in the game, he is pass rushing and taking his man wide, looking to work in space.
The other players take on the responsibilities around him.
It's the same with the outside CBs - they play pass 100% of the time, they are coached not to worry about the run until it's a clear hand-off. And within the call, they have the freedom to play press or off, whatever they want.
Perry gives his guys a ton of freedom to be creative (really it is the ultimate "players scheme" in a lot of ways because it lets you play to your strengths) but I think that's where a lot of the mis-cues come from. Nobody is 100% sure what anybody else is gonna do because of the freedom to ad-lib.
Deon Grant used to call it "getting freaky" and changing things at the last second if you think it will help the coverage. Grant was excellent at it due to his experience and instincts (and being on the same page with his communication). He managed to make a lot of big, timely plays up the seam during our Super Bowl run with these types of adjustments.
They didn't miss Grant's lack of athleticism this year but they missed his ability to do that within Perry's scheme.
Anyway just my 2 cents on a cold Friday, to your Osi observation. Go Giants.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 2:02 PM
RE: Saints fire Steve Spagnuolo
If he's willing to take a position job I'd love to have him back. You know the Giants are not letting Fewell go but by no means is Fewell a better coordinator. I think you need to have another voice in the room and if he doesn't go to Philly the Giants should certainly think about bringing him back. I can't blame him for trying to become a head coach when he left. It's any coach's dream. And he's had some bad years since he's been gone but can you really blame him for NO's mess this past year? The suspensions, the injuries, the disorganization without Sean Peyton running everything. I really do hope Coughlin picks up the phone and asks him to come back.
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