Not way back, former NFL QB Byron Leftwich was a hot-shot teaching candidate du jour. Final offseason, the moribund Jacksonville Jaguars — the staff that drafted him — particularly, had been able to go all in on Leftwich as their subsequent head coach.
Modern experiences in 2022 depicted Leftwich because the presumptive successor to City Meyer, who was on the one-yard-line of a deal. Then, Leftwich dedicated a traditional folly and have become a cautionary story by turning down the gig after possession balked at his Trent Baalke ultimatum.
Nonetheless, Leftwich forgot that the notion of offensive genius has a shorter lifespan than an avocado. Beneath poor circumstances, issues can go dangerous rapidly. Aspiring NFL coaches don’t flip down one of many 32 most high-profile jobs within the Nationwide Soccer League for good cause. (Stares at Ben Johnson). Particularly for one of many Black assistant coaches within the NFL. Particularly one that might have allowed him to work with one of many NFL’s greatest younger signal-callers, Trevor Lawrence.
Leftwich’s tenure as Tampa Bay’s OC
In a single calendar yr, the Bucs’ 11.7 level distinction between 2022 and 2023 was the biggest offensive scoring drop in league historical past. One of many culprits for the offensive landslide was Tampa Bay’s tattered offensive line. Their inside offensive line struggles sabotaged their floor recreation and compelled Tom Brady’s 45-year-old arm to aim a report 790 passes.
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After Bruce Arians retired in 2021, Leftwich’s relationship with Brady was thought-about one of many causes for his return. With all of his expertise and gravitas, if Brady needed Leftwich to stay in his present capability, he would have vouched for him.
But, Brady’s advancing age is the opposite elephant within the room that clearly was ignored through the analysis of Leftwich. With out enough safety, Brady lastly seemed and threw like he’d laid eyes upon the decaying portrait of himself hidden within the attic.
Many of the NFL entrance workplace’s teaching searches are primarily based on capricious metrics. For 3 years, Leftwich coordinated one of many high offenses in soccer. Sean McVay was an offensive genius till his roster imploded.
With McVay calling the performs, Los Angeles’ offense in 2022 was the league’s twenty third greatest in response to Soccer Outsider’s offensive DVOA scores. McVay dodged accountability for the downturn and rightfully so. The Rams had been one of many NFL’s extra injury-riddled groups. Cooper Kupp missed the second half. Matt Stafford began out the yr with a pitcher’s elbow and ended his season with an extremely karmic spinal contusion.
The identical factor occurred throughout their first Tremendous Bowl hangover yr in 2019. McVay’s Tremendous Bowl win granted him a grace interval although. Reportedly, Leftwich’s firing was made an olive department to appease Brady.
The head of a coordinator’s arc is simply too risky to play rooster with an unique place in one of the crucial extremely aggressive leagues on the earth.
