What we learned in Georgia and in the aftermath.

The sin of Jim Doonan:� Mr. Doonan was coach of the Georgia Bulldogs until late last season when Vince Dooley, former coach and current AD, let him go.� Coach Doonan had some success at Georgia; last season, the B�Dogs were 8-4 and did destroy Virginia 37-14 in the Oahu Bowl.� Georgia plays in the SEC East with Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina; last season, they finished tied for 2^nd with the Vols and Gamecocks; all three were a game back of the Gators.� Not bad, but Vince Dooley knows football and, obviously, expected more from the talent available to his coach.

Georgia 2000 had two defenders selected in the 1^st round (DL Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud); LB Kendrell Bell went high in the 2^nd and DB Jamie Henderson later on.� Any team (including PSU 1999) with that level of D-side talent has to do better than 8-4, no matter their conference affiliation.� The B�Dogs started 5-1 but when the competition stiffened, faded to their close; further, despite their talent, Georgia�s D-group made few plays.� We�ve seen what Bell can do and, remember, the (2) DL were drafted ahead of him.� Yet, amazingly, those (3) men combined for only (5) sacks in the regular season.�

The reasons were all scheme related; despite a considerable talent advantage, Coach Doonan elected a �read and react� type defensive philosophy.� That concept is a great equalizer; it can make smart, modestly skilled players better but is liable to reduce highly talented players to a similar competent, but not dominant level.� In sum, Doonan�s read first notion effectively hobbled the Dawgs; the correct concept could be described as �seek and destroy� or �haul off and kick ass.��

Coach Doonan elevated his scheme above his personnel; his was the sin of pride and, for that, he paid a price identical to that exacted on Kevin Gilbride.� Coach Gilbride�s calculus of several variables required a platoon of veteran WR each capable of achieving some mind-meld with a vet QB.� The 2000 Stillers had poised vets at neither position, achieved nothing through the air and now, as the Doonan Era is done in Athens, so is KG just a memory here.�

No one but Mrs. Doonan and the little Doonans care much about Coach�s fate but this incident ought to be cautionary for the 2001 Stiller brain trust.� This year, I�m hoping that the coordinators tailor their schemes to the talent available; we�ve seen enough of promising players pounded into positions that ill-fit their abilities.� If Kendrell Bell can make plays, well, get him on the field.� If Spike can outreach every CB in football; get the ball up in the air.� If Kordell is the most athletic vet QB in the league, roll the pocket.� The margin between one team and another is (usually) slight; if you want to win, you�ve got to use all you�ve got.

Mike Mularkey, master spy:� All this stuff about how the Stillers are holding back is pure bunk.� Execution wins games; deception is a weak effect.� Coach Mularkey may disadvantage Jaxville but the Browns will have game tape and, after week two, the entire league will have plenty of time to dissect the new Stiller O-master�s genius.� Execution wins; if the Stillers don�t practice their new scheme under fire now when the games don�t count then, while the Jags might be at a disadvantage, the Stillers will absolutely be so.

This is football, it is not the warfare; it is not spy vs. spy.� Tom Coughlin is a football coach, not Vladimir Putin.� When Mr. Mularkey acts as if his offense is a state secret, this strikes me as self-inflating bushwa and, if the O-Head is the man he is reported to be (in the PG, TR and Steelers Digest) then this posturing should be beneath him.� I�m all in favor of holding back some of the offense; hold back the power-I, hold back the 3^rd down screen; hold back the 6-yard curl on 3^rd and 8.� Run the new sets; run the new plays; work out the timing.� On the O-side, deception is all about play-calling (ball-handling too but that is beyond our starter).� Work the new plays now; let the D-heads elsewhere stew about how they�ll later be laced into the Stillers patented power game.

Why Kent Graham should not get a snap in the Twin Cities:� We know what Graham has to offer and we know that is not enough.� Kent can�t be as bad as he looked against the Falcons but even his high-water mark (Titans 1) just didn�t get it done.� If Graham has to play in 2001, the Stillers will not be play-off worthy; therefore, Graham is a high-digit irrelevancy.

Both Maddox and Martin looked very good against the Falcon scrubs; Maddox was cited by both Spike and Toy for his leadership and it is worth noting that Stewart hasn�t gotten that kind of praise.� Maddox especially, and Tee to a lesser extent need some 1^st half playing time.� This is easily done; consider that Dan Reeves had his high priced QB (Vick) play both in the 1^st and 2^nd halves.� I�d like to see the Stillers do the same with Stewart.� Let him start and play a series or two; bring him back sometime in the 4^th when the game is on the line.�

Let Maddox/Martin have the time between; let�s compare the three (3) against both starters and scrubs.� It�s all very well to say Maddox moved the team against a group of future food service workers; let�s see what he, and Tee, can do against the Vikes and Bills best.� Similarly, let�s see what Stew can do against their scrubeenies.

Man on man, muscle on muscle:� In Atlanta, Coach Lewis called no blitzes, esoteric packages or stunts.� Nothing was done to confuse the Falcons nor did they do much to confuse the Stillers.� The DL was instructed to simply line up and play; it was man on man, strength vs. strength and, for the most part, the Stillers lost those up-front battles.� Hampton didn�t get moved much but everyone else did and� Clancy got ridden like a show pony.��

It is time, past time, for the Stillers to look up Tez Kennedy.� Last winter, Kennedy sought, and got, his release from the S�Hawks and began negotiating at +1M/season.� That�s all over now; I�m pretty sure Tez would come in at the vet minimum; he�d surely come in for Graham money.�� Tez may not have much left but he�s got more than Clancy.� The NT position is critical in the 3-4; IMO Hampton needs Tez as much, or more, than Bell needs Jones.� Make it so.