Quote:Whenever a team struggles-especially on offense-there is usually a clamor at some point for the backup to get playing time.

 

Here, the call wasn't so much for Henne, but for Allen.

 

But despite the fact those in charge felt he clearly wasn't qualified to take over the starting spot at this early stage of his career (and he probably wasn't especially considering his low draft point), nobody asserted he was part of the problem.  Even if he felt he could help the team, the decision not to play him and the decisions where to throw and not to throw the ball were out of his hands.  He escaped blame, even though he couldn't beat out a Bortles struggling mightily for whatever reasons, and Henne, who most would agree just plain stinks.

 

My question is why doesn't this absolution dynamic apply to assistant coaches stuck under an inept head coach?   In other words, why do people feel Marrone was part of the problem here?

 

Now granted as an OL coach he likely has more influence over the fate of  the team than a rookie 3rd string QB that never gets off the bench.  He has to develop the young linemen, and he has to help devise the blocking schemes needed for the offense to function.  But sacks allowed dropped by nearly 20 from the 51 allowed in 2015.  Furthermore, because of his role on the coaching staff, he wasn't able to make decisions on things that might have helped improve team performance.  When Bradley was finally and mercifully (for Jaguars fans) dismissed, Marrone was given the opportunity to make those decisions that had the potential to improve team performance.  He insisted on no food/shades/hoodies during meetings and emphasized winning instead of simply getting better.  The results were clear.  The team performed better overall in the two games under Marrone than they did in any other two game stretch, even in the loss to the Colts.  Several players have remarked on the differences.  Finally, reports came out about a Super Bowl winning coach giving Marrone an endorsement.

 

The point is maybe, just maybe, Marrone wasn't part of the problem. 

 

Perhaps Marrone was handcuffed by circumstance of his position which precluded him from being the solution the team needs.

 

Perhaps we should dial down the panic in the first week in January over an interview with a guy who has proven to be a pretty decent coach.   

I would question that as well...The ultimate authority for who plays and how the scheme works is up to the HC

 

I saw something I think from Fowler who said something like the players were told to NOT jump routes and only to do their assigned task on each play, so in essence if Folwer's assignment was to set the edge to stop the run and the offense ran a passing play, he was not supposed to pull up and pick up the receiver running into the flats to try and make a play or jump the route if they threw a short 3 yard pass to the sideline...

 

In other words Gus's scheme was not a read and react defense it was designed as a dedicated spot and assignment for each position. and the assistant coaches had no control over that

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