Perry Fewell: My Thoughts

by ChicagoGiantsFan on Mar 12, 2010 11:35 AM EST

I think the Giants made a good decision by hiring Perry Fewell to be their next defensive coordinator. I’ve always felt that players react more positively to coaches that express enthusiasm on the sidelines and in the locker room. I never was a big fan of the Bill Sheridan hiring because in my mind he was more a cerebral coach who liked to work quietly behind the scenes and not on the sidelines. Obviously, that experiment didn’t work and now the Giants and fans alike anticipate big things from Fewell.

Fewell has a coaching pedigree that spans back into the mid 80’s when he held his first coaching gig with the North Carolina Tar Heels. He seems to specialize in dealing with defensive backs and also has held coordinator and head coaching roles.

I had a chance to watch Fewell a couple of times in 2009 and I appreciated his style of coaching. I’m not real familiar with the Tampa 2 scheme but I think it’s time to try something different.

I think Fewell did a good job in Buffalo considering the fact that he was in “Buffalo”. He was thrown into an impossible situation when Dick Jauron was fired and handing it as well as anyone could have finishing 3-4.

As a defensive coordinator with the Bills, Fewell had his most successful season in 2008 when the Bills held opponents in check in several different statistical categories.

I don’t really know if I have anything negative to say about Fewell. I think he will face several challenges during his first year. Those challenges will be:

- Changing the Giants defensive scheme from a blitz heavy to a Tampa 2

- Getting production from Osi Umenyiora and the rest of the defensive line

- Integrating drafted rookies and second year players into the defensive scheme

- Improving Safety and Cornerback Play

- Improving Red Zone Defense

- Improving 3rd Down Defense

I hope he is an improvement over Sheridan and can help mold the Giants into being a Top 10 defense again.

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Comments

I think anything at this point would be an improvement over Sheridan

defensively it was our 2nd worse performance ever….

so rest assured I can almost say w/ 100% certainty it will not be as bad as last year….I hope….lol

"If you don't know what you're doing... just rush the quarterback" - LT

by andiamo708 on Mar 12, 2010 12:04 PM EST reply actions

I certainly hope so.

Hopefully we can stay healthy this year. We have had more than our fair share of injuries. If Fewell is as good of a teacher as his reputation leads you to believe our DB’s should be fine. Except CC Brown, there is no helping that bum.

I am nervous the C-Web really seemed to struggle when asked to play a zone scheme. I guess we will see.

by Giants56 on Mar 12, 2010 12:20 PM EST reply actions

i think we will grow to appreciate

cc brown for what he’s worth this year.. a sure tackling special teamer.. at best maybe even a goalline d blitzer

by semsemma on Mar 12, 2010 3:30 PM EST up reply actions

Brown is an in the box safety

He was never supposed to be in the spots he was in, but injuries forced the coaches hands. He is a thumper in the box.

by bigblue777 on Mar 12, 2010 3:40 PM EST up reply actions

Can Someone Explain to Me

The primary difference between the Spags defense and the Tampa 2?

by ChicagoGiantsFan on Mar 12, 2010 12:24 PM EST reply actions

We were primarily a man to man team. Tampa 2 is mostly zone

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Mar 12, 2010 12:32 PM EST up reply actions

Spags defense

was pressure defense w/alot of blitz packages. Tampa 2 or Cover 2 is a zone scheme.

by Giants56 on Mar 12, 2010 1:39 PM EST up reply actions

ya, opponents turned are red zone into there green zone

by Troy O on Mar 12, 2010 1:30 PM EST reply actions

hope its a blend defence.would like 2 see the kitchen sink thrown at teams

by Troy O on Mar 12, 2010 1:37 PM EST reply actions

Do you guys think...

That last year was a byproduct of Sheridan not knowing how to run Spags defense or was it a personnel thing?

by ChicagoGiantsFan on Mar 12, 2010 1:44 PM EST reply actions

Both, sort of

Sheridan tried to copy Spags…but Spags was a better playcaller, to say the least. It was the same defense as before too.

Also…the personnel thing….everyone was hurt.

Master of the squeegee

by FreeBradshaw on Mar 12, 2010 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

Sheridan dropped our DE's into coverage too often

Further impeding Sintim’s progress as he’ll have to learn another new system at a new(?) position.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Mar 12, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

That was soooooo frustrating to watch!

by bigblue777 on Mar 12, 2010 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

And they were releasing after the safeties had already checked off. Instant big play.

Horrible communication and mediochre play calling.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Mar 12, 2010 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

I'm so glad Sheridan is gone

Yes, we were hit by injuries, but a good coach gets the most out of the players he has. Sheridan was constantly calling the wrong play at the wrong time and had the players ill prepared. Like you are saying some of those stupid zone drop play calls might as well have been just sit on your arse play calls. It would be about equally as effective.

by bigblue777 on Mar 12, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

+1 Freebradshaw

GO NY GIANTS!!

by RobDomaine on Mar 17, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

We had some key guys out and other key players playing through injury. But Sheridan is not on Spags level in terms of playcalling. Spags had a feel for when to bring pressure and where. He was very good at knowing how to attack blocking schemes (like his mentor Jim Johnson RIP). Sheridan did not (see last drive San Diego game).

by Giants56 on Mar 12, 2010 1:55 PM EST reply actions

Playcalling

I actually felt that about Sheridan. He never really seemed to be in-sync with the players and the flow of the game.

by ChicagoGiantsFan on Mar 12, 2010 2:09 PM EST reply actions

It was his job to capitalize on the player's individual strengths

Suffice it to say he didn’t. He also eliminated half of our blitz package.

Bleeding Blue since 1962

by sunlion333 on Mar 12, 2010 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

sheridan

was just in over his head.. maybe if he came into a young team with no leaders he’d man up and implement his own defense. instead of trying to re-produce spags d with bits n pieces of his.

just wasnt a good fit at all.

by semsemma on Mar 12, 2010 3:34 PM EST up reply actions

Giant defense is fairly young and Sheridan had been with the team already

So you’d assume he had a rapport with most if not all of the players. I just don’t believe Sheridan is coordinator material. He’s a great numbers coach who sifts through film like a maniac who enhances the gameplan not creates the gameplan.

by Major on Mar 12, 2010 4:51 PM EST up reply actions

True in a way

Anyone is an improvement over Bill Sheridan, but Perry Fewell is the perfect replacement over the guy. Perry Fewell is a guy who can motivate his players, just like Spags did, and get the best out them, something Sheridan couldn’t.

When Fewell became the interm H.A of the Bills, he immediately sparked that team as a whole. If you noticed, Terrell Owens was catching TD bombs left and right, and that Buffalo team had great energy once Fewell became the head coach. We’ll never see our players quit on Fewell.

Let’s be fair on Sheridan though. He sucked with in-game adjustments and his play-calling always seemed random, but he was a rookie. Spags was not a rookie coordinator, he had a lot of success in NFL Europe as a D.C there which is probably why he was instantly successful as a D.C here.

If Coughlin wants to hire a D.C next time, he should get someone young and experienced. With Fewell, we get both!

by Nfpdawg on Mar 12, 2010 3:53 PM EST reply actions

Fewell

played T2 because of dick jauron and the talent, why would you change to a T2 scheme when you have a team full of talented blitzers. Fewell is not a T2 scheme coach he is an all around DC, i think he could run a 34 if he had the talent………he will play a scheme that fits the personnel IMO and that would be heavy blitz.

Sidenote: Bill sheridan was a good coach, he didnt connect with the players as well as you would like but they were all injured…. everybody blames him for dropping lineman but that lets me know that they are just finger pointers because spags dropped linemen even more just look at the 07 playoff run and the superbowl it self osi dropped alot. Sheridan just was a guy that had alot f things go against him unfairly but this buisness doesnt take prisoners.

But dont tell em i told you that !!!!!

by Blue Gates on Mar 17, 2010 11:48 AM EDT reply actions