The Super Bowl is the culmination of the NFL season, and this year’s event featured what some experts were calling the best starting quarterback battle in the game’s history. However, what looks one way “on paper” can turn out quite different once the teams take the field (which is reflected in my pick for the game, as well as those of other writers at Inside the Hashes).
Although Super Bowl LV was the biggest happening of the week, it was not the only item in terms of NFL news. Several teams announced coaching moves and the league announced its annual award winners and Hall of Fame class at the NFL Honors event the night before the Chiefs and Buccaneers played. Without further ado, here is the final installment of The List for the 2020 season.
THE GAME
Buccaneers’ defense dominates Mahomes on Super Bowl Sunday
Although Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes, it was the Buccaneers defense that was the catalyst for the 31-9 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on Sunday. Tampa Bay held Patrick Mahomes in check throughout the first half and chased the 2018 NFL MVP all around the field in the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers won three playoff games on the road and were the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium.
The pregame festivities were stellar, with H.E.R. giving a guitar solo during America The Beautiful, Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan combining for a country/R&B rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, and three honorary captains who went from being on the front lines of the pandemic to participating in the coin toss after being introduced by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.
Both teams started out slowly, but the Chiefs got the better of the early field position battle and scored first on Harrison Butker’s 49-year field goal with 5:10 left in the first quarter. Brady responded by leading the Buccaneers on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that included a 16-yard pass to Antonio Brown, a 15-yarder to tight end Cameron Brate, and an 11-yard run by Leonard Fournette. The possession culminated with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Brady to his favorite target, Rob Gronkowski. Surprisingly, the score was the first thrown by the future Hall of Famer in the first quarter during any of his 10 Super Bowl appearances.
Byron Pringle gave Kansas City great field position with a 41-yard kickoff return, but the offense stalled and punted the ball back to Tampa early in the second. The Buccaneers went on another long drive, with the Chiefs giving up a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty and Brady finding Mike Evans with a 31-yard pass. However, the Kansas City defense stopped Ronald Jones inside the one-yard line on fourth down to keep the score at 7-3. The Chiefs could not generate much offense, and a poor punt by Tommy Townsend gave the Buccaneers the ball back again with nine minutes left in the first half.
Tampa Bay’s drive was helped immensely by two Kansas City penalties. First, a Tyrann Mathieu interception was negated by a holding call. Then, after a third-down stop, former Chief Ryan Succop kicked a field goal, which was taken off the board when Mecole Hardman was flagged for offsides, giving the Buccaneers a first down. Brady took advantage, finding Gronkowski with a 17-yard scoring pass on the next play.
Kansas City cut into the lead with a second Butker field goal on the next possession, but 1:01 was too much time for arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Two-pass interference penalties, including a 34-yard foul on Bashaud Breeland, plus a 15-yard pass to Fournette, set up Brady’s one-yard pass to Brown, giving Tampa Bay a 21-6 lead at the break
In the first half, Brady completed 16 of 20 passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to Gronkowski. The Buccaneers held Mahomes to 67 yards on 9 of 19 passing, and Tampa Bay held a 200-124 edge in total yards.
Following a Halftime Show performance by The Weeknd that was full of movement and dizzying at times, the Chiefs started with possession in the third quarter. Runs of 26 and 10 yards by rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire moved the ball into Buccaneers territory, but the drive stalled once again and Kansas City had to settle for a third Butker field goal, this one from 52 yards out. Brady responded on his next drive, with a 12-yard pass to Fournette and a 25-yarder to Gronkowski setting up Fournette’s 27-yard run to put Tampa Bay ahead, 28-9.
Mahomes and Tyreek Hill tortured the Buccaneers during their 27-24 victory in Week 12, with Mahomes throwing for 462 yards and Hill catching 13 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. However, Tampa Bay went 8-0 since that loss and kept Hill in check for most of the game to this point. Mahomes tried to force a pass to his top wide receiver, which was tipped and intercepted by Antoine Winfield Jr. near midfield. Succop added a 52-yard field goal on the next possession to finish the scoring.
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter, with Tampa Bay playing conservative on offense and ratcheting up the defensive pressure. Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquil Barrett, and Ndamukong Suh came at Mahomes from all angles, and the young quarterback was forced to backtrack and heave up errant passes on multiple occasions throughout the second half. His final pass was intercepted by Devin White in the end zone.
Brady earned his record fifth Super Bowl MVP award after throwing for 201 yards and three touchdown passes. He also extended his own records with seven victories, 277 completions, 421 attempts, 3,039 yards, and 21 touchdowns. Not bad for someone who also became the oldest player to appear in a Super Bowl at 43 years, 188 days. His coach, Bruce Arians joined him at the adult table, becoming the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl at 68 years, 325 days.
Fournette totaled 135 yards (89 rushing, 46 receiving) and Gronkowski led the Buccaneers with six catches for 67 yards. The five-time Pro Bowler and four-time champion also set a record for tight ends with 29 total Super Bowl receptions, and his five touchdown connections with Brady are the most among any quarterback-receiver tandem in the game’s history (as is their 13 scores overall in the playoffs).
Mahomes finished with 270 yards and two interceptions. Edwards-Helaire had 64 yards rushing, tight end Travis Kelce led all players with 10 catches for 133 yards and Hill rebounded from his slow start to produce seven receptions for 73 yards. However, the Buccaneers took advantage of Chiefs mistakes and set a record with six first downs by penalty, all in the first half.
Odds and ends
The pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium, which normally fires off cannons after every Buccaneers touchdown, was silent during the game, but saw plenty of action after Tampa Bay won its second championship.
The attendance was just 24,835 actual fans, but there were also 30,000 fan cutouts in the stands.
Thankfully, no players were hurt during the game, but there was some pre-game injury news. Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore played after being on the reserve/COVID-19 list for most of the week. Both received haircuts from a barber who later tested positive for the coronavirus. Also, Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead decided to play in the game despite being diagnosed with a torn labrum.
Commercials
The new commercials aired during Super Bowl LV were long on celebrity appearances, with Matthew McConaughey getting stuck in a vending machine (Doritos), Will Ferrell going to Norway (GM), Jason Alexander getting upset about his face on a hoodie (Tide), Travis Kelce flattening Anthony Anderson during a family football game (T-Mobile), Shaggy reviving his 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” in a commercial also featuring Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (Doritos), Daveed Diggs rapping with the Sesame Street gang (Doordash) and Patrick Stewart dancing to SpongeBob Square Pants (Paramount+).
NFL HONORS
The Super Bowl is the crown jewel of the NFL season, but the night before the league’s biggest game features the best players and moments from the regular season as well as some of the best players of all-time. This year was no exception, with the 10th Annual NFL Honors awards ceremony taking place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, more than 2,500 miles away from the Super Bowl site in Tampa.
Comedian, actor, and game show host Steve Harvey was the master of ceremonies for the evening, with his nearly 10-minute opening monologue roasting both the name change of the Washington franchise and the fact that Tom Brady is in the Super Bowl and the Patriots are not.
The event featured the presentation of some prestigious awards, as well as some that did not have the same history attached to them. In addition, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 2021 class, which will be enshrined in August. First to be handed out were the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards, with actress Rebel Wilson announcing Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on the offensive side and Suzie Dorner, the Tampa COVID-19 ICU nurse who is participating in the Super Bowl coin toss, naming Washington defensive end Chase Young on defense. Herbert threw for 4,336 yards and 31 interceptions after taking over for Tyrod Taylor, who suffered a punctured lung during a painkiller shot mishap. Young was elected to the Pro Bowl after posting 7½ sacks, 44 tackles, and three fumble recoveries this season.
Next came the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, with former Giants quarterback Eli Manning announcing Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald on the defensive side and actor Adam DeVine naming Titans running back Derrick Henry the best on offense. Donald won the award for the third time after amassing 13 ½ sacks, 45 tackles, and four forced fumbles in 2020. Henry became just the eight-player to run for 2,000 yards in a season, and he led the NFL in carries (378), yards (2,027), and touchdowns (17), becoming the first player in 50 years to top the league in all three categories in back-to-back years.
Although he went just 4-11 with his new team, Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the player who “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.” Bridgewater threw for 3,733 yards and 15 touchdowns with Carolina this season. In addition to his hosting duties, Harvey, who spent much of his childhood living in Cleveland, got to announce Kevin Stefanski as Coach of the Year. Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-5 mark and their first playoff appearance in 19 years. Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was named the league’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Buffalo’s offense ranked second in the NFL, both in scoring and yards, this season.
There was only one possible choice for Comeback Player of the Year. Washington quarterback Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury during the 2018 season. The compound fracture of the tibia and fibula required 17 surgeries and nearly resulted in the loss of both his leg and his life. After 728 days, Smith returned to the field in Week 5, and he led Washington to a 5-1 record and an NFC East title.
The two biggest awards were saved for last, with comedian Kevin Hart announcing that Aaron Rodgers beat out Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen to win his third NFL MVP Award. Rodgers was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro, he led the league with 48 touchdowns to just five interceptions, he threw for 4,299 yards and led the Packers to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. The other top honor was the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which was won by Russell Wilson, with the announcement made by last year’s winner, Calais Campbell. Wilson is a two-time Super Bowl participant and the leader of the Seahawks on the field, but he and his wife, R&B singer Ciara, are busy off the field as well. Wilson has visited the Seattle Children’s Hospital cancer center every Tuesday since he was drafted in 2012. In addition, he started a foundation called “Why Not You” to help turn children into future leaders. Wilson and Ciara also spoke out against racial injustice in 2020, and the pair worked with Food Lifeline to deliver meals to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
While NFL Honors picked out the best players of the 2020 season, the event also honored those who had stellar careers. Throughout the night, members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 were announced, with a brief introduction given on the awards show by someone meaningful in that person’s life. There was also video footage of Pro Football Hall of Fame president C. David Baker giving each honoree the good news at their homes.
This year’s class includes former Packers and Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson (announced by Brett Favre), former Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (named by Lions great Barry Sanders), ex-Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson (announced by another Cowboys legend who also wore number 88, Michael Irvin), former Steelers, Jets and Cardinals guard Alan Faneca (honored by Steelers teammate Jerome Bettis), ex-Buccaneers and Broncos player and current 49ers general manager John Lynch (announced by Tampa Bay teammate Derrick Brooks) and former Raiders quarterback and head coach Tom Flores (named by his star player, Howie Long).
The show ended with the announcement of ex-Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who was joined by all his former coaches (David Cutcliffe, the University of Tennessee quarterbacks coach from 1982-98, Phil Fulmer, who was the Volunteers’ head coach from 1992-2008, Jim Caldwell, who was the quarterbacks coach and later head coach with the Colts, Gary Kubiak, who was the Broncos’ head coach when they won in Super Bowl 50 and Tony Dungy, who was the Colts’ head coach for seven seasons, including 2006 when Indianapolis won Super Bowl XLI). In addition, Bill Nunn, who was a scout and personnel director with the Steelers, was honored by Michael Strahan. Nunn, who passed away in 2014, was a part of six championship teams with Pittsburgh.
In addition to the major awards, there were several other honors given out on Saturday. Falcons chief executive officer Steve Cannon won the Salute to Service Award and Steelers linebacker T. J. Watt took home the Deacon Jones Award as the NFL’s sack leader. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray won two awards, for Snickers Hungriest Player of the Year and Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play of the Year for his “Hail Murray” pass to DeAndre Hopkins that beat the Bills in Week 10. Aaron Rodgers and Derrick Henry were the FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year, and Henry also announced the Fan of the Year Award, which was given out to Titans fan Brandon Galloway. Buffalo’s Josh Allen was named Draftkings Daily Fantasy Player of the Year and the Steelers won the Bud Light Celly of the Year for Chase Claypool’s touchdown celebration in which he let birthday boy JuJu Smith-Schuster blow out the candles.
There were also several touching moments during the show, with the best reaction going to Charles Woodson, who was filming a commercial but let his emotions show when he got his Hall of Fame announcement. Also, the NFL honored people they had lost in 2020 with singer Leslie Odom Jr. performing “You’ve Got A Friend” while images were shown on the roof of SoFi Stadium.
OTHER NEWS
Super Bowl Participant Evans Passed Away
Josh Evans, a starting defensive tackle for the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV died from kidney cancer on Thursday night at age 48. Evans was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oilers in 1995 and moved with the teams to Tennessee two years later. He had 3½ sacks in 11 games with the Titans in the 1999 season and made five tackles in the Super Bowl loss to the Rams. He missed the following year due to a substance abuse policy violation, but he returned to play one more year with the Titans and three with the Jets before retiring in 2005. Evans played 94 games and made 21½ sacks in his nine-year career.
Chiefs Coach Involved in a Car Accident
As if the pressure of preparing for a Super Bowl wasn’t enough, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had to contend with an off-the-field incident as well. His son, Britt, who has been on Kansas City’s coaching staff since 2013 and is now the team’s linebackers coach, was involved in a multiple-vehicle crash on Thursday night that police say resulted in a child suffering life-threatening injuries.
Britt Reid was driving a Ram pickup truck southbound near Arrowhead Stadium, and as he took the I-435 entrance ramp, he struck two vehicles, a Chevy Impala, which had run out of gas on the shoulder, and a Chevy Traverse, which was parked behind the Impala with its lights on to try and help. Reid hit the left front end of the Impala, resulting in a five-year-old girl in the back seat being taken to a local hospital for life-threatening injuries. A four-year-old also in the back seat of the Impala suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The drivers of the Impala and Traverse, as well as an adult passenger in the front seat of the Impala, were not injured. Reid was taken to a local medical facility after complaining of chest pain.
Reports later surfaced that detailed Reid’s interactions with police, including a search warrant that said an officer could smell “a moderate odor of alcoholic beverages” on Reid at the scene and the coach telling officers that he had “two or three drinks” before driving that night. This action is completely irresponsible, and it will be a travesty if Reid is not arrested for his part in this situation. Also “thoughts and prayers” from the Chiefs for the child is certainly not enough. Andy Reid and the organization should be paying this family’s medical expenses for Britt Reid’s poor decision.
Marty Schottenheimer in Hospice Care
Marty Schottenheimer, who was a coach in the NFL for more than 30 years, has been placed in hospice care in Charlotte, according to a statement released by his family late last week. The 77-year-old has been battling Alzheimer’s disease since 2014.
Schottenheimer played six seasons with the Bills and Patriots, with all but one of those campaigns coming when the teams were a part of the American Football League (he was an AFL All-Star and a champion with the Bills in 1965). He started his NFL coaching career as linebackers coach with the Giants in 1975 and became New York’s defensive coordinator two years later. After a stint as linebackers coach with the Lions, Schottenheimer became defensive coordinator of the Browns in 1980 and earned his first head coaching job with Cleveland in 1984.
After two trips to the AFC Championship Game in four full seasons, Schottenheimer spent 10 seasons as head coach of the Chiefs, leading Kansas City to the AFC title game in 1993 (with Buffalo clinching its fourth straight Super Bowl trip with a victory). He spent two years as an analyst and led the Redskins for one season before he was hired by the Chargers in 2002. Schottenheimer was on the sidelines in San Diego for five seasons, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2004. Despite leading the Chargers to a franchise-best 14-2 record in 2006, he was abruptly fired after the season and focused on working as an NFL Insider. Schottenheimer has a 200-126-1 record in 21 seasons as an NFL coach, including a 101-58-1 mark in Kansas City, which led to him being named to the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2010.
Brees and Saints Renegotiate Contract
Quarterback movement seems to be the talk of the offseason. What teams will take a passer high in the 2021 NFL Draft? Will Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz, Derek Carr, and Sam Darnold get traded? One team asking a totally different question is the Saints, who are wondering about the status of their superstar, Drew Brees.
Although the 41-year-old has not yet made his intentions about the 2021 season be known, the quarterback and the team have renegotiated his contract, making it more cap-friendly for the upcoming campaign. Instead of a $36 million cap hit, Brees will now cost New Orleans just $12 million this season, with an additional $11.5 million going on the books for 2022. In all, the Saints will have $24 million to work with this offseason at a time when many teams will be tightening their budgets due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Winners Named in Safety Advancement Competition
The NFL has made player safety one of its primary focuses in recent years, and the league has a competition to encourage advancements in that field called “1st and Future.” The $50,000 award was given to Organic Robotics Corporation (ORC), an Ithaca, New York-based company for its Light Lace sensor. The stretchable sensor can be put into jerseys or helmets and uses light to measure fatigue and respiration.
The $25,000 runner-up was Genesis Helmets, Inc., a company based in Keystone Heights, Florida, that is using patented technology to create better-performing helmets. The other finalists were Nix, Inc., a Boston-based company that developed a biosensor that monitors sweat rate and electrolyte losses to help athletes maintain proper hydration, and GO2 Devices and PEEP Performance, LLC, a Houston-based company that developed a breathing device that increases a user’s blood oxygen level while also functioning as a mouthguard.
Falcons Owner Donates to Civil Rights Museum
Arthur Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons announced on Thursday that he will donate $17 million to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The gift, which will come from the Home Dept co-founder’s foundation, will fund a wing devoted to racial injustice. Around $2 million of the donation will be used to fund storytelling and other projects that connect the history of racial issues to contemporary challenges.
49ers give Pepper a two-year Extension and Sign Rosen
The 49ers are taking care of one of the most unsung positions on the football field. San Francisco signed long snapper Taybor Pepper to a two-year extension through the 2022 season. Pepper was an undrafted free agent out of Michigan who played four games with the Packers in 2017. After missing the following season with a broken foot, he played all 16 games with the Dolphins in 2019 and appeared in 12 contests, and made two tackles with the 49ers this year.
On Monday, San Francisco signed quarterback Josh Rosen to a one-year deal. He was signed off the Buccaneers’ practice squad in late December, and he was active for the 49ers’ final two games but did not see any action. The former high school All-American and 2015 Freshman All-American at UCLA has played just 20 games in three seasons after being drafted 10th overall by the Cardinals in 2018. He was traded to Miami when Arizona selected Kyler Murray with the top pick in 2019, and he was released after posting an 0-3 record with the Dolphins. Rosen will battle for the backup spot behind Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021.
Goodell offers NFL Stadiums as Vaccine Sites
New president Joe Biden said he wanted to vaccinate 100 million people against the coronavirus in his first 100 days in office, and the NFL may play a key role in helping that goal get met. Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to the president on Friday stating that, since many NFL stadiums were previously used as COVID-19 testing centers, they could be quickly converted to help as vaccination sites. Already, seven teams (the Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, Panthers, Texans, Dolphins, and Patriots) are using their stadiums to help with vaccinations.
COACHING AND FRONT OFFICE MOVES
Son Replaces Father as Vikings Offensive Coordinator
Longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak retired after a nearly 30-year career less than three weeks ago. On Monday, the Vikings filled his offensive coordinator role with his son, Klint, who spent the past two seasons as Minnesota’s quarterbacks coach. Head coach Mike Zimmer said he wanted to keep the same system in place that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards and 11th in scoring.
Klint Kubiak began his NFL coaching career as assistant wide receivers coach and offensive quality control coach with the Vikings in 2013-14. He joined the Broncos in 2016 while his father was still the head coach and spent two more years as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach even after his father retired. Klint Kubiak drew praises from several players on the Vikings’ offense, including Justin Jefferson, who set rookie receiving records this season. Minnesota is expected to fill Kubiak’s former spot as quarterbacks coach with wide receivers coach Andrew Janocko in 2021.
Packers hire Barry as defensive coordinator
The Packers hope that hiring a coach from the NFL’s best defense will help them improve a unit that ranked 13th in points allowed in 2020. Joe Barry, who was an assistant head coach in charge of linebackers the past four years with Los Angeles, was named Green Bay’s defensive coordinator on Saturday.
Barry was a USC graduate who came to the NFL as quality control coach with the 49ers after five years in the college ranks. He spent two stints as linebackers coach with the Buccaneers (2001-06 and 2009), and he also was the Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2007-08. After returning to his alma mater for one season, Barry spent four years as linebackers coach with the Chargers (2011-14) and two as defensive coordinator with the Redskins (2015-16) before joining the Rams. He won a championship with Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Dolphins name Co-coordinators on Offense
The Dolphins are trying a new strategy to try and improve their offense. On Tuesday, Miami named Eric Studesville and George Godsey as co-coordinators in the hope that they can help energize an offense that ranked 22nd in total yards this season. Studesville has served as the Dolphins’ running backs coach and run game coordinator for the past three years. Before that, he was the running backs coach for the Bears (1997-2000), Giants (2001-03), Bills (2004-09), and Broncos (2010-17). Studesville also filled in as interim head coach after Denver fired Josh McDaniels late in the 2010 season.
Godsey was Miami’s tight ends coach the past two seasons, and he is continuing in that role while adding on the co-coordinator position. He was also an offensive assistant and tight ends coach with the Patriots (2011-13), quarterbacks coach (2014) and offensive coordinator (2015-16) with the Texans, and defensive assistant and quarterbacks coach with the Lions (2017-18). The Dolphins also named Charlie Frye as quarterbacks coach. Frye played with the Browns, Seahawks, and Raiders over a five-year NFL career, and he spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Central Michigan.
Jaguars hire Zach Orr as Linebackers Coach
Zach Orr’s promising career was cut short, but now he gets to impart his wisdom on today’s players. On Wednesday, Orr was hired to be the linebackers coach of the Jaguars after spending the past four years as a defensive analyst with the Ravens. The North Texas product signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He totaled 163 sacks, three interceptions and a sack in three seasons before a congenital condition in his neck and spine forced him to retire after a 2016 campaign in which he earned second-team All-Pro honors. Orr tried to come back the following year, but his condition, along with a herniated disc, forced him to retire for good.
Saints Hire Richard as Secondary Coach
While the Saints eagerly await Drew Brees’ career decision, they made a decision of their own, bringing in former Seahawks player and coach Kris Richard as a secondary coach on Feb. 2. After spending two seasons as a graduate assistant with his alma mater USC, Richard spent eight years on the Seahawks’ sidelines (2010-17), where he rose from assistant defensive backs coach all the way up to defensive coordinator in 2015. He spent two seasons as defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the Cowboys, but he was not retained after Jason Garrett left the team. Richard won a championship ring with the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Seattle selected Richard in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft and he made 54 tackles in 38 games over three seasons. Richard was traded to the Dolphins in 2005 but was released without playing for Miami. He played one game with the 49ers that year and also spent time on the Raiders’ practice squad before retiring after the 2007 season.
Texans add Linebackers and Special Teams Coaches
The Texans added another piece to new head coach David Culley’s staff on Wednesday, hiring former Colts assistant special teams coach Frank Ross as special teams coordinator. Ross also has several ties to new Houston general manager Nick Caserio. Both were graduates of John Carroll University in Ohio and Ross was a scout for the Patriots, a department that Caserio led for most of his 20 years in New England.
In addition, Houston added Miles Smith as linebackers coach, moved Bobby King to defensive line coach and retained running backs coach Danny Barrett. Smith began coaching cornerbacks at Illinois under his father, Lovie, in 2018 before spending the past two seasons as linebackers coach with the Illini. Lovie Smith was named Texans defensive coordinator in late January. Barrett returns for his fourth season as running backs coach.
Jets Hire three New Defensive Coaches
Robert Saleh continues to fill out his new coaching staff with the Jets, hiring three more coaches this week. New York brought in Marquand Manuel as safeties coach, Tony Oden as senior assistant as the cornerbacks coach, and Mike Rutenberg as linebackers coach.
Manuel played for six teams in an eight-year playing career that included a trip with the Seahawks to Super Bowl XL (a loss to the Steelers). He won a ring with Seattle as a defensive assistant for Super Bowl XLVIII. Manuel was defensive coordinator for the Falcons and spent last season as defensive backs coach with the Eagles. Oden has been a coach in college and the professional ranks for 25 years. He was on the sidelines for seven NFL teams, starting in 2004. Oden won a championship as assistant secondary coach with the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, and he was a secondary coach with the 49ers last season. Rutenberg was also with Saleh as a passing game specialist for San Francisco in 2020.
Bears Hire Former Pro Bowler Adams, Promote DeFilippo
The Bears added two-time Pro Bowl safety Mike Adams as an assistant defensive backs coach on Feb. 2. Adams was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware in 2004. He spent 16 seasons with six NFL teams, making the Pro Bowl with the Colts in 2014 and ’15. After 228 games, 935 tackles, and 30 interceptions, he retired in early 2020, and the job with the Bears will be his first coaching position.
In addition, Chicago gave John DeFilippo an additional role in the offense. DeFilippo will replace Dave Ragone, who was hired as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. The Bears are the eighth NFL franchise DeFilippo has coached, and he just finished his first season as the team’s quarterbacks coach.
Washington Promotes Two in the Front Office
Washington moved some personnel this week, promoting director of pro scouting Eric Stokes to senior director of player personnel, and moving former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams from senior vice president of player development to senior advisor to team president Jason Wright.
Stokes played two seasons with the Seahawks in the late 1990s, then spent the next 12 years in Seattle’s scouting department. He also worked with Tampa Bay, Miami, and Carolina, serving as the assistant general manager of the Dolphins in 2014-15. Williams played 12 seasons in the NFL and USFL, and he became the first African-American quarterback to lead his team to a championship victory, winning the MVP award in Super Bowl XXII. He succeeded the legendary Eddie Robinson as head coach at Grambling State in 1998 and has spent the past seven seasons in Washington’s front office.
Lions Hire Four New Coaches
On Wednesday, the Lions brought in four new coaches, led by Todd Wash as defensive line coach. Wash began his coaching career as head coach of Division II Fort Lewis in 1996. He has been on NFL sidelines since 2007 and has spent the past five seasons as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator.
Detroit also added Seth Ryan as assistant wide receivers coach, along with Kelvin Sheppard and Brian Duker as defensive assistants. Ryan, the son of former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan, was a member of Clemson’s National Championship team for the 2016 season. He served as offensive quality control coach of the Chargers the past two seasons. Sheppard was a member of LSU’s National Championship team in 2007, and the linebacker played for six teams during an eight-year NFL career before retiring in 2018. Duker was a defensive intern with the Browns (2015-16) and a defensive analyst with the 49ers (2016-17) before spending the past three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Ravens.
Giants Hire Offensive Line Coach
The Giants will be using their third offensive line coach in the past year after the team hired former Louisiana-Lafayette offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Rob Sale on Monday. Since Joe Judge took over as head coach last January, New York brought in Marc Colombo from the Cowboys and turned to Dave DeGuglielmo after Judge fired Colombo in November. This will be Sale’s first NFL experience after spending the past 14 seasons as a college coach.
Upcoming schedule: Although the Super Bowl is the final event on the 2020 schedule, the NFL’s new league year does not begin until March 17 at 4 p.m. Before that, teams can designate a franchise or transition player from February 23 to March 9 and negotiate with agents of potential unrestricted free agents from March 15-17. Inside the Hashes will also be very busy preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 29 to May 1 in Cleveland.
