TED Cottrell was among the A-list of potential NFL head coaches last winter when the then Bills defensive coordinator was interviewed for openings with the Jets and the Bills before eventually joining Herman Edwards’ staff.
But being on the A-list one season doesn’t guarantee you’ll be on the A-list the next. It’s particularly shaky when, like Cottrell, you’ve joined a new staff and are teaching a group of players a new defensive system.
Clearly, the Jets experienced some growing pains going from Al Groh to Edwards and from a 4-3 defense to Cottrell’s 3-4. But they enter the bye week with a glossy 7-3 record and clearly in the hunt for a post-season berth.
Not only does this bode well for Edwards, a rookie head coach in an impatient town, but it also improves Cottrell’s credentials for some day leading his own team.
Clearly, Cottrell’s chances of ever becoming a head coach in the NFL could hinge on how well the Jets defense performs under his leadership whether it be this year, next year or the year after that. So far the results have been impressive.
The bye was made enjoyable by a 24-0 shutout over the Dolphins last Sunday. Not only did the Jets defense shut out the Dolphins, but it also scored 14 points on interception returns for touchdowns by defensive backs Aaron Glenn and Victor Green. It was an 180-degree turn from four weeks ago when the Jets defense was ravaged by the Rams for 448 yards in a 34-14 defeat at the Meadowlands.
The turnaround offers evidence that Cottrell, 54, is the kind of defensive coordinator who can make players play better, an important prerequisite for being a head coach. Certainly, it hasn’t been as easy at it might seem.
Professional athletes who are comfortable with one system are sometimes reluctant to accept another, especially from a new coach, who used to work for a division rival. Early on, it was clear the Jets were still struggling to, as Mo Lewis put it, “believe in the plays that are called.”
After giving up 36 points in a 42-36 win over a bad Bills teams last month, Cottrell was staying positive amid a rash of missed tackles and missed assignments. “There’s a lot of things we can build on,” he said at the time. “We have to still stay aggressive. We’ve got to execute better. Guys have to do what we ask them to do. We’ve got to keep working, keep working and keep reminding them about it.”
Apparently, it starting to sink in. In their last four games, the Jets have allowed 28 points – with eight coming against the offense on a fumble return and a safety. No one would have thought they were capable of that a month ago.
“The communication level improved,” Cottrell said. “As you work more with the [players], they have a better idea of what you’re doing. We can make our adjustments a lot easier on the sideline. That’s the big thing.”
Cottrell’s 10 years during two different stints in Buffalo were good enough to make him a serious candidate when the Bills, Browns, Lions and Jets had vacancies last year. But he was a longshot to get a job in a profession where there are no guarantees. Marvin Lewis, the Ravens defensive coordinator, seemed to be a lock to go to the Lions or Browns following Baltimore’s Super Bowl win. Now his stock is falling along with the invincibility of the Ravens defense.
Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton was deemed head-coaching material after his team played in the Super Bowl last season. But judging from this year, Payton will do well to keep his job with the Giants.
Fickle business? No question.
The way things are going now, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Dallas, and Minnesota could be looking for new head coaches. Those teams might be interested in Cottrell if he can continue to turn the Jets defense into one of the league’s best.
With Edwards’ getting the job with the Jets, Lewis coming close in Cleveland and Detroit and Cottrell getting a look in Buffalo, African-American coaches are getting the kind of head-coaching consideration they’ve longed for in the NFL. Cottrell’s stock will keep improving as long as the Jets’ defense does.
