Behind Every Franchise Quarterback Is a Franchise Head Coach

There has been a lot of discussion regarding what the Lions should do with the number one pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. 

One is taking a quarterback, most notably Matthew Stafford as many feel that he will be the savior to lead the Lions to the Promised Land.

One thing that concerns me is by taking Stafford, the Harrington mistake might happen again. Joey Harrington was drafted in the first round in 2002.  

In his rookie season, he was inserted as the starting QB by Marty Mornhinweg and promptly posted some of the worst yards per attempt seasons by a starting quarterback in the history of the NFL.

Knowing the history the Lions have with quarterbacks, Harrington’s failures were destined to occur. I’m sure there are many of us that can name several former Lion quarterbacks that were highly touted but flamed out much like Harrington did. 

For instance:

Chuck Long – 12th pick in 1986, Long had an impressive collegiate career.  His professional career didn’t fare as well though much of it had to do with a porous offensive line, a common theme in Lion recent history.  His best season was 1987 where he threw for 2,598 yards, 11 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. 

Andre Ware – Picked seventh in the 1990 draft, Ware came to the Lions with very high expectations.  His junior year at Houston, he threw for 4,699 yards and 44 touchdowns and became the first black quarterback to win the Heisman trophy. 

Much of his collegiate success was due to the Run & Shoot offense but still, the eye-popping statistics he had in college, many Lions fans felt Ware was finally “the guy” the Lions had been seeking. 

However, his pro career was summed up in a Sports Illustrated article as one of the top draft busts of the NFL’s modern era. The article also pointed out that Ware has the unique distinction of being a major flop in the Canadian Football League.

Long and Ware are the two quarterbacks the Lions have taken in the first round in recent history. Even at that, there haven’t been too many Lions quarterbacks that have fared any better. From Charlie Batch to Daunte Culpepper, recent Lions QB’s have never been known to make opposing defensive coordinators shake in their boots.

But just what is it that really makes a quarterback great? Outside of the physical tools needed such as arm strength, accuracy and toughness and the mental aspects such as game management and command of the huddle, there is an element that is rarely discussed:

The fact the starting QB and the head coach are in sync.

Below is a list of head coaches and quarterbacks that I consider successful. The criteria I used would be making and going deep into the playoffs on a consistent basis. Super Bowl appearances are included but success in the NFL’s second season is where I chose to focus.

Don Coryell and Dan Fouts– From 1979 to 1988, the Chargers were one of the best offensive teams of their time. In the nine seasons they were together, they made the playoffs four times. Dan Fouts was a perfect fit for Air Coryell

Don Shula and Dan Marino – Prior to Marino being drafted by the Dolphins in 1983, Don Shula favored the running game and with good reason. He had great success with Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka including the last team to go undefeated in the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl in 1972. 

But he saw a great passer in Marino and changed his offensive strategy to exploit Marino’s talents. During their 10 years, the Dolphins made the playoffs six times and getting to the Super Bowl in 1984.

Bill Walsh and Joe Montana – For nine years, there was no better head coach and quarterback rating.

Bill Walsh is quoted as saying “At his best, when Joe was in sync, he had an intuitive, instinctive nature rarely equaled by any athlete in any sport.”  It didn’t start out that way…Joe Cool didn’t make didn’t start until midway through the 1980 season.

Montana was never considered a strong-armed quarterback…but what he had was intelligence and an innate will to win.  Walsh knew of his college career at Notre Dame and saw even then his penchant for coolness to bring his teams back to win games.

Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre – From 1992 to 1998, Brett Favre drove Mike Holmgren nuts. But Holmgren tutored Favre and taught him how to be a quarterback.

In their time together, they posted a 75-37 regular season record and a 9-5 postseason mark with two Super Bowl appearances, including a 35-21 win over the New England Patriots.

Mike Holmgren and Matt Hasselbeck – It is rare that a head coach connects with a QB...it is even more rare that he connects with two.  He brought Matt Hasselbeck to the Seahawks from Green Bay to replace...wait for it...Jon Kitna.

From 1998 to 2008, the Seahawks posted a 72-56 regular season record, 3-4 post season record and won four consecutive NFC West titles (2004 – 2007)

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady – Tom Brady is a most unlikely football star. Drafted in the sixth round with the 199th pick, a compensatory pick, Brady is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks of all time.  

He has played in four Super Bowls, winning three of them and has masterfully run the highly complex offense designed by Bill Belichick.

In his book, the Education of a Coach, Belichick noted that Tom Brady was the hardest working QB he ever had come across, spending inordinate amount of time watching film and knowing all of the plays, including knowing the receiver routes better than the receivers.

Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning – Perhaps the easiest selection of the 1998 draft was the Indianapolis Colts drafting Peyton Manning with the No. 1 pick. In this case, it was a matter of the right coach being found for the quarterback instead of the coach finding the right quarterback to lead his team.

Dungy didn’t arrive on the scene until after the 2001 season. From 2002 to 2008, Dungy and Manning had the Colts in the playoffs in 7 consecutive seasons culminating with a 29-17 Super Bowl win over the Bears in 2006

As you can see, there is a pattern the Lions should take note of:  The head coach and the quarterback have to be on the same page regarding offensive philosophies. 

New head coach Jim Schwartz has a defensive background and will be leaning heavily on offensive-coordinator Scott Linehan.  But Schwartz is the one whose neck is currently on the chopping block.

So there is an argument for taking Stafford in the first round. I still say it’s risky but perhaps now, more than ever, the Lions are in the best position to take that risk. 

If the Lions do draft Stafford, will the combination of Stafford and Schwartz finally get the Lions to the Super Bowl or at the very least, successive playoff appearances?  

Only time will tell.