Jeremy Bates: 10 Reasons Why His Firing is Completely Unjustified
Jeremy Bates is now the former offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. ESPN reported early Tuesday that Bates was fired by Seattle.
That now leaves Pete Carroll to further entrench himself at Seattle by getting one of his own selections to helm the offense.
The Seahawks had an atrocious year. But none of that can be tacked onto Bates who may be seen as something of a fall guy now. I submit that Seattle would have had a losing record no matter which coordinator they had. The 7-9 Seahawks would have been just as bad with Bill Walsh in tow.
Bates had little to do with the Seattle doldrums. Here is why the recent NFL dismissal is unwarranted.
10. Defense
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If Bates is gone then Casey Bradley should be as well. The Seahawks offense was horrible this season, but the defense was worse.
Seattle averaged almost 20 points a game which is good for the middle of the pack. But the defense allowed 25 points. It is very easy to look back on a less than productive campaign and call out the offense, but the defense shares more than half the blame.
If you can call out the offense with the stiffs they have on the line, then you can do the same on the other side of the ball.
9. Dropped Passes
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It is tough to maintain a prolific offense when your receivers keep dropping the ball. Sure Matt Hasselbeck is no Tom Brady. But you have to catch the ball when it hits your hands. The Seahawks did not boast the best catch rate of any team in the NFL. But their recent game against the Bears really illustrated the issue.
There were a great many throws that were handled in the worst way possible by Seattle targets. There were balls that hit hands and chest and yet still fell to the ground.
Hasselbeck will not be lights out often, so you need to make use of the passes that fall into your area.
8. Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck showed what he could do in the post season. His game against the Saints was remarkable. It left some NFL fans to wonder where Hasselbeck had been all season.
Well, he was around. The Seahawks quarterback was dealing with ineffective passing for most of the season. He had 17 interceptions to his 12 touchdowns. It is true that Bates gets pass happy, but that offensive mantra may work if he had a quarterback that could take care of the ball.
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7. Running Backs
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When the Seahawks got Marshwan Lynch from the Buffalo Bills early on in the 2010 season, they thought they had a potential number one running back. It turns out that they were wrong.
Lynch is stout runner that is capable of huge runs as he had against the Saints in the Wild Card round. But Lynch along with Forsett had trouble finding holes throughout the season. A lot of this has to do with the offensive line and their horrid blocking.
But is should also be noted that Lynch as well as running back Justin Forsett lack a pristine lateral move. What the Seahawks really have are two number two running backs with no real star value.
6. The Offensive Line
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The Seahawks were not built for the postseason this year. They were one team that was supposed to be on the outs during 2010. One reason was the porous offensive line. The Seahawks don't tout the most trustworthy linemen.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was taken to the ground and the running backs were met at the line too many times to count. It is an offensive coordinator's nightmare. Bates would love to spread the ball around. He just can't draw up a play that last more than two seconds for fear of a sack.
5. Roster
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The firing of Jeremy Bates is not due to merit. It can't be. There is no way Seattle brass can expect Bates to pull out a miracle with the type of talent that they have rostered. There is nary a potential star in the bunch.
A winning team needs consistent leaders that are willing to go out an break the game open with their physicality and talent. The Seahawks are still waiting for one to emerge. Their number one receiver Mike Williams is still yet to reach the potential seen when he played at USC.
Against the Bears, he was atrocious dropping passes and failing to make a difference. The Seahawks need to roster some talent before they can expect to take the next step.
4. Wild Card Game
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The Seahawks exploded on the field against the Saints in the opening round of the 2011 NFL playoffs. Much of that has to do with Matt Hasselbeck and his precision passes on that day. But another accolade can be given to Bates.
His creativity and out of the box thinking were a detriment to the Saints. Going into the game, the Seahawks were huge underdogs. That lead Bates to go with a no holds barred approach. There were many passes down field that caught the Saints off guard.
The gutsy play calling should be commended rather than forgotten.
3. Starting to Click
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Despite the roster, despite the holes on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks still made the divisional round of the playoffs.
That fact is still yet to sink in. The Seahawks had no business winning five games let alone seven. They had no real superstars on the team yet managed to finish strong. That is saying something about the team and its ability to milk the most from what they have.
If I were Seattle brass I would want to leave everything intact. Imagine what this coaching staff could do with some players that could actually play football. The sky would be the limit.
2. Stability
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If the Seahawks players were having trouble adjusting to Bates this season it is for good reason. Bates is the third offensive coordinator for the Seahawks in as many years.
Seattle had the offense of Mike Holmgren in 2008. They then had Greg Knapp in 2009 followed by Bates. Offenses in the NFL are complicated. They take a while to get down the blocking schemes. From expected routes to philosophy, there is a lot to digest.
The ills suffered on offense could very well be a lack of consistent message that the veterans have received over the years. Learning a new system every season is taxing. The Seahawks would do well to leave the current system in place. Perhaps these players just need time to adapt.
1. Pete Carroll
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The buck, as they say, stops here. It seems ever more likely that Pete Carroll just did not agree with the persona of Jeremy Bates. Carroll is ever the gleeful inspirational leader. Bates is the polar opposite.He can be gruff and opinionated.
Perhaps the two just clashed as personalities are concerned. If that is the case, it is hardly a reason for termination. You want harmony amongst the team. But you cannot sacrifice winning just to have a yes man in your corner.
It is clear that the Seahawks were starting to turn things around. They put together a remarkable end to the season. There is no telling how good they could be with new personnel on the roster. But we may never know as Carroll again gets what he wants.
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