Obvious statement of the day: Talent is a huge part of what makes NFL teams work. If there is actually any question about that, just ask yourself whether you would rather have Justin Smith (“high motor”) or Jared Allen (actual talent) playing DE for you.
That said, it takes more than talent to make an NFL team successful.
The first step to sustained success is a solid system, a style of play that defines the organization. 1) The Steelers: running and defense. That’s been their system for 40+ years. Last year they tried to be a passing team, and they got beat. 2) The Colts: precision passing with just enough running game to make the opponent defend both. With PM, of course you emphasize passing. 3) The Pats: passing & defense. They dominate teams so often because they get ahead early, force teams to pass, and then choke the passing lanes.
These teams know their system, and their system works. They make their system work long-term because they have a proven system of knowing what talent works in their system and what doesn’t. That’s how Pierre Garcon is burning defenses while Jerome Simpson gets deactivated regularly in his 3rd year. (Scouting… it’s a beautiful thing.) So the system is chosen, then talent is chosen that fits the system, then the system is tweaked to the individual strengths of each player.
Now let’s looking at the Bengals. We see talent on paper, but then we see a 2-10 record. Why?
Look at the system. Can you tell me what their system is? You can’t, because there isn’t one. We were told that the Bengals were re-made into a running team last year. In 2010 this “run-oriented” team has 469 pass attempts to 300 rushes. So much for the system.
The Bengals fail because Mike Brown goes looking for talent without regard for how the talent fits the system. He lets the talent form the system. So instead of choosing the best engine to work with the other parts of the sports car, he buys the biggest engine he can get and then wonders why the hood won’t close and why he keeps breaking drive shafts. OR… he’s tooling through the junkyard looking at a half-rusted quarter panel, wondering if either some Rustoleum will bring it back to life or if he can convert it into a rear view mirror.
The Bengals need a GM (one not named Mike Brown) because they need a system. And they need good scouts to work the right players into the system. That’s the road to the promised land.
So when you read in the off-season that Bob Bratkowski is “overhauling the play book” (again), it really means that he’s building a new system. Then remind yourself that players are supposed to fit into systems, not systems to players.
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