12-03-2023, 12:15 AM
(12-02-2023, 09:05 PM)Bengalstripes9 Wrote: High bar? What’s your criteria to consider a coach ‘elite’?
Belicheck won with backup qbs. Andy Reid has done it. Plenty of elite coaches have done it.
Zac had his choice in the offseason for backup qbs and went with simien. He brought this on himself. You make your own luck. Elite players and coaches make their own luck.
There is a lot that can go into being an elite coach. To be clear, I don't think that Zac is an elite coach. However, I also balk at the idea of the bar being "making the playoffs with Browning." Maybe I am wrong, but I have no reason to believe that Browning is any better than awful relatively speaking and that is on top of the myriad of issues that Cincinnati already has. The defense has issues, the run game stinks and now the passing game also stinks.
You're right that if ZT somehow pulled it off, he would have a strong claim to being an "elite" coach. The fact of the matter is that they definitely won't. Elite status should have a high bar, but what you're saying is effectively impossible IMO. I personally don't think there is a coach in the league that coaches this Cincinnati squad from 5-6 into the playoffs.
