Why Was Danny Smith Allowed To Keep A Job? The all things Danny Smith Thread(Merged & M.E.T.)

[airborneskins]

Is this OCCUPY ES?

Sorry, Im not on board. I realize that everyone is just venting though, so vent on!

[kingdaddy]

Danny Smith was fired by the Eagles years ago. My Eagles friends laugh every time they see Danny Smith coaching the Skins. He has never been a good special teams coach. We'd be better off if Shanahan let his wife coach the special teams. Bang makes a lot of good points as reasons to fire Smith. Where do I sign?

[c4man5282]

Signed. Danny Smith should have never been rehired by Shanny. Only bad move on the coaching staff he made IMO.

[oldskoolskins]

Count me in, I'm done with this guy..

[DC9]

fire him. Let's get someone with some inovation in here.

-DC9

[Bang]

SubmittedOne,, sorry I didn't answer that post last time..
I have given him plenty of patience. He's been here for seven years, and in that time, yes, we've had some personel problems.
But by and large his mainstays,, Lorenzo Alexander, reed Doughty, Byron Westbrook, Mike Sellers.. they've been on our special teams for several years, and they continually make sloppy mistakes.
In fact, the majority of our ST penalties don't seem to be made by young inexperienced players, or players who would be out of the league if not for being here.
The fact that they do cover kicks well is indicative that they're not just a bunch of slapdicks. Some of them are, sure... some can't start in any other position, some are rookies.. but that's something special teams coaches have to deal with league-wide.

I've been patient. I think if there was a pattern to be seen by my posts, I usually side with the coaches. I preach patience, I believe in how this brain trust is handling the rebuild.
But Smith has been here 7 years. And while we see OK performance in one area (coverages), the sloppy play continues to cost us games, the penalties are usually of SUCH a sloppy nature and happen so frequently (and consistently) that one can't help but point the finger at Smith.

Like I said to another poster here.. if these things happened occasionally, I'm right with you in demanding better execution from Player X. But Player X, Y, Z, A, B, C and D are making mistakes week in and week out... year after year,, veteran players. They happen at times thatcan't help but accuse the coach.
Holding on fair catches... this is SUCH a coaching issue.. granted, a guy might not see Banks waving his arm.. but the only reason a football player holds is he gets beaten badly. Take the second Dallas game.. we finally manage to directionally kick and press the field position advantage .. and after forcing a punt that will in all likelihood be caught at the 50, we hold on the fair catch and lose the field position advantage we had gained. No awareness. None. No one told these players "This punt will likely be fair caught,, we don't need to take chances to get great field position, so DON'T HOLD. If your man beats you LET HIM GO, we'll get the fair catch and set up the offense at mid-field."

The mistakes we see out there happen with such regularity, and over such an extended period of time that you can't help but draw to the one common factor. The coach.

~Bang

[SWFLSkins]

Dear Mike Shanahan,
If you want to improve your football team considerably, fire that liability of a special teams coach, namely one Danny "ChompChompChomp" Smith.

Signed,

SWFLSkins

Thanks Bang for elaborating on the topic with actually numbers and listing the errors. And yes I have been patient, but all the mistakes on the field and the mistakes in personnel should be enough to see that it is time to move on for a fresh perspective.

The mistakes we see out there happen with such regularity, and over such an extended period of time that you can't help but draw to the one common factor. The coach.

~Bang

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

I think the special teams have and continue to play without disapline...I am not a Smith fan and would be happy to see the team go in another direction.

[KingGibbs]

Isn't Danny's coverage units one of the best in the NFL?

[bobzmuda]

Isn't Danny's coverage units one of the best in the NFL?

Yes. One reason I think firing him is foolish. He's a very well regarded ST coordinator.

[chaaarmndr]

Sign in folks.
The case against Smith is obvious.
I don't have to tell anyone how bad it is to have six blocked kicks in a season.


Six blocked kicks.
In ONE season.

Precisely. This isn't college, or heck, even high school you wouldn't see that many blocked

[KingGibbs]

Yes. One reason I think firing him is foolish. He's a very well regarded ST coordinator.

Yep. I agree with you 100%. Blaming him for a kickers inability to kick it between the posts or the inability of the line to hold their block is foolish.

[mboyd784]

Smith is a disaster. It's as plain as the nose on your face. Time for something new.

[DieselPwr44]

George Allen, Marv Levy and Wayne Sevier

Pioneers and innovators when it comes to Special Teams coaching/play.

Yet some here keep defending Bazooka Joe even though his units continually suck.

"Well, his coverage is great!!"

What about the other two phases of his game?

"He's not to blame for the blocking."

He isn't? So why did it take him 2 blocks to figure out that a 280 lb lineman can't hold up against someone that 320 lbs and 6'7" in the Seattle game and that Shanny finally had to step in and make the damn correction?

The guy doesn't even have his unit perform live practices during the week.

Seven years is plenty of time for continuity's sake.

Smith's defenders here probably were the same ones lobbying for Norv to get an extention here.

You guys must love mediocrity.......

[BeefJerky]

Yes, it is time for Smith to get his pink slip. When you have SIX blocked kicks in one season Change is badly needed.