Background: Oct 15, 2021; Ware, United Kingdom; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores all through a press conference at Hanbury Marriott Manor and Nation Membership. Needed Credit score rating: Kirby Lee

As enamored and intrigued as I am on the thought of San Payton or DeMeco Ryans turning into the Cardinals new head coach, there are options of Brian Flores’ candidacy that may make him a superb slot in Arizona.

There’s no question that Sean Payton may be most likely essentially the most lovely head educating lease throughout the modern historic previous of the Cardinals. Nonetheless, there are three key question marks about his candidacy:

• (1) do the Cardinals have a official chance to win the Payton sweepstakes?
• (2) what kind of financial bundle would Payton command?
• (3) would it not not value the Cardinals this 12 months’s or subsequent 12 months’s 1st spherical draft determine, plus one different extreme determine?

As for DeMeco Ryans, the questions are:

• (1) will he demand to have Ran Carthon as his GM?
• (2) who would he ship as his offensive coordinator?
• (3) is he in a position to make the bounce from defensive coordinator (after 2 years as SF’s DC) to go coach?

The first questions for the Cardinals:

• (1) having employed first time head coaches the ultimate numerous cases, would it not not be smart for the Cardinals to lease a candidate who has earlier NFL head educating experience?
• (2) in mild of Kyler Murray’s progress, would it not not be smart to lease an offensive-minded head coach?
• (3) or, would it not not be smart for the Cardinals to do each little factor they will to develop a dominating safety so that the QB doesn’t actually really feel the load of the world on his shoulders?

Undoubtedly, having a HC/DC bundle of Sean Payton and Vic Fangio may be a superb reply to all three questions. However, the Broncos are scheduled to fulfill with Payton in LA tomorrow.

It’s attention-grabbing to note that Vic Fangio was merely interviewed by the Panthers for his or her DC job, which can very properly be an indication that if Sean Payton takes the Broncos’ job, then possibly the Broncos want Payton to keep up rising star DC Ejiro Evero as DC.

Will probably be very attention-grabbing to know who DeMeco Ryans has lined up as his OC.

Similar for Brian Flores.

Clearly, any defensive minded head coach who’s interviewing with the Cardinals should present a persuasive plan for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ offense.

However, one has to marvel what Kyler Murray thinks regarding the Cardinals inserting their safety in the easiest palms. I actually suppose he’s be fully supportive of that, assuming he is happy with whomever the candidate has in ideas for OC.

The the reason why I can take into consideration a strong scenario the place Kyler may be 100% on board with having a defensive-minded head coach —- it elements once more to a recreation in 2020 the place Kyler balled his tail off, nevertheless the employees misplaced.

It was the first recreation after the Cardinals’ 2020 bye week. The employees was 5-2 and was at dwelling versus the 4-3 Dolphins who had merely pulled off a stunning 27-17 victory over the then 5-2 LA Rams. Brian Flores’recreation plan to shut down Sean McVay’s bread and butter performs to energy Jared Goff to aim to beat them from the pocket was good. Flores supplied a defensive blueprint for various opposing coaches of McVay’s —- and some say that Florres’ blueprint was the beginning of the highest for Jared Goff in LA.

On the time, whereas I was watching the Dolphins safety dominate the Rams’ offense by taking away their vaunted off-tackle runs and working an edge defender at Goff every time he tried to bootleg or play movement, I was desperately hoping that Vance Joseph would adjust to Flores’ blueprint, on account of, let’s face it, Jared Goff had his most interesting video video games versus Vance’s safety —- and he even continued to in Detroit in 2021 when Goff led the Lions to a shocking 30-12 win over the then 10-3 Cardinals.

The 2020 recreation versus the Dolphins was a battle of Kyler Murray versus Tua Tagovailoa in Tua’s second ever start. The Cardinals have been heavy favorites.

The game started inauspiciously for the Cardinals when Shaq Lawson scooped up a Kyler Murray fumble and ran it 36 yards for a TD. Kyler received right here correct once more and answered with a 4 yard TD go to TE Maxx Williams to tie the score at 7-7.

From there it was a seesaw affair. Kyler was handing over one in every of many greatest performances of his occupation, passing 21/26 for 283 yards and three TDs, whereas dashing for 106 yards and a 12 yard TD that put the Cardinals up 31-24 with 2: 28 remaining throughout the third quarter.

Inside the 4th quarter, Brian Flores made a powerful, game-changing adjustment. He dropped one amongst his safeties into the sphere to set a symmetrical wall of defenders to aim to sluggish Kyler down. It was the first time Kyler had ever seen such a a wall.

Cardinals have been shut out by Flores’ Fins in 4th quarter.

The essential factor play in Tua’s game-tying drive throughout the 4th quarter was on a 3rd and eight once more near their very personal intention line, when versus a Vance Joseph delicate cushion zone, DaVante Parker ran a skinny put up beneath Patrick Peterson for a 17 yard obtain. Ugh.

The game profitable 50 yard FG was kicked by Jason Sanders with 3:30 left.

Taking part in playing cards mounted a drive nevertheless the Fins saved tackling runner wanting the sticks which prompted Kliff Kingsbury to try a 49 yarder from Zane Gonzalez to tie the game, nevertheless Gonzalez missed it. Fins gained 34-31.

Kyler Murray, no matter having one amongst his absolute best video video games, was disconsolate after the game. Do you have in mind the press conference? That’s when Kyler’s frustration about participating in successfully and nonetheless dropping video video games first received right here to a head. It was like Kyler was saying to himself, “I can play this successfully, and we nonetheless lose?”

Just a few weeks later in back-to-back losses to SEA and NE, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick adopted Brian Flores’ method and the Cardinals’ offense did not have a strong adequate reply for it. The easiest reply was to run a gradual weight reduction program of RPO’s and play movement passes to make the most of the intermediate areas of the sector behind the linebacker wall. For one motive or one different, the offense struggled making the modifications. As for slowing down Kyler’s dashing totals, Kyler was held to fifteen and 31 yards respectively.

Had the Cardinals managed to win any of these three video video games versus MIA, SEA or NE, they may have made the playoffs.

Brian Flores’ Stengths:

• Masterful recreation planning throughout the Belichick mould of making an attempt to take away the opponents’ greatest strengths whereas sophisticated and pressuring opposing QBs.
• 3 years head educating experience (24-25 basic file, 19-14 over ultimate two years)
• Sturdy finishes, 4-2 down stretch in 2020, 8-1 down stretch in 2021 and as LB coach in PIT this season, 6-1 in ultimate 7 video video games.
• Prevented Tom Brady and Patriots from incomes a bye week in 2019, beating them 27-24 in Foxboro throughout the ultimate recreation of season. It was Brady’s second to ultimate recreation as a Patriot.
• Swept Patriots in 2021
• Whereas some criticize his coping with of Tua, Tua gained 7 of his ultimate 8 video video games with Flores and was 13-8 over his two seasons with the coach.
• The Patriots apply their youthful assistants in options of all three phases of the game. Flores was first educated as knowledgeable scout (superior recreation planning of opponents), then used as an assistant specific teams coordinator, then as safeties coach, linebacker coach, and defensive play caller (Pats don’t normally identify their assistants coordinators).
• Is perhaps with out finish revered in New England for making the “Malcolm GO” identify on what was arguably most likely essentially the most well-known game-winning interception in Large Bowl historic previous.
• Was an assistant on 4 Large Bowl championship teams: (XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII)
• Over his 20 12 months educating occupation throughout the NFL, Brian Flores’ teams are 19-1 for profitable seasons.

I think about that Brian Flores may be a superb mentor to Kyler Murray. He would current Kyler how one can beat most likely essentially the most elaborate defensive packages and methods and would design recreation plans accordingly, counting on each opponent’s tendencies.

Brian Flores holds all of his avid gamers accountable —- which is the 1st step in direction of altering a soccer custom, the second step being the avid gamers holding themselves accountable.

To be writing the Cardinals this suggestion for Brian Flores on Martin Luther King Jr. Day feels notably apt. Brian Flores will with out finish be acknowledged for the braveness to face up in direction of racial discrimination throughout the NFL as a result of it pertains to how minority coaches are employed, dealt with and fired. Flores was eager to sacrifice his occupation in an effort to affect constructive change.

The reality that Brian Flores elected to return to being an assistant coach (for the Pittsburgh Steelers) this season, in its place of taking a 12 months off sooner than interviewing for head educating jobs as soon as extra, is a testament to the humbleness of his character and his eagerness to assemble on his educating experience.

I’ve a dream…

What are your concepts about Brian Flores’ candidacy?