Perry Fewell has all Chicago Bears seek in a defensive coordinator
He's a proven coach with ties to Lovie Smith and organization

By Brad Biggs Tribune reporter

January 10, 2010

Perry Fewell has worked for Lovie Smith at two stops in his career, so the men are well acquainted. But if the Bears want to get an updated scouting report on a top candidate to be their defensive coordinator, they can turn to Jay Cutler.

The quarterback, who no doubt has offered advice on the attributes of potential offensive coordinator candidate Jeremy Bates, could tell the Bears coach and general manager Jerry Angelo how Fewell has adapted the Cover-2 scheme the Bears run as their base defense and made life rough on him in the red zone in crunch time.

If they sat down and watched the film, they would see how Fewell dialed up three "Bonzai" blitzes on four plays at the end of the game to preserve a 30-23 Bills victory at Denver in Week 16 a year ago, a loss that kept Cutler out of the playoffs.

Bonzai is a zero blitz, meaning the receivers are locked up in man coverage with no safety help. Everyone else is rushing the passer. With Cutler at the Bills' 20-yard line, the Bills' defensive coordinator brought the house on first, third and fourth downs, with the final pass to Brandon Stokley getting broken up by nickel back Reggie Corner.

It's evidence how Fewell, 47, has kept up with the times and modernized a lot of what the Bears did on defense when he was their secondary coach in 2005, the year cornerback Nathan Vasher went to the Pro Bowl and Chris Harris flourished at free safety as a rookie sixth-round draft pick.

Smith isn't looking for someone to come in and turn his scheme upside down. He's seeking a coach to work with the previous two defensive coordinators (Smith and linebackers coach Bob Babich) and assistant head coach Rod Marinelli.

League insiders believe Fewell is fit for the job based on what he did as the coordinator in Buffalo the last four seasons. Angelo used the word "evolve" in a news conference last week, and some evolution is what Fewell could bring to the scheme. After succeeding Dick Jauron as interim coach of the Bills during the season, he interviewed to be the permanent top man for them but is considered a long shot. He also interviewed for the defensive coordinator job with the Giants.

"He's sort of like the new age, how the trend is going to (Mike) Tomlin and the younger guys," said Bills free safety Jairus Byrd, who was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. "Perry can relate to the players and he still makes jokes. He knows it is business, but he does it in a way to make it player friendly and create an environment for the guys."

Said Harris, now a captain for the Panthers: "Coach Fewell is a guy who got me ready for the NFL right away. He would be a great pickup for the Bears. It would be a great mix because he has a little different style than Lovie; he's not quite as calm and cool."

Fewell also isn't afraid to introduce new ideas. When the Bears were preparing to play the Falcons in Week 15 in 2005, he suggested they try some "46" defensive fronts against the Falcons, something he had seen work against them in the past. The Bears put the film on, liked the idea and went to what they called their "King" front with five linemen. They throttled Atlanta 16-3.

The Bears ranked 27th in third-down defense this season and were last in third-and-long, defined as 6 yards or more. Fewell mixes it up on third down. He will turn to two-deep, man under in those situations, a no-no to Cover-2 purists. He will use quarters coverage and combination coverages. There is more diversity to the playbook he used with the Bills.

Byrd used to baby-sit for Fewell and wife Kathleen's children when he was in high school in St. Louis and his father Gill Byrd and Fewell were under Smith on the Rams' staff. Byrd has talked to his father, the Bears' safeties coach, about the possibility Fewell will land in Chicago.

"I'm going to be sad if he leaves because I know what he has done here and I know what he is capable of doing," Byrd said. "A lot of good things."

Fewell might be the spark that has been missing for the Bears since Ron Rivera was run off after Super Bowl XLI. That's what Matt Bowen, a Glenbard West graduate who played safety for Smith on the Rams and for Fewell with the Bills, believes.

"They need someone to hold them accountable every play on the field, including in practice," Bowen said. "When I say Perry is a yeller and a screamer, he's a guy who demands accountability on every play. He wants players in the proper position, using the proper leverage and playing within the system of the defense on every play. He's not afraid to call players out in meetings.

"If you don't play within the scheme of the defense, you don't play. Perry and Lovie coach the same scheme, but they do it in a different manner."

TMS wrote:i wonder how he'll get along w/guys like Osi then... he tends to freelance a lot.

I think the important quote is, "He's sort of like the new age, how the trend is going to (Mike) Tomlin and the younger guys," said Bills free safety Jairus Byrd, who was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. "Perry can relate to the players and he still makes jokes. He knows it is business, but he does it in a way to make it player friendly and create an environment for the guys."

He'll rein Osi in. I can almost guarantee Osi will keep his mouth shut next year. I love this hire.

For the LBers we need to cut Clark and Pierce. Move Goff to one of the ILB. Boley on the SAM and have Gerris Wilkinson(remember him), Kehl and Sintim fight for the WILL. We then draft the other ILB.

I am praying that Rolando McLain drops to us in the 20th spot but most likely not. I would be happy with Brandon Spikes. My fear is that Kindle falls to the 20th spot and now do you take an OLB when we clearly need an ILB first.

I love the NFL Draft!!

The Giants and the Bills both use a 4-3 defensive scheme.

Both teams struggled with injuries on defense this season. The Giants lost safety Kenny Phillips (knee), middle linebacker Antonio Pierce (neck) and tackle Jay Alford for the season and had cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Chris Canty sidelined for significant portions of the season.

The Bills had five starters go on injured reserve.

The Bills struggled stopping the run (30th overall), but the defensive backs led the AFC with 28 interceptions and were second in the NFL behind only the Green Bay Packers.

Rookie safety Jairus Byrd tied for the NFL lead with nine interceptions.

The Bills' defense allowed 14 touchdown passes in each of the last two seasons. The Giants gave up 31 in 2009.

The Giants had 24 takeaways and 13 interceptions in 2009.

In his four years as coordinator, the Bills' defense ranked 18th, 31st, 14th and 19th in the NFL, and that was with an offense that did not produce much or control the ball.

In 2009, Buffalo allowed 340.6 yards and 20.4 points a game. The Giants gave up an average of 324.9 yards and 26.7 points.

The year before, the Bills were fourth in the NFL in red-zone defense, allowing a touchdown on only 41.8 percent of possessions inside the 20-yard line.

Fewell coached Chicago defensive backs in 2005, when the Bears led the NFC with 24 interceptions and cornerback Nathan Vasher and safety Mike Brown were selected to the Pro Bowl. It's one of the reasons Lovie Smith wanted him back as coordinator.

"His defenses have consistently done a good job taking the ball away," Coughlin said.

Fewell was the secondary coach of the Rams in 2003-04. He entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for Coughlin in 1998 and stayed there through 2002. Jacksonville's pass defense ranked third in the NFL in 1999 and two years later the Jaguars gave up only 13 touchdown passes.

"We brought Perry into the league in Jacksonville," said Coughlin, "and I was impressed with his thoroughness, his ability to work with the players and his absolute intent on learning all he could about his profession. He was hired as the secondary coach and he has had great experiences in St. Louis and Chicago with Lovie Smith and that system and in Buffalo with Dick Jauron, who was my original defensive coordinator in Jacksonville."

Fewell was a college coach for 13 years before coming to the NFL, working at North Carolina, Army, Kent State and Vanderbilt.

"I was a young coach, and he helped develop my philosophy of the game, the discipline, the know-how, the toughness that it takes and the attention to detail. Being prepared. That is what he instilled," Fewell said of his time with Coughlin.

Cowher? Fox? Dungee? Gruden? Jimmy Johnson? someone in house (Gilbride)?

VDesai wrote:

TMS wrote:who would be you guys' first choice to be the next head coach if TC retires or is fired next year?

Cowher? Fox? Dungee? Gruden? Jimmy Johnson? someone in house (Gilbride)?

In house is more like to be Fewell IMO. Fewell did a nice job as Buffalo's interim coach this year and if he turns around the Giants defense he will be a hot commodity as the next head coach. I personally like Fox and wouldn't mind Cowher. Gruden is a good coach but he is very strange with QB's. I think he'd get on my nerves. Johnson and Dungy are done with coaching I think.

But if Spagnuolo were to become available he'd be my first choice.

if the Giants wanna save a little money then going w/Fewell would be the way to go i suppose (given the assumption he turns around our defense next season)... i'm gonna assume that if he does a great job w/the defense then Coughlin will likely be able to keep his job tho... don't think he'll retire personally... Spags would be an intriguing option, but didn't he just sign a multi-year contract w/the Rams? that means we'd have to give up a draft pick to steal him away, no?

assuming TC is fired due to another disappointing year, i can't make up my mind who i'd rather have between Fox or Cowher... i'd be happy with either... Tony Dungy seems a bit mild mannered for the NY market... Jimmy Johnson is probably done w/coaching, i agree w/u there... he woulda came back a long time ago if he wanted to coach again... Gruden annoys me too with the Chucky face he makes... u can tell he'd jump at the job tho when u listen to him commentate the MNF games the G-men play... he's riding Eli Manning's jock like there's no tomorrow.

VDesai wrote:I think Spags deal is 4 years, so he has 3 left. Depending on how long Coughlin sticks around will dictate his contract situation. But teams are so fickle these days that I wonder whether Spags will get enough time to turn around that team. They have a long way to go. But just because he may fail with the Rams doesn't mean he wouldn't make a good head coach.

I think Fox is the most likely to be the next head coach if TC didn't turn it around next year, but if Bettis' quotes were true obviously Cowher would be in the mix. I like Fox better, but that is mostly because I am familiar with him from his time here. I always thought Cowher was a little inconsistent and benefited from being a part of the best run organization in the league. That said you cannot argue with his overall record.

But I do find it interesting that no head coach has ever won a Super Bowl with 2 different teams.

I think Spags made a mistake. The Rams owner has the team up for sale and if he sells the team, theres a good chance that whoever buys the team is going to want to wipe the place clean. Spags should have waited and took a more stable job. Look at what Brian Shottenheimer is doing, he's turning down HC interviews down because they aren't the right situation. You don't want to just take any HC job, you want to take the right one... I don't think Spags took the right one.