Bears reportedly targeting special teams coach Darren Rizzi |
There were many bad teams in the NFL, and New Orleans was one of them. After starting the season 2-0, New Orleans responded with seven consecutive losses, which led to Dennis Allen's firing. Many of their struggles are a direct result of injuries and the Saints' roster's lack of talent, but the bottom line is that Allen isn't a very good head coach.
Replacing him was Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi, who opened his coaching career with a pair of wins before hitting a wall but then responded with some nice wins late in the season. Bad record or not, the Saints are one of those teams with many highly talented coaches on their staff, and Ben Johnson feels the same as he is looking to surround his staff with a pair of Saints coaches. Not only did Adam Schefter break the news that Allen is the favorite to land Johnson's DC job, but his replacement as HC is also on the Bears' list. Chicago is pushing to make Rizzi their Special Teams Coordinator. Talk about an interesting twist to the coaching staff: Allen and Rizzi have worked together for several seasons under Sean Payton and may be working together some more. It wasn't surprising when Allen was fired midseason, considering the team's performance, but it was a shock to have Rizzi named his replacement. Rizzi did his best in a challenging situation, and at the very least, the players respected him enough to buy into what he was trying to change. Getting a guy like Rizzi may not seem like a big deal, but with six other teams looking to add him, he is in demand right now. Rizzi has stated that he would like another HC opportunity, but that doesn't appear to be happening, so Chicago is a realistic landing spot. With no respect to Richard Hightower, who has done a good job as the Special Teams coach in Chicago, many first-time head coaches feel more comfortable with their hand-picked staff, which is the direction Johnson is leaning toward right now. The 54-year-old Rizzi is no stranger to the coaching ranks and has been around the game for a long time. He spent the past six seasons with the New Orleans Saints and seven years with the Miami Dolphins from 2010 to 2016. Rizzi has also worked at the College level, with one season (1998) with the Northwestern Wildcats and six seasons (2002-2007) with Rutgers. His time with the Dolphins stands out more than his recent stop with the Saints. Rizzi worked with Johnson for several seasons in Miami before both of them left for new gigs. You have to wonder if that connection and familiarity contributed to Johnson's desire to add Rizzi to his staff, as the NFL is becoming a who-knows-who of a league for coaching hires. No one gives special teams coaches enough credit, but the reality is that special teams may be more important than some of the other positions on the field. Despite the Saints' struggles last year, Special Teams were the one area where they thrived, as Rizzi had his group as the second-best Special Teams Unit in the NFL this past season. Considering how the Bears ranked 22nd in those same rankings is a massive eye-opener, as this would be a considerable upgrade in coaching staff acquisition. When you look at all of the kicks the Bears had blocked against them last season, you can point to the line not blocking or players being out of position and not recognizing where the pressure was coming from. Rizzi is one of those coaches who pays attention to details and will hold his unit accountable for those mistakes. Throw in that he has half of the season of head coaching experience under his belt, and this hire would give Johnson another former head coach to lean on and pick their brain about certain aspects of the game. It has taken a long time, but for once, the Bears made the right choice for their next HC and let him assemble the staff he wants to construct.
