Yes, that's the same Dom Capers who onced coached the sorry, no-account Texans
Dom Capers is one of the NFL's best defensive coordinators. In fact, this weekend is a showcase for superstars defensive coordinators: Rex Ryan (Jets), Dick LeBeau (Steeleers), Rod Marinelli (Bears) and Capers (Packers).
Does defense still win? Three of the five highest-ranked defensesSteelers (second), Jets (third) and Packers (fifth)are still playing. So are the Bears, who were ninth in total defense. Meanwhile, these four teams were ranked 14th, 11th, 9th and 30th in total offense. By comparison, the Texans were 3rd in total offense, 30th in total defense.
You know what else still matters? Takeaways. The Bears (third), Steelers (fourth), Packers (sixth) and Jets (ninth) were all among the NFL regular-season leaders in takeaways. By comparison, the Texans were 30th.
Under Capers, the Packers were second in sacks and interceptions. By comparison, the Texans were 23rd in both.
Capers was one of the first NFL defensive coordinators to become more creative with his blitz packages. He'd blitz quarterbacks from all angles and with players from all positions. LeBeau has taken that philosophy to another entire level, so this weekend should be great fun watching what the four of them come up with.
Why didn't it work for Capers in Houston? Strangely, defense was one of the team's weaknesses when he was here. In four years, they were 16th, 31st, 23rd and 31st. That's an average finish of 25th. Under the current regime, the Texans have had an average defensive ranking of 23rd, so who says they're not getting better?
In the end, Capers got fired for not running his own defense. Or that's the way it appeared. He trusted his defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, who didn't do a good job.
Dom was an interesting guy. He was about the most honest, most decent person you'll ever meet. He had incredible discipline in his personal life. He hit the weight room harder than any of his players, worked out at least once everyday, kept a detailed personal diary of his daily life. If you cared to know, Dom could tell you what his resting pulse rate was on the morning (or afternoon) of July 3, 2004.
In March, he'd give the entire organization a large binder detailing how the football team would spend every minute of the next nine months. If you were going to need Dom on Oct. 9, he could tell you when he'd be free. If you're thinking he sounds like an interesting man, he is.
He was tough but fair with the players. He had a much better understanding of the importance of strength training in the NFL than Gary and Rick. He was sometimes too rigid in his practice schedules. There were times when the players were tired, but Dom wouldn't back off.
But for some reason, he seemed less tough with his own coaches, the men who eventually got him fired. Players complained that Vic made things too complicated. His Stanford players apparently were able to comprehend his game plans, but that's another story. Now he's back in the NFL working for Jim Harbaugh with the 49ers.
At times, GM Charley Casserly pleaded/urged/suggested that Capers take control of his own defense. Capers may have taken more control, but Fangio always appeared to be the man in charge, and they went down together when Bob McNair fired all of 'em after the 2-14 2005 season.
If he'd known then what he knows now...
He went from two NFL veterans in Casserly and Capers to two raw rookies in Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak. They've neither drafted nor coached well. My personal opinion is that if he'd left Casserly in charge the football team would have gotten straigthened out.
However, there were very, very, very legitimate reasons for firing Charley that had nothing to do with going 2-14.
Personnel was the other big issue. Casserly admittedly didn't know how to evaluate 3-4 talent. That outside linebacker position is a combination of linebacker, defensive end and safety. In other words, the good ones are supermen. At the time, few college teams ran the 3-4 so they were projecting players into it. Charley trusted the coaches, and the coaches did a poor job.
Anywho, we are where we are. Bob McNair brought in Mr. Fix-it to run the defense after Frank Bush become the designed scapegoat by fans and the media.
I'm still not sure why fans turned on him so quickly, especially because the Texans played very good defense the last three months of the 2009 season. But he became the man, and McNair, either unable or unwilling to see the organization's larger problems with personnel and lack of edge on game day, went along.
It doesn't even seem like a big deal anymore. NFL games are so appealing and covered so well that we've all got rooting interests this week, and it doesn't really matter that it's not the local team. How about we were our Battle Red gear and pretend?