Why Does Phil Parker Get a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card"?

[Benddontbreak]

Last year’s defense was pretty salty, this year’s wasn’t great but still good enough to win the B1G West. I think people are more understanding of the inconsistency on D given the inexperience at LB and our willingness to be the aggressor. I actually think the playcalling/schemes have been better than Norm’s, but the personnel is inferior.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Yeah, I agree - the defense has slipped over the last few years compared to when Norm was here, and the offense, at the very best, has remained the same. In that case, either your offense has to improve to compensate, or your W/L record is going to slip and you'll have more blowout losses. We've gotten the latter.

Myself, I've never understood the "we rely on stout defense, so the offense doesn't really matter" mentality. Why do offense and defense have to be mutually exclusive concepts? One or the other? On the flip side, just because you score a lot of points doesn't mean your defense can't, or shouldn't, be effective.

If you want an offense that truly is a game managing type of offense that burns clock and allows your defense to rest and keeps the opposing offense on the sidelines, then fine - but to consistently have sustained 10-12+ play 6-minute drives requires strong execution, and I've got to believe that's difficult if your level of talent isn't clearly superior to your opponent's defense. They are likely going to make a play at some point to stop you. Iowa could get away with this in 2002 when it had a ton of talent on offense and could basically impose its will, but that generally hasn't been the case since.

I probably don't know what I'm talking about, but that's my 2 cents.

I remember on that 2002 team how many times they would score a touchdown on the first drive of the game. It seemed like 10 out of 12 games, prob not, but seemed like it. You could almost bank it. They usually would drive right down the field. Brad Banks legs being able to get some yards if nothing was open down field was a key to that team. He look for 3-4 seconds & if nothing was there would run & slide or run out-of-bounds after about 8 yrds. Kept the chains moving. Russell was running good so the play action was there for Banks to hit the WR downfield. He had an arm as well. He'd zip it.

That team was fund to watch and was a direct contrast to the 2014 team. There was not a weakness on that 2002 team. Run D was stout, o-line opened holes for superb running game & special teams were phenomenal.

 

[trj]

I really did not have an issue with the scheme.....it is the fundamentals that went to ****. The tackling by the back 7 was bad pretty much all year.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I remember on that 2002 team how many times they would score a touchdown on the first drive of the game. It seemed like 10 out of 12 games, prob not, but seemed like it. You could almost bank it. They usually would drive right down the field. Brad Banks legs being able to get some yards if nothing was open down field was a key to that team. He look for 3-4 seconds & if nothing was there would run & slide or run out-of-bounds after about 8 yrds. Kept the chains moving. Russell was running good so the play action was there for Banks to hit the WR downfield. He had an arm as well. He'd zip it.

That team was fund to watch and was a direct contrast to the 2014 team. There was not a weakness on that 2002 team. Run D was stout, o-line opened holes for superb running game & special teams were phenomenal.

I remember this, and what you just said I think is actually pretty accurate. That season sticks in my mind really well of course, I'm pretty sure late in the season it was 8 out of 9, 9 out of 10, or about that.

Iowa had a great offensive line, two dangerous backs (Russell & Lewis), an NFL tight end (Clark) and a pretty good corps of receivers (Jones, Brown, Solomon, etc.) and of course Brad Banks.

Also, the special teams in 2002 were stellar. Nate Kaeding kicking, and how many blocks did we have, as well as punt returns and kickoff returns? Those ended up being big plays in the PSU & Purdue games, that Iowa probably would've lost otherwise.

 

[trj]

Last year’s defense was pretty salty, this year’s wasn’t great but still good enough to win the B1G West. I think people are more understanding of the inconsistency on D given the inexperience at LB and our willingness to be the aggressor. I actually think the playcalling/schemes have been better than Norm’s, but the personnel is inferior.

I agree with that last sentence.

 

[DDThompson]

Phil Parker was the DB coach during this time, correct? They were our weakest unit on D in my opinion during Norm's time on the sideline..

A few of the DBs during PP's time as DBC under Norm as DC:

D.PAGEL

J.Johnson

B.Sanders

S.Considine

M.Paschal

C.Godfrey

B.Fletcher

B.Greenwood

T.Sash

A.Spievey

J.Lomax

S.Prater

J.Berstein

M.Hyde

****

Please tell me that's a weak unit

 

[brhawks18]

A few of the DBs during PP's time as DBC under Norm as DC:

D.PAGEL

J.Johnson

B.Sanders

S.Considine

M.Paschal

C.Godfrey

B.Fletcher

B.Greenwood

T.Sash

A.Spievey

J.Lomax

S.Prater

J.Berstein

M.Hyde

****

Please tell me that's a weak unit

Never said every DB/CB that played was weak, but of the DLinemen, LBackers and DB's, the DB's were the weakest part of the defense overall for the past 16 years.

Bottom line is Phil Parker's defense is not very good right now and really don't see it being much better next year. There are without a doubt many better coaches out there who'd make better DC. I just don't see anybody knocking down the doors of the football complex asking to meet with Parker.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

I'm pretty sure it's because he's fat and bald. Those guys always get the breaks in life with everyone sucking up to them and wanting to be their friend.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I'm pretty sure it's because he's fat and bald. Those guys always get the breaks in life with everyone sucking up to them and wanting to be their friend.[/QQUOT


See Mangino!!

 

[DDThompson]

Never said every DB/CB that played was weak, but of the DLinemen, LBackers and DB's, the DB's were the weakest part of the defense overall for the past 16 years.

Bottom line is Phil Parker's defense is not very good right now and really don't see it being much better next year. There are without a doubt many better coaches out there who'd make better DC. I just don't see anybody knocking down the doors of the football complex asking to meet with Parker.

I never said you said that every DB/CB that played was weak. That's a weak strawman.

If DBs were the weakest part of the defense that's like saying the weakest food service stock in a portfolio of McDonalds, Subway, and Starbucks is Starbucks.

Hawks drafted in NFL since 2000:

7 Linebackers (2 selected in one season)
9 Defense Linemen (3 selected in 2011)
11 Defense Backs

11 DBs were drafted into the NFL in 14 years.

Your opinion that the DBs are weakest part of defense is not as strong as you might like to think.

 

[DDThompson]

whaaaaaa..

 

[tm3308]

We played some really, really bad teams this year. That helped with our stats on defense.

The Indiana game probably would have gotten out of control if we didn't knock their QB out of the game. They ended up putting a kid in to play QB who was recruited to play LB, and it showed with his passing "attempts".

Northwestern game appeared as though they didn't want to be there. We just completely shell shocked them. Ball St, ISU we held those teams in check, it's just our offense chose to do nothing all game, costing us ISU. The Wisconsin game was the only game all year where the defense looked like a Iowa defense of the past. Hard hitting, seemed faster than normal...but they still got beat to the edge by a QB zone/read, and couldn't get off the field on 3rd down (something that happened a lot during Norm's last few years).

I think Parker gets a pass because last year's group performed pretty well (again, Big10 has some of the weakest QB's in the nation). We struggled to get off the field against OSU, but other than that game, we seemed to do OK.

The entire staff needs to go. Name one position that has IMPROVED since KF made changes? Reese Morgan might be the only one who's done OK, and his guys will make a play from time to time, but never when it counts. But DL is probably our strongest position, although DE is really bad.

Special teams have gotten worse.
OL is a mess
Running Backs are worse
WR - worse (KMM broke a record, but season stats are pretty pathetic)
TE - Wash. Have their moments, but we never use them other than 3 yard outs
LB - Great last year, really bad this year. Definitely talent issue, but the fact they NEVER improved is alarming
Overall offense - more boring than the KOK years. At least KOK offense you knew there was an idea, or plan. Running game, PA passes over the middle.

KF had a chance to really shake up the program with his hires a few years ago. He went safe with Parker, hoping Phil learned enough from Norm over the years. Davis is a disaster.

We have regressed at all phases of the game. Parker does wonders getting our CB's drafted to play safety in the NFL. They are solid tacklers (though our safeties are not), so he appears to be a good teacher. DC....doesn't seem like it.

If KF were to make changes, do we have any hope he'd make solid ones?

Uh, what? Our WR production was pretty significantly improved this year. KMM led the team with 388 receiving yards last year and the WR's had 10 TD's. This year, the group put up 11 TD's and we had two receivers (Smith and KMM) post over 500 yards. Production for the #'s 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 WR's was up across the board.

That's not to say the group had good production overall, but no one who actually looks at the numbers can say they got worse.

 

[HomerChampless]

Phil Parker was the DB coach during this time, correct? They were our weakest unit on D in my opinion during Norm's time on the sideline.

Norm was successful because the players would have taken a bullet for him plus he knew what he was doing more then the current DC. In Phil Parker's defense, I'd never want to follow a Norm Parker as a DC.

Here you go again. Posters determining the worth of a unit or coach of Iowa football by the poster's perception of how a higher Iowa football coach considers the worth of a unit or coach of Iowa football.

What did I just say? Here's a simile: Just like KF likes Phil Parker (best) because he's Iowa's DC and KF likes the defense the best,
Norm Parker, as Iowa's DC, paid as little resources as possible to pass coverage. Safeties were in the box to stop the run. Pass defense was always zone pass defense.. opponents' offenses were tasked to go the length of the field and Norm figured that was difficult for any opponents because they would invariably find a way to step on their own ***** before they scored a TD.

Phil Parker's pass defense under Norm Parker was the 'weakest' unit of Iowa's defense because Norm paid so much attention to opponents' running games and made a point to rush the QB (instead of defending the pass reception).

Nothing wrong with Phil Parker's schemes as Iowa's DC. Lacking athleticism and experience were problems Iowa's defense encountered. Too bad some Iowa coaches counted so much on Iowa's defense.

 

[Cyhawkuni]

This is not an excuse and in the end everything rolls up to Ferentz. To answer the original question, my opinion is that Davis is under fire due to his failed schematics (with direction from Ferentz). Parker is not due to the majority of his failures being personnel (Failed recruiting by Ferentz).

I don't mind Parker for he is more agressive them Norm and has to coach with what he has. Davis on the other hand elects to choose horizontal runs/passes with slower players (Weisman and all of our WR's)

A fresh start is needed imo

 

[ColoradoHAWKEYE]

This is not an excuse and in the end everything rolls up to Ferentz. To answer the original question, my opinion is that Davis is under fire due to his failed schematics (with direction from Ferentz). Parker is not due to the majority of his failures being personnel (Failed recruiting by Ferentz).

I don't mind Parker for he is more agressive them Norm and has to coach with what he has. Davis on the other hand elects to choose horizontal runs/passes with slower players (Weisman and all of our WR's)

A fresh start is needed imo

Nice post...and I agree. PP only had less heat because A) we "believe" he was using his best talent available, and that talent was not so great, so it was almost anticipated that we would be softer on D to begin with.

And B) the O was solo boring and stale and underutilized talent was not given chances that may have produced different results (or at least, more watchable results).

PP was only given the verbal pass because there are so many more glowing deficiencies elsewhere...starting at the top with KF, as well as recruiting.

 

[DDThompson]

Here you go again. Posters determining the worth of a unit or coach of Iowa football by the poster's perception of how a higher Iowa football coach considers the worth of a unit or coach of Iowa football.

What did I just say? Here's a simile: Just like KF likes Phil Parker (best) because he's Iowa's DC and KF likes the defense the best,
Norm Parker, as Iowa's DC, paid as little resources as possible to pass coverage. Safeties were in the box to stop the run. Pass defense was always zone pass defense.. opponents' offenses were tasked to go the length of the field and Norm figured that was difficult for any opponents because they would invariably find a way to step on their own ***** before they scored a TD.

Phil Parker's pass defense under Norm Parker was the 'weakest' unit of Iowa's defense because Norm paid so much attention to opponents' running games and made a point to rush the QB (instead of defending the pass reception).

Nothing wrong with Phil Parker's schemes as Iowa's DC. Lacking athleticism and experience were problems Iowa's defense encountered. Too bad some Iowa coaches counted so much on Iowa's defense.

I think you're pretty much right about the NP philosophy. DL was basically to push straight up into pocket and eat up blockers so LBs could stop RBs and QB scrambles. DBs were tasked with keeping ball in front of them and getting INTs/hitting hard for fumbles.

By the way, the quote attributed to me in your post isn't mine. It's br18's. Not your fault. I think the copy/paste got messed up in post #36 and has continued on. After that I responded to br18 with "reply with quote" and it looks like I quoted myself. I didn't. But my posts and br18's are switched since then.

 

[taffaej]

I don't think he does, but Ferentz is the master mind, and has final say in how we line up on game day. Why waist good anger and posts on coordinators at this point? All coaches have proven they can't recruit or coach at this level anymore. We need to clean house.

 

[knighthawk13]

Unlike others I was ok with the Parker hire. Here's a guy that has been loyally waiting in the wings..he's had his chance. And you hit on a great point PP SHOULDN'T get a pass...you could argue that he was responsible for a being embarrassed at Minn and again with a MONTH to prepare against Tennessee. As a matter of fact Phil's performance may be worse than anyone on the staff.

Yes, Phil definitely coached his players to forget how to tackle. I think he also coached them to be a step slower than the athletes on the other team. Iowa isn't always going to have a top 20 defense. It didn't when Norm was here. When we have to replace 3 starting LBs, we need to rely on the offense to make up some ground. We also should take a look at the roster and decide whether or not to go the JUCO route. If Phil has any say in the latter, then he should be called out for it. The raider package was all Phil and was successful. I'm not sure why they went away from that this year, but I'm guessing it had something to do with the talent on the field. Again, call him out for recruiting, but he is not a bad defensive coordinator.

 

[Billso]

Past the D-line, we were physically overmatched AND our fundamentals sucked all year. Angles, tackling, DB technique. Some of that's coaching but it's not all coaching. A fail on D the likes we've really never seen before from a KF team.

 

[knighthawk13]

Past the D-line, we were physically overmatched AND our fundamentals sucked all year. Angles, tackling, DB technique. Some of that's coaching but it's not all coaching. A fail on D the likes we've really never seen before from a KF team.

Don't disagree with what you are saying. Phil's squad has been solid enough in the past to escape the same criticism the offense deserves. To say they deserve equal treatment is laughable.