AFC Notes: Lou Anarumo, Colts, Liam Coen, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

When discussing his philosophy during his introductory press conference, Coltsโ€™ new DC Lou Anarumo said itโ€™s important to build a system that keeps โ€œquarterbacks off balance.โ€ 

โ€œGoing through the playoffs and things like that and to the Super Bowl, you have to keep those great quarterbacks off balance,โ€ Anarumo said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN. โ€œI think you have to make them uncomfortable. Even the best ones, at times, youโ€™re not going to fool them all day. But if itโ€™s in the most critical situation, thatโ€™s what youโ€™re hoping to do. And, certainly, weโ€™ve had some success doing that.โ€

Colts GM Chris Ballard said they found value in Anarumoโ€™s aggressive defense. 

โ€œI definitely think there is value,โ€ Ballard said. โ€œYou have to be able to affect the quarterback.โ€

Anarumo added todayโ€™s game requires defenses to have a โ€œmultipleโ€ base and is taking examples from what he learned with the Bengals. 

โ€œI think you have to be flexible these days and [be] multiple,โ€ Anarumo said. โ€œWhen youโ€™re playing the quarterbacks, especially on our side in the AFC โ€” going against Joe [Burrow] every day in practice, trying to guard Tee [Higgins] and Jaโ€™Marr [Chase], guys like that โ€” it lends to not just, โ€˜Hey, youโ€™re going to be in this coverage. Youโ€™re going to stay in that.โ€™ Itโ€™d be a long day.โ€

Jaguars

Jaguarsโ€™ new HC Liam Coen departed from the Buccaneers just one day after accepting a new contract to stay in Tampa Bay. Coen said his decision came down to taking care of his family and to fulfill his dream of becoming a head coach. 

โ€œAt the end of the day? It came down to business,โ€ Coen said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. โ€œIt did. It came down to family and business and a dream that was right in front of you! Not maybe down the road. How do you say no to that?โ€

Coen said Tampa Bay never pressured him to return before he initially withdrew himself from Jacksonvilleโ€™s coaching search when Trent Baalke was still GM. 

โ€œNo, not really,โ€ Coen said. โ€œNone at all.โ€

Coen said many Buccaneers players encouraged him to take the Jaguarsโ€™ job, including Baker Mayfield, RB Bucky Irving, WRMike Evans, and several offensive linemen. 

โ€œLiterally, Iโ€™m FaceTiming with Baker and the O-linemen in the Bahamas and theyโ€™re like, โ€˜Liam! Go get that! You go get that!โ€™โ€ Coen said. โ€œAnd (running back) Bucky (Irving) is telling me that he loves me. I just texted with (receiver) Mike Evans. Heโ€™s at the Pro Bowl. Guess what? If my coaches and my players, if theyโ€™re good, Iโ€™m good.โ€

Titans

  • According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Titans held off a โ€œlate surgeโ€ of interest in assistant GM Dave Ziegler.
  • Breer thinks Ziegler staying on Tennesseeโ€™s front office staff is a testament to their new model of business. 

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