Welcome to a new feature on CSC, Beyond the Visor. In this series of posts, I will touch on the histories and backgrounds of the Saints coaching staff, beyond the big names we already know much about.
This inaugural edition will profile the current offensive coordinator, Payton's right-hand man, your friend and mine, the fantastic, the electrifying, the amazing...Pete Carmichael, Jr.!!!!
If you're like me, you know Pete Carmichael, Jr., as the bespectacled guy who is often found just off Payton's shoulder on the sidelines, or the dude sitting with Brees on the bench between offensive series, looking at the polaroids and processing the in-game info. You may also have mistakenly thought at one time that he was related to the former Eagles receiver Harold Carmichael. But there's more to this guy than that...much more.
Pete was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, and played both football and baseball in high school. He lettered in baseball at Boston College, where he was team captain, and MVP as a senior. In 1994, he graduated with a degree in mathematics. It's also interesting to note that his father is/was a football coach, too.
Junior jumped right into the coaching ranks after that, signing on as the assistant offensive line coach for the mighty Wildcats of the University of New Hampshire in 1994, and his next coaching stop was a five-year run as the quarterbacks coach for Louisiana Tech, a tenure during which numerous team and individual passing records were set.
The reborn Cleveland Browns gave him his first NFL coaching gig, as a tight ends/offensive assistant in 2000. Pete then served as a quality control coach for the Redskins in 2001, before latching on with the San Diego Chargers from 2002-2005. During his time with the Chargers, he moved up from an offensive assistant/quality control coach to assistant wide receivers coach.
Carmichael has worked with quarterbacks and the passing game since coming to New Orleans in 2006, taking over the offensive coordinator position in 2009, when Doug Marrone left to become head football coach at Syracuse.
With offensive guru Sean Payton as head coach, one might wonder just what Carmichael's duties actually are. Sean Payton described in the 2009 Kevin Spain article referenced above.
During the practice week:
"Pete handles all the quarterback meetings with (quarterbacks coach) Joe (Lombardi)," Payton said. "Pete sits in on all the installs. He's involved in the installs. He handles the staff. (Friday night) for example, practice is ending, the staff is meeting at the hotel and Pete's running the meeting. I'm not there. That happens a lot. He's done a great job."
Game-day duties:
"His role on game day is on the sidelines he'll work hand in hand with the quarterbacks as they come off, communicate with Joe Lombardi," Payton said. "They'll go through the pictures with Drew (Brees) and the quarterbacks and really be my voice or ear in the passing game with my thoughts each series. I have a lot of trust in him. He works very hard at it, is very diligent and very thorough. He's done a great job."
Pete is a married man, with a wife, Tina, and some children - Peter, John, and Allison.
It's Friday afternoon which means it's time for another Fast Five questions! The objective is simple: I ask you guys five questions and you answer them in the comment section below. This week our questions revolve around the future of the NFL after the lockout finally get's settled, whenever that may be.
I look forward to reading your answers and getting to know each and every one of you a little better through your opinions. The more participation, the better!
Do you think the lockout will have an overall effect on the quality of the on-field product next season?
Will the lockout cause a decrease in overall fan support? Will it hurt the league's public image longterm?
Will hard feelings linger between players and owners after the lockout?
Will the trade association formerly known as the NFLPA re-unionize when the lockout ends?
What will be the most positive result of the NFL lockout?
Everyone knows that Sean Payton loves to pass the ball. It's such an accepted fact that few challenge the notion. However, I was curious (and bored) and started wondering if Payton really calls that many more passing plays than the rest of the league.
So I dug deep into some stats and ended up documenting the amount of plays called for both runs and passes. Then, I compared those to the total plays to find the overall percentage. Finally, I threw in "average pass efficiency" and "average run efficiency," which ended up being fancy words for "yards per attempt" and "yards per carry."
If you don't like stats then I'm warning you now, before you make the jump.
Before I go into detail explaining my process, I figured it would be easier to follow along if you could see the data first and be able to go back to it as I explain.
(Click image to enlarge. All stats came from NFL.com)
As you can see, all five years he's been the head coach of the Saints, Payton's called plays are there, in order from 2006 to 2010. Now to explain the other teams you see on the list: I wanted to compare the Saints playcalling to the most extreme versions of other offenses. I included the teams with the most passing and rushing attempts, and the teams with the least passing and rushing attempts. These teams fluctuated from year to year, and sometimes had one team filling two positions (In 2006, the Falcons had both the largest amount of rushing attempts and lowest amount of passing attempts) so I designated those teams as different.
After getting those, I just copied numbers from the NFL website into a spreadsheet and added little details, e.g., the results of the season.
Only thing left to do is simply read the data, which I'll try to go over.
Findings:
To answer the question I posted in the headline, yes, Payton calls tons of passing plays. Maybe too much. He was above average every year besides 2009 (the year the Saints won the Super Bowl) and almost always had a 60/40 pass-to-run ratio. However, this data actually reveals a lot more. It also raises even more questions then I expected.
The first thing I see are the 2006 passing numbers: Payton had a 60/40 pass-to-run ratio right out of the box. However, he made the playoffs and almost took the Saints to the Super Bowl.
There also seems to be little rhyme or reason to Payton's methods. Yards per carry were the same in 2007 and 2006, but Payton chose to run the ball less in '07. Then yards per carry went up in 2008 but Payton ran the ball around the same number of times as in 2007. Payton's most curious case came recently in 2010. YPC was a healthy 4.0, yet the Saints only ran the ball 36.50% of the time.
All in all, it's hard for me to draw any solid conclusions. The only thing I know for sure is that Payton likes calling passing plays, our eyes and the data agree on that.
More importantly than my thoughts, though, are yours. I want to hear from the community on this. How do you feel about Payton's playcalling after seeing the numbers behind it? Do you notice something that I didn't mention earlier? Do you have any opinions to add?
LanceMoore16 Hope everyone has a great n productive day!!!
jeffduncantp Great point. RT @davegoldberg84: I've been trying to stay neutral, but layoffs + private planes makes owners look like greedy misanthropes.
jeffduncantp RT @scottfujita99: Saw two white-tailed kite birds attempting to mate in flight yesterday. Is it weird that I was trying to get a picture?
Official_Saints Camp Tiger gives disadvantaged and challenged children an enjoyable summer camp experience.
reggie_bush Good morning world! On my way to put in another work day! What's on your agenda? Don't count the days, make the days count! (Shoutout to Stujo for posting this in a comment earlier today)
jgoody76 On this highway again. What's happening twitter?
HeathEvans "@New49ersRegime: @HeathEvans I thought u lived n New Orleans" I do/did! Free-Agent! Can't sign a new deal. Sold home! Going 2 Auburn 2train
miketripletttp RT @lholder_cbs_nba: Fujita on owners: "Trust has been broken. Theres been a fracture, but I also think it's something that can be mended."
usama_young28 Sama's Movie Ratings..... Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, gets 3 out of 5 Fleur de Lis. Decent, Penelope Cruz was the best part
usama_young28 Saw it. 4 Fleur de lis out of 5 RT @MiracleBP: @usama_young28have you seen Kick Ass?.if not you should check it out on Netflix.and rate it!
ChaseDaniel Dallas for the day for my Mom's birthday then headed up to Missouri tomorrow!
MalcolmJenkins man all this crap is making me lose focus.... i gotta get ready for my flag football game tonight. bout to be a real live pros vs joes lol
Report: Falcons cut employee pay | ESPN.com Pat Y. - On the same day the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced employees will be furloughed next week (with a chance to regain lost wages if the full 2011 season is played), there’s news of more cutbacks in the NFC South.
Tracy Porter makes the "Twindex'' | ESPN.com Pat Y. - Atlanta's Roddy White and New Orleans' Reggie Bush made some headlines with their work on Twitter earlier this offseason. TP made the list and Heath got honorable mention. This blurb links to another article.
For those of you that watch the HBO series Treme (bonus link to Dave Walker's 'Treme' page on nola.com), you know that a recent episode (ep #4 of Season 2) featured a scene of New Orleanians in a New York bar watching the Saints-Giants game from December 24, 2006.
The New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Giants, 30-7, on Dec. 24, 2006. The New York bar where Delmond re-ups with James Woodrow and meets Janette is actually Chuck's Sports Bar, 510 Gravier. Read more about the bar it's standing in for, NYC's Bar None. The origin and ownership of "Who Dat?" is a matter of endless debate and occasional litigation, but its rise in popularity among New Orleans Saints fans came during the 1983 season thanks, in part, to then-New Orleans sportscaster, and eternal New York Mets World Series hero, Ron Swoboda, who now does broadcast work for the New Orleans Zephyrs. The Louisiana Purchase. Picasso. Louis Armstrong. Oscar "Papa" Celestin.
That scene got me reminiscing and thinking...come with me across the jump for more!
As the characters in the show watched the game, talked, and cheered for the Saints, it gave me a warm feeling inside and reminded me that that Week 16 game was one of my favorite of the entire 2006 season (along with the reopening of the Dome and the Sunday Night pasting of Dallas).
It was so for a number of reasons:
It was Christmas Eve (I love the holidays!), and we were in St. Louis to be with my wife's family. I wasn't sure until the last minute if the game would be shown at my in-law's house. Not only was it on, but my wife's whole family sat with me to watch the game and root on the Saints (that was the moment they officially adopted the Saints as their second favorite team - after the Rams, of course).
Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush BOTH went over 100 yards on the ground, as the swirling winds greatly limited the effectiveness of our vaunted passing game. We dominated TOP in that game 40:34 - 19:26.
The defense did not allow the Giants to snap the ball on our side of the field for the whole game, and only gave up one score in the first half to them.
The 30-7 beatdown of New York in the elements at Giants Stadium made me feel much better about our postseason chances following the surprising and embarrassing loss to the Redskins from the week before.
My Saints Santa hat and black Saints pullover windbreaker then made a spectacularly great outfit for the Christmas Eve party we went to at my brother-in-law's house that night.
Here's a video of Saints and Giants fans getting in a fight late in the game...I'm not sure who started it, though.
Now I want you to tell me and the rest of our CSCers about where you were when watching the Saints play on that great December 24, 2006. Was it special for you, too? If so, what made the game special for you?
Below are answers to this weeks reader questions submitted Tuesday. There will be answers to more of your questions laster today. Special thanks to all those that participated. Feel free to continue the discussion in the comment section below.
Darren Sharper says he feels good and is ready to play this year. Do you think he will be in 2009 form or should he hang up the cleats and pick up a microphone? - Catfish S.
Tough one. After last year I would think Sharper wants to put together one more good season and go out on a high note. But my expectations are low and if I were a betting man, I would probably put my money on the fact that Sharper already missed his exit last off-season. I would be cautiously optimistic on this one.
Do you think that the front office will go out and try to get another LB in free agency? I can see Gregg Williams content with Casillas, Vilma, Martez, and Shanle if they all sign, but I think he could do amazing things with just a little more talent there. - Andrew T.
They've got quite a lot of linebackers on the roster right now. I'd say the Saints are pretty happy with the improvements they've already made this off-season. Whenever the season starts, there is going to be some fierce competition and special teams is going to be a huge factor. But, I could definitely seem them added a bit more competition. It would predict that it would be through undrafted free agency, however. I wouldn't expect them to go after a big name.
Would you be in favor of (privately funded) renovations to make the Superdome a retractable roof stadium? - Cold P.
If I don't have to pay for it as a season ticket holder or as a resident of Orleans Parish in the state of Louisiana, I don't see why not. On those beautiful and non-humid Sunday afternoons in autumn, my wife and I often comment that it's a shame we have to sit indoors for four hours. I think a retractable roof would be cool. Nobody has ever purchased naming rights to the Superdome. I'm not sure if there are any laws that would prevent it but getting a corporation to foot the bill in exchange for changing the name of the stadium might be an option. Just thinking out loud here.
I have a quick question for you: over the last few weeks I've noticed that I seem to be the only woman posting comments on CSC. I get it - most sports blogs are male dominated. I read them for work (though yours I read because I'm a Saints fan). But CSC has zero women? - Katy M.
Good question. I take pride in the fact that Canal Street Chronicles is a place where female fans can feel comfortable among a mostly male readership. We've actually got quite a few registered female members, though nowhere near all of them are active commenters. Some of our more prominent female members, however, includeSarahT, CrazyforColston, janepriceestrada, and N_O_1saintfan. Hello, ladies!
Dave, If we ever do have a season this year, who are your 11 on offense and 11 on defense starting first against Green Bay? And also, who are your punt and kickoff returners? - Tommy V.
This ought to stir up a lot of discussion. Here's my crack at it:
Below are answers to this weeks reader questions submitted Tuesday. There will be answers to more of your questions laster today. Special thanks to all those that participated. Feel free to continue the discussion in the comment section below.
Do you think the lockout will be lifted and when? - J. Ricky
Of course I think the lockout will be lifted, it's the second part of your question that remains a mystery to me and everyone else. Nobody has the real answer to this question, only opinions. I'm hoping that it gets lifted legally sometime at the end of June. Then it might be a while before a new deal actually gets signed. But at least we'll have football. If it doesn't get lifted, hopefully as the season nears and the realization that serious money will be lost, both players and owners will start to take negotiations even more seriously.
Is this a make or break year for Usama Young. - Big D.
Short answer: no. After five years I think Usama Young's career path has already been defined and that's as a mediocre backup and a solid special teams ace. If you're expecting any more from him then you'll probably continue to be disappointed that Young hasn't "made it."
Which is your second favorite NFL team and why? - Cold P.
Why would I need a second favorite NFL team? Seriously though, I have no interest in any other teams. I apologize if that sounds like a politically rote answer. I fell in love with the Saints before gaining an interest in the actual game of football. I will admit that as a very young kid I followed the Packers a little because I liked their team colors. I even had a Reggie White jersey. That all disappeared when I began playing hockey, however.
If you could have five saints players or coaches around for dinner (3 current/2 former) who would you choose and why? - hrp
Leigh Torrence - He went to Stanford and is supposed to be pretty smart.
Sean Payton - Other than Brees, he's the one steering the ship. Definitely need to pick his brain.
Archie Manning - Because of his history with the Saints and the fact that he's Peyton and Eli's father.
Sam Mills - Wasn't a Saints fan back then but everyone seems to love him. I want to find out what all the fuss is about.
Since becoming the head blogger for CSC, what is/was your favorite story you ever wrote? - Jon Banks
Ooooh, this is a tough one. I'm not going to be able to give you just one and I'm sure I'm going to forget one or two. My all-time favorite was probably Hell Hath No Fury Like a Who Dat's Scorned. It felt great to write and it was obviously well received. For our newer members, I highly recommend giving that one a read. When the Saints first signed Gregg Williams, I did some research and wrote an in-depth article on him titled Gregg Williams: A Complete History. At the time I think it was the most anyone had written about the man in the blogosphere and it brought in a lot of visitors the entire summer. I also love the interviews. I think they show how far we've come as a "blog" and as a fan, it's always exciting to talk to the players.
Is there any talk of an SBN/CSC app? I've got a Droid but either Droid or iPhone, the mobile site is just so slow and seems like an app could do it justice. - GRIZZ
Actually, yes, there is. In fact, SB Nation has a team right now dedicated to creating an app and improving your mobile experience. Of all the things they're currently working on behind the scenes, they are most excited about this. I would expect something relatively soon and we will let you know when it happens.
Deuce mcallister Good Morning Twit Fam I hope today is great for All
Chase Daniel Headed to breakfast with our raffle winners! Wonder if they have any clue what's coming their way haha!
Courtney Roby Watch'n 1 of my favorite shows, "The Price Is Right"...these folks do tha MOST when their name is called..this lady ran the whole building!!
Jermon Bushrod Maaaan I'm craving crawfish... @jessmendez_ is slackin.. She usually want them 2 times a week
DANNY CLARK Its Weds evening. What's the plan for tonight?
Reggie Bush Hey guys please support my Kids Charity Football Camp by texting REGGIE to 28553. Proceeds allow underprivileged kids to go to my camp!
Darren Sharper Aint it bout a blip. Come back from my euro vacation. And lose my phone.!!
Courtney Roby Now i have lost all of my tweets... #twitter is trippin..!
Jermon Bushrod We LOCKED out, they won't let us IN whoooooaaaa, they won't let us IN!! (akon voice) remixed slightly
Jermon Bushrod Shhhhhhhhhh don't say nothin!!! #oops I wasn't solo tho lolyfrog.com/h7f8msaj
Mike Triplett #Saints rookie tailback Mark Ingram was at Wednesday's workouts. He joined teammates recently so he could start learning plays, terminology.
Mike Triplett Ingram was hesitant to do the full workout program since he's not under contract but decided it was benefit to learn and develop chemistry.
Larry Holder So coaches are now claiming "irreparable harm" like players in the lockout? I'm sure the owners love this.
Jeff Duncan Russ Ball is one of the most underrated front-office execs in the NFL. Widely respected throughout the league. Long overdue for a GM job
Larry Holder Drew Brees told reporters today that the #Saints players have two more weeks of their workout program at Tulane.
Larry Holder #Saints players taking off next week, but will have two more weeks at Tulane after the Memorial Day break.
Larry Holder Brees said he certainly knows Mark Ingram has been working out: "He looks great." Brees said Ingram has to get used to speed, grind of game.
Larry Holder Brees on Colston being in NFLN's Top 60 players ahead of Austin, Marshall, Jennings and yet no Pro Bowls: "He just does things quietly."
Larry Holder Brees on his and Colston's future together: "I feel like we've got a lot of great years together." Both are in final years of contracts.
Larry Holder Ingram: "I've been meeting with Drew (Brees) and a couple of the guys, just learning the system and getting familiar with things out here."
I have no idea what the answer to this question is... I'm hoping that one of you do.
Prior to this season I would have said that Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and/or Reggie Bush were the obvious three that could compete for the title of "Fastest Play on the Saints." Since then, though, Henderson kind of seems like he's lost a step, Meachem has had that bad toe injury that severely slowed him down and Reggie Bush broke a leg. Are they still the top three fastest players on the team after last season?
The Saints don't really have any top flight players in the defensive backfield. I'd say Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer are the fastest of the bunch, but I don't think either touch Devery/Meachem/Bush in a foot race. Add Lance Moore to the mix too, who's apparently pretty quick himself. Does anyone have any 40-yard dash times to share?
According to Madden 11, the speed ratings were:
Devery Henderson - 98
Reggie Bush - 97
Robert Meachem - 94
Tracy Porter - 92
Jabari Greer - 88
Lance Moore - 87
How does the video game compile these speed ratings anyway? We all know the Madden ratings are often erroneous and you can't go by them. Example, Carl Nicks as a 94 strength rating and Jahri Evans has 96. It's commonly known in real life, however, that Nicks is by far the strongest player on the team. No one can touch him in the weight room, big Jahri included. But still, there must be some thought put into these ratings. I also think a year has changed things. Devery has beefed up a bit and Reggie/Meachem are both coming off injury plagued seasons.
If you had to guess, who is the fastest player on the Saints roster?
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