O-Coordinator Jimmy Raye II and QB Coach Mike Johnson

“Well, I think basically what we had a shared experience about was the fact that the team’s that I’ve been the leader of as a coordinator have been tough physical football teams that run the ball and have a physicality about them, but play an offense that takes care of the contingencies of the defense. But the overriding factor is that we want to be tough-minded, physically and emotionally, and I think those were the things that [Mike Singletary] was excited about.” -- Jimmy Raye II, Offensive Coordinator

It took a while, but Mike Singletary finally decided to settle on former Jets RB coach Jimmy Raye II as the new OC for the 2009 season with former Ravens WR coach Mike Johnson filling in as the QB coach. You can find all their stats and history profiles on their wiki-sites or from one of the Matts' blogs.

What do I think? Well, first of all, I've learned to never judge a pick up until I see what he can do. I've come to realize that the people in charge of my team are professionals, which I am not, thus they are much more likely than I am to make good football decisions for the team. Though they're not big name coaches, Coach Sing is no fool and he hired Raye and Johnson for a reason. He had many choices to go with, and he went with the coaches he believed would give the team the best chance to win, so that must mean something. If anything, I always like to give them the benefit of the doubt. It keeps me from getting sad.

Here are what I think are the positives...

1. Raye has a lot of experience; the most experience of any candidate that was interviewed for the job. That experience will be crucial in aiding Coach Sing in his first full year as head coach. Already, this is one characteristic that no other candidate could match. The last head coach he was under as an O-coordinator: Norv Turner.

2. Raye has had some recent success running ball, as the Jets ranked 9th in rushing yards last year. Also, he was the Rams OC when Eric Dickerson broke the league-record for rushing yards in 1984. It should be safe to assume that Raye and Singletary have similar philosophies in terms of running an offense.

3. The hiring of Raye will bring something the offense hasn't had in years--offensive continuity. It's safe to say that no one will be looking at Raye as a head coach candidate any time soon. Raye will surely be in for the long haul (which I hope is a good thing).

4. Jimmy Raye is old school. To some people, that's a bad thing. But to others, like myself, it's a breath of fresh air. He's the anti-Martz. What he brings to the team is a fundamental, smash-mouth brand of football that has been proven to win games. I know I'm in the minority here. Everyone these days in the Madden Era want to see shoot outs and record breaking scores. However, the most consistent teams over the years have been winning games on the ground.

...and now the negatives...

1. Jimmy Raye is very old. While he has a lot of experience, you have to wonder if he can be innovative enough to out-smart other coordinators.

2. Overall, he doesn't have the best track record. From a statistical viewpoint, his offenses have been just average. He's only cracked the top-10 in one year with the Chiefs, and most of those yards came through the air. However, Raye's work with the Chiefs gives the Niners a reason to be hopeful. During his tenure as an OC in Kansas City, TE Tony Gonzalez stood out as the most productive TE in the league, averaging 83 catches, 1060 yards, and 7.5 touchdowns. If Jimmy Raye can finally unleash Vernon Davis, and transform him into the playmaker he was intended to be, he would prove to be the most effective OC since Greg Knapp.

3. Jim Hostler has been quoted to be a disciple of Raye. This is bad because anything related to Hostler has to be very, very bad.

4. He looks funny!


So, that's four positives versus four negatives. In conclusion, I'm not mad at the hire but I'm not really ecstatic either. Shit, I'm just glad we picked someone already. Other than Linehan, I wasn't really sold on any of the either candidates anyway. To be honest, I'm much more excited about the Tom Rathman hiring than I am about this. Speaking of which, I think Rathman, more than anything or anyone, will have most significant positive influence for this team.

For next year, I predict our offense will be solid, not spectacular, and our defense will carry us into the playoffs. I also predict a better year overall for Frank Gore and less turnovers and sacks on offense. Most importantly, our offense will become much more physical and resemble a more smash mouth style of offense. Seriously, how can anyone complain if all that happened? Anyway, I wish Jimmy Raye and Mike Johnson (and Tom Rathman) good luck and I look forward to seeing what they can do.

NEXT: Super Bowl & Mock Draft 4.0