When Mike Pettine was hired as the 15th full-time head coach of the Cleveland Browns last Thursday, Jay Glazer and Alex Marvez of Fox Sports said they felt it was the type of hire that had potential to be something special.
Both Fox Sports personalities expressed their views on the Pettine hire when they stopped by Cleveland Browns Daily, Driven by Liberty Ford earlier this week on Radio Row at Super Bowl XLVIII in New York City.
"I love the hire, I really do because he's a grunt," Glazer said. "He's one of those regular guys I think the players are going to love. He really is a grunt. I don't see this guy changing. Most of the times, guys change when they get the head-coaching job and then, change back. I just don't see that happening with him. If he can do that and be who you are, I think the guys will follow him."
Marvez added, "I like it. Believe it or not, the Browns may have the right guy. Mike Pettine doesn't fit into a lot of what the previous Cleveland Browns coaches have had in terms of personality. You've had cerebral guys and you've had guys who aren't necessarily fiery, emotional guys."
Marvez described Pettine's hire as positive because, in his opinion, the former defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets possesses a different demeanor than his predecessors in Cleveland.
"When you go ahead and get a coach with a 180-degree opposite personality than what you've had before, I think these guys are going to play hard for him," Marvez said. "I think he's going to press the right buttons."
Pettine comes to Cleveland after a successful 2013 season as the Bills' defensive coordinator.
Buffalo set a franchise record and were second-best in the NFL with 57 sacks, only one year removed from when the Bills collected only 36 in 2012. The Bills were the only team in the league to have three players register double-digit sack totals.
In addition to the quarterback sacks, the Bills finished 10th in total defense, second in interceptions, third in opposing quarterback rating, fourth against the pass, sixth in yards-per-play average and tied for sixth with 30 takeaways.
"Defensively, this is going to be a heck of a team," Glazer said. "They are going to be a tough team to deal with."
Marvez added, "I think that he's extremely comfortable with the defensive staff that he is putting together, and the Browns finally got a little bit of luck here. The Bills, by hiring Jim Schwartz, are allowing some coaches of theirs to leave because Jim wants to assemble his own staff.
"That's really a boon for the Browns. All of the sudden, they're going to get some coaches that understand this defense, are able to put it in. When I talk to Bills players, they love Mike Pettine. They love the fact that it's such an aggressive defense."
POTENTIAL CHANGE CAUSES CONCERN
Talk of the NFL possibly eliminating extra points after touchdowns has raised red flags for those who make a living as kickers in the National Football League, and both of the placekickers from each of the Super Bowl XLVIII participants expressed concern for their futures.
"One day I'm sure they will just take kickers out of the game completely, that is the direction it looks like they are going," Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater said, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Seattle's Steven Hauschka later added, "I'd like to keep it the way it is. We've got the most popular game in the country right now and growing worldwide. But we are in danger of being marginalized."
The potential rule change also bothered Denver punter/holder Britton Colquitt, who is the third member of his family to be an NFL punter along with his father, Craig, who won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his brother, Dustin, who is Kansas City's punter.
"They always like to take it out on the kicker, that is why we are the lonely kicker," said Colquitt. "Where do you stop? How many rules do you want to change? Why change it? It doesn't even take that long, guys aren't getting hurt on that play. It takes about 25-30 seconds, why not do it? Why take our jobs away?"
KAP SUPPORTS DENVER
After throwing his second interception of the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick walked off the field while Seattle defensive back Richard Sherman wrapped two hands around his throat as if to signify the third-year signal-caller choked away a chance to reach back-to-back Super Bowls.
That gesture did not sit well with Kaepernick, and he expressed his support of the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII to Bart Hubbach of the New York Post.
Hubbach Tweeted some excerpts of his time with Kaepernick:
Colin Kaepernick on Sherman: "He's afraid of our receivers, and that's something I'm looking forward to [exploiting] next year."
"If I throw that ball one foot farther, it's a TD and now you're the goat, Richard Sherman."
Colin Kaepernick on Sherman: "His comments were ridiculous. If you have to tell people how good you are, then how good are you really?"
