Jack Del Rio and the Oakland Raiders opting to retain Ken Norton Jr. is the right decision — for now.
Raider Nation has been trying to fire Ken Norton Junior for a season and a half now. True to his boxing pedigree, he has deftly bobbed and weaved through your hashtags and angry tweets, and lived to fight another season as the Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator (thus far).
There are a litany of reasons why Ken Norton should’ve been canned the moment the clock struck zero on the Raiders’ season in Houston this past weekend. Statistically, his unit regressed (albeit minorly) between the 2015 and 2016 regular seasons, despite having more talent this year. His players routinely looked confused about what they were supposed to do. Hell, his boss routinely looks confused at some of the laughably cringeworthy ways players found themselves out of position or blowing coverages — so much so, he took over defensive play-calling duties at at least one critical moment during a game this season.
With all of that, said, stated and acknowledged, in addition to a healthy mention of the fact that I have largely stood right there with the consensus in wanting to see KNJ sent through the ropes a la modern-day Bernard Hopkins, there is one very big, very substantial reason Norton has and should keep his job.
That reason’s name is Khalil Mack.
Now, much has been made of Norton’s philosophy and approach to the defense, based on his time in Seattle and the expectation that he’d be implementing elements of the “system” they used during their back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.
Never mind any of that for right now. It becomes far too convoluted a discussion, especially when you consider that the initial goal was to combine elements of the 4-3 Under front that Seattle runs and the 3-4 front that Del Rio likes to run. Between the two of them, I’m not even entirely sure they know what they’re trying to do on defense — and to that end, a lot of the responsibility for how this unit had underperformed falls just as much on Del Rio’s shoulders.
But I digress. That point only becomes relevant when you remember that shortly after free agency opened last year, the Raiders brought in linebacker Bruce Irvin — a key contributor to Seattle’s Super Bowl defenses — to play opposite Mack. Norton was a key figure in making that happen.
No, KNJ’s ability to bring in former Seahawks is not why he should keep his job — some might argue that he should be fired based on Malcolm Smith’s inability to cover tight ends alone. But in the case of Irvin, it is especially significant for two reasons. On his own merit, Bruce was absolutely lights out this season, finishing the year tied for the league-lead in forced fumbles, and grading out statistically as one of the top players at his position.
Likewise, Irvin’s experience and veteran leadership have been a big boon for this unit’s premiere star. Since his arrival, Bruce has gone out of his way to heap praise upon Khalil for the way he plays and approaches his craft, and seems wholly dedicated to helping him realize his true potential in any way that he can.
In that sense, Irvin has essentially filled the role vacated by the retirements of Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson. Both players have noted how voracious an appetite Khalil has for knowledge, advice and critique.
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In Irvin, Mack has a guy closer to his age, but with a similar pedigree of championship success. It’s safe to assume that he probably chews Bruce’s ear off in the same way he did Chuck’s and Tuck’s.
That support has been monumental for 52, as evidenced by his increased profile and level of production this season. That’s not to say that Mack wouldn’t be an All-Pro this season without Bruce Irvin, but he’s definitely had a positive impact. Bruce brings a genuine nastiness and thirst for violence to his game, and if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve seen it reflected in Mack’s this season. Their camaraderie and reverence for one another is not only fun to watch, it won the Raiders a few games down the stretch.
Which brings us back to the defense as a whole, and Ken Norton’s role in managing it. As it turns out, Irvin is also a boisterous and vocal supporter of KNJ and the “scheme” he’s trying to implement.
The system has been proven the shit works! I know that first hand everyone must buy in!
— Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) January 10, 2017
So the math here is very simple — if Bruce Irvin makes Khalil Mack a better player, and Bruce Irvin thinks Ken Norton makes him a better player, then we give the three of them together every opportunity to make this a truly, consistently formidable defense.
Keep in mind that we’ve yet to truly see this unit at full strength; Mario Edwards Jr. played essentially a game and a half. Karl Joseph and Stacy McGee missed the last half of the season. And just as his play was beginning to come on strong, Shilique Calhoun also landed on the shelf. Without a lot of depth behind those guys, there was definitely a lowered ceiling for how good the defense could be this year.
So while the over-reactors will spend the next few months stewing over the fact that Norton is holding on to the reins for at least one more year, my official recommendation is that you exercise some patience, and let the third year — much like it was for Derek Carr — be the one of final judgement. Allow Reggie McKenzie to add some more pieces, and pray for the health of your football team more than that of your own. If circumstances hold, we should see this defense finally come together in 2017.
Next: McKenzie Should Be Exec. of Year
If not, we’ll likely have much bigger problems to deal with than Ken Norton Junior’s job status.