One Offseason Move Made The Detroit Lions A Playoff Team
By Jon Poole
Green Bay Packers; Assistant QB Coach – QB Coach; 2000-2005
Bevell started his career in the NFL with Green Bay as an offensive assistant in 2000. In 2003 the Packers promoted him to quarterbacks coach where he worked with Brett Favre for three years. In Bevell’s first season as Packers QB coach Favre competed for the highest completion percentage of his career at 65.4% … or at least until Bevell and Favre would later in their career’s meet on a different team.
Minnesota Vikings; Offensive Coordinator; 2006-2010
In 2006 the Minnesota Vikings hired Bevell to be their offensive coordinator. Bevell improved the Vikings total offense ranks each year going from 26th in 2006, 15th in 2007, 12th in 2008 and eventually to 2nd in the NFL in 2009.
That 2009 season is when Bevell got his guy again in Favre, giving Favre the greatest season in his hall of fame career. He tossed for 4,202 yards, 33 touchdowns and a QB rating of 107.2, all while taking the Vikings to the NFC Championship game.
In the following 2010 season, it looked like Favre’s first instincts to retire in the off-season were right before he was begged to return. Favre’s body couldn’t hold up and neither could the Vikings.
If you remember this was also the season Randy Moss went back to the Vikings. It didn’t go well, just an overall real ugly and toxic environment. Head coach Brad Childress was fired mid-season after a half a season of turmoil. Bevell was let go after the season.
Seattle Seahawks; Offensive Coordinator; 2011-2017
Bevell’s first year in Seattle didn’t go so well. The offense was ranked 23rd total offense, 22nd in passing and 21st in rushing. Though in all fairness, he did have Tarvaris Jackson for a starting QB, not his guy. Seattle finished 7-9 in 2011.
In 2012 Bevell persuaded head coach Pete Carroll to draft Russell Wilson after handing a shockingly large contract to Matt Flynn about a month before the draft. An incredible deal for the backup QB out of Green Bay. A signing partially due to a week 17 match-up vs. the Lions where the backup QB went on to set Green Bay Packer franchise records for yards and touchdowns after going 31-44 with 480 yards and 6 touchdowns in the season finale.
As that performance impressed Carroll, it didn’t seem to fool Bevell as he was one of only a handful of scouts at Russell Wilson’s pro day. According to Fox Q13 in Seattle, after eventually drafting Russell Wilson in the third round Carroll said ‘it was Bevell’s project.’
Now that Bevell once again had his guy, everything seemed to come together for Seattle in 2012. The Seahawks finished 9th in total offense and 3rd in rushing before eventually losing in the divisional playoff game vs. Atlanta.
In 2013 the Seahawks finished 13-3, 8th in total offense, 4th in rushing offense and won the super bowl. Having a historically sound defense was much to do with the super bowl win, but the offense did their job all year.
In 2014 the Seahawks finished 12-4, 10th in total offense, 3rd in rushing offense and lost in the super bowl. This was the Darrell Bevell offense vs. the Matt Patricia defense super bowl where Russell Wilson threw the end zone interception.
Between 2015-2017 Seattle ranked 4th, 18th and 11th in total offense before Bevell was fired.
It seems as if wherever he goes when Darrell Bevell gets his quarterback, it’s a recipe for success. Some will say he had Brett Favre and Russell Wilson. That’s true, but you don’t get into the top 5 in the NFL more than once with a high-level OC either.
In Brett Favre’s case, according to ProFootballReference.com, the year before he was in Minnesota with Bevell he spent an awkward season with the Jets in 2008 where his QB rating = 81 and QBR = 46 … next year with Bevell his QB rating = 107.2 and QBR = 75.6.