Coaches in the spotlight

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Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott

Buffalo Bills
It wasn't just talk. After talking in the offseason about the necessity to pick up the pace, offensive coordinator Turk Schonert showed just how serious he was by exclusively employing the no-huddle in the Bills' first two preseason games. But Schonert must do more than quicken the flow following his dud debut as offensive boss in '08. He must find ways to get his playmakers the ball and prove that his QB coaching background will help Trent Edwards' maturation.

Miami Dolphins
Secondary coach Todd Bowles received interest in the offseason for head-coaching vacancies, as many around the league view him as an up-and-comer. He has an interesting task ahead of him in 2009 as he seeks to integrate a pair of rookie cornerbacks into a secondary that features a pair of enforcers at safety in Yeremiah Bell and veteran newcomer Gibril Wilson.

New York Jets
Brian Schottenheimer is back as offensive coordinator after he considered jumping ship when Rex Ryan was awarded the head-coaching gig ahead of him. There's a sense of uncertainty regarding which way Schottenheimer will steer the offense, in large part because he may have to streamline the playbook if hotshot rookie Mark Sanchez wins the QB job.

New England Patriots
The departure of esteemed offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to Denver leaves play-calling duties to newly promoted QB coach Bill O'Brien. This isn't anything new for New England, as McDaniels' route to becoming coordinator required him to man the offense as QB coach following Charlie Weis' departure to Notre Dame. With an exceptionally strong cast of playmakers, O'Brien must produce from the start.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Can defensive coordinator Greg Mattison build on the success of predecessor Rex Ryan? There's no reason to think he can't, what with the core of last year's "D" returning. But any signs of slippage could lead to unflattering comparisons to Ryan, who pushed all the right buttons and was beloved by his players.

Cincinnati Bengals
Whenever rookie ORT Andre Smith signs, OL coach Paul Alexander will have the task of getting Cincinnati's No. 1 pick up to speed. Smith is a prodigious talent, but his skill needs refinement, and his conditioning has been a concern in the past. However, if he quickly gets up to speed, the Bengals' line will reap the rewards — and Alexander, respected in league circles for his work, will get his due.

Cleveland Browns
Neither Brady Quinn nor Derek Anderson has emerged in the Browns' QB derby. Their QB coach, Carl Smith, will prepare both to be the starter, and the Browns, as head coach Eric Mangini has noted, will wait for one of them to burst forward and take the job as his own.

Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII with the NFL's 22nd-ranked offense. What's more, Pittsburgh was a meager 29th in yards per rush. With a bevy of talent at quarterback, running back and receiver, more will be expected of coordinator Bruce Arians' offense this season.

AFC North

Houston Texans
New defensive coordinator Frank Bush wants the Texans to turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks. The question is: Is anyone other than DE Mario Williams up to the task? And if the Texans can't get to the quarterback with just four rushers, what type of chances will Bush have to take in the name of generating more pressure?

Indianapolis Colts
When Jim Caldwell selected Tampa Bay assistant Larry Coyer to run the defense, it seemed pretty obvious that the Colts were intent on continuing the Tampa-2 scheme that Tony Dungy had operated. But Coyer has shaken things up a bit. For one thing, the front seven received an injection of girth, especially at tackle. For another, Coyer is willing to force the issue more on the blitz than Indy did in the past.

Jacksonville Jaguars
New special-teams coordinator Russ Purnell comes with intimate knowledge of the AFC South, having previously worked under Tony Dungy in Indianapolis. Purnell's units in Indy were among the worst in the league, but there's a strong sentiment that it was partially because of Indy's refusal to round out the roster with special-teams mavens. The Jaguars, on the other hand, make certain the kicking game is not overlooked from a personnel standpoint.

Tennessee Titans
The Titans want a more explosive offense; this is no secret. Let's see what offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has in store the rest of the preseason, particularly when the first-team offense is in the game. Save for a pair of interceptions, the passing game looked sharp in the opener vs. Buffalo, yet it didn't look all that special the week after vs. Tampa Bay.

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Josh McDaniels came under fire early in his tenure for his handling of the Jay Cutler situation, and a poor start to the season would only increase the size of an already large number of doubters. The performance of Kyle Orton — who was atrocious in the preseason opener, throwing three interceptions — and the rookie class McDaniels drafted will largely decide how he's judged in Year One.

Kansas City Chiefs
The coach with the biggest job ahead of him is new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who takes over a unit that finished 31st last season. For the Chiefs to return to respectability in '09, he'll need to get the most out of this lackluster group, all while trying to implement a new 3-4 philosophy — not the easiest of tasks.

Oakland Raiders
As fast as Al Davis has burned through head coaches since Jon Gruden left after 2001, one would have to think the leash on Tom Cable is going to be short. Davis has said he doesn't think his team is far from being a winning one, and if Cable doesn't make it happen soon, he'll be gone.

San Diego Chargers
In his first full season as defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera will be saddled with lofty expectations. San Diego's talent on "D" is as good as any club's, yet the unit ranked a lowly 25th in '08. Anything short of a massive improvement will be a disappointment for Rivera.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
Secondary coach Dave Campo has some things to figure out in his banged-up secondary. First, there's a battle at right cornerback between Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. Jenkins has been a little nicked up but appears to be a better player than he was as a rookie. There also is concern at safety with Ken Hamlin coming off a subpar season and new SS Gerald Sensabaugh a talented but enigmatic player. The lack of veteran depth here has to be a concern to Campo.

New York Giants
Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan spoke of how excited he was to be taking over the Giants' defense from Steve Spagnuolo, now the Rams' head coach. Sheridan, though, probably feels more pressure than any other coach with the team. He has a unit that features one of the deepest defensive lines in the league, talent at linebacker and a young secondary that might be one of the best in football. So, anything less than greatness won't be accepted.

Philadelphia Eagles
No question it is defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who not only is stepping in for the late Jim Johnson but who also has had to deal with one major injury. MLB Stewart Bradley has gone down for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, leaving the position to untested Joe Mays, Omar Gaither or Matt Wilhelm. McDermott is a first-time coordinator who no doubt will lean on Johnson's teachings and run an effective scheme with so much talent.

Washington Redskins
Head coach Jim Zorn knows how important this season is. Much like his quarterback, Jason Campbell, Zorn will be eminently replaceable with another so-so season to his name. In training camp, the players appear to be more comfortable with Zorn's routine and his approach. The coach has been tough when he has needed to be and has given support when called for. The pressure will be on him to get off to a nice start, but the Redskins must avoid a late-season crumble as they suffered through last season.

NFC North

Chicago Bears
Even though head coach Lovie Smith will be under the microscope more than ever as he takes over the bulk of the defense's play-calling duties from coordinator Bob Babich, new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli is the featured attraction. More pressure up front is considered the key to the defense's success, and the passionate Marinelli is widely considered the best D-line coach in the business.

Detroit Lions
Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan has several tough jobs here: shore up an offensive line and continue teaching his man-blocking principles, develop a consistent run game, find a complement to WR Calvin Johnson and ... oh, yeah, settle on a quarterback. Rookie No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford has been making it tough on Linehan, and it's a good thing. Stafford has been ahead of expectations and has played well through most of camp. But Daunte Culpepper ultimately might start, turning the question into: When do we hand off to the rookie? Stay tuned.

Green Bay Packers
After head coach Mike McCarthy fired most of his defensive coaching staff, the spotlight is definitely on Dom Capers, who has established a strong track record as a defensive coordinator in previous stints in Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Miami. Even players such as Aaron Kampman, who has reserved judgment on the Packers' new 3-4 scheme, have praised Capers' professionalism and time-tested coaching skills.

Minnesota Vikings
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and QB coach Kevin Rogers will be the coaches who face the biggest questions of the Vikings' offseason. Namely, who will be the starting QB, and can he lead this team far? The early reports were that Tarvaris Jackson, even with a knee injury, was slightly ahead of Sage Rosenfels with the offense prior to the first preseason game. But Rosenfels clearly had the better effort in the Colts game, as Jackson struggled. Whom will the Vikings turn to after flirting with Brett Favre? We'll see. It will be up to Bevell and Rogers to build both QBs' confidence and get the eventual winner of this derby ready to go and confident by Week One.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
After finishing 24th in the league in total defense last season, the Falcons restocked the unit with young players through the draft. There are expectations for the "D" to improve in 2009, and coordinator Brian VanGorder could become a scapegoat if things don't get better.

Carolina Panthers
Head coach John Fox isn't in any danger yet, but if, for some reason, the Panthers take a step back in 2009, he'll feel the heat of the hot seat. With an outstanding group of head coaches potentially available in 2010, ownership could consider a change if Fox oversees a losing season.

New Orleans Saints
Few coordinators are getting as much attention as Gregg Williams has received over the past few months as he takes over New Orleans' maligned defense. Williams is expected to bring a more aggressive mentality to town, using his array of blitz packages to make opposing QBs uneasy.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Assistant head coach/WR coach Richard Mann's job became tougher in training camp as injuries piled up. No. 1 WR Antonio Bryant is expected to be out for the entire preseason, and Michael Clayton has been plagued by a hamstring injury, leaving Mann with an opportunity to mold a young, unproven group.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
The pressure is on new defensive coordinator Billy Davis to tighten up a porous unit that ranked 28th in points allowed last season and imploded at the worst possible time during the Steelers' game-winning drive with the clock winding down in Super Bowl XLIII. The former LB coach figures to have to find creative ways to manufacture an adequate pass rush.

St. Louis Rams
All eyes will be on new head coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose "four pillars" credo — faith, character, core values and team first — has been fully embraced by his players. So has the surprisingly physical nature of his first training camp, with fully padded practices becoming a common occurrence.

San Francisco 49ers
It has to be head coach and master motivator Mike Singletary, who hopes to pick up where he left off last season, when he led the Niners to a 5-4 record as interim head coach after Mike Nolan was fired. There are many league observers who continue to believe Singletary is in over his head, but the people who really matter — his players — appear genuinely committed to his no-nonsense, smashmouth blueprint.

Seattle Seahawks
Home is where the heart is, and local boy Jim Mora will be scrutinized nonstop as he emerges from Mike Holmgren's imposing shadow as the Seahawks' new head coach. Mora started off strong in his previous head-coaching gig in Atlanta but eventually fell out of favor, and he appears determined to avoid a repeat performance.

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com.