A head coach is only as good as the staff he can build. For Matt Eberflus, his approach = with the Chicago Bears is an interesting one. Rather than seek big names around the league, his approach speaks to more of a set plan. On offense, he sought out men with specific experience running the outside zone running scheme, better known as the Shanahan offense. On defense, he chose familiarity by bringing over most of his staff from Indianapolis. Perhaps the most unheralded of them was James Rowe.
After spending a year with the Colts as their cornerbacks coach, Rowe was promoted to become the Bears’ new defensive backs coach. Casual fans and media likely won’t know the name. However, Rowe has quite a reputation among those that have worked for him. Players and fellow coaches believe he is one of the smartest men in football. Perhaps the unique way he studies film stands out the most about him. This story from former Appalachian State defensive back Ryan Huff via Zach Hicks of Stampede Blue illustrates exactly how insane Rowe could get with it.
The man saw things that others always seemed to miss.
“He would make these cut-ups of certain formations, and where certain players were for every team we played,” said Huff. “Seeing those plays match up when we got on the field and helping us predict plays before they even happen was just, like, crazy. He was really different.”
“In the beginning of the week, he would have the game-plan down. For the rest of the week though, he would dedicate himself to specific tendencies that would help us create big plays.” Smith explained. “The guys in our secondary were always one step ahead and that is why we were such a good secondary as a whole.”
In 2019, Appalachian State ranked 38th in college football for pass defense. A year later when Rowe took over as cornerbacks coach, they jumped to 8th. That is how much of an impact he had. Make no mistake. Not every coach goes to such lengths to give his players an additional edge in games. The same phrase is often used whenever other coaches talk about him. He’s an excellent teacher.
It is no surprise that Eberflus was drawn to him immediately.
The Bears head coach said during his opening press conference that coaches are just teachers in the end.
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“We’re teachers. Coaches are really just teachers; that’s all we are. We’re just teaching football, so you educate.”
So it isn’t a surprise Eberflus singled out Rowe as somebody he wanted running the Bears secondary. It was a group that really struggled much of last season when it came to all facets of the game: coverage, tackling, and most important, takeaways. Rowe is going to figure out who is ready to learn and who isn’t up to the task.
James Rowe has a reputation for elevating talent
Teams have often learned whether guys can play or not once Rowe is put in charge of the position group. He was actually the first to discover how good cornerback Kenny Moore II was when they connected for the first time at Valdosta State. The eventual Pro Bowler was overjoyed when they reunited in Indianapolis last year. He isn’t the only one who saw his career take off under this coach.
Isaiah Rodgers is another example. A 6th round pick in 2020, Rodgers was an afterthought as a rookie on defense. He made his name as a kick returner. Then when James Rowe arrived a year later, things changed. Eberflus was encouraged to give him more snaps and Rodgers started making more plays. By the end of the season, he had three interceptions. Second-most on the entire team.
It is exciting to think about what he might be able to do for guys like Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson, Kindle Vildor, and Thomas Graham Jr., among others. It is possible we haven’t seen the full potential of this group fully realized yet.
