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Jim Fassel
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Normally, the focus during Super Bowl week is on the quarterbacks. Is the focus
on the defense during this Super Bowl?
"There is a story in both quarterbacks. However, you have two teams that one of
the main reasons they’re here is the play on the defense. Their defense and our
defense have won a lot of games. What it comes down to is I can’t remember a team
that has gotten this far that didn’t have a good defense. I think both defensive
units have made such dramatic impacts on these teams, that that’s the story."
How difficult was it to hand over the play-calling duties to offensive
coordinator Sean Payton?
"It kind of wore on me that I was trying to wear all these hats. I knew my first
year, when we were successful, that I could not keep that pace up. I was going a million
miles an hour in every area. I had to get someone I had confidence in. I hired him because
I had confidence in him. It occurred to me that with all that happens in this game that
you get too spread (out). I didn’t want to sacrifice the team. (Play-calling) has
never been an ego thing with me. I made a decision when I took the job that I was going to
get out of it, simply because I have a reputation as an offensive strategist. In my mind,
that is secondary now. (Being a) head coach and running the whole thing and winning is the
most important thing. When I laid out my plan to ownership, the number one thing is to get
the team together. We needed a bond for the team. It doesn’t matter who’s
calling the plays, or what they’re about, if we don’t have a focus, toughness
about us, the plays don’t matter. (That) duty was down the road. I couldn’t
assign it (creating focus) to somebody. I had Sean Payton to assign play-calling to and
feel comfortable in doing so. I couldn’t assign an assistant coach to team unity, how
we were going to work, to practice and how we were going to get guys here in the
offseason. That’s not assignable, and I couldn’t do both."
Talk about the rapid development of your revamped offensive line.
"Last year we had a lot of penalties and holdings. We cut a lot of that out. At
the end of the season we were in the top 10 for fewest penalties, and it started with the
offensive line. The key ingredient for our success this year was to change the chemistry
of the team. The starting point was the offensive line. It’s almost impossible to
totally change your offensive line. We did it, but the key ingredient with the guys we
brought in, we hit the mark on the type of person we wanted on the team. Personality,
professionalism, toughness, that is what we brought in with Lomas Brown, Glenn Parker and
Dusty Zeigler. All those guys carry those things, and it changed the complexion of our
offense."
There’s been a lot of talk about defensive coordinator John Fox being
interviewed for a head-coaching job after the Super Bowl. Is he ready to be an NFL head
coach?
"He’s definitely ready to be a head coach. John has a tremendous mind for the
scheme of the overall defense. He could coach the defensive line, the linebackers and the
secondary. He knows what he wants on defense. Overall, I think this is the best job
he’s done since we’ve been here. Statistically, we’ve been good at
different times, but with changing some things this year, playing the way we have and
seeing the growth of the players, John has done an outstanding job."
What is your relationship with Ravens TE Shannon Sharpe, whom you coached while
you were both with the Broncos?
"Shannon Sharpe is one of my favorite guys. If I were asked to build a team from
guys in your past, he’d be one of those guys. He’s the smartest player outside
of the quarterback position that I’ve ever been around. He knew the game plan and
could talk about it. He was on top of everything. He had the personality that I love. He
was never down. I never saw the guy have a bad day in his life. What he brings as an
athlete (is excellent). We (at Denver) were one of the first ones to put him everywhere as
a tight end. He’d line up outside of the receiver, and we’d move him back and
forth. We would decipher who would be covering him, whether it was a defensive back or
linebacker. I had game plans where he was the focal point. Shannon Sharpe is a play-maker.
If you get the ball to him, he’ll make plays. I think it was the last game of the
1993 season, we had injuries to other players, so the whole game plan was based on him. He
caught 12 or 14 balls and he was a one-man wrecking crew. They couldn’t stop him and
they knew we were going to him. We knew it. They knew it. The fans knew it. Everybody knew
it. We kept going to him. He’s a true weapon on offense, a true weapon."
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