Mike Nolan May Coach from the Sideline Going Forward

You may have seen Mike Nolan on the sideline during Sunday's victory against the Buccaneers. By all accounts, we should expect to see more of the same going forward.

"When you're up in the booth, the only way I can communicate with the guys is to get on the phone, get somebody to get them to the phone, and talk to them," Nolan said. "Well, they're tired. They want to sit. For them to have some guy come and say, 'Hey, coach wants you on the phone,' they go up and get the phone, they don't know when they're walking to the phone what they're going to get. They don't know if they're going to get somebody yelling in their ear. Plus there's not that face-to-face, 'Listen, here's what's going down.'"

Communication. It all comes down to communication. I found Nolan's comments particularly telling. They're informative, inasmuch as they reveal his acute awareness of what can and what cannot help his players perform to the best of their ability. He's right: there's a fine line between providing instant feedback and smothering your guys. At least he's trying to strike that balance. With that said, coaching up a young defense isn't ever easy.

Nolan's presence on the sideline is seemingly his choice. After all, he's certainly owning it. But after I first realized he was there, my gut told me it wasn't his choice. That said, there's absolutely no facts backing up that position at this point.

I'm all for shaking things up, especially if it helps this defense perform at a higher level. Your thoughts?