A good NFL team is nothing without a good head coach.
Even with a stacked roster on paper, if someone isn’t providing direction, that team is going nowhere and fast. Sure, NFL success is most often about the Jimmys and the Joes, but there has to be a coach to keep the Jimmys and Joes in line. Everyone playing pro football has a modicum of talent. But not everyone can properly coach it.
If you’ve followed the NFL long enough, you know a quality head coach when you see one. They’re a person who inspires respect in their players, and they’re usually at least one step ahead in concocting game plans. By contrast, it’s also easy to discern when a coach should consider “other” employment opportunities. In many cases, it seems abundantly clear these leaders have no idea what they’re doing, and instead of taking a measured step back, they overcompensate by compounding their team’s fatal flaws.
This year’s For The Win preseason coach rankings focuses on the NFL’s handful of best and worst coaches. Some of these guys will probably walk into the Hall of Fame one day. Others are a walking embarrassment to their respective organization and are so clearly in over their heads.
MORE 2023 NFL PRESEASON:
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- FTW’s 2023 preseason power rankings, featuring the powerhouse Bengals
- The best NFL players age 25 and under, starring Jalen Hurts
- The best NFL veterans age 26 and up, like Patrick Mahomes
The 5 worst coaches
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Stefanski doesn’t seem like a completely terrible coach, but he has unquestionably stood by Deshaun Watson — who was accused by more than 20 women of sexual misconduct in what the NFL would later deem “predatory behavior.”
Well, Watson, the quarterback, flat-out stinks now. And it doesn’t look like he’s improved much with a full offseason in Cleveland under his belt. The blame lies at the feet of Stefanski, who calls the Browns’ offensive plays and has the final say over their offensive scheme. When — not if — this team falls flat on its face (again) in 2023, Stefanski better be ready to face the music.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It turns out it’s really hard to win games in the NFL when your Hall of Fame quarterback is barely chugging along. Last year’s Buccaneers only qualified for the postseason because they were a member of the afterthought NFC South. With Baker Mayfield (the anti-Tom Brady) as the starting quarterback this year, Tampa Bay’s 2023 expectations should be below sea level.
That might not necessarily be the fault of Bowles, who has proven himself a solid defensive coordinator in the past. But I don’t believe in his coaching abilities keeping Tampa Bay from having a top-5 pick in next year’s draft.
Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
Never mind that he seems weirdly keen on undermining his more accomplished colleagues: Why does Washington keep Rivera employed?
The man has zero winning seasons during his three-year tenure, and his team made the playoffs by default in 2020 with a 7-9 record. When another Commanders’ postseason berth was on the line last season, Rivera benched Taylor Heinicke for Carson Wentz because he didn’t know what was at stake.
You’re the head coach. It is literally your job to know those kinds of things. I have seldom seen a coach live off a long-gone reputation (his last winning season was in Carolina in 2017) quite like Rivera.
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
The assumption now is that Staley learned his lesson from an uber-conservative approach last year. After the Chargers’ epic playoff collapse to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it would’ve been malpractice for Staley to maintain the status quo. While offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and new weapon Quentin Johnston are nice additions from a glance, I’m not yet sold on Staley being a changed man.
I need to see meaningful results first before I trust a guy who willingly threw away a prime year of Justin Herbert. Also, let me never hear again how Staley is forward-thinking because he goes for it on fourth down more often than other coaches. The bare minimum is not something to hang your hat on.
Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
The only reason the Raiders still employ McDaniels is straightforward. Owner Mark Davis is an out-of-his-wits failson who seems to believe McDaniels’ past adjacency to Bill Belichick will, eventually, magically rub off on the silver and black. It is a fairy tale conjured by Las Vegas leadership that has no idea what it’s doing. (That or Davis just doesn’t want to eat the remaining approximately $30 million on McDaniels’ coaching contract.)
Where do you even start with McDaniels? His first year with the Raiders was loaded with more humbling moments than most competent coaches see in an entire tenure.
Was it when Las Vegas started 2-7, punctuated by a loss to glorified high school coach Jeff Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts? What about when his Raiders blew a late 16-3 lead to Baker Mayfield on just his third day with the Los Angeles Rams? If the on-field stuff wasn’t enough, the guy even spoiled the wedding surprise of former Raider Darren Waller and Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum.
Oh well. I’m sure creating Patriots West (with players Belichick didn’t want) will work out exactly like McDaniels hopes.
The 5 best coaches
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
McDermott’s Bills have hit a January roadblock lately, but there’s no denying the successful program he’s constructed in western New York.
In six seasons under McDermott, Buffalo has qualified for the playoffs on five occasions. It has four playoff wins, including a run to the 2021 AFC title game. Better yet, he has a sparkling 62-35 win-loss record with four double-digit win campaigns and three consecutive AFC East titles. Most coaches would dream of having that kind of sustained success for over half a decade.
It remains to be seen whether McDermott can finally get the Bills over their Super Bowl hump. But as long as he (and Josh Allen) stay together, they’re not going anywhere.
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Carroll’s coaching aptitude was forgotten somewhat at the tail end of the Russell Wilson era. That was a mistake. He has a proven track record for leading successful rebuilds and retools. To date, Carroll still has just three losing seasons in 13 years in the Pacific Northwest.
And he’s pulling the right strings for Seattle again.
After trading the best quarterback in franchise history, Carroll’s Seahawks turned perennial journeyman Geno Smith into a viable plus starter. They parlayed that into a surprising winning season and playoff berth. While more pieces still have to fall in place, Seattle now possesses one of the NFL’s more promising nuclei. It’s no coincidence that Carroll is at the steering wheel.
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
His strange impatience with developing Trey Lance aside, Shanahan’s resume as a head coach is mostly unimpeachable.
Shanahan’s 49ers have played in three of the last four NFC title games, and he has a deserved reputation as perhaps pro football’s top offensive play-caller. Even better, he seems to have a keen eye for picking great defensive coordinators. Each of Shanahan’s first two picks during his tenure — Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans — are now head coaches. And given San Francisco’s loaded defensive roster, new coordinator Steve Wilks will likely be next in line for a promotion somewhere else.
San Francisco enters this fall with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Again. That is, in no small part, thanks to Shanahan’s guidance.
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s been a long time since the Steelers were a real heavyweight. But that’s through no fault of Tomlin. The long-time Pittsburgh sideline leader has shown he’ll wring out every last drop of his team year in and year out. Through 16 years, Tomlin’s Steelers have yet to experience a losing campaign. It’s an unthinkable streak that speaks to Tomlin’s consistent greatness for the black and gold.
Entering 2023, the talented Steelers have justifiably very high expectations compared to recent years. Count on Tomlin ensuring they meet their ceiling and then some.
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Was there any doubt here? In a decade with Kansas City, Reid’s Chiefs have nine playoff berths. They’ve played in five consecutive AFC title games and haven’t been less than a No. 2 seed since 2017. Most importantly, they’ve played in three of the last four Super Bowls, winning two of them.
Let me state this as plainly as possible. Reid will cease being the NFL’s best head coach only when he chooses to retire. But he’s only 65 and has the legendary Patrick Mahomes in the prime of his career. That isn’t a situation many would willingly walk away from. Call it a hunch, but I don’t think retirement is happening any time soon.
Long live Reid’s Big Red Machine.
