Upgrades from coach class
Young leaders have made a mark in the NFL this season. Is it a trend -- or a blip?
Associated Press photo
Nearly every year, the NFL’s playoff picture looks like it was created with an Etch-A-Sketch. Thanks to injuries, difficult schedules and on-field surprises, a new wave of teams emerges as the previous season’s contenders falter.
Look no further than Washington. A year ago, the Commanders were the league’s darlings, with first-year coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels erasing decades of franchise dysfunction en route to the NFC title game.
Flash forward 12 months, and the Commanders are 4-11. Daniels has been shut down for the season with an elbow injury, and while Quinn’s job may not be in immediate peril, he’s not getting nearly as many local commercials.
Meanwhile, the folks in Jacksonville, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., Foxborough, Mass. and Chicago are savoring their teams’ resurgence after several down seasons. And if there’s a common thread, it may start near the top.
With two weeks left in the regular season, only a handful of postseason berths have been clinched. But we have a pretty good idea of who’s going to qualify.
It appears that six of the 14 playoff teams — including four in the NFC — will make it after failing to qualify in 2024. And all but one of them — the San Francisco 49ers — are led by a head coach in his first or second season with the franchise.
Jacksonville’s Liam Coen (pictured), Chicago’s Ben Johnson, Carolina’s Dave Canales and Seattle’s Ben Johnson are former hot young coordinators who have worked wonders in their sophomore seasons. The first three cut their teeth on offense and deserve credit for the maturity of young quarterbacks who dealt with early adversity (the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, the Bears’ Caleb Johnson and the Panthers’ Bryce Young).
Johnson was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive mastermind before moving to Seattle, where his Seahawks rank second in fewest points allowed (18.6 per game).
And former standout Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel has restored high expectations to New England in his first season in charge. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is high on the list of MVP candidates, and the Patriots (12-3) are in the running for the AFC’s top seed after consecutive 4-13 seasons under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
Vrabel previously led the Tennessee Titans to four winning seasons and three playoff berths in six years in Nashville, so he’s no stranger to coaching success. Neither is Kyle Shanahan, who has the San Francisco 49ers (11-4) back in contention despite a plague of injuries, one year after a 6-11 debacle.
That’s significant, because if veteran coaches weren’t experiencing some success, impatient owners might be tempted to make even more changes than they already do. In a season without a clear Super Bowl favorite, we’ve seen chatter at various points that established veterans like Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Baltimore’s John Harbaugh and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott might be on the hot seat. Even reigning Super Bowl champion Nick Siriani in Philadelphia and the dean of NFL coaches, Kansas City’s Andy Reid, have felt the heat at times.
More than any other professional league, the NFL allows for rapid upward mobility. The worst teams get the highest draft picks and the easiest next-season schedules, so they have a chance to improve. Meanwhile, established winners face a gauntlet of tough opponents and the likelihood of injuries. Just ask Washington’s Quinn, who went from hip, culture-changing genius to just another sideline schlub in less than a calendar year.
In less than two weeks, the NFL’s annual Black Monday will arrive, with a rash of pink slips for head coaches. The Titans and New York Giants have already dismissed their leaders, and the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings are among the disappointing teams that may do the same. An early playoff exit (or missing the postseason altogether) could still be fatal for Harbaugh, Tomlin, McDermott or Siriani.
And the owners who write the checks (and the fans who buy tickets) will expect immediate results from whomever takes over their favorite teams. We’ve seen that rapid improvement can happen. But don’t forget that someone has to lose (nearly) every game, and success can be fleeting.
NFL WEEK 17 POWER RANKINGS
1. Seahawks (12-3) Thanks to grit and luck, they have inside track to NFC top seed.
2. Patriots (12-3) They rebounded to remain NFL’s only undefeated road team (7-0).
3. Broncos (12-3) Seeking to regroup and get first win in K.C. since 2015 Thursday.
4. Rams (11-4) Collapse vs. Seattle could make playoff push much more difficult.
5. Bills (11-4) Despite porous run defense, they’ve won 11 for six straight seasons.
6. Chargers (11-4) Offense is surging with hopes of AFC’s top seed still alive.
7. Jaguars (11-4) Lawrence making late MVP push with 12 TD passes in four games.
8. Bears (11-4) They look like a team of destiny after late comeback vs. Packers.
9. Eagles (10-5) Despite issues, they’re first NFC East repeat champ since 2004.
10. Texans (10-5) Top-ranked defense, seven-game streak will be tested by Chargers.
11. 49ers (11-4) A healthy Brock Purdy makes them contenders despite injury rash.
12. Packers (9-5-1) QBs Love and Willis are both hurting after collapse vs. Chicago.
13. Steelers (9-6) Metcalf’s suspension for spat with Detroit fan could be costly.
14. Panthers (8-7) They’re back in control of NFC South race after edging Buccaneers.
15. Lions (8-7) Still mathematically alive, but all playoff hope now seems to be gone.
16. Ravens (7-8) Blown leads, personnel calls could imperil Harbaugh’s long tenure.
17. Vikings (7-8) Bruised right hand is the latest in a long list of injuries for McCarthy.
18. Buccaneers (7-8) Despite long odds, they can still claim NFC South with two wins.
19. Cowboys (6-8-1) Coordinator Eberflus taking heat over defensive downgrade,
20. Colts (8-7) Don’t blame Rivers for this team’s epic collapse down the stretch.
21. Chiefs (6-9) Planned new stadium in Kansas is highlight of a dreary season.
22. Dolphins (6-9) Ewers’ audition as future QB1 extended despite loss to Bengals.
23. Falcons (6-9) Robinson’s individual brilliance can’t overcome team’s doldrums.
24. Saints (5-10) Late-season surge won’t affect much, but fans appreciate wins.
25. Bengals (5-10) Burrow proved he’s no quitter with excellence vs. Dolphins.
26. Commanders (4-11) Expect a lot of blue jerseys in stands for Cowboys’ visit.
27. Titans (3-12) Ward, team hope to enter offseason with some rare momentum.
28. Jets (3-12) No interceptions in 15 games is longest streak in NFL history.
29. Browns (3-12) They’ve lost 12 games 12 times since their return in 1999.
30. Cardinals (3-12) Season’s end can’t come soon enough for this squad.
31. Giants (2-13) They’ll visit Raiders Sunday with No. 1 pick on the line.
32. Raiders (2-13) Jeanty finally broke out vs. Texans, but it wasn’t enough.