Welcome to our new weekly column where we look at all things NFL from our regular NFL tipster and Rugby League raconteur Nick Tedeschi. He will look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the NFL, holding back no punches.
Rating The Coaching Hires
It was a huge week in coaching hires with five of the six remaining head coaching vacancies filled last week, no doubt hastened by the shock elimination of the Detroit Lions last week. Here is how each hiring rates.
Las Vegas – Pete Carroll (A+): Tremendous hire by the Raiders, who looked to be searching in all the wrong places. They need a complete culture overhaul and there was no better culture coach looking for a gig than Carroll. Carroll returned USC to glory and then led Seattle to its first Super Bowl win and had them more than competitive for a decade. With such great coaches in the AFC West, the Raiders needed experience and they got it.
NY Jets – Aaron Glenn (B): Glenn has long seen the Jets as his dream job and took the New York job ahead of the New Orleans gig is a good sign for the Jets. Glenn’s demeanour – calm, organised, driven – is also hugely positive for such a dysfunctional organisation. The Lions defence fell apart late in the year but there were excuses. Glenn is a nice hire for the Jets.
Jacksonville – Liam Coen (B-): Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen was not the most fashionable name this cycle but his work with Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield made him a great fit to work with No.1 pick Trevor Lawrence, who has not delivered as expected. Regarded as highly intelligent, Jags owner Shahid Khan was moved enough to sack their GM to bring Coen in.
Chicago – Ben Johnson (C+): There is no doubt Johnson was the hottest name on the market so the Bears deserve credit for winning that race. There is upside too in teaming Johnson with No.1 pick Caleb Williams, who endured a difficult and disappointing rookie season. The concern is that the Bears need a complete culture and organisational overhaul and have failed with two hotshot rookies with their last two hires. At least his name is not Matt.
Dallas – Brian Schottenheimer (F): Another horrific coaching search from Jerry Jones, who has consigned the Cowboys to more mediocrity for the next few years. Jones once again shunned the big hire – Bill Parcells was his last splashy signing back in 2003 – opting to promote the club’s offensive coordinator that was on the radar of nobody. The hiring is uninspired and suggests Dak Prescott was the most important voice in the room.
4th and BS
Buffalo have every right to feel incredibly aggrieved after their AFC Championship matchup with the Chiefs with a disgraceful call on fourth and one going against the Bills. The sneak from Josh Allen clearly broke the line to gain. One official saw it. The announcers saw it. It was on camera. Once again in a crucial situation, the call went the Chiefs’ way. Kansas City went on to score a touchdown on the ensuring drive and went on to win the game 32-29.
Mahomes For The Money
There is no doubt Josh Allen is a fabulous quarterback, the potential MVP of the season and a QB who has led the Bills to five straight division titles. He is no Patrick Mahomes though, the ultimate winner and a QB now on the verge of an historic third straight Super Bowl ring. The win over the Bills was the classic Mahomes playoff win, the switch flicked from the regular season to playoff Pat, where he ran the Chiefs to victory.
Records Tumble in Philadelphia
Much like Forrest Gump, Philadelphia ran and ran and ran and ran against Washington, posting 55 points on the back of a record seven touchdowns on the ground. Those seven rushing touchdowns were a record in Championship games while the Eagles’ 55 points was the seventh most in a playoff game, the highest playoff score in 25 years and the second most points scored in a playoff game since 1970. The Eagles ran for 229 yards at 6.4 yards per carry, annihilating the preseason $251 shot.
Ranking The Worst Super Bowl Winning Coaches
With Nick Sirriani returning to the Super Bowl and potentially claiming No.1 on this list with a win, we look at the 35 head coaches who have won a Super Bowl and rank the five worst.
5. Gary Kubiak – Went 61-64 in eight season at Houston that netted only two playoff runs but rode the Peyton Manning train to a ring in his first season in charge of Denver where Manning essentially ran the offense. Retired due to health problems a season later.
4. Brian Billick – Only ever coached the Ravens in the NFL, winning a ring in his second year. Although he built a decent record, he only registered one playoff win in his final seven seasons.
3. Barry Switzer – The last coach to lead America’s Team to the Lombardi Trophy spent just four seasons in the NFL. Players from that championship team expressed amazement they won under Switzer, who reportedly spent much of Super Bowl week partying.
2. Don McCafferty – Led the Colts to Super Bowl glory in his first season but was sacked early two seasons later after an argument with management. Signed with the Lions and had an inglorious first season before he tragically died of a heart attack in the offseason.
1. Doug Pederson – Won the Super Bowl in his second season with the Eagles and in six seasons since with both Philadelphia and Jacksonville he has not won more than nine games.
Fun Fact #1
New Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, son of former head coach Marty, makes the tandem the ninth father-son coaching combination in NFL history.
Fun Fact #2
Next season three of the 32 NFL coaches will be sons of former head coaches – Schottenheimer, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Titans head coach Bill Callahan. This will be just the second season in NFL history (after 2009) that three sons of former coaches have been head coaches.
Fun Fact #3
No son of a former NFL head coach has ever won a Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan is the only son to reach a Super Bowl. His dad Mike is the only father of a son who coached in the NFL to win a Super Bowl.
Read Of The Week
Former Washington Commanders owner may not be the worst owner of all-time. But if he isn’t the worst then only Donald Sterling is ahead of him. His 24 years in charge of the franchise were marked by mediocrity, turmoil, frugality and, in the end, investigations and litigation. He was forced out and within two seasons under Josh Harris, the Commanders played in their first NFC Championship in 34 years with a franchise quarterback that looks a star in the making. The former owner is not happy. Read all about it here.
Watch It
Arguably the most memorable moment in NFC Championship history, The Catch received its moniker that has stood the test of time because of what a great catch it was, what incredible players were involved and what monumental importance the catch meant, giving the 49ers a 28-27 win over rivals Dallas to send them to the Super Bowl. Watch The Catch here.