Football is far and away the most complicated professional sport to coach and the professional level, so a lot is asked of NFL head coaches.
That said, not all of them are created equally. Let’s look around the league after Week 2 and rank all 32 from worst to first!
Who are the top head coaches in the NFL right now after the second week of games?
32. Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales (Last Week #32)
Knowing David Tepper, Dave Canales is probably already on the hot seat after an embarrassing 0-2 start to the season. Their showing against the Chargers was so bad that it is hard to pick anything to criticize him for.
31. New York Giants: Brian Daboll (Last Week #29)
Based on the stare-down he had with reporters after the game, it is safe to say that things aren’t looking good for Brian Daboll in New York. Especially after the news broke about his mismanagement of the roster and knowledge of Graham Gano’s health concern heading into the game!
30. Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan (Last Week #30)
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The Titans had a chance to win this game, but costly mistakes and a lack of discipline—especially on defense—undid a lot of the positives that we saw out of Brian Callahan’s home debut. Granted, he has his work cut out for him with a roster in flux and a young QB that is learning on the fly, but that’s what he’s paid the big bucks for!
29. Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn (Last Week #31)
I guess if you are Dan Quinn, you have to take the good with the bad in this one. The Commanders overcame multiple penalties and red-zone inefficiencies, which, ideally, you would like to avoid, but they were able to pull off the win.
28. Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus (Last Week #24)
Matt Eberflus has to be feeling the heat after watching his team sputter offensively yet again. Yes, his defense kept things competitive, but the mistakes on offense—especially the interceptions—made it impossible to get over the hump. And, man, was that one of the worst challenges we’ve seen in a minute!
27. Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay (Last Week #21)
Never mind some of the questionable in-game decisions that Sean McVay made on Sunday, one has to wonder what he was doing all week leading up to the Cardinals game when he was supposed to be getting his team prepared to play. This was one of the ugliest games we’ve ever seen a Sean McVay-coached team play!
26. Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen (Last Week #19)
Shane Steichen took responsibility for the Colts’ loss in Week 2, and considering everyone and their mother knew that the Packers were going to run the ball all game with Malik Willis under center, he deserves the blame!
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams’ Head Coaches After Week 1 Games Of The 2024 Season
25. Denver Broncos: Sean Payton (Last Week #14)
Sean Payton’s play-calling didn’t spark the kind of improvement that Broncos fans were looking for, as the Denver offense looked flat again this week.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson (Last Week #15)
You have to wonder if the seat beneath Doug Pederson in Jacksonville is starting to get hot. His frustrations were visible, especially when the cameras caught him in a heated exchange with Lawrence as his team fell to 0-2.
23. Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy (Last Week #10)
Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys career has objectively been successful in terms of wins and losses, but man, have there been some embarrassing L’s along the way? After looking like a real contender in Week 1, his team came out completely flat against the Saints.
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Sirianni (Last Week #11)
Nick Sirianni did a good job of taking accountability after the game on Monday, telling the media: “They made a couple more plays than we did down the stretch. We made some plays; they made more. And that’s on all of us. That starts with coaching and goes to the players. We are all responsible for the loss.” The talk, however, will only get you so far, especially in Philadelphia.
21. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald (Last Week #26)
There have been a couple of questionable decisions under Mike Macdonald’s belt thus far, but 2-0 is 2-0, and there is no denying that the rookie NFL head coach is off to a good start.
20. Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce (Last Week #25)
Rookie NFL Head Coach Antonio Pierce deserves a ton of credit for keeping his team composed and believing they could come back down by 10 on the road against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. When most teams would fold, this Raiders squad raised its level and stole a win.
19. New York Jets: Robert Saleh (Last Week #28)
Robert Saleh still isn’t the most popular amongst Jets fans, but to his credit, he stayed calm on Sunday, even when the Titans tied the game late, and did well to trust Rodgers and that offense to deliver, which, of course, they did.
18. New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo (Last Week #9)
It hasn’t been pretty, but no one expected the Patriots to be sitting at 1-1 two games into the year, so the early indicators on Mayo are positive.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor (Last Week #27)
Zac Taylor did a good job of controlling the narrative in Cinci during what was a very challenging offseason with major players embroiled in contract disputes. Now he needs to get his guys to play better football again. They were much improved against a strong Kansas City side during Week 2, but no one wants to get off to a 0-2 start.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon (Last Week #22)
This was far and away the best NFL game of Jonathan Gannon’s head coaching career. Everything he and his staff called worked on Sunday, as he outdueled Sean McVay on every level.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris (Last Week #16)
Raheem Morris coached with the poise of a seasoned vet on Monday Night and never lost his cool, even when the game came down to the wire. Morris did a masterful job keeping his team composed, which paid dividends as they sealed the game on the final drive.
14. Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski (Last Week #20)
Kevin Stefanski has this Browns team playing with grit and determination, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which is impressive, considering they have had to carry most of the load.
13. Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel (Last Week #2)
It wasn’t pretty for Mike McDaniel during Week 2, and the third-year head coach is facing a tough road ahead in the NFL. Losing Tagovailoa to yet another concussion is a major blow, and it’s unclear how long his QB will be out, so things may get worse before they get better for McDaniel.
12. Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh (Last Week #5)
John Harbaugh was staring down a 0-2 start for the first time since 2015 and had his team come out firing against Las Vegas, but ultimately couldn’t pull his team out of the nosedive. The Ravens have now dropped two close games in a row, and Harbaugh is going to need to find a way to change the tides.
11. Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur (Last Week #18)
Matt LaFleur deserves major credit for not only preparing Malik Willis in such a short time but for actually getting a win out of the young quarterback, who really struggled during his stint as the starter in Tennessee.
10. New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen (Last Week #23)
The expectations weren’t exactly sky-high for Dennis Allen and the Saints coming into this season, but with two impressive wins to start the season, Allen has the Saints looking like serious contenders in the NFC.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin (Last Week #12)
Mike Tomlin continues to work his magic, guiding the Steelers to a gritty road win. Tomlin’s ability to create discipline in his team and lead an excellent defense was crucial on Sunday against Denver, as the veteran NFL head coach led a well-executed game plan that earned his team a 2-0 start.
8. Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott (Last Week #17)
For a guy who entered the season on many people’s hot seat radar, Sean McDermott has come out and made a statement this year. McDermott’s ability to adapt on defense was on full display as his team racked up three turnovers and stifled the Dolphins at every turn.
7. San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan (Last Week #3)
Kyle Shanahan needs to do a better job of getting his team ready to play against supposedly inferior competition. It looked like they went into this one thinking that the Vikings were just going to roll after the way the Niners dismantled the Jets in Week 1.
6. Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell (Last Week #4)
After the game, Dan Campbell took the blame for this loss, and rightly so. His coaching errors plagued the team all game, as he couldn’t seem to get his head on straight.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles (Last Week #13)
Todd Bowles’s Bucs stayed composed even as Detroit’s defense, led by Aidan Hutchinson, made life difficult for them. It looks like his team is starting to find an identity and could be for real!
4. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O'Connell (Last Week #6)
Kevin O’Connell has to feel good about this win. Losing Jefferson in the third quarter could have spiraled into a disaster quickly, but it seems like he’ll be okay, and O’Connell did well to steer the ship through the choppy waters en route to a big victory over the 49ers.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid (Last Week #1)
It isn’t hard to imagine a two-time defending Super Bowl champion team getting out to a sluggish start, but Coach Reid has done a great job of mitigating the hangover. His Chiefs are off to a 2-0 start and have knocked off two expected contenders in the Ravens and Bengals to do so.
2. Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans (Last Week #7)
It’s early in Ryan’s NFL head coaching career, but based on the way this Texans squad has taken on the identity of their coach—tough, resilient, and opportunistic, it feels right to call him one of the top coaches in the game today.
1. Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh (Last Week #8)
The Jim Harbaugh era has officially begun in Los Angeles. He had his team ready to dominate from the opening whistle against an inferior opponent, and they did so in impressive fashion, winning 26-3.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Head Coaches For The 2024 Season From WORST To FIRST
