Week three saw a few head coaches and their respective teams continue their dominance, and other head coaches earned their first wins of the 2024 NFL season.
However, a couple of head coaches might want to start updating their LinkedIn pages and hitting the job boards, as their teams struggled in their matchups and needed to turn things around fast. Otherwise, they’ll be out of a job before or after the season concludes.
Here are the grades for all 32 NFL teams’ head coaches after week three.
How did your favorite NFL head coach fare after week three of games?
Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon: C
Despite a massive week two victory over the injured Los Angeles Rams, Gannon’s Cardinals were brought back to earth in their week three 13-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. Kyler Murray played a decent game as he threw a touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. and scored a rushing touchdown, but the Cardinals’ offensive line is having trouble at right tackle as Jonah Williams is dealing with a knee injury.
The Lions’ defense showed up by flat-lining the Cardinals’ offense and preventing them from making key plays. This is something Gannon needs to get addressed and fixed when the Cardinals square off against the Washington Commanders in week four.
Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris: C
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Despite the youthfulness of head coach Raheem Morris to the Falcons, his offense has struggled in the NFL, and it showed during the team’s 17-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Kirk Cousins hasn’t looked the same since he recovered from his Achilles injury. He is certainly doing the best he can in key games, but the Falcons aren’t getting those key downs they want and need.
Morris and the Falcons need to change their approach when it comes to crucial third and fourth downs, as the Chiefs’ defense smothered them on a 4th and inches attempt, which ended up sealing the deal for Kansas City. However, there’s still time for things to change, as it’s still early in the 2024 season.
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh: B+
John Harbaugh’s Ravens finally got themselves in the win column as they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 28-25. The Ravens rushing attack shined as Derrick Henry rushed for 151 yards on 25 carries and scored two touchdowns, and Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman and scored a rushing touchdown of his own.
The Ravens’ defense kept fighting despite the Cowboys attempting a comeback. However, Justin Tucker has been struggling all season so far, and Harbaugh believes it’s a technique problem Tucker is trying to fix. The Ravens are going to need all hands on deck, as the Buffalo Bills are coming to town in their week four matchup.
Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott: A
McDermott’s Bills put on a clinic as they crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10. Josh Allen and the offense scored touchdowns in their first five possessions in the game, which made things miserable for the Jaguars’ defense. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady put together an excellent offense despite the team parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
McDermott’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, had four sacks and an interception against Trevor Lawrence. It’s only upward from here as the Bills get set for their week four matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales: A-
Dave Canales benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton paid off, as the Panthers stunned the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22. The Panthers’ offense came to life, as Dalton threw three touchdowns in the first half of the game and was a great offensive leader who didn’t throw a single interception all game.
The Panthers’ defense under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero also came to life and made things tough for the Raiders’ offense. Canales may have saved his job for now, as the Panthers need to build upon this win and earn more wins as the season continues.
Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus: C-
Even though Eberflus’ Bears slightly improved after their week two loss, they still couldn’t get the job done in their 16-21 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Caleb Williams looked decent as he threw his first two touchdowns of the 2024 season, but he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, and the Bears’ rushing attack was held to 63 yards on the ground.
Eberflus’ defense had a decent day as Vontez Sweat had a sack and shut down the Colts’ passing attack, and both Jalyon Johnson and Tremaine Edmunds had two interceptions. Slight improvements for the Bears, but they still have to fix the rushing attack and protect Williams from getting sacked moving forward.
Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor: C
Despite playing a decent offensive battle against the Washington Commanders, Zac Taylor’s Bengals fell in a painful 33-38 loss at home. Taylor said the team has to own the loss as they try to get into the win column, despite the efforts from Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Taylor also said the team failed to make the necessary stops against the Commanders as Jayden Daniels went off and only threw two incompletions all game.
On top of that, this was the first game since 1940 where there were no defensive turnovers or punts. The only thing Taylor’s Bengals have to do is move onto week four.
Also Read: 5 WORST NFL Head Coaches In The Game Today, And The 5 BEST That Always Dominate
Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski: C-
Stefanksi’s Browns had a tough afternoon as they fell to the New York Giants 15-21. Deshaun Watson may have thrown two touchdowns to Amari Cooper in the first and fourth quarters, but Watson was sacked eight times as four key offensive linemen (Jedrick Wills, Wyatt Teller, James Hudson III, and Dawand Jones) stepped off the field at certain points dealing with injuries. It also affected the Browns’ rushing attack, which was held to a combined 69 yards.
Defensively, the Browns sacked Jones twice and had a decent game but couldn’t force any turnovers. It’s back to the drawing board for Stefanski and the Browns as they get prepared for their week four road trip to Sin City against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy: D
Despite the Cowboys’ attempt at a comeback, the team had no answers on how to stop the Baltimore Ravens’ rushing attack. On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys’ rushing attack had an awful afternoon, as they combined for 51 rushing yards despite Dak Prescott scoring a rushing touchdown. This loss may also reflect how the Cowboys didn’t bring in any big-name talent when they had the opportunity to do so during the offseason.
Head coach McCarthy’s seat may continue to get warmer if the Cowboys don’t turn things around this NFL season. We’ll see what happens if McCarthy can make it through another full season.
Denver Broncos: Sean Payton: B+
After two weeks of painful losses, Sean Payton and the Broncos secured a massive 26-7 upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the things Payton’s Broncos did differently was receive the kickoff after they won the coin toss before the game started. After that, the Broncos immediately scored their first touchdown of the game and didn’t look back. Bo Nix also had his best game so far this season, as he scored a rushing touchdown and threw no interceptions.
On top of that, Payton earned his seventh win over Todd Bowles since he began working for the Buccaneers back in 2019. Hopefully, Payton continues the Broncos’ winning ways moving forward after this win.
Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell: A-
Campbell and the Lions had a great 20-13 rebound win over the upcoming Arizona Cardinals, who came off a massive week two win over the Los Angeles Rams. Aside from the Lions’ offense that scored three touchdowns in the game, Campbell’s defense played their hearts out and made noise in all the right places as they kept their opponent to under 20 points.
However, the Lions do have penalties to clean up, as they racked up nine of them in this past game. One thing is for certain: Campbell is continuing to move the Lions in the right direction.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur: A-
LeFleur’s Packers took Nissan Stadium by storm and brought the hammer down on the Tennessee Titans in their 30-14 victory. Malik Willis continued to shine while Jordan Love recovered from his MCL sprain, Emanuel Wilson scored a touchdown, and the Packers defense had eight sacks and two interceptions, one of them returned by Jaire Alexander for a 35-yard pick-six. LeFleur told the press he’s very impressed with his team on all sides of the ball as they dominated the Titans all afternoon.
Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans: D-
Ryans and the Texans had a brutal Sunday afternoon as they were crushed 7-34 by the Minnesota Vikings. A part of the offense was mostly shut down by the Vikings’ defense, and Cam Akers scored the only touchdown for the Texans. On defense, the Texans had four sacks against Sam Darnold but no defensive turnovers throughout the whole game.
Ryans was also not happy with the heavy amount of penalties the team was flagged for. The Texans were flagged 11 times for 88 yards all game. All Ryans and the Texans can do is regroup and get prepared for their week four matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen: C
Steichen and the Colts finally earned themselves their first win of the 2024 season with a 21-16 victory over the Chicago Bears. Jonathan Taylor’s 110 rushing yards on 23 carries and two scored rushing touchdowns helped the Colts offensively, but the passing attack was nonexistent as Richardson threw two interceptions and Alec Pierce caught one reception for 44 yards.
On defense, the Colts had two interceptions of their own, a fumble recovery, and four sacks against Caleb Williams. Steichen’s team has to clean up the passing game moving forward, even though earning that first win of the 2024 season is a great feeling.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson: F
If any NFL head coach should begin hitting the online job boards, it’s Doug Pederson, as his Jacksonville Jaguars were humiliated on Monday Night Football in a 10-47 loss. Trevor Lawrence played an awful game, as he was sacked four times in the loss. Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor haven’t been up to par with their coaching, which has dragged Lawrence’s performance downward as the Jaguars haven’t had a win since week 17 of the 2023 season.
Pederson also said the preparation hasn’t been where it’s been needed so far this season. If the losing continues in Duval County, Pederson’s coaching seat will get so hot you’ll be able to roast chocolate and marshmallows on it and make the best s’mores as a result.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid: A-
No Isiah Pacheco for the Chiefs, no problem. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes utilized all the talent around them and defeated the Atlanta Falcons 22-17. Even with Mahomes throwing two touchdowns against one interception, Reid’s Chiefs have been shuffling offensive playmakers in and out of games faster than someone shuffling a deck of cards, and yet, similarly to the Tom Brady-led Patriots from back in the day, it’s been working.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy offered his praise for Carson Steele before the win, as he had 72 rushing yards all game. One thing for certain is that Reid is a smart head coach who knows how to lead his NFL team to victory. He officially has had more wins as the Chiefs head coach, with 131, than he did when he was the Eagles head coach from 1999 until 2012.
Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce: D
Antonio Pierce’s Raiders suffered a shocking 22-36 loss to the Carolina Panthers in front of their home crowd. Pierce said to the media that the Raiders’ defensively had an awful afternoon, even as the Panthers’ offense was electric all game. Pierce isn’t committed to having Garnder Minshew start for the rest of the season, as he’s open to having Aidan O’Connell potentially replace Minshew if he continues to struggle. We’ll see what happens when the Raiders welcome the Cleveland Browns to Las Vegas come week four.
Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh: D
Despite Harbaugh’s Chargers starting well, the team let a 10-7 lead slip away, as they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 10-20. Justin Herbert threw a touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston, but Herbert had an injury scare, as he hurt his ankle during the game, even though X-rays came back negative. On top of that, two of the Chargers’ main linemen suffered injuries (Joe Alt had an MCL sprain, and Rashawn Slater had a strained pectoral muscle).
J.K. Dobbins had a tough time running through the Steelers’ defense, as they dominated in the second half. Harbaugh and the Chargers need to turn things around fast as the competition in the AFC West continues to get more intense.
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay: B
After McVay’s Rams lost a tough road game against the Arizona Cardinals in week two, they immediately rebounded and secured a last-minute 27-24 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Tutu Atwell helped get the job done in the passing game despite not scoring a touchdown, while Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp slowly recovered from their injuries. The Rams’ defense didn’t have an impact on the 49ers’ offense, as they only generated one sack and no interceptions.
They need a new defensive star. McVay was able to mix things up on the offensive line, which has been dealing with injuries, and it paid off in the very close victory. This was one of McVay’s most impressive wins as this NFL team’s head coach, even though there are a lot more games down the road as the Rams get focused on week four.
Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel: F
Life without Tua Tagovailoa for the Miami Dolphins was truly felt in their week three 3-24 beatdown loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Dolphins struggled on the offensive side of the ball as they had no answers against the Seahawks’ defense. It also didn’t help that Skylar Thompson went down with a rib injury during the loss.
The team now has to move forward with Tim Boyle. McDaniel said he needs to better prepare the Dolphins moving forward and avoid boneheaded penalties, as the team had 11 in the game.
Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O’Connell: A-
O’Connell’s Vikings once again dominated as they crushed the Houston Texans 34-7. Sam Darnold looked elite as he threw four touchdowns against no interceptions on the day. Aaron Jones, Justin Jefferson, Jalon Nailor, and Johnny Mundt all scored touchdowns in the victory.
On defense, the team held the Texans’ ground game to 38 rushing yards and made things miserable for C.J. Stroud as he threw only one touchdown against two interceptions. O’Connell’s Vikings look fierce as they get prepared for their week four road trip against the Green Bay Packers.
New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo: F
It was a horrific Thursday night for Mayo and company as the Patriots were blown out 3-24 by the New York Jets. Jacoby Brissett had a horrific night as he was sacked five times, the Patriots run game was held to 78 yards all night, and the Patriot’s defense had no answers on how to stop Aaron Rodgers and company. Mayo and the Patriots have to rebound from this disastrous loss immediately as they get prepared for their week four matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen: C
Despite the Saints losing a very close 12-15 game to the Philadelphia Eagles and not having real-life Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill due to a bruised lung, Dennis Allen coached an alright game but had some missed opportunities. Allen’s defense had some good moments but had no answers on how to stop Dallas Goedert and, of course, Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 147 yards and scored two touchdowns against them.
On offense, the Saints lost center Erik McCoy to a groin injury in the game, which made things much harder for Derek Carr and Allen, as Carr had some missteps in the game because of it. Allen and company have to rebound, fast, if they want to win the NFC South by the end of the season.
New York Giants: Brian Daboll: B+
Daboll saved his job for now as the Giants secured the 21-15 victory. Malik Nabers had a very strong game, as he hauled in two touchdowns from Daniel Jones, and Brian Burns and Azeez Ojulari pressured Deshaun Watson and made the Browns’ running game have an awful afternoon. Daboll may not be the best head coach in the NFL, but he knows how to get the best of his players and earn a solid win on the road.
New York Jets: Robert Saleh: A-
Saleh’s squad had a very strong 24-3 statement victory against the New England Patriots. Aaron Rodgers looked great, as he threw two touchdowns against no interceptions. Breece Hall scored a rushing touchdown, and Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard scored receiving touchdowns. However, Saleh’s defense won the MVP of the night as they crippled the Patriots’ run game and made Jacoby Brissett play his worst game of the season so far, as they sacked him five times despite Hanson Reddick holding out wanting a trade from the team.
No Jermaine Johnson II, as he ruptured his Achilles, and C.J. Mosley was out due to a toe injury. Hopefully, Saleh and the Jets continue their dominant ways and earn more wins moving forward.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Sirianni: C
Despite being down 3-0 for the majority of the game, Nick Sirianni’s Eagles made things very interesting at the very end, as the Eagles came back and won 15-12. Despite the win, Sirianni’s coaching was not on point, as Jalen Hurts threw an interception against no touchdowns, even though Saquon Barkley rushed for 147 yards on 17 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns (including a two-point conversion) on the afternoon.
Things were bad for Sirianni before Dallas Goedert and Barkley emerged as heroes in the fourth quarter when Fox’s cameras caught a fan screaming at Sirianni for making dumb coaching decisions. Sometimes, the fans have wisdom, and Sirianni had better rethink some of these decisions; otherwise, the Eagles’ fans would continue wanting him out of town quickly.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin: B+
Tomlin continued having an excellent coaching week, as he and the Steelers came from behind and defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10. Tomlin continued to prove the doubters wrong, as his offense played a good game with Justin Fields leading the way. Calvin Austin III scored a 55-yard touchdown, and the Steelers’ defense continued to help carry the team to victory.
If the Steelers continue their winning ways this NFL season, Tomlin could be a potential Head Coach of the Year nominee.
San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan: B-
Despite an excellent offensive performance from Shanhan’s 49ers, they fell to the Los Angeles Rams in last-second fashion. Although the 49ers’ offense continues to be one of the best in the NFL, the 49ers’ defense is a different story as they struggled in the end, which the Rams took advantage of.
The hiring of Nick Sorenson as defensive coordinator hasn’t helped, as the 49ers fired Steve Wilks, the previous defensive coordinator, after they lost Super Bowl 58. Shanahan has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to get the 49ers out of their losing woes and back on track.
Seattle Seahawks: Mike MacDonald: A-
Despite Geno Smith’s sloppy performance, MacDonad’s Seahawks played a strong game of football as they defeated the Miami Dolphins 24-3. The Seahawks defense played a physical game against the Dolphins’ offense, but MacDonald said the team could be so much better. Geno Smith did throw a touchdown pass to DK Metcalf but threw two interceptions.
He needs to avoid throwing costly picks. Especially in week four, when the Seahawks travel to the Motor City and face the Detroit Lions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles: D
Bowles and the Bucs had a very disappointing afternoon, as they were stunned 7-26 by the Denver Broncos. It was a brutal day on the field for Baker Mayfield, as he was sacked seven times and threw an interception against a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Bowles told the team that after the loss, it’s best to move on, whether it’s a win or a loss, and focus on the next one, even though the team played awful on all sides of the ball.
Hopefully, Bowles and company rebound in week four as they get prepared for their playoff rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan: D
Callahan’s Titans looked abysmal in their 14-30 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Despite DeAndre Hopkins scoring a touchdown in the game, Will Levis struggled as he was sacked eight times and threw two interceptions against two touchdowns, while the Titans rushing attack struggled all game with 33 rushing yards.
Callahan told the press that he still supports Levis despite his struggles all season. On top of that, the Titans’ defense failed to force a defensive turnover and struggled all game, as well. If things continue to fall apart in Nashville, Callahan should start hitting the job board websites and look for a new job elsewhere, pronto.
Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn: A-
Quinn’s Commanders went off as they stunned the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33. Jayden Daniels had an amazing game as he completed 21 out of 23 passes and threw only two incompletions, thanks to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury helping him out. Daniels also connected a 27-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to further ice the game for the Commanders.
Undoubtedly, this is just the beginning for Daniels as he takes the league by storm. Quinn’s defense may not have had any turnovers, as they only had two sacks on the night. Hopefully, the Commanders keep doing what they’re doing and continue to churn out wins.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Head Coaches From WORST To FIRST After Week 2 Of The 2024 Season
