Now that the dust has settled from the end of the regular season, let’s take a gander around the NFL and power rank every team’s head coach.
BYE WEEK: San Francisco 49ers Kyle Shanahan
The Niners had a bye week and will play the Packers.
BYE WEEK: Philadelphia Eagles Nick Sirianni
The Ravens had a bye week and will play the Texans.
11. Miami Dolphins Mike McDaniels
Wild Card Weekend was a crushing disappointment for Miami Dolphins fans, as their wonder-kid Head Coach, Mike McDaniel, met his match in Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. McDaniel, who is often celebrated for his offensive creativity and the team’s subsequent output, seemed woefully unprepared for the Chiefs’ formidable defense.
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This game exposed some serious flaws in McDaniel’s approach, particularly in his play-calling. The reliance on a pass-heavy offense against a team known for its defensive prowess, especially considering the heinous weather conditions, was a terrible strategy.
Even worse than the offense, McDaniel’s defense was completely unable to adapt to the balanced attack that Kansas City deployed.
10. Dallas Cowboys Mike McCarthy
Wow… What an absolute stinker from Mike McCarthy! Honestly, don’t be shocked if we see the news circulate that McCarthy is fired sooner rather than later—because his Cowboys straight up did not show up this week.
Yes, we all know that Dak Prescott struggled—and it is ultimately up to the players to play and all that… but it is also the coach’s responsibility to get his guys prepared and ready to play.
Beyond the leadership and preparation, he got dominated on the x’s and o’s by Matt LaFleur as well. So, yeah… Don’t be shocked if we see the veteran head coach on Jerry Jones’s chopping block in the next few weeks.
9. Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski did a great job all season of keeping this Browns team together despite the myriad of injuries, but his showdown with DeMeco Ryans and the Texans on Saturday served as a harsh wakeup call. Not only to the team’s obvious need for a real answer at the quarterback position, but also his inability or unwillingness to shift strategies.
His over-reliance on the passing game, particularly against a team with a strong secondary and Joe Flacco under center was a massive strategic error, but was the most concerning was Stefanski’s in-game management. The head coach made several critical decisions game management and play selection decisions in key moments that utterly lacked the decisiveness and innovation expected of a coach of his caliber.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Todd Bowles
The turnaround that Todd Bowles has made in the game of public perception this year is crazy. Early in the season, people were calling for his job left, right, and center, but he stayed the course and got this team playing good, complementary football.
What is most impressive about what’s taken place under Coach Bowles’s leadership is the revitalization of Baker Mayfield. The once-embattled signal caller looks like a new man and this team is playing inspired football for him.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin
Honestly, it was a bit of a miracle that the Steelers made it to the postseason at all this year, considering how the season looked for a while there. Not only did they go through three quarterbacks, but they also had to fire an Offensive Coordinator and endure a number of injuries all around the roster.
What was particularly impressive about the job that Tomlin did with this team on Monday, was that he got them to rally back when it looked like they were about to get run out of the building. 2023 is a shining example of Mike Tomlin being a true professional in every sense of the term.
6. Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay
There is no denying that Sean McVay is among the top offensive gurus and, really, head coaches in the league. His system is creative and dynamic and it is hard to question the outcome. That said, Sunday’s game was a good reminder that his in-game management could use a little bit of work because the team did look a little bit out of sorts down the stretch. Not to mention the clock management! How do you end up one timeout late in the 4th quarter? That was unacceptable.
That aside, McVay did do an excellent job running the offense, particularly in the first half when the Rams were marching up and down the field. It does feel like if they had Cooper Kupp at full health that they might’ve been able to break through and take this one because their star receiver did look limited.
5. Buffalo Bills Sean McDermott
Very few head coaches in the NFL could’ve endured the ringer that Sean McDermott was put through this season. All year long there were questions about his coaching ability as the team was struggling, then old stories got leaked that opened him up to a whole other form of criticism.
But with he and the Bills backs against the wall, McDermott rallied the troops and Buffalo won out, not just qualifying for the playoffs, but capitalizing on the floundering Dolphins and stealing the AFC East crown.
Now, to add to that, he’s won a playoff game. The real test, of course, is going to be next week, but McDermott has done enough to get himself off the hot seat.
4. Green Bay Packers Matt LaFleur
Matt LaFleur has done a fantastic job with the Packers in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. He rallied the team back from a slow start, snuck into the playoffs, and now—they have a playoff win under their belt too.
It was obvious watching that game that LaFleur was coaching circles around Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys. Everything that he dialed up on both sides of the ball worked—seemingly without exception. At this point, the Packers are very much playing with house money and though they have a tough matchup next week with the 49ers, it does feel like they have lightning in a bottle and anything could happen.
3. Houston Texans DeMeco Ryans
In the highly anticipated Wild Card game between the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, DeMeco Ryans absolutely delivered. Ryans’ strategic brilliance was a key factor in the Texans’ impressive victory and reaffirmed his status as one of the NFL’s top, young coaches and one of the best defensive minds in the game.
Every move that Ryans made to set the pace for the game and counter the Browns strategies seemed to work. All in all, a fantastic showing for the rookie head coach.
2. Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid
Andy Reid once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the NFL’s elite coaches. His offensive game plan was fantastically efficient and he found a way to get the most out of his guys. Take what he did with Rasheed Rice for example. Reid always seems to find ways to put his players in the best situation to succeed.
1. Detroit Lions Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell put on a master class all season with the way that the turned this franchise around. It is clear that he built a culture in Detroit and the team’s identity clearly reflects his character.
Sunday was another phenomenal example of this. The Lions were playing with extreme intensity and focus—and the execution was top notch. It seemed like whether it was a go, no-go decision on 4th down or the play calling, every lever that Campbell pulled on worked.
Nobody is riding higher than Dan Campbell right now!
BYE WEEK: Baltimore Ravens John Harbaugh
Things fell apart for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles in a way that no one could’ve expected in 2023. They started the season 10 and 1, then stumbled massively—first losing the Division crown down the stretch of the regular season, then getting bounced by the Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend.
BYE WEEK: San Francisco 49ers Kyle Shanahan
Things fell apart for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles in a way that no one could’ve expected in 2023. They started the season 10 and 1, then stumbled massively—first losing the Division crown down the stretch of the regular season, then getting bounced by the Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend.
12. Philadelphia Eagles Nick Sirianni
Things fell apart for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles in a way that no one could’ve expected in 2023. They started the season 10 and 1, then stumbled massively—first losing the Division crown down the stretch of the regular season, then getting bounced by the Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend.
Sirianni struggled to make any of the necessary adjustments to the gameplan around the injuries that plagued the team late in the season and, frankly, deserves the lion’s share of the blame for the way this team went downhill this season. Tampa Bay ran circles around them on Monday and that is simply not acceptable.
11. Miami Dolphins Mike McDaniels
Wild Card Weekend was a crushing disappointment for Miami Dolphins fans, as their wonder-kid Head Coach, Mike McDaniel, met his match in Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. McDaniel, who is often celebrated for his offensive creativity and the team’s subsequent output, seemed woefully unprepared for the Chiefs’ formidable defense.
This game exposed some serious flaws in McDaniel’s approach, particularly in his play-calling. The reliance on a pass-heavy offense against a team known for its defensive prowess, especially considering the heinous weather conditions, was a terrible strategy.
Even worse than the offense, McDaniel’s defense was completely unable to adapt to the balanced attack that Kansas City deployed.
10. Dallas Cowboys Mike McCarthy
Wow… What an absolute stinker from Mike McCarthy! Honestly, don’t be shocked if we see the news circulate that McCarthy is fired sooner rather than later—because his Cowboys straight up did not show up this week.
Yes, we all know that Dak Prescott struggled—and it is ultimately up to the players to play and all that… but it is also the coach’s responsibility to get his guys prepared and ready to play.
Beyond the leadership and preparation, he got dominated on the x’s and o’s by Matt LaFleur as well. So, yeah… Don’t be shocked if we see the veteran head coach on Jerry Jones’s chopping block in the next few weeks.
9. Cleveland Browns Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski did a great job all season of keeping this Browns team together despite the myriad of injuries, but his showdown with DeMeco Ryans and the Texans on Saturday served as a harsh wakeup call. Not only to the team’s obvious need for a real answer at the quarterback position, but also his inability or unwillingness to shift strategies.
His over-reliance on the passing game, particularly against a team with a strong secondary and Joe Flacco under center was a massive strategic error, but was the most concerning was Stefanski’s in-game management. The head coach made several critical decisions game management and play selection decisions in key moments that utterly lacked the decisiveness and innovation expected of a coach of his caliber.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Todd Bowles
The turnaround that Todd Bowles has made in the game of public perception this year is crazy. Early in the season, people were calling for his job left, right, and center, but he stayed the course and got this team playing good, complementary football.
What is most impressive about what’s taken place under Coach Bowles’s leadership is the revitalization of Baker Mayfield. The once-embattled signal caller looks like a new man and this team is playing inspired football for him.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin
Honestly, it was a bit of a miracle that the Steelers made it to the postseason at all this year, considering how the season looked for a while there. Not only did they go through three quarterbacks, but they also had to fire an Offensive Coordinator and endure a number of injuries all around the roster.
What was particularly impressive about the job that Tomlin did with this team on Monday, was that he got them to rally back when it looked like they were about to get run out of the building. 2023 is a shining example of Mike Tomlin being a true professional in every sense of the term.
6. Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay
There is no denying that Sean McVay is among the top offensive gurus and, really, head coaches in the league. His system is creative and dynamic and it is hard to question the outcome. That said, Sunday’s game was a good reminder that his in-game management could use a little bit of work because the team did look a little bit out of sorts down the stretch. Not to mention the clock management! How do you end up one timeout late in the 4th quarter? That was unacceptable.
That aside, McVay did do an excellent job running the offense, particularly in the first half when the Rams were marching up and down the field. It does feel like if they had Cooper Kupp at full health that they might’ve been able to break through and take this one because their star receiver did look limited.
5. Buffalo Bills Sean McDermott
Very few head coaches in the NFL could’ve endured the ringer that Sean McDermott was put through this season. All year long there were questions about his coaching ability as the team was struggling, then old stories got leaked that opened him up to a whole other form of criticism.
But with he and the Bills backs against the wall, McDermott rallied the troops and Buffalo won out, not just qualifying for the playoffs, but capitalizing on the floundering Dolphins and stealing the AFC East crown.
Now, to add to that, he’s won a playoff game. The real test, of course, is going to be next week, but McDermott has done enough to get himself off the hot seat.
4. Green Bay Packers Matt LaFleur
Matt LaFleur has done a fantastic job with the Packers in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. He rallied the team back from a slow start, snuck into the playoffs, and now—they have a playoff win under their belt too.
It was obvious watching that game that LaFleur was coaching circles around Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys. Everything that he dialed up on both sides of the ball worked—seemingly without exception. At this point, the Packers are very much playing with house money and though they have a tough matchup next week with the 49ers, it does feel like they have lightning in a bottle and anything could happen.
3. Houston Texans DeMeco Ryans
In the highly anticipated Wild Card game between the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns, DeMeco Ryans absolutely delivered. Ryans’ strategic brilliance was a key factor in the Texans’ impressive victory and reaffirmed his status as one of the NFL’s top, young coaches and one of the best defensive minds in the game.
Every move that Ryans made to set the pace for the game and counter the Browns strategies seemed to work. All in all, a fantastic showing for the rookie head coach.
2. Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid
Andy Reid once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the NFL’s elite coaches. His offensive game plan was fantastically efficient and he found a way to get the most out of his guys. Take what he did with Rasheed Rice for example. Reid always seems to find ways to put his players in the best situation to succeed.
1. Detroit Lions Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell put on a master class all season with the way that the turned this franchise around. It is clear that he built a culture in Detroit and the team’s identity clearly reflects his character.
Sunday was another phenomenal example of this. The Lions were playing with extreme intensity and focus—and the execution was top notch. It seemed like whether it was a go, no-go decision on 4th down or the play calling, every lever that Campbell pulled on worked.
Nobody is riding higher than Dan Campbell right now!
