NFL Head Coach Power Rankings Entering the 2016 Regular Season
A coach's job is to put each player on the roster in a position to succeed. The execution is far more difficult, though.
The NFL is the peak of the profession. The goal remains the same, yet the scrutiny under which these coaches operates can be daunting.
Turnover at the professional level is constant. As much as organizations preach patience, nearly a quarter of the league has a new head coach this year. Since 2013, 29 head coaching changes have been made around the league.
How a team performs reflects on its coach and how he's viewed around the league. In order to provide a barometer for the landscape, Bleacher Report created the inaugural NFL Head Coach Power Rankings. Each week, the league's coaches will be evaluated based on the their team's performances and the decisions made during contests. They'll be ranked accordingly.
A starting point needed to be established, and this week's rankings are the genesis of what's to come. As the renowned philosopher Ric Flair once said, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man."
32. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants
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So begins the great unknown.
These rankings aren't intended to reflect poorly on new coaches. Some of them aren't experienced, and it's impossible to predict how they'll handle being a first-time head coach.
As such, each of the new coaches without previous head coaching experience started at the bottom of the rankings. How they were ranked beyond that point is inconsequential. It's about building a resume and seeing how the team reacts to each.
None may have a more difficult task than Ben McAdoo after Tom Coughlin resigned. Coughlin left the Giants after 11 seasons and two Super Bowl championships.
Yes, McAdoo served as the team's offensive coordinator over the last two years and built a relationship with quarterback Eli Manning, but being tasked with running an entire team is a completely different animal.
The organization established a comfort level with McAdoo to the point where he could become Coughlin's successor. Now, the former coordinator has a big shoes to fill.
31. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is a known commodity from the perspective he's been a part of the NFL for most of his adult life. Other than a three-year stint with Calvary Baptist Academy, Pederson has either played or coached at the NFL level for the past 23 years.
Thus, the former quarterback relates well with his players. Long-snapper and America's Got Talent contestant Jon Dorenbos explained why he's respected in the Eagles locker room during a radio segment on CBS Philly's SportsRadio WIP:
"One he played and now he’s a coach. He understands how to be a player. There’s certain ways to handle certain people. People get ready for games differently, and work out differently, it’s about finding what you need to get ready, and Doug gives you the freedom to get ready to play. He handles you as an adult. I love Coach Pederson.
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Dorenbos' comments reflect poorly on previous head coach Chip Kelly, who brought an entirely different approach to running the organization. Pederson's primary task this season is getting the Eagles back to where they were under his mentor, Andy Reid, and to make everyone forget what happened during Kelly's tenure.
30. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter became part of the reason behind Lovie Smith's departure from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team seemed to respond to the play-caller, and the front office saw potential in last year's offense.
Center Joe Hawley discussed his new head coach with PewterReport.com's Scott Reynolds, telling him, "He just gets it. It’s hard to explain. He has the 'it' factor. He’s the kind of guy you want on your side. He’s already a great head coach. As a player, there is not a lot of wasted time. Everything we do has a purpose."
All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy added, "He carries himself like a head coach and he always has, so stepping into a head coaching role was going to be easy for him, and it has been easy for him. He's got a trial run—just like us players—but his mentality and how he has us prepare is what is going to take him to the next level."
Even so, Koetter's only experience as a head coach came in college with the Boise State Broncos and Arizona State Sun Devils. In those two experiences, he finished with a 60-44 overall record. He's now in the NFL, and his ability to mold quarterback Jameis Winston got him where he is. In order to be successful, Koetter will need to get the most out of the former No. 1 overall pick.
29. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
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For the past three winters, Adam Gase served as the hot coaching candidate who held the interest of multiple teams throughout the hiring process. But Gase refrained from accepting any positions until he felt ready.
The first-time head coach found a home with the Miami Dolphins, and he already made multiple smart preseason decisions. Unlike many coaches, Gase found ways to fit his scheme around the talent on the roster.
"His message is he's always going to fight to put us in the right place," offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod said, per the Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley. "He's always going to fight to put us in the right situation, no matter what the defense is doing."
During his time as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears, Gase saw both sides of the spectrum with a perfectionist in Peyton Manning and then trying to get the most out of Jay Cutler. Ryan Tannehill is the coach's new project. Since becoming the Dolphins' starting quarterback in 2012, the former first-round pick only once led a Dolphins offense that finished in the top half of the league.
Miami hired Gase to rectify the situation.
28. Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
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Certain coaches get recycled around the league. Mike Mularkey is a shining example.
The Tennessee Titans hired Mularkey after he became a midseason replacement for Ken Whisenhunt. He previously served as the team's assistant head and tight ends coach.
Continuity is important for the growth of last year's No. 2 overall pick, quarterback Marcus Mariota, but Mularkey's previous stops as a head coach don't inspire too much confidence. In his previous three seasons at the head of a franchise, the former tight end finished with a 16-32 record.
How will this season be any different after the team finished 2-7 during his interim stint?
"With that as a basis, we will now be installing some new systems and bringing in new coaches and players to build on what we have started," Mularkey said at his introductory press conference, per ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky. "There is plenty of work to be done until we reach our goal, but we will all work tirelessly to get us there."
This preseason already has Titans fans excited with the team's new approach—#ExoticSmashmouth—but Mularkey has a lot to prove before he's considered anything more than a retread.
27. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
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Within the last year, the San Diego Chargers dealt with the possibility of moving the organization, experienced a messy divorce with former All-Pro safety Eric Weddle and bickered with this year's top pick, Joey Bosa, over a nasty contract negotiation
These factors don't reflect well on the organization and certainly don't help Mike McCoy's case as the team's head coach. Not only does McCoy need his team to bounce back after a disappointing 4-12 campaign, but he has to do so without his best defensive player from last year and the No. 3 overall pick not being ready for the regular season. On top of it all, the possibility of a move still exists.
As a result, McCoy is already considered the favorite to be the first coach fired this fall, according to USA Today's Nate Scott.
With the Denver Broncos coming off a Super Bowl 50 victory, the Kansas City Chiefs winning 10 straight games to make the playoffs and the Oakland Raiders serving as a favorite to make a big leap, McCoy's Chargers have a difficult path just to stay out of the AFC West's basement.
26. Chip Kelly, San Francisco 49ers
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Chip Kelly 2.0 starts anew in San Francisco with the 49ers.
When Kelly left the Oregon Ducks to take over the Philadelphia Eagles, he was expected to revolutionize the game from an offensive perspective. Unfortunately, everything fell apart last year during a 6-9 start before Kelly was relieved of his duties.
The coach is now tasked with rebuilding a program that also experienced a fall from grace after it distanced itself from the Jim Harbaugh era. Kelly will take a different approach, but players are excited about what the offensive guru brings.
"He allows you to go out and play," wide receiver Bruce Ellington said on Aug. 23, per Taylor Price of the team's official site. "He calls the plays to allow you to do what you do."
Not everyone is fan of the coach's approach, though.
"I'm watching Niners vs. Packers and hate the read-option offense," 49ers great Jerry Rice tweeted. "Can we bring back old football?"
Rice's comments are another example of the same stigma Kelly has worked to overcome since joining the NFL ranks.
25. Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
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Change has been the only constant in Cleveland since the Browns returned to the NFL. Hue Jackson is the team's eighth permanent head coach since 1999. Jimmy Haslam has already pulled the plug on three different head coaches since he became majority owner in 2012.
Jackson is the latest trying to break this vicious cycle. His career as a head coach with the Oakland Raiders showed signs of promise but ended prematurely due to the passing of Al Davis and his son, Mark, taking over the organization.
This offseason, the offensive-minded coach was considered one of the top candidates—which is why his decision to coach the Browns became a big deal. Former Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden discussed the differences he's seen with Jackson compared to the other four head coaches he's served under, per NFL.com's Michael Silver:
"This is finally the first time we've had a coach that everybody else wanted. Everybody was like, 'Yo, he could have went a lot of different places,' but he ended up coming here to us, and that just made us feel special, that we got a coach that other people wanted. And from the first day he came in here, we could see why—just the way he's able to communicate, the way he's able to get involved with the players and the way he's able to make you want to do whatever he wants you to do, basically.
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It's easy to talk a big game and get everyone excited, but Jackson's job will be defined once a young Browns squad faces adversity.
24. Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
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Whenever a head coach must address his job status by midseason, it's never a good situation. This is exactly what the Detroit Lions' Jim Caldwell experienced last year when talk of job security came to the forefront.
"I understand from [Lions senior vice president of communications] Bill [Keenist] that there was a report out there that I was like a dead man walking," the coach said in November, per ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein. "As you see, I'm alive and well, and there's only one man that I think that has walked and risen from the dead, and I'm certainly not him."
From that point, the Lions won six of their last eight games, and the team's new front office decided to retain Caldwell. However, another slow start certainly won't help the head coach's status.
Detroit finished 11-5 and made the playoffs in Caldwell's first season. The NFC North is difficult with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings both vying for division crowns, but that Lions must show last season's 1-7 start is an anomaly, or Caldwell's status will once again become a primary topic.
23. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Patience is a virtue not found in excess around the NFL. However, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has continued to express confidence in head coach Gus Bradley despite three straight subpar seasons.
The Jaguars are 12-36 since Bradley became the head coach, but he and general manager David Caldwell have slowly built up the roster to become a competitive team. The Jaguars are now a chic pick to compete for a playoff spot.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll had this to say of his former defensive coordinator at the NFL’s annual owners meetings, per ESPN.com's Mike DiRocco:
"I think it takes a long time and the formula that they have put together, it’s taken some time to make their efforts on the roster and going after the players and spending the money and all that kind of stuff. I think they’re really going for it, and I think he’s laid the foundation, which he has a great foundation of what he stands for and all as a head coach.
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With a young core featuring Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Telvin Smith, plus the offseason additions of Malik Jackson, Tashaun Gipson, Kelvin Beachum, Prince Amukamara and top pick Jalen Ramsey, the Jaguars should finally make the leap toward respectability. If they don't, Khan's patience could finally wear thin.
22. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
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Through the first five weeks of the 2015 campaign, the Atlanta Falcons' Dan Quinn looked like the favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year honors. Instead, the Falcons faltered and lost seven of their next eight games.
No team experienced such extreme highs and lows with its strong start, a long losing streak through November into December and then winning two of the last three games to finish 8-8 overall.
Everything became a learning experience for the first-year head coach. A second year in the staff's system should create more consistency this fall.
"I really believe there's some high energy on this team that's going to help us a lot," general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in June, per the Talk of Fame Sports Network's Derek Burns. "And I think an extra year under our belt in this system, on the offensive side under Kyle Shanahan and on the defense, is going to help us a great deal."
Dimitroff also admitted he's on the hot seat—which could trickle down to Quinn if the team doesn't show marked improvement. After all, the $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium is set to open next year, and owner Arthur Blank might be enticed to hire a big-name head coach in an attempt to fill his plush new dome.
21. Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams
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For some reason, Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher continues to get a pass despite his teams not performing at a high level.
In his first four seasons with the Rams, Fisher has yet to finish with a record better than 7-8-1. Since becoming a full-time head coach with the Houston Oilers—yes, the Oilers, not the Texans—in 1995, his teams have finished with a record above .500 only six times.
Let that sink in for a moment: six winning seasons in 20 years as a head coach. Yet earlier this summer, the organization reached contract extensions with Fisher and general manager Les Snead, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Despite having an extremely talented defense, the excuses are already present if the team doesn't exceed expectations. After all, the staff continues to develop this year's No. 1 overall pick, Jared Goff—who is now third on the depth chart behind Case Keenum and Sean Mannion.
"I think it is going to take a little more time," Fisher said about Goff earning the backup role, per USA Today's Tom Pelissero.
More time. Exactly what Fisher needs.
20. Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans
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An NFL head coach is only as good as his quarterback. It's an axiom that certainly applies to the Houston Texans' Bill O'Brien.
Since becoming the team's head coach in 2015, O'Brien's list of quarterbacks includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage, Brian Hoyer, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden. As good as the Texans are on defense, the team still finished 9-7 in each of the last two seasons.
The coach might finally have his franchise quarterback in Brock Osweiler, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract during free agency and performed well during his first preseason as a starter. O'Brien discussed how the young signal-caller took ownership of the team with ESPN.com's Sarah Barshop:
"He's come in here and done exactly what we've asked him to do. He's worked extremely hard. I'm telling you now, this guy has put in 12-hour days. He's spent a lot of time. In order to understand our offense basically like a coach does, you have to put in a lot of time. He has certainly done that.
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With Osweiler in the fold, O'Brien and the Texans have a chance to be counted among the AFC's elite.
19. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
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It's nearly impossible not to root for Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano. Everyone still remembers his courageous battle with leukemia and how the players rallied around their coach.
But the team took a step backward (8-8) after three straight 11-5 campaigns. As a result, uncertainty surrounded Pagano's status. The organization responded by showing support for its coach when it signed him to a four-year contract extension.
Pagano's primary goal moving forward is finding ways to protect the NFL's newly minted $122.97 million quarterback, Andrew Luck. Last season, opposing defenses beat up Luck, and he eventually suffered a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle. Thus, the offensive line will be under heavy scrutiny after the unit didn't perform well during preseason.
Pagano said last week, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra:
"Again, I'm not going to make any excuses, but we've got some guys out of there right now that haven't been in there. So from a continuity standpoint, it makes a difference having five guys in there that have been in there day after day and week after week playing together. You start playing musical chairs again and it's tough.
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Simply put: The key to the Colts' 2016 campaign is keeping Luck upright and healthy.
18. Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders
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In 10 seasons as an NFL head coach, Jack Del Rio holds a 75-80 record. His teams have epitomized mediocrity, but everything could change this season. For the first time in more than a decade, the Oakland Raiders are expected to compete for a playoff spot.
The team improved to 7-9 during Del Rio's first year after winning seven games during the previous two seasons combined. The coach is now trying to temper expectations while setting a certain tone, courtesy of CSN Bay Area:
"It's been a long time coming. I mean, the Raiders, at one time, were a team that you knew—alright, you circle these games and go, 'Okay, that's gonna be tough. That's gonna be really tough. We know it's gonna be physical in that game.' We want that coming coming back, that's what we want. That's what we want to have, we want to have teams that recognize that when they play the Raiders, they're gonna be sore, that we're gonna be a good football team that plays smart.
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With players such as Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, the Raiders built a proper foundation with a chance to be a successful over a long period of time. It's falls on Del Rio and his staff to mold the talent on the roster. If he does, the Raiders could become one of the league's most exciting young teams.
17. Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills
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Rex Ryan's goal as a head coach stays the same, and he says so with gusto: He expects to win a Super Bowl. For the Buffalo Bills, the ability to make the playoffs this millennium is difficult enough.
If Ryan expects to lead the team to the postseason, he'll have to do something about his defense. The former defensive coordinator is well-known for his exotic schemes and top-ranked units. However, the Bills defense took a big step backward last season when it finished 19th overall in total defense.
"I've said it from Day 1: We're going to be better," Ryan said last month, per ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. "We will definitely be better than we were last year, in my opinion. Regardless of those [injuries and suspension], this defense will be better."
The coach will have to dig into his bag of tricks, because those injuries and suspension he referred to are more than little nuisances. The team's best defensive player, Marcell Dareus, is suspended for the first four games due to another violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Plus, injuries to the organization's top two draft picks, Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland, will cause them to miss significant time, if not the entire season.
16. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett fits the definition of average. Since taking over as the team's full-time head coach five years ago, the Cowboys own a 40-40 record.
Only when the team had a fully healthy Tony Romo, built the league's best offensive line and experienced a breakout campaign from DeMarco Murray did it rise above the .500 mark. A year later, Dallas stumbled to 4-12 without Romo in the lineup and Murray gone.
Less than a year later, the team's incumbent starter is once again dealing with injuries, and Garrett must prove his chops by developing a rookie quarterback on the fly.
This year's fourth-round pick, Dak Prescott, has done everything asked of him thus far and more. His stellar preseason performance allowed the Cowboys to slow-play the quarterback market and eventually sign veteran Mark Sanchez as a backup after being released by the Denver Broncos.
"Dak has done a nice job at every turn," Garrett said two weeks ago, per the Dallas News' Jon Machota. "He plays with poise and composure."
A strong effort from the Cowboys with a rookie quarterback behind center will certainly raise Garrett's profile.
15. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
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Once a head coach has a full year under his belt and players enter the second season in his system, a level of comfort can be established. The transition between coaching staffs isn't easy.
Outside of the drawn-out negotiations between quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the organization, the New York Jets' offseason has been relatively quiet after finishing 10-6 overall in Todd Bowles' first campaign. The next step is securing a playoff spot after just missing the postseason.
Bowles identified where things went wrong last year on ESPN's First Take (via 247Sports' James Parks):
"I don’t think we realized how good we were until three quarters of the way through the season. It was belief and trust. As we got to believe in each other and trust each other, we started playing better on the field. But at that point, it was too late: we’d blown too many games.
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The team and its coaching staff will be prepared this season and have a better understanding of what it can accomplish. With the majority of last team's year returning and a growing belief in the schemes, the Jets should finally be able to push the New England Patriots in the AFC East.
14. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
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The Washington Redskins are in an unfamiliar position by entering this season as the favorites to win the NFC East, and Jay Gruden is an even unlikelier coach to lead the way.
The lesser-known Gruden didn't take a conventional path to the NFL. First, he played eight seasons between the World League and Arena Football League. Prior to returning to the Orlando Predators as a player in 2002, he served as the indoor team's head coach. In total, he spent nine seasons as an AFL head coach before making his way to the UFL.
"When you think back to Jay in those days, you think about a coach on the field, how he handled things and managed things," Super Bowl winning quarterback and former AFL rival Kurt Warner told ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert and John Keim. "The way he led his teams, to championships and just on the field, it's absolutely no surprise the kind of offensive mind he's become and the success he's had as a head coach."
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis saw potential in the Ohio native and named him the team's offensive coordinator in 2011 before he earned the opportunity to become Washington's head coach in 2014. In his second season as an NFL head coach, Gruden improved his team by five wins and captured an NFC East crown.
Gruden's story might be unlikely, but he's proved to be the right guy for the job.
13. John Fox, Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears' John Fox is in his 14th straight year as an NFL head coach, albeit with three different organizations.
In his previous two stops, Year 2 is when those teams showed tremendous improvement. The Carolina Panthers went from 7-9 to 11-5 and made their way to Super Bowl XXXVIII. Afterward, the Denver Broncos started 8-8 under Fox and posted a 13-3 record in his second season.
To experience similar success in Chicago, Fox must get the most out of quarterback Jay Cutler without last year's offensive coordinator, Adam Gase, calling the plays. Dowell Loggains took over as the play-caller this offseason.
"I think the communication is we continue to grow as an offense," Loggains said, per CSN Chicago's John Mullin. "We put down pillars last year and we're building off that, just everyone a year in the system longer, the coaches and the new coaches, just getting a better feeling."
If Loggains can rein Cutler in, the Bears will likely see marked improved in Fox's second season.
12. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
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Andy Reid put together one of his best coaching efforts last season. The Kansas City Chiefs started 1-5 before rattling off 10 straight regular-season victories followed by a playoff win. The team fell short of the New England Patriots by seven points in the divisional round, but the Chiefs proved they are genuine contenders.
All of the team's second-half success came without franchise running back Jamaal Charles. The Texas product tore an ACL on Oct. 11. Charles is back, but he's not expected to play Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.
"I think it's a stretch for him to play," Reid said of the running back, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith.
With Charles out of the lineup, Reid relies heavily on Smith. As a result, the former No. 1 overall pick experienced his best season.
"He’s highly intelligent and he just gets it," Reid told PFT's Mike Florio. "I’m not telling you he’s got the strongest arm in the league, but he’s got plenty strong enough to win a championship with and he knows how to use it. I’ve got full trust in the guy, he’s been a real pleasure to coach."
The Chiefs' ability to win without Charles and Smith's continued development speak to Reid's abilities as a coach.
11. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
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Five years ago, the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV with head coach Mike McCarthy. They amassed 56 victories the following five seasons but continued to fall short in the playoffs.
When a team has Aaron Rodgers, anything is possible, but McCarthy is once again pulling strings after the team fell to 23rd overall in total offense last season. With the head coach back in his role as play-caller, the team will get back to basics in its overall approach.
"We need to be much better offensively in the area of fundamentals," McCarthy said prior to the start of training camp, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein. "Last year was not good enough, and the numbers reflected that. We clearly addressed that and had a chance to go back and view all the cut-ups."
McCarthy cleaned house on the offensive side this offseason by replacing his running backs and tights ends coaches and naming a full-time wide receivers coach.
With the head coach calling the plays again, a new-look Eddie Lacy, a healthy offensive line and Jordy Nelson expected to play Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers should continue to win games, albeit with a much better offense than last season.
10. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
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Just how good of a coach is Mike Zimmer? Everyone will find out this fall after starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a freak knee injury where he tore his ACL and dislocated his kneecap.
Zimmer subsequently cancelled practice and meetings. The Minnesota Vikings can't do the same during the regular season, though. Games still need to be played even if Minnesota is without its franchise signal-caller.
"We're not going to stick our heads in the sand," Zimmer said, per ESPN.com. "So we’re going to figure out a way. So everybody can count us out if they want, but I think that would be the wrong thing to do."
General manger Rick Spielman provided a solution to the team's quarterback problem when he traded future first- and fourth-round draft picks to the Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Bradford.
Zimmer and his staff have a week to prepare Bradford for the Tennessee Titans. Despite the odd circumstances, the Vikings are a still a playoff-caliber team with one of the league's best running games and defenses.
9. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
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The Cincinnati Bengals have developed into a model franchise under the supervision of head coach Marvin Lewis. That's a tremendous feat considering the organization's status before his arrival.
From 1992 to 2002, Bengals head coaches finished 52-124 overall, which equates to a 29.6 win percentage. In Lewis' 13 seasons, Cincinnati owns a 112-94 record for a .543 win percentage. Also, Lewis has led the team to the playoffs in five straight seasons, and it will be looking for a sixth this year.
Lewis' influence can also be found around the NFL with three head coaches—the Cleveland Browns' Hue Jackson, Minnesota Vikings' Mike Zimmer and Washington Redskins' Jay Gruden—who previously served as his coordinators.
"He did it right," Jackson said of Lewis after being hired by the Browns, per ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. "Those guys are a great organization and a great football team and they have a lot of great things going. I'm envious of anybody who's doing great across the National Football League because that's what we want to be and that's what we expect to be."
The Bengals just need to win a playoff game, and Lewis will receive more credit for what he's accomplished.
8. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints' lone Super Bowl victory came six years ago. Head coach Sean Payton led the way, but the team hasn't been nearly as successful in recent years.
The team finished 7-9 each of the the last two seasons, and the obvious questions lingers: Has the team stopped responding to Payton?
It's a concern for the coach, too, per the Times-Picayune's Larry Holder:
"I think the challenging part of it sometimes is trying to keep that same edge that you did in your first two years. Not just with the team, but in the overall football operations. We're all trying to battle against, I don't want to use the word complacency; it's just habit. For me and for us as a staff, we have to constantly look at how we're changing things.
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This could be Payton's last chance to mold the Saints into a championship-caliber unit since quarterback Drew Brees—who has been with the head coach since he took over the team in 2006—is 37 years old and an upcoming free agent. This season could be the end of an era in New Orleans if Payton can't get the most out of his team.
7. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
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It's somewhat difficult to believe, but Mike Tomlin is entering his 10th season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach—and he's only 44 years old.
During the past 10 seasons, the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII, went to the playoffs six times and haven't finished a season with anything worse than an 8-8 record. This year's squad aspires to be a Super Bowl contender, but the group must overcome a few obstacles.
First, two of the team's biggest offensive threats, Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant, enter the season on the NFL's suspended list. Second, the Steelers defense need to dramatically improve. Last year, Pittsburgh finished 21st overall in total defense and 30th against the pass.
"If you’re installing a defense or installing a defense with new people, first they have to get to a level of understanding to what they need to do, and then that grows into a larger global understanding to what goes on around them," Tomlin said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. "And you can never be great until you get a percentage of your men who understands that."
The Steelers can be great this year as long as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stays healthy and the defense improves.
6. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
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The Denver Broncos ruined all of the fun. The Carolina Panthers' Ron Rivera was one game away from just being known as "Riverboat Ron" to forever being a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Instead, the Broncos pummeled the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 to capture the Lombardi Trophy. Now, Rivera has to avoid the dreaded Super Bowl hangover.
"These guys are hungry after getting so close," general manager Dave Gettleman said, per the team's official site. "I don’t see any difference in work ethic or their approach. Ron and I are very pleased. We’re very encouraged with where they are mentally."
After finishing 15-1 a year ago and making it to the Super Bowl, the Panthers have a difficult path in front of them. Anything less than a victory in the sport's biggest game will be a disappointment. The odds are stacked against them considering the 1993 Buffalo Bills were the last losing team to return to the Super Bowl the following year.
But Rivera's ability to mold this roster into a consistent winner shouldn't be overlooked. Two years ago, the coach sat on the hot seat until the Panthers rattled off four wins to finish the 2014 campaign with a 7-9 record and clinched an NFC South title. Rivera's staff did a tremendous job at the time to turn around the season and set the team on its current trajectory.
5. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
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Seven current NFL head coaches have won a Super Bowl. John Harbaugh is easily forgotten among this group because of the season the Baltimore Ravens experienced last year.
That Ravens suffered so many season-ending injuries they didn't have a chance. In total, a franchise-record 20 players ended up on injured reserve.
"Last year wasn't a failure," Harbaugh said in April, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. "Last year was setting us up for what's coming. It's going to make us tougher, smarter, better."
With the additions of a fully healthy Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Joe Flacco, Steve Smith Sr. and Breshad Perriman, Baltimore looks like a different team this season.
"It feels like everything that we lost last year, we're getting it all back," Suggs said last month, per Ryan Mink of the team's website. "We're getting our swag back, our chemistry. Everything is starting to feel good."
Suggs continued, "I would have to say since our Super Bowl year and the year before, I think this is the best we’ve looked since then."
4. Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos
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In his first season with the Denver Broncos, Gary Kubiak captured the Lombardi Trophy. What can he do for an encore? Whatever the team achieves in the head coach's second season, it will be done in a different manner.
As always, everything starts at quarterback. Peyton Manning is no longer the sheriff in town, and Brock Osweiler departed for Houston to become the Texans' starter. Kubiak went the unconventional route when he chose second-year signal-caller Trevor Siemian to open the season behind center.
"He can carry a lot of information in a short period of time," Kubiak said, per the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala. "He can go into that meeting room for two hours in the morning, walk out of of here at 11:30 and take it to the field. You can't teach that. Guys can handle it, or they don't."
The offense should look far more like Kubiak's preferred vision with Siemian than it ever did with Manning or even Osweiler. If the offense falters, the Broncos can always rely on their dominant defense to mask any inefficiencies.
3. Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
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Expectations are different with the Arizona Cardinals under head coach Bruce Arians. A trip to the playoffs is no longer good enough. This is a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
In his three seasons, the Cardinals won 11 games on average. To put Arians' success into context, Don Coryell was the last full-time head coach to own a .500-or-better record with the team, and his last season came in 1977.
The team, however, must overcome in the playoffs—which is where it fell flat. The Cardinals played at their worst against the Carolina Panthers in each of the last two postseasons. Last year's loss particularly stung, because Carolina rolled to a 49-15 victory.
Arians is as blunt and competitive as any coach in the league, and last season's playoff failure won't permeate this year's squad.
"We have a window to win a Super Bowl, and this is one of the years to do it," Arians said, per Fox Sports 910's Mike Jurecki. "It’s not a one-year window."
2. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
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How could anyone not like the locker-climbing, competition-driven, affable Pete Carroll? As the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Carroll built a new culture within the organization when he became the head coach in 2010.
Since Carroll and general manager John Schneider took over the franchise, the Seahawks have become one of the league's elites and an organization others aspire to be with 60 regular-season victories in six seasons, a Super Bowl XLVIII victory and four consecutive playoff appearances.
The head coach's approach is simple: Every day and every play is a competition, and he allows the personalities on the team shine.
"It's makes for a better work environment," Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman said, per the Olympian's Gregg Bell. "You don't have to worry about being someone you're not. You don't have worry about changing yourself, your mental approach or anything. You go out there and be the best you can be."
Carroll faces two major obstacles this season, though. The Seahawks appear to have one of, if not the worst offensive line on paper, and the team has to deal with the void created by Marshawn Lynch's retirement. If the second half of last year is any indication, Seattle should be just fine.
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
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Is there any other choice? Love him or hate him, the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick has proved he's this era's best head coach.
His standing extends beyond his four Super Bowl championships since taking over the Patriots, because, ultimately, these rankings will be based on this year's performance. However, no coach is better at adapting to the talent on his roster and reshaping the team's entire approach than Belichick.
He's an X's and O's wizard who outthinks and outprepares even the league's most grizzled coaches. For the upcoming season, he'll have another test to reaffirm his status as one of the greatest head coaches of all time.
Tom Brady will finally be forced to serve a four-game suspension for deflated footballs, which thrusts Jimmy Garoppolo into the starting lineup. An argument can be made Belichick isn't the same coach without the future Hall of Fame quarterback. If the Patriots navigate the first quarter of the season with minimal setbacks, it will only reinforce Belichick's standing as NFL's top coach in Bleacher Report's inaugural power rankings.
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