NFL Head Coach Power Rankings Heading into Week 7
As the 2016 NFL season creeps toward the halfway point, this is when the league's best coaches differentiate themselves due to circumstances out of their control. Injuries are a part of NFL life, but it's how a team's coaching staff reacts to these losses that determine a season.
For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers must come to grips with the fact quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might miss time due to a torn meniscus that required surgery Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook.
At 4-2, the Steelers still lead the AFC North. Can they maintain the top spot with Landry Jones behind center?
Mike Tomlin's crew doesn't have to look far to find inspiration. Teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots suffered injuries to the quarterback position yet kept chugging along.
Never backward, always forward. Always.
The NFL becomes a war of attrition. Those who navigate it the best are the ones standing at the end holding the Lombardi Trophy. Click through to find out which teams are best prepared to fight the good fight with leaders who can manage the unpredictable.
32. Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
1 of 32
Last Week: 32
Quote of the Week: "I went for two early because I know at some point we needed to go for it. Obviously, we didn't make it. I felt at that time that's what we needed to do because I knew we needed to do so at some point."
Each and every week, the Cleveland Browns find a way to lose. They're now 0-6 in Hue Jackson's first season after Sunday's 28-26 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and the head coach isn't helping his cause.
With the Browns trailing 28-13 late in the fourth quarter, rookie quarterback Cody Kessler led the team to a touchdown. Trailing by nine, Jackson decided to go for the two-point conversation. Cleveland didn't convert. Jackson explained the team needed to go for a two-point conversion anyhow, per the Orange and Brown Report's Fred Greetham.
However, an opportunity existed to close the gap to eight points with an extra-point conversion. Yes, the Browns needed a two-point conversion with one of their two final scores. However, the team would have been placed in a better position doing so at the end of the game instead of already knowing it had to recover two onside kicks after the failed attempt.
"I'm making these decisions with very good information," Jackson said, per Greetham. "I know everything is going to get questioned and it's on me. I made the decision and I take responsibility for it. We went for it and we didn't make it."
31. Chip Kelly, San Francisco 49ers
2 of 32
Last Week: 28
Quote of the Week: "I think it's an every-person issue. I think we have to do a better job as coaches of putting our guys in position to make plays."
The San Francisco 49ers aren't very good. Clearly, the situation won't improve with either Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick behind center.
Sunday's 45-16 beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills became the 49ers' fifth straight loss after a surprising 28-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams to open the season.
Chip Kelly isn't pointing fingers, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner. Nor should he since the team is terrible at every level. However, the biggest issue coming out of the Bills contest is an inability to stop the run. Rex Ryan's squad ran for an astronomical 312 yards.
"It is embarrassing," safety Eric Reid said, per Wagoner. "To get the ball ran on you like that, when you know they're going to run the ball, we've just got to stop making the same mistakes, stay in our gaps, make the tackle."
The 49ers rank dead last against the run and have surrendered 164 more yards than any other team. The quarterback discussion can continue, but the defense better find a way to slow opposing running backs or San Francisco will struggle to secure another victory.
30. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
3 of 32
Last Week: 26
Quote of the Week: "(Geno) Smith played (the role of) a relief pitcher. Fitz will be back next week."
Albert Einstein described insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Apparently, New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles didn't get the message.
The Jets are 1-5 after Monday's 28-3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and Bowles still isn't looking for a spark on offense. Instead, he's decided Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain his starting quarterback, per the Jets Twitter feed.
This proclamation comes after the veteran quarterback once again failed to move the offense. Fitzpatrick completed only 51.6 percent of his passes for 174 yards. He also added to his league-leading interception total (11).
"It definitely wasn't Fitz's fault. He barely had any time to throw," Bowles said.
Geno Smith entered the contest in the fourth quarter, but the head coach doesn't appear to be serious about giving his backup a legitimate chance. Instead, Bowles' fate and the Jets season rests on Fitzpatrick's play.
29. John Fox, Chicago Bears
4 of 32
Last Week: 23
Quote of the Week: "It's not lack of heart. It's not lack of trying. Our guys battled. We just don't play well enough right now."
There it is straight from Chicago Bears head coach John Fox, per the Chicago Sun Times' Adam L. Jahns: The Bears just aren't good enough. Fox blamed the team's execution. In reality, Chicago isn't very talented. It owns one of the league's worst rosters.
As such, the team's margin victory is so small that one mistake can determine the outcome of each game.
"We just can't mess anything up if we expect to win ballgames in the NFL," guard Kyle Long said, per Jahns.
Chicago held a 13-0 lead entering the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars and still lost 17-16. In the second half, the Bears had drives of four or fewer plays on four different occasions. They're dead last in scoring at 16.8 points per game, too.
Fox's squad isn't a team built to win, because neither its offense nor its defense is good enough to dominate. As a result, the Bears are 1-5, with only the winless Cleveland Browns being worse.
28. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
5 of 32
Last Week: 31
Quote of the Week: (Beep, beep, beep)
No, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley isn't backing up heavy machinery. Bradley went off on his team at halftime and after the game. When he spoke after Jacksonville's 17-16 victory, profanities flew with ease, per Big Cat Country's Cole Hartley.
Trailing by 10 points at halftime, Bradley unleashed on his squad.
"I thought he was going to have a heart attack," left tackle Kelvin Beachum said, per the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran. "But it needed to be said."
In fact, the Jaguars trailed by 13 points going into the fourth quarter. The team still found a way to win, which bodes well for Bradley since the players are still responding to him.
"It was well-deserved on our part," cornerback Prince Amukamara said, per O'Halloran. "He called out every position group. He's not an F-word guy but he used it and because he rarely uses it, it was like, 'Oh, wow, our play must really aggravate and frustrate him.'"
Such an outburst will only work once, but Bradley did so at the right time. As a result, the Jaguars are now on the right track having won their last two contests.
27. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
6 of 32
Last Week: 30
Quote of the Week: "This shows what this team can be but this league is week to week."
When a franchise is attempting to find its identity and struggling to win, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the last team it wants to see on the schedule. However, the Miami Dolphins responded when facing one of the league's top teams with an impressive 30-15 victory.
As head coach Adam Gase said, the performance shows exactly what the team can be, per the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero, even if it's not exactly what everyone expected.
The Dolphins became a run-first team against the Steelers when second-year running back Jay Ajayi experienced his coming-out party. The Boise State product ran for 204 yards on 25 carries. He became the first back to run for 200 or more yards against the Steelers in nearly 16 years, when the Jacksonville Jaguars' Fred Taylor ran for 234.
"I feel like as the game kept going along, the O-line kept opening creases and we kind of knew that we would have a good game," Ajayi said, per ESPN.com's James Walker. "I knew I was at 140 [yards]. That's kind of when the guys were like, 'Try to get 200.'"
The Dolphins will lean on Ajayi in the coming weeks as long as quarterback Ryan Tannehill continues his up-and-down play. This is the team the Dolphins now are.
26. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
7 of 32
Last Week: 29
Quote of the Week: "I worry about one thing every day, and that's our football team. That's all I worry about. I’ll do the same thing this week, and every day I go to work I worry about doing my job to the best of my ability. That's all I’m ever going to do here."
Just when everyone thought the San Diego Chargers couldn't hold onto a late-game lead, that's exactly what they did against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Mike McCoy was overcome with emotion during the contest, because he cares. His comments after the game perfectly illustrated how he feels, per ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams.
McCoy might not be counted among the league's best coaches. After all, he holds a 24-30 record since taking over the Chargers in 2013. But it's clear he's doing his absolute best and remains totally invested in his work.
The Chargers entered Thursday's contest with a 1-4 record, and McCoy's job hung in the balance. The 21-13 victory might be nothing more than a stay of execution for the coach, but his team remains competitive even if it's come out on the wrong side more times than not. One win, though, can mean everything.
"For me this is big, man, for my household and coming to work," defensive lineman Corey Liuget said, per Williams. "I care. This is my job. This is what I get paid to do, and I want to be one of the best at it."
25. Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
8 of 32
Last Week: 27
Quote of the Week: "I’m not sure in the last couple of years that they could win that game. This year we found a way to win the game, and obviously we didn’t want to make it that close, but we did a lot of good things in that game. Things we set out to do from the beginning, we did it."
Considering the fact the Tennessee Titans won five total games over the previous two seasons, no, those squads probably wouldn't have won Sunday's contest against the Cleveland Browns.
In fact, the Browns rallied from a 28-10 halftime deficit to win the last time they visited Nashville. This time, Cleveland mounted a comeback, but the Titans held onto a 28-26 victory. As such, head coach Mike Mularkey's comments weren't typical coachspeak, per the Tennessean's Jason Wolf.
"We can’t be satisfied with it," linebacker Avery Williamson said. "I'm definitely not. We gave them life at the end, so we have to continue to grind."
Despite allowing the Browns a glimmer of hope, the Titans should be content in the fact they've won two straight contests. They're continuing to build in the right direction with a 3-3 record. Last season, Tennessee didn't win its third game until Week 13. This season, Mularkey's squad is still in the race for the AFC South with upcoming games against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.
24. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
9 of 32
Last Week: 22
Quote of the Week: "That’s the play that we liked, and it didn't work. They executed. We didn't. That's the philosophy."
Wait...what? The Indianapolis Colts' philosophy is to not execute?
Aside from head coach Chuck Pagano's poor phrasing, per ESPN.com's Mike Wells, his decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 inside the 10-yard line with a 13-9 third-quarter lead is a bit perplexing.
Yes, good teams put opponents away when they have the chance. The mistake Pagano made is assuming the Colts are a good team. His squad is now 2-4 after its 26-23 overtime loss to the rival Houston Texans.
"We were going to leave everything, no regrets," Pagano said after the game, per Wells.
Considering the fact the Colts have the league's most reliable kicker in Adam Vinatieri, who has yet to miss this season, there should be plenty of regrets. A field goal in that situation could have turned the entire game in Indianapolis' favor.
Instead, the Colts are two games out of first place in the AFC South behind the Texans.
23. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10 of 32
Last Week: 25
Quote of the Week: "There can be no person on this planet, other than his parents, that’s more confident in Jameis Winston than me.”
Monday Night Football color commentator Jon Gruden questioned the confidence level Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter has in quarterback Jameis Winston during the team's 17-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 10.
Koetter made sure to clear the air, per Pewter Report's Mark Cook. Now that the coach made his stance known, the 2-3 Buccaneers need to build on the victory coming out of the team's bye week.
"We prepare for moments like this and it was big for us to get the win against a division opponent that we haven’t beaten in such a long time," wide receiver Mike Evans said after the contest, per ESPN.com's Jenna Laine. "I think this game will boost a lot of people's confidence."
The San Francisco 49ers are the Buccaneers next opponent, and Chip Kelly's squad has lost five straight. Another victory will be important for Tampa Bay since the Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons—who own an 8-4 combined record—follow.
22. Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams
11 of 32
Last Week: 22
Quote of the Week: "Our defense has got to play better than that. Thirty-one points is unacceptable, especially in a game when your offense is starting to click and we're making plays and scoring points, because that's been our area of struggle."'
Six weeks into the season and the Los Angeles Rams have yet to put together a complete team effort as head coach Jeff Fisher noted, per ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez.
Moving the ball proved to be problematic early in the season, while the defense dominated. But Case Keenum played exceptionally well against the Detroit Lions when he completed 84.4 percent of his passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
The defense didn't live up to its end of the bargain in the 31-28 loss.
"We weren't even flat; we just played soft today, all over the field," defensive end William Hayes said, per Gonzalez.
Understandably, the Rams defense isn't going to be as good when injuries plague multiple key performances. However, Fisher and the team need to find ways to overcome, especially when the offense responds.
21. Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
12 of 32
Last Week: 21
Quote of the Week: "We've gotten comfortable being uncomfortable. They feel like that's the norm."
The Detroit Lions don't make it easy on themselves. Head coach Jim Caldwell said as much after Sunday's 31-28 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, per ESPN.com. Caldwell's squad won its last two contests by a total of four points.
"I don’t think any situation is too tough for us," quarterback Matthew Stafford said, per the Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski. "Whether it's Week 1 when we had to come from behind and win, or these late fourth-quarter comebacks, we just seem to rise to the occasion."
Well, not always. Before Detroit's two-game winning streak, the Lions lost the previous three contests by a total of 11 points.
In fact, the team holds a negative-3 point differential and a .500 record at 3-3. Detroit is mediocre to below average in just about every major statistical category. The offense plays well in spurts, but the defense really needs to step up when playing against some of the league's lesser quarterbacks.
"We just haven't found our stride yet," defensive end Kerry Hyder said, per ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein. "We clearly have capable players that can make a lot of plays. We've just got to...we've got to mesh."
20. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
13 of 32
Last Week: 15
Quote of the Week: "We have a chance to get away from it, shake it off and then come back refocused and ready to roll. That's the only challenge that we have left."
Last year's 15-1 record seems so long ago. The Carolina Panthers are 1-5 after Sunday's 41-38 shootout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Ron Rivera needs the extra preparation during this weekend's bye to assess the roster and make any changes.
Meanwhile, the players can regroup and avoid the noise for a few days, per the Charlotte Observer's Joseph Person.
"I told them I want them to get away from it, don’t read anything, don’t watch anything, don’t listen to anything," Rivera said. "Just get yourselves ready to come back focused in and start right back to work the following Monday."
Two years ago, the Panthers faced similar adversity. The team started 3-7-1 before the team's bye. Changes were made, and Carolina won four of its last five games.
Fortunately, the franchise's off-week comes much earlier this season, because the NFC South looks to be far more difficult with the 4-2 Atlanta Falcons leading the way. It's highly unlikely a sub-.500 record will win the division like it did in 2014. As such, the Panthers have a long climb to respectability in front of them.
19. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants
14 of 32
Last Week: 20
Quote of the Week: "As a team moving forward, we need to eliminate the bad football that's on film. There’s things we need to clean up that are going to come back and bite us if we don't."
Those kinds of mistakes nearly bit the New York Giants before Ben McAdoo's squad pulled out a 27-23 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.
On fourth down from the Giants' 34-yard line with just over a minute remaining and down three points, New York's head coach decided to go for the first down. McAdoo's play call—a simple slant to wide receiver Odell Beckham—resulted in a 66-yard touchdown.
Beckham exploded for 222 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he can still be a distraction. The wide receiver drew another unsportsmanlike penalty for removing his helmet after his game-defining play.
"We need to keep our focus on the ballgame," McAdoo said, per BigBlueView.com's Ed Valentine.
As long as Beckham puts up numbers and quarterback Eli Manning continues to feed the receiver, McAdoo will overlook some of the mistakes that could cost the team.
18. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
15 of 32
Last Week: 19
Quote of the Week: "It's good to get one of those wins. We've had a couple now in the last two."
After an 0-3 start, the New Orleans Saints are back to being who they are: A team that puts up a lot of yards, scores a lot of points and plays very little defense.
As such, Sean Payton's squad scored 76 points in the last two games, but it's won both by a combined four points. The latest came Sunday in a 41-38 contest over the Carolina Panthers.
"These are defining wins," quarterback Drew Brees said, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett. "These are ones you can draw from as the season goes along and really get a lot of strength from. Also it gives you great confidence and poise, I think, when those situations arise in the future."
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks added, per NOLA.com's Herbie Teope: "We had a few games where we lost close like that, so now it seems like we're turning things around in our direction, in our favor."
The next two weeks will be difficult for the Saints, though. Upcoming contests against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks should determine if New Orleans can actually compete with the league's best.
17. Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans
16 of 32
Last Week: 16
Quote of the Week: "I think this game will be huge for us moving forward. Coach (Bill O’Brien) mentioned to us during the week that there kind of comes a point in October, early November, when you have to decide what kind of team you want to be and what kind of identity do you want to have as a team, and I think we showed our identity (against the Indianapolis Colts)."
For good or bad, Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is linked to quarterback Brock Osweiler. Since the young signal-caller hasn't shown any signs of consistency this season, he remains the hottest topic in Houston.
During the Texans' 26-23 overtime victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the bad Osweiler showed up before the good version rallied his team to its fourth win.
"I think he showed what he can do," Texans owner Bob McNair said, per Pro Football Talk's Darin Gantt. "We need to do it for four quarters and not wait until the end, but it shows you that he has the ability and the mindset and the determination and confidence to lead the team back from a just very deep hole that we were in."
A 4-2 record is great, but Osweiler still needs to improve upon his decision-making for O'Brien to get the most out of this squad.
16. Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills
17 of 32
Last Week: 18
Quote of the Week: "We'll see if he plays. I thought initially, I'm like, 'Yeah, we waited this long for our first-round pick,' but we got to do the smart thing and do what's best for the young man, also."
The Buffalo Bills turned around their season after a 0-2 start, and they're only getting better with each passing week. The organization's first-round pick, Shaq Lawson, will return to practice Wednesday and may play this weekend against the Miami Dolphins, according to ESPN.com's Mike Rodak.
Lawson, who led major college football in tackles for loss last season, required offseason shoulder surgery after being drafted 19th overall. His eventual inclusion will make the Bills pass rush even more potent.
"The way I look at it is you have a rotation of three good guys with him, Lorenzo Alexander and Jerry Hughes," general manager Doug Whaley said last week, per NYUp.com's Matthew Fairburn. "Then you throw in (Lerentee) McCray, so you'll have four guys. That's a positive because then you can rest those guys in the fourth quarter if let's say we're up and those guys are in pass mode, you have four fresh guys that you can rotate in there and get after the quarterback."
The Bills can afford to bring Lawson along slowly if needed after winning their fourth straight contest Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
15. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
18 of 32
Last Week: 17
Quote of the Week: "The plan right now is to probably immobilize him for a little bit, just to take completely the stress off of it for a little bit of time and then see where that leads us."
The Washington Redskins may be waiting a while before they finally see a fully healthy Josh Doctson on the field. This year's first-round pick has played sparingly, and the team plans to wait until after its Week 9 bye to see if he can return to the lineup, according to ESPN.com's John Keim.
As talented as the young receiver is, Washington continues to adjust and tweak its offense based on the available talent. For example, tight end Jordan Reed is still in the league's concussion protocol after missing Sunday's 27-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead, head coach Jay Gruden relied heavily on his running backs to establish a strong ground game. The stable responded with 230 rushing yards, led by Matt Jones' 135.
"We don’t want to be a one-dimensional offense," center Spencer Long said, per Keim. "It keeps our defense fresh. It’s everything, man. If we can do that, we’re going to be hard to beat."
With a strong ground game, Kirk Cousins becomes deadly. He's counted among the league's best play-action quarterbacks. If both continue to click, the Redskins will push the Dallas Cowboys for the top spot in the NFC East.
14. Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders
19 of 32
Last Week: 13
Quote of the Week: "Every game's important, all year long. You never know which one's more important than the others. It's one game."
Usually, coaches attempt to downplay the significance of a loss. The Oakland Raiders' Jack Del Rio isn't a typical head coach, per ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez. He and his team understand they let an opportunity to take control of the AFC West slip through their fingers with Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fact the Chiefs dominated the contest is even more concerning. The weather certainly wasn't ideal, but that's merely an excuse. Kansas City was more physical and found ways to slow down the potent Raiders offense.
"Yeah, it hurts," Oakland quarterback Derek Carr said. "Especially a division game, especially against the Chiefs. It hurts, man. It sucks. We didn't do good enough at all."
Carr struggled with only 225 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. Since the Raiders can't stop anyone with the league's worst defense, it becomes problematic when the offense can't move the ball at will. The team's plight doesn't get much easier this weekend when it faces the Jacksonville Jaguars' top-10 defense.
The Jaguars contest is only one game, but it will be the difference between 4-3 or 5-2, with the possibility of maintaining the AFC West's top spot.
13. Marvin, Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
20 of 32
Last Week: 9
Quote of the Week: "It's disappointing. We're doing a lot of things right, and doing things good, and correct. But we're not finishing things. We continue to be our own Achilles' heel, way too often. Whether it's a penalty on defense, which sets us back, or a key third-down conversion. It turns out to be the key to the football game."
At 2-4, the Cincinnati Bengals don't look like the team that made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. The roster isn't drastically different, either. Marvin Lewis' squad simply isn't playing well, as he stated after the game, per ESPN.com.
A week ago, Lewis stated the team isn't used to being 2-3. After a 35-17 loss to the New England Patriots, panic starts to set in to a degree. However, the Bengals caught a break when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a knee injury for the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati is still two games behind Pittsburgh, but the door is now open.
"You know, whatever point that comes from, whatever spurs us forward, we've got to do it now because we've kind of put our backs up against the wall here," Lewis said, per CincyJungle.com's Rebecca Toback.
With the winless Cleveland Browns next on the docket, Cincinnati couldn't have asked for a better starting point to a potential turnaround.
12. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
21 of 32
Last Week: 10
Quote of the Week: "This is (Carson Wentz's) fifth start and we are expecting the world out of him. We put a lot on his shoulders now and he's handled it extremely well."
Philadelphia Eagles fans need to relax. Head coach Doug Pederson still sees signs of growth from rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.
"He stood in there, he delivered the football, made a couple nice throws on the run [and] out of the pocket," Pederson said of the quarterback's performance during the team's 27-20 loss to the Washington Redskins, per CSNPhilly.com's Dave Zangaro. "It was unfortunate the one came back on a penalty. But I thought he stood in there and did a nice job as the game wore on."
Rookies experience ups and downs. Wentz proved to be outstanding at the onset of his career. He took a step back in Week 5 when he completed 50 percent of his passes for only 179 yards. The North Dakota State product didn't have an answer for Washington's defensive pressure. The Redskins sacked Wentz five times.
"I've got to get the ball out," Wentz said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. "I can't take those sacks. That's definitely on me."
The Eagles are now 3-2 after their strong start, and Wentz's job won't get any easier when he faces the Minnesota Vikings' defense on Sunday.
11. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
22 of 32
Last Week: 8
Quote of the Week: "We should have done a better job with (Odell Beckham). There were times when we said we were going to know where he’s at at all times and we didn’t know where he was at at all times. That’s not OK."
Stopping New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham is easier said than done. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens, who watched the mercurial talent race 66 yards past their defense to secure a 27-23 victory for New York. What's even more disappointing is the fact Beckham beat the Ravens defense on a simple slant route.
"(Defensive coordinator Dean Pees's) thinking there is, 'It's 4th-and-1. Let's win the game right now,'" Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh explained, per the Baltimore Sun's Edward Lee. "It was an aggressive call. It wasn't played very well."
Pees obviously has Harbaugh's trust, but an aggressive call on 4th-and-1 while winning by three points when the opponent has nearly three-fourth's of the field to go isn't the most brilliant tactic. Harbaugh could have pulled rank and changed the team's approach. He didn't, the Ravens paid for a poor call and even poorer execution.
Of course, the coach doesn't think his team is too far away from the one that started 3-0 instead of acknowledging the fact Baltimore lost its last three.
"It's four plays that have to be played better, schemed better, and it can't happen," Harbaugh said, per Lee.
But it has repeatedly happened since the calendar turned to October.
10. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
23 of 32
Last Week: 14
Quote of the Week: "What's being created in this locker room is fantastic. We enjoy, we have fun, no one is complaining, we like to see everyone be successful. That's what we do. You have to keep it that way, and that's what we're going to keep on doing."
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant might not be on the field as he deals with a knee injury, but the veteran sees a drastic difference in the team this season, per the Dallas Morning News' David Moore.
Dallas won its fifth straight Sunday with a 30-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
"Well, momentum is real," head coach Jason Garrett said, per Moore. "Sometimes people misconstrue what momentum is; they think it's some outside force. My experience is you have to earn it, and you earn it in this game by executing. ... To me, you determine your own momentum."
Garrett's squad has been led by two rookies. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is the runaway favorite for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year since he currently leads the league with 703 rushing yards. Quarterback Dak Prescott set an NFL record by starting his career with 176 pass attempts before throwing an interception.
But the team's head coach molded a culture that allowed these young players to step in and perform well from the onset of their careers.
"What I am seeing is real inspiration," owner Jerry Jones said, per Moore. "I'm seeing guys inspiring and gaining steam with their own talents, individual players, but I'm seeing them be inspired by each other."
9. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
24 of 32
Last Week: 12
Quote of the Week: "You come out sometimes and it doesn't go your way, but you got to make sure it goes your way the next time. Can't keep on the downward spiral. You got to get it back up."
The last time everyone saw the Kansas City Chiefs, they were being decimated 43-14 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead of letting such an unsettling loss overtake the team, as nose tackle Dontari Poe mentioned, head coach Andy Reid worked his bye-week magic and led the Chiefs to a 26-10 victory two weeks later over the rival Oakland Raiders.
"I felt like we did a great job taking our shot today and when we did, hitting them," quarterback Alex Smith said, per ESPN.com. "But certainly the running game got us going and staying with that. Those guys drove it down in the beginning."
In order to be successful, Reid simplified the Chiefs approach. This is a team built to run the football with an efficient quarterback and a defense that can get after an opponent's signal-caller. All three phases aligned against the Raiders.
Running back Spencer Ware led the way with 131 rushing yards. Smith completed 86.4 percent of his passes. And the Chiefs defense frustrated quarterback Derek Carr throughout the contest.
"It was a little taste as we get going here," Smith said, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher.
8. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
25 of 32
Last Week: 7
Quote of the Week: "He showed a lot. I think it was one of the tougher games for him. Just standing up, staying right in there. He has a real focus about him."
Quarterback Matt Ryan is the primary reason behind the Atlanta Falcons' early success. But Ryan came under fire against the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the team didn't respond.
Instead, he battled through a frustrating 26-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure.
"He was getting kind of hit after the play a lot [Sunday]," wide receiver Julio Jones said of his quarterback. "But he kept getting up; resiliency. That's what we preach around here. We're not going lay down."
The Falcons' potent offense struggled at times against one of the league's best defenses. The Seahawks sacked Ryan four times and he threw a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter.
Atlanta's margin for error can be quite small, because its defense is still among the league's worst. If Ryan isn't playing well and the Falcons' high-flying offense sputters at any point, the entire team suffers.
7. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
26 of 32
Last Week: 6
Quote of the Week: "It was ridiculous. We’re better than that and we just have to show that."
So much has been made of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' performance that the Green Bay Packers defense got a pass in the team's 30-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott ran through and past the league's best run defense. This year's fourth overall draft pick amassed 157 yards on 28 carries as Dallas racked up 191 rushing yards.
Defensive lineman Mike Daniels was only partially right, per ESPN.com's Jason Wilde. The Packers defense has been better, but they weren't Sunday. The Cowboys' No. 1 rushing offense simply overwhelmed the group.
"They made their plays up front and had their way at times," linebacker Clay Matthews said, per Wilde. "Whether it's winning your one-on-one matchups or getting off blocks or just finishing the play, really, overall it just wasn’t good enough."
After being dominated at the point of attack, Green Bay is 3-2 and two games behind the idle Minnesota Vikings.
"Obviously, we've got to flip this thing around quickly," head coach Mike McCarthy said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Bob McGinn. "It was a disappointing performance for us. We have a standard that we hold ourselves to. We did not accomplish that."
6. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
27 of 32
Last Week: 5
Quote of the Week: "I just felt something funny in my knee. Hopefully, we'll just pray that it's not too serious."
Mike Tomlin's job just got tougher.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach has been placed in a difficult position not knowing his franchise quarterback's future, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Kevin Gorman. As talented as the Steelers are, the loss of Ben Roethlisberger for any amount of time is a major blow to the team's chances of success.
Roethlisberger suffered a torn meniscus during Sunday's 30-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He returned to the game, but he required surgery Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook.
"Though we do not know a specific timetable for when he will be able to return to the field, we are confident this injury is not long term," Tomlin said in a statement, per the Steelers' official site.
Landry Jones can't fill the void left by Big Ben. The Steelers might be able to secure a victory or two against inferior opponents, but Jones can't be relied upon as a starting quarterback for a franchise with legitimate playoff aspirations. The team's chances dramatically decreased for this weekend's opponent, the New England Patriots.
Despite the injury, the Patriots will prepare as if Roethlisberger will play.
"He's one of the toughest guys in the league," quarterback Tom Brady said on WEEI's Kirk and Callahan Show, via ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "I would never rule him out for anything."
5. Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
28 of 32
Last Week: 11
Quote of the Week: "I like the way that we look right now."
It took some time, but the Arizona Cardinals are finally starting to look like the team everyone expected them to be. More importantly, the Cardinals look like the team head coach Bruce Arians envisioned, per Darren Urban of the team's official site.
Arizona won its second straight content with Monday's 28-3 thrashing of the New York Jets. Granted, the Cardinals have beat up on two of the league's worst teams in consecutive weeks, but these contests developed into the confidence-builders Arizona needed after a dreadful 1-3 start.
Arians understands this and where his team currently stands.
"We've won two in a row but we’re still just a .500 ballclub," the coach said of his 3-3 club.
However, a team can only beat those opponents placed before it. A few weeks ago, the Cardinals weren't playing well enough to claim these type of victories. Now, they look like a team that can compete in the NFC and will be asked to prove it with games against the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings over the next month.
4. Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos
29 of 32
Last Week: 3
Quote of the Week: "We miss Kub like crazy. All we’ve been talking about is Coach Kub this week and getting the win for him."
It's not fair to slight a head coach—even one spot—when he wasn't available to his team due to a medical condition. Yet, the Denver Broncos desperately need Gary Kubiak back in the fold, and the team misses him if safety Will Parks' comments are any indication, per KUSA's Mike Klis.
The Denver Broncos fell to 4-2 with their 21-13 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football. In Denver's first four games, the team scored at least 21 points. Since quarterback Trevor Siemian injured his shoulder, the team only mustered 29 combined points.
"When you look, it's just one thing here, one thing there," Siemian said, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold. "It's really close."
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Denver's head coach suffered from a "complex migraine condition that caused extreme fatigue and body weakness." But he returned to the Broncos facility Monday, per Klis.
With Siemian in the lineup and Kubiak expected back on the sideline, the Broncos shouldn't be operating at a disadvantage anymore.
3. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
30 of 32
Last Week: 4
Quote of the Week: "We're emotional, it's an emotional team, emotional guys, and we ride that emotion. I'm not surprised when we get that hot—we've got to control it better so we don't get in the way of what's coming up, but that's kind of what these guys are like. I am, too."
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman fumed after coverage breakdowns in the secondary that led to a 17-0 halftime deficit to the Atlanta Falcons. However, Pete Carroll's squad remained composed and mounted a second-half comeback to secure a 26-24 victory.
Even when the the Seahawks are fired up, they're not out of control. Carroll wants his team to play with emotion, per John Boyle of the team's official site.
"We're passionate about this game," cornerback DeShawn Shead said. "We're a tight-knit family, and sometimes families get into it. But you can see we rallied back together as brothers. We're a brotherhood."
When a team continues to fight for each other instead of fighting each other, it can pull out unexpected victories. Carroll built a culture where these type of outbursts can happen yet not wreck the team's chemistry, and it became evident during the Seahawks' rally against the Falcons, who feature the league's No. 1 offense.
2. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
31 of 32
Last Week: 2
Quote of the Week: "He has taught me more about the game than I've ever known."
At their core, coaches are teachers first. The NFL can be complicated, but this basic trait never changes. The league's best coaches also happen to be the game's best teachers.
Case in point: Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer relates to his players, relays his message and gets them to understand the game at another level, as linebacker Eric Kendricks stated on NFL Total Access.
Zimmer's steady presence helped lead this team to a 5-0 record despite multiple key injuries at the start of the season. Despite the losses of Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson and Matt Kalil, the Vikings remain the league's only undefeated squad.
"I think this team has a chance to be pretty special," Zimmer said during the team's bye week, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Sid Hartman. "They understand the things you have to do to win football games, but more importantly they know how to practice, they know how to prepare, they know how to study. We're doing a lot of good things."
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
32 of 32
Last Week: 1
Quote of the Week: "(Our) coaches did a great job coming in and making some adjustments at halftime, and we came back out and executed a little bit better. We had some penalties earlier in the game that could have put us behind the eight ball, but guys just kept chipping away."
Halftime adjustments are one of the best indicators of a top-notch coaching staff. As tight end Martellus Bennett mentioned, per NESN.com's Cameron McDonough, the New England Patriots were a different team in the second half during their 35-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I think we're at a decent place," Tom Brady said, per ESPN.com's Dan Graziano. "So we've just got to keep stringing these games together. They made it challenging on us, but we're trying to figure out what we're made of, and it was good to get going there in the second half."
At first, the Bengals frustrated the future Hall of Fame quarterback. New England managed only 10 points through two quarters. As the second half commenced, the coaching staff unleashed its tight ends, Bennett and Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots rolled by scoring 25 more points on their way to a 5-1 record.
"You like his ability to adjust the football team, to get them to understand what's important at the moment, and not worry about last week or next week," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said about Belichick, per WKRC Cincinnati's Richard Skinner. "That's very important, and you learn that as you follow him."
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