NFL Head Coach Power Rankings Heading into Week 12
Life is good for 13 teams. After 11 weeks of play, the NFL's best consists of a baker's dozen that managed a winning record. These franchises are positioned well since 12 teams make the playoffs and only six weeks remain during the postseason push.
The Miami Dolphins may be the most impressive counted among the bunch. Adam Gase's squad doesn't own the league's best record or even lead their division, but the Dolphins won their fifth straight Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams after losing four of their first five games.
The turnaround speaks to Gase's ability to connect with his players and perform as a franchise CEO. As such, he's proved to be the league's most impressive rookie coach and a potential NFL Head Coach of the Year candidate.
Others haven't experienced similar success.
Every head coach is evaluated weekly based on his team's success, in-game decisions and overall direction to determine Bleacher Report's power rankings.
Click through the slideshow to discover where each landed in this week's edition.
32. Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
1 of 32
Last Week: 32
Quote of the Week: "Obviously, these are not very good times and haven't been for us."
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson didn't have to say another thing once he uttered the above sentence after Sunday's 24-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, per the Browns official site. But he did.
"We didn't do a lot of things very well," Jackson said. "It is about our team. Our team has to do their part. On defense, we have to get them off the field. On offense, we have to try to keep the ball and make first downs."
The Browns barely resemble an NFL team. In fact, Cleveland's 0-11 start is the worst in franchise history. Despite the squad's abysmal play, Jackson steadfastly remains optimistic.
"It is extremely difficult." he said. "I think we all get that, but I am going to keep changing hats, psychology hats, whatever hat I have to wear with this group as I told them. We are going to do this the right way. We are going to finish it the right way."
At this point, one victory in the last five contests would be a huge step in the right direction. No one wants to be like the 2008 Detroit Lions, who went 0-16.
31. Chip Kelly, San Francisco 49ers
2 of 32
Last Week: 31
Quote of the Week: "We were behind, and you have to throw it every down. We're not good enough to throw it every down… When we get down like we did, it just turns into a throw-every-down game, and we're not built for that right now."
San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly provided an explanation why his team struggled during Sunday's 30-17 loss to the New England Patriots, per the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami. But one has to wonder: What are the 49ers actually built to do?
Apparently, Kelly's team isn't built to win games after losing nine straight. At this point, how did this squad beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-0 to open the season?
"They practice well," Kelly said, per Taylor Price of the 49ers official site. "They want to win. They're engaged. They're not excited about where we are now in terms of what we've done win-loss wise, we've got to go back to work. That's the only thing you can do in this situation."
There are others options, too. Although, those will be decided by the 49ers front office.
30. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
3 of 32
Last Week: 30
Quote of the Week: "Same old story, same old script, every week. It's been frustrating, but it's really getting extremely frustrating."
Sadly, the above quote doesn't even come from an established veteran within the Jacksonville Jaguars organization. Rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey expressed his despair after Sunday's 26-19 loss to the Detroit Lions, per ESPN.com's Mike DiRocco.
According to head coach Gus Bradley, the team must correct its mistakes.
"I think we all just need to take a look at it because there’s plays throughout we’ve got to get corrected,' Bradley said.
According to defensive lineman Malik Jackson, something else is missing.
"These guys are going out here playing hard," he said. "We're playing consistent. We've just got to find 'it.' Whatever 'it' is, we've got to find it now and (win) these games because we've got to turn this season around."
Whatever this 2-8 team is lacking, Bradley doesn't have the answer.
29. John Fox, Chicago Bears
4 of 32
Last Week: 29
Quote of the Week: "This one's going to be a hard one to swallow. These games that you lose and you definitely have a chance to win, those are the ones that kind of keep you up at night."
Just when the Chicago Bears looked like they could turn it around and win another game, they surrendered a 10-point lead and fell 22-16 to the New York Giants. The loss should stick with quarterback Jay Cutler after his performance, per Larry Mayer of the Bears official site.
Cutler completed 11-of-14 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown during the first half of play, according to CBSChicago.com's Chris Emma. His second-half performance wasn't nearly as efficient with a 6-of-16 passing performance for 126 yards and a critical interception.
A team can't win with that type of inconsistency from the game's most important position. Not that it matters at this point, because most of the Bears locker room already gave up on Cutler, per Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman.
Quarterback remains the organization's top priority.
28. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
5 of 32
Last Week: 28
Quote of the Week: "You think of different aspects when you decide on making a change, especially at that position, because it affects other players on the team, too. If you're trying to determine what gives you the best chance to be successful, but also if you're looking how players develop and progress, I think the point I would simply make is you just don't do it. You don't just wing it. ... It's not a decision you take lightly. You also want to make sure the player … is ready to a degree to set them up for success."
Another week passed with more indecision at the quarterback position for the New York Jets. General manager Mike Maccagnan can explain the team's situation, per the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta, but the reality is the final decision doesn't really matter.
At this point, two things are clear.
First, the 3-7 Jets aren't very good. Second, neither Ryan Fitzpatrick nor Bryce Petty appear to be the team's answer at quarterback. The reason why the Jets need to move beyond Fitzpatrick is obvious: He just hasn't been very good as a 33-year-old veteran. And the organization doesn't appear ready to fully commit to Petty.
"You're kind of looking at short term and long term at the same time," Maccagnan said. "I don't necessarily think you're locked into just saying, 'Okay, let's just go with the young guy and see what happens.' At some point in time, we may decide to do that."
This is the fine line Bowles must walk every week when he decides who starts behind center. Fitzpatrick will get the nod against the New England Patriots, per the Jets Twitter feed.
27. Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams
6 of 32
Last Week: 27
Quote of the Week: "Probably one of the most disappointing losses I've endured over the years."
The fact Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher placed a 14-10 regular-season loss to the Miami Dolphins in the same stratosphere as his Super Bowl XXXIV defeat is quite telling, per the Orange County Register's Jack Wang.
Maybe, just maybe, Fisher is feeling a little pressure during another subpar season. The coach finally caved and started this year's No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Jared Goff. Even so, good seats still remained at the Coliseum. And a usually reliable defense let the Rams down in the end.
Los Angeles surrendered 122 offensive yards and two touchdowns in the final 6:40, according to Wang.
"That's going to haunt us for a little bit," defensive end Robert Quinn said.
It's going to haunt Fisher too as he moved into a tie with Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry for the second-most losses in NFL history with 162, per NFL on ESPN.
26. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
7 of 32
Last Week: 24
Quote of the Week: "No one is happy about our record. But there’s a lot of positives from what some players have done."
Silver linings can always be found even in a lost season, as San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy intimated, per ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams.
For example, Joey Bosa may very well be on his way to becoming this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. McCoy's offense is also ranked among the league's best. However, a 4-6 team can identify more problems than positives.
During the team's bye, getting healthy became the team's No. 1 priority, but the head coach also prioritized improving his red-zone offense.
"The way the offense has moved the ball week in and week out, we've struggled in the red area this year,” McCoy said. "That’s something we've got to do better, not just on that one series. .... We've got to get points, especially in a close game."
Since the Chargers seem to play in contests that come down to the wire every week, red-zone execution becomes absolutely vital in their quest to avoid another losing season.
25. Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
8 of 32
Last Week: 23
Quote of the Week: "We have to learn to get over the hump and win games on the road we have a chance to win."
Clearly, the Tennessee Titans haven't gotten over the hump as evidenced by Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Mike Mularkey identified the team's road woes as a primary problem, per the Titans' official Twitter feed.
Tennessee lost two of their last three games and both of their roads trips. Slow starts aren't acceptable, yet the Titans allowed the Colts to establish a 21-0 lead before Tennessee woke up and readied itself to play.
"If we want to be where we want to be, we have to step up in certain situations and make plays," quarterback Marcus Mariota said, per ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky. "And that's got to be the expectation."
Expectations have been raised this season. A win would have closed the AFC South gap behind the division-leading Houston Texans.
Being competitive is no longer good enough for the Titans. They expect to win and challenge for a division title. Those aspirations took a big hit Sunday, because the team has yet to get over the hump.
24. Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills
9 of 32
Last Week: 26
Quote of the Week: "We needed that one."
Just when everyone is ready to bury Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan for good, he gets his team to play above expectations. Yes, they certainly needed Sunday's 16-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, per the Bills official site.
The performance wasn't pretty, but Ryan and Co. ended their three-game losing skid. The 5-5 Bills now have to make a strong push during the final six games to remain relevant. However, a rash of injuries will affect the Bills' performance during the final portion of the season.
With Sammy Watkins already out of the lineup, fellow wide receiver Robert Woods suffered a knee injury. Also, running back LeSean McCoy injured his thumb.
"I feel deflated about the injuries," Ryan said, per the Buffalo News' Jerry Sullivan. "I know what this team can do. If we're healthy, we are going to be pretty tough."
But the team isn't healthy, and it still needs a couple more ugly wins to even enter the playoff conversation.
23. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10 of 32
Last Week: 25
Quote of the Week: "It's a great feeling. It just goes to show what type of football team we have. Guys staying 'locked in' no matter their circumstances ... having fun and playing football."
Even professional football players have trouble staying dialed in when a season goes awry. Minds start to drift. Offseason plans become a bigger priority. But this isn't the case in Tampa Bay, according to Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David, per ESPN.com's Jenna Laine.
Sunday's 19-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs reinforced the Buccaneers' commitment to this season.
The group rallied around quarterback Jameis Winston, who played a sensational game. The second-year signal-caller completed 12-of-14 passing for 133 yards on third down. He finished the contest with 331 passing yards and a touchdown.
"First of all, Jameis was out of sight," head coach Dirk Koetter said, per the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. "That's as good of quarterback play in however many years I've been in the league now."
With Winston rolling and an emerging defense, the 5-5 Buccaneers can make a legitimate play for the NFC South behind the 6-4 Atlanta Falcons.
22. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
11 of 32
Last Week: 21
Quote of the Week: "Make the play or don’t make the play. Have to do your job. It was a big play. I don’t want to think about the alternative. It was a good stop. We got the win and now it’s on to Pittsburgh."
Indianapolis Colts safety Clayton Geathers made the play against the Tennessee Titans. He's now ready to move on to the team's next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per ESPN.com's Mike Wells.
Before the team does so, Geathers needs to be acknowledged for his potential season-saving play. After establishing a 21-0 lead, the Colts allowed the Titans back into the game. The safety needed to stop running back DeMarco Murray on 4th-and-1 from the Colts' 19-yard line before Indianapolis could clinch a 24-17 victory.
"We have to do a better job finishing," running back Frank Gore said. "How we started, we have to keep our foot on the gas and finish teams, man."
The 5-5 Colts finished Sunday, but the team faces a quick turnaround on Thanksgiving against an explosive Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Plenty of Colts will need to make plays. If they don't, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger or running back Le'Veon Bell will exploit the defense on a national stage.
21. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
12 of 32
Last Week: 15
Quote of the Week: "Listen, I think all of us … it falls on me. It starts with the head coach. And we've gotta make sure we're giving our guys the best plan possible. It's gotta become a way for us to win games. So too easy today, right now, to just single out one specific individual."
Don't blame New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz for the team's 23-20 loss Thursday to the Carolina Panthers. Blame head coach Sean Payton , per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett.
Kickers are easy targets. But breakdowns in protection and turnovers are just as debilitating as another blocked kick. Quarterback Drew Brees turned the ball over twice, which led to 10 points by the Panthers.
"We have to be smart enough in the game early to understand the turnovers aren’t good and punting is not a bad thing," Payton said, per Triplett. "We already know that we’re playing with a close margin of error or else you win 50 of these, you lose 50. So I think that we have to be a lot smarter, and certainly as a head coach, I have to do a better job of that point of emphasis."
Despite the mistakes, the Saints are still in the NFC South mix with extra time to prepare for the the Los Angeles Rams at home followed by the Detroit Lions before returning to division play.
20. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
13 of 32
Last Week: 20
Quote of the Week: "I'm not about to let you guys downplay this win. We won. I'm excited that we won, and now we get to go into a mini-bye week and get healthy. That's how I'm feeling."
There are plenty of reasons to downplay the Carolina Panthers' 23-20 victory Thursday over the New Orleans Saints, despite Cam Newton's proclamation, per Bryan Strickland of the Panthers official site.
First, Ron Rivera's squad nearly allowed the Saints to recover from a 23-3 fourth-quarter deficit. Carolina's rushing attack didn't provide much help at 1.9 yards per carry. And two of the team's best players, center Ryan Kalil and linebacker Luke Kuechly, continue to deal with injuries.
Yes, the Panthers won, but the victory could prove costly if any of these issues linger.
However, the Panthers do deserve credit for scratching and clawing their way back into the playoff conversation. Carolina is now 4-6 and won three of its last four games. As a result, the team sits two games behind the idle Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South with six games left to play.
19. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
14 of 32
Last Week: 19
Quote of the Week: "Mistakes are gonna happen. We just gotta stay together. People might start getting on guys and this and that, but we stay together . . . We're just gonna learn from 'em and try not to make 'em again. At the same time, no one's perfect."
After a 3-0 start, the Philadelphia Eagles became the NFL's most talked-about team with a pair of rookies leading the way. First-year head coach Doug Pederson couldn't do anything wrong, and this year's No. 2 overall pick, Carson Wentz, looked every bit the part of a franchise quarterback.
Circumstances tend to change rapidly in professional football.
The Eagles are 2-5 over their last seven games, and fingers are being pointed at those not performing. Wentz tried to rally his team after the game, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Les Bowen, but it's difficult to do when a scapegoat became readily available during Sunday's 26-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Second-year wide receiver Nelson Agholor dropped another pass and committed an illegal formation penalty to stall two crucial Eagles drives.
"I'm going to keep encouraging him," Pederson said, per ESPN.com's Tim McManus. "By no means am I going to be down on him. This loss today was on me. I have to make sure that I am doing everything I can to get these guys ready to play."
Agholor's situation is merely a microcosm to Philadelphia's season. The Eagles roster isn't talented enough at every level to play winning football each and every week.
18. Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans
15 of 32
Last Week: 18
Quote of the Week: "Was Hopkins out of bounds on that play? No. So like, look, I'm not going to sit up here and get fined, I'm just a third-year coach in the NFL. But I think we really got to look at all of those things. You know, we got all of these cameras, and we can't get that right. And I don't think Hopkins was out of bounds ..."
The play in question happened with 12:43 remaining in the first quarter. From countless replay views it looked exactly as Bill O'Brien described it in his post-game press conference via NFL.com. But it was that kind of night for the Texans down in Mexico City.
Leading 20-13 early in the fourth quarter, Texans eventually surrendered two back-breaking touchdown passes to Oakland QB Derek Carr and lost 27-20. The Raiders were the recipients of two questionable spots on that late drive that ultimately won the game.
It left a bad taste in Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's mouth too as he said post-game, "Very tough loss. We should have won the game, we are trying to win every game. You don't leave the game in the ref's hands."
Unfortunately, it was that kind of night.
O'Brien's team doesn't have time to dwell on this loss. They welcome Philip Rivers and the Chargers into Houston on Sunday and still lead the AFC South by a game over the Indianapolis Colts.
17. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
16 of 32
Last Week: 14
Quote of the Week: "We're at six losses, that's the reality. Clearly understand the urgency that's in front of us. Clearly understood the urgency coming into this game being at five losses."
A week ago, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy proclaimed he's a "highly-successful NFL coach." The statement looks rather foolish after Green Bay lost its fourth-straight contest while being thoroughly out-coached in the last three. The Washington Redskins accumulated 515 yards during Sunday's 42-24 rout.
Apparently, reality started to sink in for the coach, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. McCarthy still tried to avert the blame, though.
"This is not the time for personnel evaluations, coaching evaluations and those types of things," McCarthy said. "This is our football team. It's the 2016 Packers. We're in a rough stretch right now. ... We're going to rally, stick together."
The 2016 Packers aren't very good at 4-6, they're not being coached well and they're talent deficient in certain areas. McCarthy's rallying cry likely won't be enough to overcome the obstacles played before the team.
16. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
17 of 32
Last Week: 12
Quote of the Week: "I don't know when (A.J. Green) can be back."
For the Cincinnati Bengals, their 3-6-1 record is disappointing, but A.J. Green's health is far more concerning. Medical personnel carted the Pro Bowl wide receiver off the field during Sunday's 16-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Green suffered a "significant" hamstring tear. A timetable for his return has yet to be determined, according to head coach Marvin Lewis, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner Jr.
"You never want to lose a guy like that," quarterback Andy Dalton said, per ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell. "He's the best receiver in the league, so when you lose him, it hurts you. The next guy has to step up and get the job done."
The Bengals won't receive any help from versatile running back Giovani Bernard. USA Today's Tom Pelissero reported Bernard suffered a torn ACL on Sunday.
Instead, the struggling Bengals will now rely on veteran Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd at wide receiver with Jeremy Hill taking on a bigger role within the team's ground game. It's not exactly an inspiring group considering the team's start.
15. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
18 of 32
Last Week: 22
Quote of the Week: "I don’t even know (how the comeback happened). Just nothing was going right for us. We were terrible on offense."
Sometimes, for whatever reason, things just click.
Adam Gase's lack of explanation for Sunday's 14-10 victory against the Los Angeles Rams, per the Associated Press' Greg Beacham (via the Washington Post), doesn't just describe the team's latest victory; it sums up the Dolphins' entire 2016 campaign.
The Rams built a 10-0 halftime lead before the Dolphins managed some offensive production and a pair of second-half touchdowns.
"As long as there is time on the clock, I'm going to believe that we are going to win," Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "I have a lot of faith, and everyone that steps on that field with me, we put in a lot of work and a lot of time. We’ve grown together over the past three months."
While some might argue Tannehill spoke in cliches, his growing belief shows how far the Dolphins have come by winning five straight games after a 1-4 start to the season.
With Gase at the helm, this team came together, found its identify and believes it should win each contest.
14. Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
19 of 32
Last Week: 16
Quote of the Week: "I'm more concerned with winning than how it looks. Next year, all you'll remember is the final record."
Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is usually quite reserved on the sideline. Jokes regarding his stone-faced stoicism can be found all over the Internet.
But don't mistake Caldwell's even-keel personality being the same as someone who isn't competitive, per the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett.
The Lions are 6-4 after Sunday's 26-19 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and sit atop the NFC North standings (thanks to a tiebreaker with the Minnesota Vikings).
Detroit's success came after the team started 1-3 and Caldwell's job came into question. Although, the Lions seem to thrive when things are at their bleakest. Why? Their coach brings the same the same approach to his team as his personality.
"He has a knack for keeping us level-headed, a knack for keeping the main picture right, in sight," defensive back Don Carey said, per ESPN.com's Michael Roethstein. "He just continues to do it. That just speaks to his wisdom."
13. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
20 of 32
Last Week: 17
Quote of the Week: "He's a beast, man. He's a great player. He needs to start getting that credit. He deserves it. He makes plays each week. He's been balling pretty much this whole year."
Pay the man.
This will become the overriding theme this week after watching the clinic Kirk Cousins put on against the Green Bay Packers during Sunday Night Football. Tight end Jordan Reed heaped praise on his quarterback after the 42-24 victory, per ESPN.com's John Keim.
Cousins is playing under the franchise tag this season after the organization and quarterback couldn't come to a long-term deal during the offseason. If Cousins continues to perform like he has, he'll be one of the league's highest-paid signal-callers sooner rather than later.
Sunday's 375-yard, three-touchdown performance wasn't an outlier. Since becoming Washington's starting quarterback, Cousins completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 7,257 yards, 46 touchdowns, 18 interceptions and a 100.4 QB rating, per MMQB.com's Albert Breer.
"We can go through the anybodies around the league the last 10 years, and not a lot can do what he's done for the last 20 games," head coach Jay Gruden said last week.
Cha-ching.
12. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
21 of 32
Last Week: 13
Quote of the Week: "(Sunday), across the board (it was better)...It wasn't anything formally that needed to be said, guys just being more on the details. Any time you're going on the scale we have over the last four games, you have to look at what you can do to make yourself better."
The Pittsburgh Steelers emerged from the season's second bye week—aka a meeting with the winless Cleveland Browns—re-energized and ready for a late-season surge after losing their previous four contests.
Linebacker Arthur Moats described what the team did differently during Sunday's 24-9 victory, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler. The biggest difference came on defense.
Prior to Sunday, the Steelers were tied for last with 13 quarterback sacks. The same group registered eight sacks against the Browns without defensive end Cam Heyward in the lineup.
"Guys operated at a higher level today than in previous weeks when guys were trying to do too much or we weren't being accountable as a whole," Moats added.
The defense needed a confidence-builder after weeks of subpar play. Before Pittsburgh faces the Browns again to end the season, the team's next five opponents are a combined 25-24-1 overall. The Steelers are positioned well to make a playoff run if defensive coordinator Keith Butler's unit builds on its last performance.
11. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants
22 of 32
Last Week: 11
Quote of the Week: "I do believe we have a championship atmosphere in this locker room."
New York Giants veteran wide receiver Victor Cruz just came out and said it, per the New York Post's Paul Schwartz. The Giants are Super Bowl contenders.
A little over a month ago, the idea would have been laughable at best. After all, the Giants opened their season with a 2-3 record after losing three straight between Sept. 15 and Oct. 9.
No one is laughing now. The 7-3 Giants are legit after winning five straight contests thanks to Sunday's 22-16 victory over the Chicago Bears. The road in front of them is tough, though.
"Obviously, we know we're behind Dallas still, and Washington and Philly are playing good football and have a lot of wins," quarterback Eli Manning said, per ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan. "We can't get comfortable. We've got to keep getting better, so there's still lots of room for improvement."
Ben McAdoo's aggressive approach instilled a new level of confidence throughout the organization, and the team knows it has the potential to be very good.
10. Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
23 of 32
Last Week: 6
Quote of the Week: "After returning home from Minnesota, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was experiencing discomfort and not feeling well during the night. His wife took him to a local hospital to be evaluated. All tests conducted so far have come back favorably. He remains in the hospital for continued evaluation."
Some things are just more important than football.
Of course, Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians would grumble about anyone paying him extra attention instead of concentrating on the next game, but everyone needs to take a second to acknowledge the fact he spent Monday night in a hospital with chest pain, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Mark Dalton of the Cardinals official site provided the team's official press release.
A person's health comes first, and football is a distance second.
Get well, coach. We'll discuss your team next week when you're back on the sidelines and ripping into another official.
9. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
24 of 32
Last Week: 9
Quote of the Week: "Probably wasn't the best decision (to single-cover Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, but you've also got to stop the run."
When an opponent plays the 9-1 Dallas Cowboys, the contest turns into a game of pick your poison. For the Baltimore Ravens and they're formerly top-ranked defense, head coach John Harbaugh decided to stop the run, per the Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota.
His decision turned into a crucial mistake when Bryant exploited the mismatches for a pair of touchdowns in the Cowboys' 27-17 victory.
Harbaugh's choice is even worse than it appears on the surface level, because the team's top cornerback, Jimmy Smith, didn't play Sunday due to injury. No one in Baltimore's secondary even had a chance to match up against Bryant without help.
"It's tough to roll coverage to a guy like Dez, but then you're worried about the run game and you're trying to stop that. You're trying to stop (Cole) Beasley on third down and leaving (Bryant)," veteran safety Eric Weddle said, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. "It presents a tough challenge as a defense when you don't have your best corner out there."
The Ravens picked wrong, and the team fell to 5-5 overall as a result.
8. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
25 of 32
Last Week: 10
Quote of the Week: "Our message this week was, 'Make the solid plays first and let the big plays come to you.'"
The Minnesota Vikings returned to form against the Arizona Cardinals during Sunday's 30-24 victory. They did so by playing sound football and the big plays came, as head coach Mike Zimmer directed, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson.
When a team is stuck in the middle of a four-game losing streak, players tend to press and do more than what's asked of them. Mistakes often occur as a result.
Defensively, the Vikings tried to be more aggressive when things didn't go their way. Zimmer decided to scale back the amount of blitzes he threw at Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and just let his front four do its job. It worked. Minnesota sacked Palmer four times and pressured him on 22 more occasions, according to Pro Football Focus.
"There was a lot of times I wanted to blitz and they kept telling me, 'Just do what you're doing. We're rushing the heck out of the quarterback,'" Zimmer said. "So, I did."
This adjustment allowed the Vikings to get back on track and remain tied with the Detroit Lions atop the NFC North standings with a 6-4 record (although, the Lions currently own the tiebreaker).
7. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
26 of 32
Last Week: 8
Quote of the Week: "We are for damn sure not going to allow anyone else to determine our team identity. We've got a tough outfit. We know what we stand for as a club and we'll leave it at that."
The underlying theme to the Atlanta Falcons season remains the same today as it did at the start of the campaign: Dan Quinn's must find a way to avoid another regular-season collapse.
As such, Quinn won't allow his NFC South-leading team to listen to any outside noise after losing three of their last five games, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Cunningham. His comments came after last Sunday's 24-15 loss when Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Leodis McKelvin called the Falcons 'front runners', per NJ.com's Eliot Shorr-Parks.
"As I told the team (last Monday), all of us are going to find some things for all of us to improve upon (during the bye week)," Quinn said, per Andrew Hirsch of the Falcons official site. "It's not simply done, but that’s exactly what will take place."
A two-game division lead can quickly change for the 6-3 Falcons with upcoming contests against the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs before finishing the season against division rivals, the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.
6. Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders
27 of 32
Last Week: 7
Quote of the Week: "It wasn't one of our cleaner games in terms of execution throughout, but we showed tremendous grit. We got an opportunity late in the game to seize control and did, and made the plays we needed to make to get a hard-earned win."
Four straight wins, seven wins in their last eight games, and the Oakland Raiders shockingly find themselves in a position they haven't been in since their last Super Bowl season in 2002. If the season were to end today, Jack Del Rio's team would the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The Raiders once again found a way to make the plays needed to earn their eighth W of the season, even if it wasn't pretty. QB Derek Carr said after the game, via the Associated Press, "We got punched in the mouth. We weren't doing things the way we usually want to do things executing wise. But there was no doubt in anybody's mind that we'd come back and win the football game."
And that all comes back to Del Rio. He's got his team believing they're every bit where they're supposed to be even when nobody else is ready to believe it.
One more win and Oakland will have their first winning season in thirteen years. What we've seen of them through 11 weeks shows that won't be nearly enough to satisfy these new-look Raiders.
5. Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos
28 of 32
Last Week: 5
Quote of the Week: "I don’t want Trevor (Siemian) to play OK or good. I want Trevor to play big for this football team. If he can do that and get the ball in the right spots and protect the ball, with the formula that we had going (Sunday against the New Orleans Saints), I think some really good things can happen for this team."
After a strong start, Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian hasn't played well over the past month. During the team's past four games, the second-year signal caller completed 55 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
His play hasn't been good enough for head coach Gary Kubiak, per the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala.
Siemian's drop in play coincided with running back C.J. Anderson's season-ending injury. Kubiak needs to rely on his young signal-caller more, because the Broncos' running game isn't nearly as effective. But the Northwestern product had areas to work on during the team's bye week, too.
"Right now, sometimes his depth is bad in the shotgun," Kubiak said. "Sometimes he's drifting and getting hit when he shouldn't be getting hit, so it's something that we're addressing and we have been actually addressing for about a month."
4. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
29 of 32
Last Week: 4
Quote of the Week: "You would like to be somewhere around 50-50 (with the run-pass ratio)."
Andy Reid's comment is rather funny since the Kansas City Chiefs head coach prefers to pass the ball to set up the run, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher.
But this year's team needs to establish an effective ground game in order to succeed. Reid didn't establish the right mix during Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Alex Smith threw 31 passes, while running back Spencer Ware attempted only 17 carries.
"I don't know if there's a perfect ratio," Smith said. "It changes. You go with the flow of the game. We wanted to get the run game going."
The Chiefs didn't, and the offense sputtered. In fact, Alex Smith provided the team's lone rushing touchdown.
Reid's 7-3 squad plays great defense, but his offense needs to remain efficient for the team to be effective on a weekly basis.
3. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
30 of 32
Last Week: 4
Quote of the Week: "It's great, but they don't hang banners after 10 weeks."
The Dallas Cowboys are off to a great start, but a 9-1 record doesn't mean much, as tight end Jason Witten stated, per the Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota.
However, the team's tremendous start indicates how talented this squad really is despite questions marks throughout the roster, especially with a rookie quarterback behind center. Those concerns have faded into the background.
For a team relying so heavily on both a rookie running back and quarterback, the team's weekly growth has been exceptional.
"I thought (Dak Prescott's) decision-making was outstanding throughout (the contest against the Baltimore Ravens)," head coach Jason Garrett said, per Machota. "He gets better and better every week."
During Sunday's meeting, the Cowboys offense racked up 417 yards against the NFL's top-ranked defense on their way to a 27-17 victory.
The road doesn't get any easier over the next two weeks when Dallas faces the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. At this point, everyone should expect the Cowboys to do well in both contests.
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
31 of 32
Last Week:2
Quote of the Week: "It was a tough week after the Seattle game coming out here, but I thought the players showed a lot of commitment all week to come in and prepare, come out and play with good energy."
Before the NFL's trade deadline, the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick sent a message to his team when he traded linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns. The message wasn't received since the Seattle Seahawks pummeled the Patriots less than two weeks later.
Belichick sent another message prior to the San Francisco 49ers contest when defensive end Jabaal Sheard didn't travel with the team. The defense hadn't played well enough despite New England's 7-2 record.
The group provided a different energy against the struggling 49ers, per the Boston News' Adam Kurkjian. The defense surrendered a mere 299 yards during Sunday's 30-17 victory.
On offense, Belichick's squad continued to play well during quarterback Tom Brady's return to the Bay Area. Brady threw four touchdown passes.
"It's what good quarterbacks do," the coach said. "They have good vision. They know when they don't have it."
Brady and the Patriots certainly have it as the AFC's best squad.
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
32 of 32
Last Week: 1
Quote of the Week: "The explosive plays and the running game for a 150-something, that’s really what felt right. That’s how we want to look, that’s how we want to feel."
The Seattle Seahawks can make an argument they're the NFC's best team. If Pete Carroll's 7-2-1 squad isn't, it's not far behind the 9-1 Dallas Cowboys.
With a healthy Russell Wilson, improved offensive line and downhill running attack, the Seahawks are going to be tough to beat during the final six weeks and into the playoffs. As Carroll noted, the team needed this long to finally look like the one he originally envisioned, per John Boyle of the Seahawks official site.
Wilson threw for 272 yards and a touchdown without a mistake during Sunday's 26-15 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The once-hobbled quarterback also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Doug Baldwin. Meanwhile, running backs C.J. Prosise and Thomas Rawls combined for 133 yards on 18 carries.
A little razzle-dazzle goes a long way when a team is playing good hard-nosed football
"There's nothing better than that, six out of the last seven games, we haven't turned the ball over," Carroll said. "That's fantastic football, and it takes everybody to do that. It's not just the quarterback, it's the runners and the catchers and the guys protecting and special teams and all of that. If we keep doing that, we're hard to beat."
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