Biggest Overreactions to Ben Johnson, NFL's New Head Coaches Through Week 2

A lot can and will change between now and the end of the NFL season. After two weeks, however, we're beginning to get a feel for how teams, players and coaches are likely to perform in 2025.

Fans of teams that hired head coaches in the offseason have an early idea of how the next few seasons could look. Some may believe that their favorite franchise is on a Super Bowl trajectory. For others, it may already feel like the sky is falling.

Is it premature to judge a first-year head coach after only two games? Absolutely. Are we going to do it anyway? You bet.

Ben Johnson Is a Fraud!

AP Photo/Ryan Sun

Bears head coach Ben Johnson

When the Bears hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at the start of the offseason, it was supposed to instantly transform the franchise. Johnson was the Prince Who Was Promised, the NFL's next great offensive mind who would get results out of "generational" quarterback Caleb Williams that no other coach could.

Johnson came to Chicago with the bravado of a multi-time champion, even going so far as to call out a rival coach unprompted.

After watching the Lions steamroll the Bears 51-21 on Sunday, it wasn't a stretch to think that, maybe, Johnson benefited from being with a great Detroit team more than he helped it.

Did Johnson parlay Detroit's success into a head-coaching opportunity he didn't deserve?

Let's be honest. Virtually nothing went right for Chicago in 2024, and turning the page on that disaster was always going to be a challenge. Opening the season against two divisional rivals who were playoff teams a year ago didn't help matters. Neither did missing No. 1 cornerback Jaylon Johnson in the opener and losing him early in Week 2—indefinitely—to a groin injury.

Dennis Allen's defense certainly needs to ratchet up the efficiency, and it would be nice to see more cohesion from Johnson's offense. However, this season is and has always been about helping Williams play up to his potential. We've seen growth from the second-year quarterback, even if it hasn't been as dramatic as Bears fans would like to see.

Some great coordinators aren't built to be successful head coaches. Johnson could be one of them. However, we should see how Williams and the Bears fare in the coming weeks before making that call.

Brian Schottenheimer Has Revitalized the Cowboys

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer

The Dallas Cowboys may be sitting at 1-1. However, there's a lot of positivity surrounding the team after a back-and-forth battle with the defending champions in Week 1 and a thrilling overtime victory in Week 2.

Would the Cowboys be a better team with Micah Parsons still on the roster? Absolutely, but the offense appears potent enough to keep Dallas in a lot of games this season.

Maybe promoting Brian Schottenheimer to replace head coach Mike McCarthy wasn't the last-resort move many made it out to be in the offseason. Now in full control, Schottenheimer already has fans excited about the team's offensive potential and lauding the new culture.

The Cowboys are ranked third in yards and fifth in scoring through two weeks. Obviously, McCarthy was holding the Cowboys back, and Schottenheimer is set to return them to dominance. Right?

Well, having a healthy group of skill players certainly helps. So does having a legitimate No. 2 receiver in George Pickens and a capable running back in Javonte Williams. It certainly helps to play a New York Giants defense that was flat-out bad in Week 2.

What should excite fans is the fact that Dallas' offense isn't falling off in the post-McCarthy era. Let's not pretend, though, that the defense hasn't been bad or that the Cowboys didn't have the league's top scoring offense just two years ago.

Under Schottenheimer, the offense looks potent, the defense looks suspect, and the Cowboys look a whole lot like they did under McCarthy—only their best player is now with the Green Bay Packers.

Liam Coen Can't 'Fix' Trevor Lawrence

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen

A year after Dave Canales got a head coaching gig for helping Baker Mayfield reach a Pro Bowl, Liam Coen got the same opportunity. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coordinator was hired, in part, to get more out of 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence.

After watching Mayfield orchestrate his second fourth-quarter comeback in as many weeks, maybe it's time for teams to recognize that coaches aren't "fixing" him.

Coen certainly hasn't fixed Lawrence, at least not yet. Decision-making and ball-placement remain issues for the 25-year-old, who simply isn't playing like the elite franchise quarterback he's being paid to be. One specific interaction from Sunday has led to early questions about the Coen-Lawrence relationship.

Coen was quick to brush off the incident.

"It is what it is. That's emotion. It's not personal ever. That's just kind of me getting worked up," Coen said, per Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post.

Coaches get animated on the sideline all the time, and fans shouldn't read too much into Coen's outburst or Lawrence's response at this point in the season. If they're spotted arguing during games in December, that'll be cause for alarm.

And while Lawrence is still making the sorts of mistakes he's made throughout his pro career, coaching bad habits out of him will take time. Coen deserves a little more before being declared the latest head coach to get subpar results out of Lawrence.

Aaron Glenn Just Can't Change the Jets' Culture

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn

The New York Jets desperately needed to erase the stink that came with the 2024 season. Internal turmoil reverberated throughout that campaign, as head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas were fired in-season and quarterback Aaron Rodgers became a public scapegoat.

New York became the second franchise to hire a Lions coordinator when it snagged Aaron Glenn. The hope was that Glenn could replicate the winning culture of which he was a part in Detroit.

"We want to create our own narrative, we want to write our own book," Glenn said in July, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

After an 0-2 start and a pair of embarrassing defensive performances, it's fair to wonder if Glenn is equipped to actually change anything in New York.

"These looked like the Jets of old," The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt wrote after Sunday's loss. "The changes supposedly coming in the Glenn era have yet to spring anew."

Let's be honest. No coach was likely to turn the Jets into instant contenders. Glenn inherited a roster that won five games in 2024 and added a quarterback in Justin Fields who is still a project. Fields suffered a concussion in Week 2, and the Jets were just blown out by arguably the best team in the AFC.

The 0-2 start shouldn't be shocking to anyone. The fact that Glenn's defense is struggling, given the enviable work he did with Detroit's injury-plagued unit in 2024, might be surprising. However, it took a year before Saleh's vision for the defense became a reality too.

Only time will tell if Glenn is the right coach to turn around the franchise, but it's premature to think these are the "same ol' Jets" after two weeks.

Pete Carroll Was Wrong to Bet on Geno Smith

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Raiders QB Geno Smith talks with head coach Pete Carroll on Sept. 7

The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-1 and just played a competitive game against the rival Los Angeles Chargers. However, Geno Smith's three interceptions doomed Las Vegas on Monday night and quickly triggered a cascade of memes on social media.

Several Raiders fans are likely wondering whether it was wise for new head coach Pete Carroll to bring in his old friend at quarterback. Carroll knew the two-time Pro Bowler well from their time with the Seattle Seahawks, obviously, but there was a reason why Seattle was willing to move off of Smith and sign Sam Darnold.

Was Carroll's desire to reunite with Smith instead of exploring other options a mistake? Not at all.

Smith, who leads the NFL with four interceptions, has not been great over the first two weeks. However, he gives the Raiders a chance to push the ball down the field, and he knows how Carroll wants to approach games—control the clock, play good defense and win the physical battle.

Now, Smith needs to make better decisions with the football, but he was done no favors by offensive coordinator Chip Kelly—who executed a very un-Carroll-like plan by having Smith throw it 43 times. He's still a quarterback who can lead the Raiders to a lot of wins.

Most importantly, Smith was the best QB option Las Vegas was going to find in 2025. Las Vegas never had a shot at drafting Cam Ward and minority owner Tom Brady was against signing Darnold, according to The Athletic's Michael Silver. And no, Daniel Jones probably wouldn't be doing what he's doing with the Raiders.

Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye Are the Patriots' New Brady-Belichick

Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

Patriots QB Drake Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel

The New England Patriots are 1-1 after a thrilling win over the rival Miami Dolphins. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye played fantastically in the win, and it's not hard to envision a very bright future with him and new head coach Mike Vrabel leading the franchise.

"Prove that Maye is The Guy, build a culture under Vrabel and make the football exciting to watch again.," The Athletic's Chad Graff wrote after Sunday's win. "If Sunday was any indication, this team is well on its way to achieving those goals."

Are the Patriots getting an early look at their next version of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady? Let's pump the brakes on that one.

Look, Vrabel is an experienced coach who had a mostly successful tenure with the Tennessee Titans. He's also well-versed in the "Patriot Way," having spent eight seasons with the franchise as a linebacker. Maye is an ultra-talented signal-caller who was the top-ranked QB on the B/R Scouting Department's final 2024 draft board.

However, it's far too early to start dreaming about a new Patriots dynasty helmed by Vrabel and Maye. Sunday's win was inspiring, but it came against a Dolphins team that suddenly looks like one of the worst in the NFL. Maye's potential is sky high, but he's still a relatively unrefined quarterback.

Patriots fans should feel really good about where their team is after its first win of the season. Let's see if they feel similarly after Week 18.

Kellen Moore Is an Offensive Genius!

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Saints head coach Kellen Moore

The 0-2 New Orleans Saints have had legitimate chances to win each week, which isn't what most expected. The fact that what many considered the NFL's worst roster has been competitive with 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler at quarterback does reflect positively on new head coach Kellen Moore.

Moore has the Saints offense looking better than it has since the start of the 2024 season, and his decision to roll with Rattler over rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough is looking like a wise one.

Meanwhile, it's not hard to find Philadelphia Eagles fans online who miss having Moore as their offensive coordinator.

Is Moore destined to turn Rattler into Drew Brees and push the Saints back to contention? Probably not.

Moore has been a good coordinator in the NFL. He's also on his fourth team in as many years. He's done good work with Rattler, but Moore played quarterback in the NFL. He probably knows a thing or two about developing them. Rattler is still 0-8 as a starter.

Perhaps more importantly, the Saints are relatively healthy. A supporting cast led by Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, Alvin Kamara and Brandin Cooks is a good one. When New Orleans was healthy last year? It racked up 93 points during its 2-0 start.