NFL Head Coach Power Rankings Heading into Week 3
We're only two weeks into the 2016 campaign, and jobs are already on the line with seasons potentially lost after poor starts.
This is life in the pressure-packed NFL.
An 0-2 beginning often signals the end of a season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, only 12 percent of the teams that lost their first two games since 1990 went on to make the playoffs. On the flip side, 63 percent of the teams that opened the season with a 2-0 record made the postseason.
Eight teams fall on each side of the ledger.
The Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins haven't managed a victory, while the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles are off to blistering starts.
Bleacher Report's NFL Head Coach Power Rankings are a constant evaluation, and how a team responded at the start of the campaign reflects on the man tasked with leading the way.
32. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
1 of 32
Last Week: 32
Quote of the Week: "The tape don’t lie. We will find out who played hard. And some of the guys that didn’t, will move on."
Adam Gase learned a hard lesson over the last two weeks: It's hard to win in the NFL.
The Miami Dolphins haven't been terrible despite an 0-2 start. They've lost by one score to the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots as the visiting team.
But Gase and his squad need to experience a breakthrough, and this weekend's home contest against the Cleveland Browns seems to be the ideal opportunity. As the team prepares, the head coach will weed out those who haven't bought into his program, per the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad.
Once everyone is on the same page, the Dolphins should experience some success.
"Our mindset is different," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "This team is different. There is no reason to panic. Fourteen games is a lot of season left."
It's tough being a first-time head coach, but all it takes is one win for the snowball effect to start.
31. Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills
2 of 32
Last Week: 23
Quote of the Week: "I'm going to tell you we're the f--king best because I believe it. Let me f--king say it. And if it doesn't work, I'll be the first motherf--ker that goes."
Sorry, Rex Ryan. The Buffalo Bills aren't the best. Your team is 0-2, and your rant during the Rex and Rob Reunited documentary that aired 10 days ago, courtesy of ESPN.com's Mike Rodak, came across as buffoonish.
What's worse is how the organization reacted after Thursday's 37-31 loss to the New York Jets. The Bills surrendered 17 straight points after holding a 24-20 third-quarter lead, yet the team fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the Bills amassed 393 yards when the defense—Ryan's expertise—gave up nearly 500 yards.
Totally makes sense, right?
"What this move says to me is that Rex is pushing everything into the middle of the table," a team source told the Buffalo News' Vic Carruci.
Once-smoldering embers turned into flames as Ryan sits squarely on the hot seat.
30. Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
3 of 32
Last Week: 29
Quote of the Week: "We make no excuses. We're an 0-2 football team right now and we have a lot of work to do."
If the Cleveland Browns didn't have bad luck, they'd have no luck at all.
Hue Jackson isn't making any excuses, as Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot noted, but the team has to wonder exactly what it takes to win a game. The Browns built a 20-2 first-quarter lead only to surrender 23 straight points to the hated Baltimore Ravens and experience yet another loss in Week 2.
According to NFL on ESPN, it's the third-biggest blown lead in Browns history.
On top of yet another improbable loss, the team experienced another quarterback injury. With Robert Griffin III already out of the lineup, Josh McCown injured his non-throwing shoulder but continued to play despite the beating he took on a down-by-down basis.
"Unless (the arm's) going to fall off, let's try to make it work and make it go," McCown said. "The plan is to play next week."
Despite the veteran's bravado, Jackson must prepare his 0-2 squad for the Miami Dolphins with rookie Cody Kessler set to make his first start, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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29. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
4 of 32
Last Week: 21
Quote of the Week: "I think you have to put that on me. ... You can't just show up and play well."
How long before Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan takes head coach Gus Bradley at his word, per John Oehser of the team's official site?
The San Diego Chargers throttled the Jaguars on Sunday during a 38-14 rout. Veteran linebacker Paul Posluszny didn't pull any punches after the loss.
"Terrible," Posluszny said of the team's performance, per the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran. "I just felt like we were past situations like this—missed assignments that result in touchdowns, games that are this lopsided. We need drastic improvement."
Bradley now owns a 12-38 record through three-plus seasons as a head coach. According to ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, Bradley's .240 winning percentage is the NFL's worst over the last 75 years. The only coach to own a worse record with at least 50 games came before the United States entered World War II.
Everyone remembers the Philadelphia Eagles' Bert Bell, right? No? Bradley better turn things around quickly, or he won't be remembered either.
28. Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans
5 of 32
Last Week: 31
Quote of the Week: "It didn’t surprise me, the (game-winning) throw. The guy is a gamer, and he’ll give us a chance."
Good quarterback play makes every coach look a little better at his job than he really is.
For example, the Tennessee Titans trailed the Detroit Lions 15-10 with seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter on Sunday. During the ensuing drive, Marcus Mariota completed all nine of his passes, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Andre Johnson.
Of course, Mike Mularkey isn't surprised, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official site, because the coach needs the former No. 2 overall pick to play well. Otherwise, his tenure in Tennessee could turn out as poorly as his previous stops with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The difference between those experiences and his current situation is having Mariota at the start of his career instead of dealing with Chad Henne, Kelly Holcomb or an aging Drew Bledsoe.
"When you look at guys that young in this league and you face the adversity we faced in the first half, even the team tends to go in the tank," Johnson said. "Teams don’t tend to win those games. ... But we knew we had to keep playing."
The Titans still have their issues, but Mariota gives them a chance to win each week—which bodes well for Mularkey.
27. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
6 of 32
Last Week: 30
Quote of the Week: "Ironic, isn’t it? We just said, 'Finish.'"
For the past two weekends, the San Diego Chargers found themselves in the same position yet experienced different results.
Mike McCoy's squad built a big halftime lead in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs but eventually fell to its division rival in overtime. A week later, the Chargers once again held a 21-point lead before halftime but didn't let up against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
San Diego finished what it started, as McCoy preached, per Mighty 1090 AM's Andrew Burer.
"I'm happy that it happened again right away," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "Now we can just get that out of our mind, being up 21 and what are we going to do next time? I'm glad it happened the very next week."
After the Chargers lost 11 of their previous 13 games dating back to last season, McCoy took a big step as the team's leader by finding the right buttons to push on the way to an impressive victory.
26. Chip Kelly, San Francisco 49ers
7 of 32
Last Week: 28
Quote of the Week: "It was just one of those days where they were making plays, and to be a good team, we've got to make those plays."
Chip Kelly is right, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner. The San Francisco 49ers aren't a good team, but they're better than expected.
The 49ers captured an impressive victory against the Los Angeles Rams to open the season and then found themselves within striking distance of the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter during Week 2.
"You can see the positives," veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. "You can see that the adverse situations that we came upon, and we stayed locked in. We finished the game, and that's all you can ask for, for you to finish, not fold, not give up."
Where this team stands in the league's hierarchy will develop in the coming weeks with contests against the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys—both of whom have had offensive issues to start the season.
25. Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams
8 of 32
Last Week: 27
Quote of the Week: "It made this a tough place to play starting day one, which was really impressive. We had many opportunities, and there's going to be a lot of things we have to correct, and we had some mistakes. But when it's said and done, we take the win. That's an outstanding football team."
Welcome back to Los Angeles, Rams. Over 91,000 fans enjoyed your touchdown-less brand of football. Despite an inability to find paydirt, the team still found a way to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
As Jeff Fisher said, per ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez, the Rams will take the win, but they'll need to find ways to score. A team can manage only so many 9-3 victories. The Rams defense is good, but it's not that good.
"There are some realities to where we are right now," Fisher said, per the Los Angeles Times' Gary Kline. "We need to score some touchdowns, so we’ll keep working on that."
With each passing week that starting quarterback Case Keenum doesn't find the end zone, the coach will have to strongly consider playing this year's No. 1 overall pick, Jared Goff, whether or not the organization feels he's ready.
24. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9 of 32
Last Week: 22
Quote of the Week: "You can criticize me all you want. [Jameis Winston] stayed in the game. … You can get mad as you want. He stayed in. Write what you're going to write."
As the Tampa Bay Times' Tom Jones noted, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter is beginning to understand the microscope he's under with every decision he makes.
During the 40-7 blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Koetter allowed Winston to play the entire game. Other coaches would have protected the team's most valuable asset by sitting the quarterback once the game got out of hand.
"I want to play," Winston responded. "I'm here to play. I play football for a living. I'm going to be out on the field with my brothers fighting until the end."
There comes a time when every coach must strike a balance between letting his players play and understanding what's best for the individual. The former No. 1 overall pick committed five turnovers Sunday. He didn't accomplish anything by staying in the contest.
Of course, Koetter is going to be criticized for leaving his quarterback out there when the possibility of an injury existed. Next week, Winston should play much better—he can't get much worse—and the first-time head coach will better understand the situation.
23. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
10 of 32
Last Week: 17
Quote of the Week: "We've got the New York Giants as soon as we leave here, so he can watch the tape, find out what's going on if he's not sure what the indecision might be, why he's missing some throws, but you know, it's a tough game. He's got people around his feet. He's got to make some tough throws and usually ones he would normally hit but he missed a few today. We'll coach him up. Can't put it all on Kirk, you know. There's a lot of other issues that we had today, that's for sure—coaching, playing, offense, defense; we all had our hand in that one."
Drama surrounding the Washington Redskins quarterbacks never ceases. Robert Griffin III no longer serves as the team's scapegoat. Kirk Cousins isn't the same player today that he appeared to be over the second half of the 2015 campaign. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, teammates are already starting to complain about their quarterback.
Jay Gruden didn't help the situation with his response about Cousins' struggles, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra. Of course, the blame shouldn't be placed squarely on the quarterback. However, the head coach also intimated that there are problems with his starting signal-caller after a horrific red-zone performance against the Dallas Cowboys.
Gruden must tread lightly in the coming weeks as he navigates another minefield. Otherwise, this season could blow up for the reigning NFC East champions, and the search for a franchise quarterback might start anew.
22. Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
11 of 32
Last Week: 20
Quote of the Week: "(We're) 1-1. We're not 1-15, so we got to look at it that way and make certain that we continue to improve. But we've also got to address our issues. And we've got some issues, now. Let’s not kid ourselves."
Everyone has issues, but how bad are they for the Detroit Lions?
"There's far too many for me to even go into," Caldwell said, per the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett.
That sounds, um, promising.
The biggest issue directly reflects on the coaching staff with the players' lack of disciplined play. Officials called 17 penalties—which tied a club record set during the 2005 campaign. Three touchdowns were called back because of infractions. Three.
"And 17 penalties is disappointing, obviously," the head coach said, per ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein. "We've got to get that straightened away and straightened away quickly."
It's a good place to start after surrendering 138 yards to penalties during a one-point loss to the Tennessee Titans.
21. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
12 of 32
Last Week: 19
Quote of the Week: "We’re beat up. We’ve got to get some guys back. We lost some more guys today, but nobody is going to feel sorry for us.
The Indianapolis Colts can't catch a break when it comes to injuries.
Despite losing wide receiver Donte Moncrief, guard Denzelle Good, safety Clayton Geathers and cornerback Darius Butler during Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Denver Broncos, Chuck Pagano knows the beat goes on, per the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder.
The Colts secondary was already thin before Butler and Geathers went down because cornerback Vontae Davis and safety T.J. Green were counted among the inactive list.
"We can't cancel the games and say, 'Let's wait for everybody to get healthy,'" veteran defensive back Mike Adams said.
Pagano and his staff understand their predicament and must respond with a strong game plan against the potent San Diego Chargers offense.
"With all the players we have out, you can ask the guys out there to play man-to-man over and over and over, and it'll only be a matter of time before something will get them," the head coach said. "You have to change things and mix in some zone coverages to help those guys. They’re out there giving everything they have."
20. John Fox, Chicago Bears
13 of 32
Last Week: 15
Quote of the Week: "A lot was made of our (1-7) home record from a year ago. We talked about it enough. But obviously it didn't look like it translated."
The Chicago Bears are going in the wrong direction under head coach John Fox.
During his previous stops, Fox-led teams often experienced a resurgence in his second season at the helm. Instead, the Bears have lost six straight home games after the team's 29-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
According to ESPN's SportsCenter, the Bears are now 1-8 at Soldier Field since Fox took over despite an offseason emphasis on improved play at home, per Larry Mayer of the team's official site.
"You can't point any fingers, we're not a good football team right now," tight end Zach Miller said, per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson. "We didn't play well. Our defense kept us in it early, but we didn't do enough offensively to win that football game."
19. Ben McAdoo, New York Giants
14 of 32
Last Week: 26
Quote of the Week: "(The defense) played fantastic from whistle to snap. We got lined up quickly and got our eyes where they needed to be. They played the call and with confidence."
When a new head coach takes over a franchise, the team's biggest growth area often involves the coach's specialty, whether he previously served as an offensive or defensive coordinator.
For the New York Giants, they've experienced the exact opposite under Ben McAdoo. For the last two seasons, McAdoo served as the team's offensive play-caller, yet New York's defense already improved leaps and bounds from last season.
The coach pointed toward a more disciplined approach in his press conference after the Giants' 16-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints, per the team's official site. The group only allowed two touchdowns through the first two games after finishing dead last in total defense last season.
"Coming from last year, it's hard to believe," cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said, per ESPN.com's Jordan Ranaan.
The offense should get on track with quarterback Eli Manning at the helm, but the Giants' defensive turnaround might be the NFL's biggest story so far this season.
18. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
15 of 32
Last Week: 24
Quote of the Week: "I just think, 'Man, does he go hard.' I know he knows his body really well and knows how to take care of himself, so that part is there. So no I'm not concerned at this point. It was a different injury than he had previously. A guy fell on the back of his calf, not an injury that is recurring."
Dan Quinn might be a defensive coach at heart, but his Atlanta Falcons are driven by their offense. Wide receiver Julio Jones is a big part of the NFL's second-ranked unit, but he's dealing with a calf strain. Quinn provided an update on Jones' health, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Cunningham.
With Jones in the lineup, the Falcons are dangerous. Without last year's league-leading receiver, Quinn will place a greater emphasis on his disappointing defense.
Atlanta currently ranks 29th in total defense and still hasn't found a way to get to the quarterback. Once again, the Falcons can be found at the bottom of the league in sacks.
"It's an area I'm not pleased with," Quinn said Monday, per Atlanta's 92.9 The Game.
The Falcons' explosive offense provides leeway for an underwhelming defense. If the offense isn't operating at full tilt, the team will struggle to compete against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers in the coming weeks.
17. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
16 of 32
Last Week: 18
Quote of the Week: "Oh, I'm for the onside kick. I went in and I praised our staff for the onside kick. I regretted we didn't execute it. But if we're going to count on somebody executing one, then the guy that kicked it is the guy I want to count on now. He performs. We just didn't get that done."
The above quote isn't from Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. Instead, owner Jerry Jones praised his coach after a failed onside attempt, per ESPN.com's Todd Archer.
Whatever makes the owner happy, and he'll remain happy as long as the Cowboys eek out 27-23 victories against the rival Washington Redskins.
"They were moving the ball a lot starting in the late first quarter," Garrett said. "They had three or four drives in a row where they were really having success. They had success coming out in the second half, so I just wanted to change it."
Along with being aggressive, the Cowboys coach has done a good job bringing along rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State product completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 292 yards against Washington.
"I'm just trying to do my best to win games and put this team in a successful position to do that week in and week out," Prescott said, per the Dallas Morning News' David Moore. "When [Tony Romo] comes back, I'll leave that up to the big guys."
All is well in Jerry's world.
16. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
17 of 32
Last Week: 25
Quote of the Week: "This is where I can step in and help him and protect him and keep him out of that and keep him focused. If I can keep him in the building as long as I stay in the building, then we're going to be OK. Listen, I know there's always outside influences. And the more success he has on the football field, all that off-the-field stuff will take care of itself. But the last few days, he's handled it well."
The Philadelphia Eagles' Doug Pederson is rising up charts faster than a Chainsmokers single.
His meteoric rise centers on the play of rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. While the North Dakota State product deserves the amount of recognition he's received after the Eagles' 2-0 start, Pederson's coaching staff is doing a tremendous job protecting the young man and putting him into positions to succeed by keeping him focused, per ESPN.com's Tim McManus.
This year's No. 2 overall pick continues to take advantage of his situation with former NFL quarterbacks—Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich—in his ear on a constant basis. But even the Eagles must be a little surprised when Wentz became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first two games of the season with no turnovers, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
"The future is now," Pederson told ESPN.com's Ashley Fox on Saturday.
15. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
18 of 32
Last Week: 16
Quote of the Week: "I should have [gone for the two-point conversion]. I was occupied doing something with the defense, and when I turned around and looked at it, that was my bust, and I'll get better going forward."
It's easy to admit a mistake as the New York Jets' Todd Bowles did after the team's 37-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith. Ultimately, the coach's gaffe didn't cost his team anything.
In a somewhat bizarre twist, Bowles is more communicative regarding his game-day decisions than with his starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick described his relationship with his coach to the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta:
"Todd and I are very similar in that we both just want to show up to work, work hard and do our job. When he feels like he needs to talk to me, whether it's on the sideline or the week (leading up to) a game, he'll give me his two cents either on what he sees with what their defense is doing or how they're going to attack us…. or just about me personally, whether it's confidence or being smart with the ball.
"
The Jets coach isn't a master orator, but he expressed a similar sentiment regarding his quarterback.
"We have the same approach," Bowles said, per Mehta. "We have the same demeanor. We see the game pretty much the same. That's great to have."
No mistakes have been made between these two after the Jets found their way into the win column.
14. Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders
19 of 32
Last Week: 13
Quote of the Week: "A lot of mental—a lot of mental [mistakes]. Which I take full responsibility for. We've got to make sure we're teaching it better, make sure our guys understand what we're asking them to do. And then physically there's some situations there as well. But bottom line, it's nowhere near the standard that I expect us to play at."
The Oakland Raiders own the league's top-ranked offense. Oakland also claims the league's worst defense—which is what head coach Jack Del Rio referred to when it came to mental mistakes, per the San Jose Mercury News' Tim Kawakami.
Del Rio's squad surrendered 528 yards in a 35-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. After two contests, the Raiders allowed 1,035 yards. To put that number into context, only one other team, the New Orleans Saints, even allowed 900 yards.
"A thousand yards," defensive end Khalil Mack said. "Wow. Being the leader of this defense, that hurts."
After the Saints and Falcons exploited the porous Oakland defense, the unit gets a reprieve in the coming weeks against the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens with an opportunity to play disciplined football.
"It's about our guys having their eyes where they're supposed to be and knowing what the heck they're doing," Del Rio said.
13. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
20 of 32
Last Week: 12
Quote of the Week: "These days after (losses), we've got to be brutally honest with ourselves, not only just the players, but with the coaches as well, and we've got to be better. It's not gloom and doom, but when you play in a game like that...the field position, the mistakes made on your side or on their side of the field can be significant."
Since taking over as the New Orleans Saints head coach, Sean Payton's squads have started 0-2 on five different occasions, per WDSU's Scott Walker. That's where the team currently stands, and the coach didn't make any excuses after the Saints' 16-13 loss to the New York Giants, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett.
Now in his 10th year, it seems less likely the team will rebound with an aging Drew Brees at quarterback and a far less explosive offense. However, Payton's message doesn't seem to be lost on his players.
"It's not exactly the result that we want. But one word coming from it, for me, personally, is 'encouragement,'" Saints safety Roman Harper said, per Triplett. "Listening to what the coach is preaching throughout the week, us going out there executing exactly how he wants this thing to go—and just not coming out with the right result."
How the improved defense responds in the coming weeks against the Atlanta Falcons and San Diego Chargers will be quite telling as Payton attempts to right the ship once again.
12. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
21 of 32
Last Week: 11
Quote of the Week: "It was 4th-and-2, we were on a 12-play drive. I felt the advantage was to the offense in that particular situation. We had a solid play call, and that's my decision."
Coaches are often second-guessed after losses. The scrutiny only intensifies when an obvious big call backfires—which is what happened to the Green Bay Packers when head coach Mike McCarthy decided to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking what appeared to be an easy field goal.
Of course, the coach defended his call, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. But Green Bay's offense wasn't clicking, and McCarthy passed on a chance to tie the game.
Instead, quarterback Aaron Rodgers took the blame for the lack of execution.
"But I liked the call," he said, per Demovsky. "It was an aggressive call, we were moving the ball well, and we've got to convert there."
McCarthy took over play-calling duties last season when the Packers offense sputtered, yet Green Bay ranked 29th in total offense after the weekend contests. The organization preaches patience, but the team has played sub-.500 football since last year's bye week.
11. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
22 of 32
Last Week: 10
Quote of the Week: "I'm not denying the ability is there. We have the chance to be a good football team, but we've got to learn from this."
The Kansas City Chiefs needed to work their way out of an early-game hole each of the last two weeks. They proved to be successful against the San Diego Chargers with a 33-27 overtime victory but couldn't repeat the feat a week later after trailing the Houston Texans 16-6 in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Andy Reid alluded to the team's potential, per BJ Kissel of the team's official site. But the Chiefs weren't able to overcome multiple offensive mistakes this past weekend. Kansas City isn't explosive enough to deal with dropped passes or multiple ill-timed infractions.
"All of those things led to (Houston) points," Reid said, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher. "We take care of those things, and we're a pretty good football team.''
Help may be on the way. The coach, who doubles as the team's offensive play-caller, hasn't had the luxury of Jamaal Charles in his backfield since October 11. The running back appears ready to return from his ACL injury, but Reid wasn't forthcoming on his status for this weekend's game against the New York Jets.
"No, I wouldn't rule it out," Reid said, per the Kansas City Star's Terez A. Paylor. "I just don't have enough information for you to put it out there."
10. Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans
23 of 32
Last Week: 14
Quote of the Week: "I think I have to do a better job of coaching [Brock Osweiler] just on some of the things that we're looking at from a defensive standpoint. I know that he's going to work hard not to do that. I'm not concerned about that at all."
Nothing is more important in football than the rapport between a head coach and his quarterback, and the Houston Texans' Bill O'Brien and Brock Osweiler are well on their way to being simpatico.
"I love coming to work every day and being coached by him," the quarterback told the Houston Chronicle's John McClain. "He's taught me so much about football."
Clearly, O'Brien expects more from both himself and and his signal-caller, per ESPN.com's Sarah Barshop, and he should. Osweiler hasn't played particularly well during his first two Texans starts. The 25-year-old signal-caller ranks 23rd overall in accuracy (60.3 percent), and he's tied for second with three interceptions.
"If I just protect the football with the way our defense is playing right now, with the way [punter Shane] Lechler's playing, the way our running game is going—good things are going to happen for this football team," Osweiler said, per Barshop.
9. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
24 of 32
Last Week: 8
Quote of the Week: "I was told it was down even by the officials on our sidelines. They didn't see it that way overall, so that's all that matters."
Forget the fumble. Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis addressed it, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner Jr. Besides, the NFL isn't going to change the call even though Tyler Boyd's knee appeared to be down before he lost the football.
Instead, the concentration should be on the Bengals offense, where the unit hasn't established a rhythm through the first two weeks of play due to tight end Tyler Eifert's injury and breaking in new wide receivers.
"We hope guys improve and guys get more comfortable in our offense as time goes on," quarterback Andy Dalton said, per Geoff Hobson of the team's official site. "It's not a work in progress because these are the guys we have and the guys that we're going to try to win games with. I'm confident with everybody we have here."
While a few players need to adjust, the unit is also growing accustomed to new offensive play-caller Ken Zampese. The fumble handed the Pittsburgh Steelers a victory, but the Bengals need to become more consistent on the offensive side of the ball to remain competitive as the reigning AFC North champions.
8. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
25 of 32
Last Week: 5
Quote of the Week: "Nobody cracked. Nobody panicked. Nobody pointed their finger. Guys got mad, sure. They should. But we started playing better football."
There are good 2-0 teams, and then there are the Baltimore Ravens.
John Harbaugh is absolutely correct in his assessment after the his team clawed its way back to a 25-20 victory against the Cleveland Browns, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. However, the Ravens didn't look like one of the league's best teams in the comeback victory.
In fact, the Browns originally led 20-0, and the Ravens needed the help of a taunting call late in the game to prevent another possible scoring drive.
As the great Bill Parcells once said, "You are what your record says you are," and 2-0 is still 2-0. After all, the team dealt with adversity after longtime assistant coach Clarence Brooks died from cancer a day earlier.
"That was for him," Harbaugh said, per Hensley. "That was for Clarence Brooks. With what the players did in his name says it all."
7. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
26 of 32
Last Week: 2
Quote of the Week: "I'm real surprised about [only scoring 15 points through two games]. We never have anticipated that would happen starting off the season. I thought we would be ahead of that."
Pete Carroll really shouldn't be as surprised as he's letting on after the Seattle Seahawks' 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, per the News Tribune's Gregg Bell.
Seattle simply isn't as good this year as everyone has come to expect under Carroll, and the problems start up front along the offensive line. Prior to the start of the season, Tom Cable's group appeared to be the league's worst unit. The group hasn't done anything to prove that notion wrong.
Here's something else that's not surprising: Carroll doesn't believe the Seahawks have any problems along the offensive line.
"No. I don't think that it's the offensive line," Carroll said. "I just think we have to do better. We have to come out and just be more complete."
According to Pro Football Focus, quarterback Russell Wilson has been pressured 36 percent of the time, which is fifth-worst in the league. Neither the pass nor run offense is currently ranked in the top half of the league, either. Once Carroll addresses this issue, he might climb back up the power rankings.
6. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
27 of 32
Last Week: 9
Quote of the Week: "I didn't think this was the best atmosphere for [Sam Bradford] to (debut). I saw him walking through the tunnel with all the fans here. He's never been to U.S. Bank Stadium. I don't think it was the best situation for him, but he made the best of it."
Two different starting quarterbacks in two weeks for Mike Zimmer's Minnesota Vikings? No problem.
Even if Zimmer wasn't entirely comfortable starting Bradford for the team's home opener at the new U.S. Bank Stadium, as he said per the Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson, the former No. 1 overall pick rose to the occasion with an outstanding performance during the Vikings' 17-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
Bradford completed 22 of 31 passes for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
"He can throw the ball," Zimmer said. "He's got some toughness about him. This isn't his first rodeo."
The head coach no longer has to question who his starting quarterback is with the Carolina Panthers next on the docket. Even if running back Adrian Peterson's status in question due to a knee injury, the game's most important position is once again settled for the Vikings.
5. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
28 of 32
Last Week: 7
Quote of the Week: "Not the perfection, obviously, that we're looking for, but we did enough in all three phases to secure a victory against a very good football team."
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a talented team, and everyone is learning just how talented after securing two victories to open the season against two teams that won their respective divisions last year in the Washington Redskins and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mike Tomlin's squad has done this without the services of Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant due to suspension or the retired Heath Miller.
Instead, Tomlin and his staff found ways to defeat the rival Bengals despite obvious issues, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski.
Tight end and secondary remain the organization's top concerns, but neither proved to be problematic this past weekend. Jesse James and Xavier Grimble each caught a touchdown, while Pittsburgh's defensive backs held Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green to two catches for 38 yards.
"These are the guys who play for us now," Tomlin said, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Kevin Gorman. "They're capable, and we have a great deal of confidence in them, and they delivered."
4. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
29 of 32
Last Week: 6
Quote of the Week: "Anytime you can win in the NFL, it's a good thing, but we've got a lot of things we need to clean up."
"That could have been 60, maybe 70-something points on the board," wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin said after the game, per ESPN.com's David Newton. "But you've got to be mistake-free."
3. Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos
30 of 32
Last Week: 4
Quote of the Week: "Boy, did he play well."
Even Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is impressed with first-year starter Trevor Siemian, per Mile High Sports' Zac Stevens. Why shouldn't he be? The team won its first two games, and the former seventh-round pick has completed 67.8 percent of his passes, which ranks seventh overall.
No one except Kubiak saw this coming. The second-year signal-caller wouldn't be in his current position without the coach's faith in him.
"It's encouraging to move the ball so well but need to finish some of those drives, and that's one of the things we'll clean up," Siemian said after the Broncos' 34-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, per Aric DiLalla of Denver's official site.
The quarterback rewarded his coach with solid play in an increased role. Siemian threw the ball 25 times during the first half as the Broncos built a 13-6 halftime lead.
As his play continues to improve coupled with Denver's dynamic defense, the Broncos might not resemble last year's Super Bowl-winning squad, but Kubiak's vision can't be questioned as the team continues to win.
2. Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
31 of 32
Last Week: 3
Quote of the Week: "Where I think we failed a little bit last week was from Friday afternoon to Sunday night before the game of mentally preparing more for a game. We're focusing on hopefully doing more mental preparation between now and game time than we did last week."
What a difference a week makes.
After losing 23-21 to an undermanned New England Patriots squad on Sunday Night Football, the Arizona Cardinals responded with a one-sided 40-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Clearly, the team's approach changed, as the Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman noted. The Cardinals were fully prepared for quarterback Jameis Winston and the young Bucs. Arizona's defense caused five turnovers and made last year's No. 1 overall pick look like a clueless rookie.
The team entered this past weekend's contest with a different mentality after the head coach prepped the players.
"That's their job, not mine," Arians said. "I've already prepared them. That's their job. It's how you do your homework."
Arians' squad now readies itself for its first trip to the Eastern time zone to play the Buffalo Bills—which requires a different type of preparation.
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
32 of 32
Last Week: 1
Quote of the Week: "In our organization, I don't think we would put together a team the way Indianapolis did it when they lost [Peyton] Manning and they go [2-14 in 2011]. I don't think that's really what we're looking for."
It's time for the magician to pull another rabbit out of his hat. Bill Belichick addressed his continued quarterback issues with the media after the New England Patriots' 31-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss.
During the win, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo—who started the first two games due to Tom Brady's four-game suspension—injured his throwing shoulder. According to Reiss, Garoppolo suffered a sprained AC joint, and he will miss several weeks.
Enter rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who completed six of his nine pass attempts in his first professional action. Belichick and his staff must prepare this year's third-round pick to start the next two games against the Houston Texans and the rival Buffalo Bills before Brady returns to the lineup in Week 5.
"Jacoby's been working for this for a long time," Belichick said. "He did a good job [in a] pressure situation."
Belichick usually thrives when his team faces adversity, and it won't come as a surprise if Brissett plays well during Thursday Night Football—even on a short week of preparation.
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