NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Rating the AFC Coaching Performances
Heading into the midway point of the season, teams and coaches are starting to cement their reputations around the league, some for better and some for worse.
Considering the bizarre way the season has played out, a lot of coaches have been under scrutiny, even some who are managing winning teams, which is something quite prevalent in the AFC.
The AFC boasts some of the best coaches in the NFL right now, but it also contains some of the worst.
Wondering where they stand? Well, here are the coaches of the AFC as they stand coming into Week 8.
16. Marvin Lewis
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I can just hear the boos coming in force right about now.
You're probably asking yourself, "Why is Marvin Lewis here and not a guy like Chan Gailey? After all, at least the Bengals have won games."
And yes, they have won games, including an impressive win against Baltimore.
But since their last win, against the Carolina Panthers, the Bengals have started to look bad in a very frustrating way.
Bengals players continue to put up big numbers, but poor decisions have ultimately torn the team apart, and some (or all) of that blame has to fall on Marvin Lewis.
He will undoubtedly change as the season winds down, but right now, Lewis is at the bottom of the AFC.
Rating: C-
15. Jack Del Rio
2 of 17
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the most confusing teams in the league. Some weeks they come out hot, some weeks they come out completely dead.
They appear to have the talent to be a decent team, so the blame for their poor performance so far this season has to fall on Jack Del Rio.
While Jacksonville lacks a consistent quarterback, they still have players like Mike Sims-Walker and Maurice Jones-Drew on offense, as well as guys like Aaron Kampman on defense.
Del Rio is no stranger to the hot seat and may be reevaluated at the end of the season if the Jaguars can't at least draw even.
Rating: C-/C
14. Norv Turner
3 of 17
The San Diego Chargers may be the best worst team in the history of the NFL.
They boast the No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense in the league, yet they are now 2-5 and headed into the difficult part of their schedule.
The Chargers are not short on talent, that's for sure. So the ultimate responsibility for the poor decisions, the special teams errors and the turnovers has to fall on the shoulders of Norv Turner, who seems to fail to address central problems week after week after week.
Turner received a two-year contract extension this offseason, but don't expect that to hold up if the Chargers end the season with a losing record.
Rating: C-/C
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13. Tom Cable
4 of 17
The Oakland Raiders may have steamrolled the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but don't be fooled: This team still lacks good coaching.
While Tom Cable has managed to keep Oakland from falling apart from its own ineptitude, it is clear that a lot of their success has to do with the issues that other teams have been facing.
Cable is not particularly in jeopardy of losing his job, and he will remain a part of the Raiders organization if he continues to post wins this season, but don't expect him to coach the Raiders into the playoffs any time soon.
Rating: C/C+
12. Eric Mangini
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Eric Mangini has never been able to feel safe in his job, and you have to feel some sympathy for the guy because of that.
That having been said, the criticism has been understandable. He was terrible in New York, and he was not helping the Cleveland organization until this year.
This year, the Browns have some talent, and he is starting to work with that talent to put together some wins. He's giving the ball to workhorse Peyton Hillis more often, throwing the ball less, and generally making good coaching decisions.
The question is, Can he sustain this?
Rating: C+/B-
11. Tony Sparano
6 of 17
Someone has to explain to me the reasoning behind the Miami Dolphins' decision to fire their special teams coach after one bad game, because if one loss can prompt a housecleaning, Tony Sparano would've been out a long time ago.
Sparano has a very talented team, let's make that clear. However, they can't seem to put it together during big games, such as the game against New England, and so the fault has to fall on the coach.
Sparano is not a bad coach, but he is not a great coach either. He might be able to get the Dolphins to the playoffs one day, but don't expect a Super Bowl in his future.
Rating: B-/B
10. Gary Kubiak
7 of 17
To me, Gary Kubiak will always be a middle-of-the-pack coach, which is sad for a team that, for all intents and purposes, should be on their way to the playoffs considering their level of talent.
Kubiak has brought the Texans to a 4-2 record, which is very impressive, but he has been hard-pressed to get consistency from Arian Foster and Matt Schaub, which could end the Texans in the future.
I do have to give him credit, though. Just look at him arguing with Ed Hochuli. Would you argue with a guy like that? He looks like he has trees growing out of his sleeves.
9. Jeff Fisher
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This is once again a case of a coach who fails to get consistency out of his players.
The Tennessee Titans have a good amount of talent, and they have managed to work their way to a 5-2 record, but Chris Johnson has had games of 34, 53, and 66 yards and is averaging 4.1 yards per carry on the season, which isn't quite what the Titans expected from CJ2K after dishing out a contract extension.
Fisher also can't seem to commit to a decision. Vince Young and Kerry Collins switch places on the depth chart so often it makes my head spin.
In the end, though, his team is good, they play a relatively clean game, and they are on their way to a playoff-worthy season.
Rating: B/B+
8. Jim Caldwell
9 of 17
Every year, people say the same thing: Without Peyton Manning, the Colts would be nothing.
In this case, they are still absolutely right.
Jim Caldwell has a tough job following up the great Tony Dungy, and he has handled it well so far, but the Colts are starting to show a lot of weakness, most of which is on the defense and the running game.
The defense is currently 21st in the league, and while that might be more in the jurisdiction of the defensive coordinator, Caldwell certainly has plenty of pull over it, yet he seems to be letting things be.
The same goes with the running game.
The Colts continue to stick with Joseph Addai as their primary back, which is fine. When the run doesn't work for a few plays, however, the Colts seem almost to give up on it. Indianapolis has three very talented backs: Addai, Donald Brown and Mike Hart. It is beyond me why Caldwell doesn't seem to want to use all three all the time à la the Dallas Cowboys.
Rating: B+
7. Josh McDaniels
10 of 17
The man once hailed as the savior of the Denver Broncos has certainly fallen from grace after being destroyed by the division rival Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
I know that some of you (well, most of you) are scratching your heads right now, but there is a reason for why McDaniels is all the way up here.
First off, look at how Kyle Orton is playing. For a guy who no one ever expected to be able to play a full season in a starting capacity, he is playing out-of-his-mind football, and without Brandon Marshall no less, which brings me to my next point.
The Denver passing game is surviving without star Brandon Marshall. That has to be all on McDaniels.
Last but certainly not least has to be his ability to cope with losses. The Denver Broncos should have lost their entire defense in the offseason when Elvis Dumervil tore his pectoral muscle. However, McDaniels has managed, and the defense is in a good position at 25th overall and 10th against the pass. If they had the ability to generate a pass rush, they would be the same team they were before the bye last year, that is for certain.
Rating: B+
6. Chan Gailey
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Maybe I'm crazy, but Chan Gailey seems to be doing great things for the Buffalo Bills.
Yes, they haven't won a game.
Yes, they cannot finish.
However, Chan Gailey is doing great things with a team that seems to have little talent.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing great football, which helped the offense blow up the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of their game last Sunday, and kept them in it to the very end, scoring 34 points against the then-ranked No.1 defense in the NFL.
That is just impressive.
Rating: A-
5. Mike Tomlin
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Tomlin deserves most of the credit for where the Pittsburgh Steelers are at right now.
While Ben Roethlisberger served his suspension, Tomlin managed to keep the team alive (mostly through defensive play) and is now leading a 5-1 Pittsburgh team that shows no signs of slowing down.
With Big Ben back behind the wheel, who knows what this team is capable of.
Rating: A-/A
4. Todd Haley
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Anyone would be hard-pressed to find someone who believed (in the preseason) that the Chiefs would be where they are right now.
They hold a good lead in the AFC West, and they are playing some of the best football that they have played in a long, long time.
The best part of it? The no-name defense.
The Kansas City Chiefs have not had many defensive standouts since the days of Donnie Edwards (the first time around at least), but now they have guys like Brandon Flowers and Tamba Hali.
This whole coaching staff works well together, and Haley has to deserve some credit for that.
Rating: A-/A
3. John Harbaugh
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What John Harbaugh has done with this Ravens team since he arrived in Baltimore is simply amazing, and he is continuing his standards of excellence this year, boasting a top defense, a great offense and an overall team that looks capable of making a run at the Big Show.
This sorta thing brings on that question that some people have been getting into in the last year or so: Who is better, John or Jim Harbaugh?
Rating: A
2. Rex Ryan
15 of 17
It's tough for me, as an enemy of the New York Jets, to swallow my pride and call a spade a spade, but here I am freely admitting that Rex Ryan is not only one of the best in the AFC, but within the top three in the NFL.
Rex Ryan took over an awful New York Jets team last year and has completely turned them around.
He knows how to control his players, he knows how to create a great defense and he knows how to make something out of nothing.
Rex Ryan deserves all of the credit for where the Jets are at right now.
Rating: A
1. Bill Belichick
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It's hard to ever compare Bill Belichick to other coaches, because he is the kind of guy that everyone knows will end up in the Hall of Fame some day.
The Patriots have the No. 1 scoring offense, and they have strung together win after win after win in different ways every week.
Belichick is arguably the best coach in the NFL. His players are constantly hungry for the ball, they always want the win and they never give up.
He's also one of the best personnel guys in the league. With Fred Taylor injured, Belichick went out to find a replacement and came back with former New York Jet Danny Woodhead, a guy who seemed to never get a chance despite his amazing talent.
Well, he sure is getting a chance now, and he is slowly earning himself a prominent spot in the New England offense.
Belichick is easily the best coach in the AFC and likely the best in the NFL.
Rating: A/A+
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
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