NFL Football: One Word to Describe Each Head Coach

"Webster's Dictionary defines..." is a cliche way to start off any speech, essay or Bleacher Report slideshow. However, the phrase comes up frequently for a reason: words matter.

The right word can succinctly define several qualities about someone, uplifting or devastating completely with no need for a second word.

However, the wrong word can leave a reader with confusion, and will probably need some extra explaining to fully understand.

Here is one word that describes each NFL head coach.

(All definitions via Wiktionary)

Ken Whisenhunt: Covert

Word: Covert; adjective; partially hidden, disguised, secret, surreptitious

Only a few years from leading the Arizona Cardinals to its first Super Bowl in franchise history, head coach Ken Whisenhunt will probably have no issue with keeping a low profile as his team gets out of the gate.

The Cardinals, currently at 1-4 leading into their tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, have seen their efforts on offense completely sputter even after the big offseason signing of quarterback Kevin Kolb. 

The defense, which lost star cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie in the move, hasn't been much better.

Don't be surprised to see Whisenhunt rocking some red camouflage if the team can't right itself in the next few games.

Mike Smith: Assured

Word: Assured; adjective; guaranteed or confident

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith has to be pretty confident knowing that he is at the helm of one of the most talented young teams in the game right now.

Even more assuring, Smith has developed a game plan that has brought a lot of success: Pound the ball with running back Michael Turner, while testing the ball with star quarterback Matt Ryan. 

Plenty of reason to feel pretty good.

John Harbaugh: Loyal

Word: Loyal; adjective; firm in allegiance to a person or institution

When asked about the altercation between San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, Baltimore Ravens head coach (and Jim's brother) John stood by family, stating: "I can just tell you this: I think I know who was right. But whoever was right or wrong, I know whose side I’m on. I’m definitely taking sides. [It’s] the same side I’ve always taken.”

The brothers will have to put their family ties to the side this Thanksgiving, as the two coach against each other in Baltimore.

Chan Gailey: Encouraged

Word: Encouraged; past participle; to mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit  

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey has to be encouraged with how his team has come to play in the initial portion of the season. Six weeks into the season, the Bills have matched their win output of last season (when they went 4-12).

Even more encouraging, the team has pulled out tough wins against the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles that would have been tough to imagine only a year ago.

With the rise of the team's offensive talent, primarily running back Fred Jackson, Gailey should be thrilled at his team's prospects for making a run at the playoffs.

Ron Rivera: Exhausted

Word: Exhausted; adjective; depleted, in a state of exhaustion

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has to be worn down from a continual onslaught of losses his team has taken in the initial part of the season.

Despite stronger-than-expected play from rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the team has struggled to put in a complete effort needed to close out games.

Now at 1-5, the Panthers will be hoping for a winning performance against a struggling Washington Redskins team.

Mike Munchak: Surprised

Word: Surprised; adjective; experiencing the pleasant feelings caused by something good that was unexpected.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Munchak has to be at least somewhat surprised at his team's division leading 3-2 record. 

In addition to seeing his usual division rivals slip (looking at you, Indianapolis Colts), the signing of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was only meant to be a holdover until rookie Jake Locker could take over.

With Hasselbeck putting up very solid numbers, the team seems to be making a good effort to be competitive (even with their big loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Lovie Smith: Nervous

Word: Nervous; adjective; apprehensive, anxious, hesitant, worried

There are few times when a .500 start to a season is reason for concern, but Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith has to be nervous as he looks at the quilt of competition in his NFC North division. 

The Green Bay Packers are red hot, while the Detroit Lions are still doing great (even after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers).

Needless to say, Smith's (and the Bears) margin for error will be smaller than ever.

Marvin Lewis: Upbeat

Word: Upbeat; adjective; having a positive, lively, or perky tone, attitude, etc

Similar to the situation of Mike Munchak, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has to be thrilled with his team's place in the standings.

Given that his team has been forced to shuffle many parts and is starting rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, few people could have predicted their 4-2 start.

While it will be interesting to see how they can hang with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have two winnable matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and Tennesee Titans after the bye week.

Pat Shurmur: Frustrated

Word: Frustrated; adjective; suffering from frustration, dissatisfied, agitated and/or discontent because one is unable to perform an action or fulfill a desire

Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur has to be frustrated in his team's efforts in the early portion of the season.

Despite wins against Indianapolis and Miami, the team was blown out in losses to the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The team's next two games (vs. Seattle, @San Francisco) will most likely say a lot on if and how it will be able to contend for the rest of this season.

Jason Garrett: Furious

Word: Furious; adjective; transported with passion or fury, raging, violent

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett will have a bad taste in his mouth after his team's late loss to the New England Patriots, which comes after the team blew a major lead in its loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 4.

Cowboys fans can only hope that the losses will serve as motivation as it looks to catch up to the division leading New York Giants. The Cowboys will play the St. Louis Rams this Sunday.

John Fox: Acquiescent

Word: Acquiescent; adjective; willing to acquiesce, accept or agree to something without objection, protest or resistance

Denver Broncos head coach John Fox has done the bidding of the team's fans, taking out starting quarterback Kyle Orton to throw in second-year fan sensation Tim Tebow. 

While Tebow performed admirably last week, it's tough to say whether he's ready to take on the full responsibilities on the starter role. He still has plenty of work to do in developing as a passer, and his regular rushing style could put him in harm's way.

Needless to say, the fate of the Broncos offense will lie mainly in the hands of the new starter. If it doesn't work well, the fingers will point in the direction of the coach who green-lit the switch.

Jim Schwartz, Jim Harbaugh: Proud

Word: Proud; adjective; gratified, feeling honored (by something);,feeling satisfied or happy about a fact or event

Plenty of (digital) ink has been used in talking about the less than classy altercation between Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz's and San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

While neither Schwartz nor Harbaugh should be proud of their actions, the two should be proud of how their teams played and pleased with the remarkable records the teams have amassed this season. 

Both teams should be in major contention to land playoff spots, and given their records in the past 10 years, that's something to get excited about.

Mike McCarthy: Content

Word: Content; adjective; satisfied, in a state of satisfaction.

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has to be thrilled with the way his team has come through to start the season.

While many squads plateau after championship success, it's tough to say where this Packers team's ceiling is. 

Frankly, there may not be one—they're just that good right now.

Gary Kubiak: Baffled

Word: Baffled; adjective; thoroughly confused, puzzled

Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak has to be supremely baffled on how they're not leading the division right now at 3-3 (they're just behind the 3-2 Tennessee Titans).

This is supposed to be their year. The Indianapolis Colts are out of commission, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Titans were supposed to be rebuilding.

Unfortunately, injuries like the ones to Andre Johnson and Arian Foster have really taken the wind out of the team's sails. 

While the team has plenty of time to regain the lead, if the Texans were to fail to capitalize on this incredible opening in their division to make the playoffs, it would be a major blemish on Kubiak's record.

Jim Caldwell: Disinterested

Word: Disinterested; verb; a lack of interest

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell is far from the most energetic guy on the sidelines. In fact it's tough to get much emotion from him at all. 

While that is fine while the team wins, the loss of quarterback Peyton Manning means that the team needs some fiery leadership, and unfortunately Caldwell isn't the guy to do that.

Then again it's not always easy to get fired up about watching the play of backup quarterback Curtis Painter.

Jack Del Rio: Patient

Word: Patient; adjective; content to wait if necessary

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio knows his 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars may not be playoff contenders this year. He'll live with that. 

However, he has to be encouraged as he sees the development of rookie Blaine Gabbert (especially compared to original starter Luke McCown). 

Gabbert, along with a slowly improving defense, could spell some major success in the next few years.

Todd Haley: Incredulous

Word: Incredulous; adjective; skeptical, disbelieving or unable to believe

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley must be incredulous at the injury misfortune his team has had in the opening weeks of the season.

In addition to losing star safety Eric Berry, the team was stunned as it also lost starting running back Jamaal Charles to an ACL injury.

While the team may have underachieved even before the injuries, losing such major talent this early has really killed the team's momentum.

Tony Sporano: Exasperated

Word: Exasperated; adjective; greatly annoyed, made furious

Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sporano has not had it good at the quarterback position this season.

After a training camp where fans cheered for the team to move for Kyle Orton (of all quarterbacks), they saw incumbent Chad Henne go out for the year with a shoulder injury. 

Their new backup, Matt Moore, has also failed to impress, putting up a 40.4 quarterback rating against the New York Jets.

For a team that was already behind the eight-ball in the stacked AFC East division, the talent gap appears to be too much to overcome.

Leslie Frazier: Disappointed

Word: Disappointed; adjective; defeated of expectation or hope, let down

Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier may have known his team would struggle entering the 2011 season, but I'd amazed to know he could predict it being this bad.

Despite an offense that featured all-world running back Adrian Peterson, the Vikings failed to score many points on the way to a 1-5 start. The defense has also failed to make an impression as well.

With McNabb's struggles to find victories leading to his benching, it's now on the rookie Christian Ponder to show what he can do, as the Vikings try to determine their future course.

Bill Belichick: Cunning

Word: Cunning; adjective; sly, crafty, clever in surreptitious behavior

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has made a name for himself who regularly out-coaches and out-plans rival coaches on his way to get wins.

That kind of effort has been seen early in 2011, with the Patriots cursing to a 5-1 record. While a loss to the Buffalo Bills was especially painful, the team has picked up nice wins against Oakland, New York (Jets) and Dallas to make up for it.

His methods aren't always within the rules of the game (*cough, cough, Spygate, cough), but Belichick's success and game management skills cannot be denied.

Sean Payton: Hobbled

Word: Hobbled; verb; (hobble) an unsteady, off balance step

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton received one of the worst injuries of the weekend after tight end Jimmy Graham was tackled into him on the sideline.

Sustaining injuries to his meniscus and tibia of his left leg, Payton's will not be able to do his regular play calling from the sideline.

Instead, Payton will make his calls down to the field from the booth in the Superdome this coming Sunday.

For a guy who's known to get excited on the sideline, his departure may be an unexpected trial for this Saints team. Fortunately, they'll have the Indianapolis Colts game to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Tom Coughlin: Energized

Word: Energized; verb; (energize) to invigorate, to make energetic

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has to be energized by his team's strong start to the season, particularly after the painful way they fell out of the playoff hunt last season.

The team has had to fight through some injuries, particularly defensive end Justin Tuck and running back Brandon Jacobs, but they've been able to put together some quality wins.

While the loss to the Seattle Seahawks was pretty disappointing, last Sunday's win over the red-hot Buffalo Bills was a sweet way to respond.

Rex Ryan: Boisterous

Word: Boisterous; adjective; full of energy, exuberant, noisy

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is by far the most vocal sideline personality you'll find in the NFL today. He calls it as he sees it and isn't afraid to be critical of himself or his team when he feels it's deserved.

While Ryan's personality may not be everyone's favorite, the Jets have done well with him at the helm. 

Though the Jets have shown some signs of faltering this season (quarterback Mark Sanchez's play has declined quite a bit), they are still keeping decent pace with the division-leading New England Patriots.

Hue Jackson: Commanding

Word: Commanding; verb; impressively dominant 

Oakland Raiders head coach Hue Jackson in a short period has gone out of his way to put his stamp on the franchise.

In addition to overseeing the team's massive improvement, he also took a major role in the trade for quarterback Carson Palmer. 

Despite Palmer's cost and rust, Jackson made sure he got his guy (even if the cost was somewhat outrageous).

Jackson has a vision for this team, and he has no problem pushing to make it a reality.

Andy Reid: Flummoxed

Word: Flummoxed; adjective; confused, perplexed or flustered

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid has to be completely flummoxed by his team's play in the opening weeks of the season. 

Even though the defense stockpiled some major talent in the offseason, especially at defensive line and cornerback, the team has failed to make the stops many thought it would.

The offense, led by quarterback Michael Vick, has struggled with costly turnovers (like the Vick interceptions that blew the Bills game.)

While a win against the Washington Redskins is assuring, they still have a lot of catch-up to play if they want to redeem their shoddy early play.

Mike Tomlin: Concerned

Word: Concerned; adjective; (concern) that which affects one's welfare or happiness

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin should be concerned as it seems his squad just hasn't had the same zip it has in previous seasons.

While they were able to take care of business against the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, they struggled mightily offensively as they were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens.

Close wins like their game against the Indianapolis Colts also leave room for concern.

To be clear, 4-2 record is something to be happy about, but again, there is definitely some reason for worry in the Steel City.

Norv Turner: Positive

Word: Positive; adjective; fully assured, confident, certain

San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner should feel pretty positive of his team's play as they hit their bye last week with a record of 4-1. 

They've scored effectively so far, and played enough defense to hold off its opposition (even if it isn't the most difficult.)

The only concern for this team is how they deal with top level opposition. In their game against the New England Patriots, their play was sloppy and they allowed for too many cheap scoring opportunities. 

That kind of play will clear the positivity right out of a locker room.

Pete Carroll: Confounding

Word: Confounding; verb (past participle); (confound) to confuse, mix up or puzzle

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll may have his most confusing team yet, as his squad has yet to forge an identity on the way to a 2-3 record. 

While the team has picked up wins against contenders like the New York Giants, they also saw decent size losses to division rival San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With two winnable games in Ohio coming up next, it should be interesting to see if the Seahawks can match the feverish pace of the 49ers.

Steve Spagnuolo: Declining

Word: Declining; verb (past participle); (decline) downward movement, a weakening 

St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo may have his hands full as injuries have ravaged his team throughout the opening part of the season.

In addition to seeing several members of his secondary and starting wide receiver Danny Amendola go on injured reserve, star running back Steven Jackson has also missed some time with injuries as well.

The injuries ruin a chance for the Rams to build on its success last season, where they fell just short of taking the NFC West division.

While the signing of Brandon Lloyd for the rest of the season should provide some spark, there are just too many holes for this team to make a substantial run.

Raheem Morris: Motivational

Word: Motivational; adjective; (motivate)to provide someone with an incentive to do something, to encourage

It takes a lot of skills to wipe the slate clean for your team after a massive blowout loss only days earlier, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris did just that. 

Throwing away the tape from the team's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Morris was able to inspire his team to get out of its funk and beat its division rival, the New Orleans Saints.

Tied for the NFC South division lead, don't be surprised if the Bucs can manage to build on this win and stand out as major contenders.

Mike Shanahan: Temerarious

Word: Temerarious; adjective; displaying disdain or contempt for danger

It takes some real moxie to try to enter a season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as your starting quarterback options, but Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan made the case these guys could take the lead.

With that said, it now looks like one of those two (Grossman) will ride the pine this weekend after a performance that only could be described as abysmal.

Call me crazy, but I'm not sold on Beck being the answer here, even if his mobility could make up for a weaker line.

Should Beck fail to get the job done, surely it will be Shanahan who will have some major questions to answer on why he allowed these two to take the starter role.