X's and O's? Motivational ability? Communication skills? All of the above?
It's really a matter of opinion...and here's mine:
32. Hue Jackson, Browns: Jackson has been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns for 34 games. He's won two. He's TWO and THIRTY-TWO (with one recent tie). And yet, in all honesty, I came away impressed by his performance on Hard Knocks; he communicates well and says the right things.
But do his players listen? Do they care? Do they take him seriously?
He let the Josh Gordon saga go on for way too long (many believe GM John Dorsey and OC Todd Haley were ultimately responsible for Gordon's banishment). He never gave Baker Mayfield the opportunity to start over Tyrod Taylor; even going as far as holding a ridiculous meeting for the cameras, in which he informed Baker that he beat out Drew Stanton for the backup job. And oh yeah, Jackson never wins any games! Isn't that the point?
Yet and still, after a few years of utter embarrassment, there's light at the end of Jackson's tunnel. Mayfield may very well save his job. Despite Taylor's horrific performance against the Jets, I'm not entirely convinced Jackson would have benched him at the half. Taylor's concussion forced his hand. Of course, Baker came in, sparked the club, and the rest is history.
It's Baker's job now, and he has Haley, Carlos Hyde, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and David Njoku at his disposal. He also has a little thing for Rashard Higgins. The weapons are in place, and the AFC is wide open. If Baker and the Browns go on a little run here, Jackson may retain his job. If they become a serious playoff contender, I'll have to move him up my list.
The whole situation sort of trivializes the head coach position, doesn't it? Success, or lack thereof, is often tied to the performance of the coach's quarterback. Baker may just be Jackson's savior.
31. Steve Wilks, Cardinals: This rookie HC is off to an extremely rocky start, but we must consider the circumstances: Sam Bradford is god awful, as is Arizona's offensive line. Like Jackson, Wilks' ultimate fate will be tied to the play of his rookie QB -- in this case, Josh Rosen, who looked very shaky in relief this week -- and that's a shame for Wilks. The Cardinals, as an organization, just aren't in a position to win right now. He'll need the same level of patience that Jackson has benefited from.
30. Todd Bowles, Jets: The day has finally come -- Bowles' head coaching job is officially in jeopardy.
Bowles is 21-30 as head coach of Gang Green, coming off back-to-back 5-11 seasons and an utterly embarrassing loss to the (always) winless Browns. He's not an offensive mind. He is unable to manage the clock or timeouts. He's supposed to be a defensive guru, but his team never gets any pressure on the opposing quarterback. He's truculent with the media.
Todd Bowles doesn't do anything well. He must go. There are no excuses.
29. Jon Gruden, Raiders: I mean, how can we really evaluate this guy? He's a former Super Bowl champion head coach with a big name in the industry, but has the game passed him by? Is "Chucky" merely a relic of the past?
So far, that seems to be the case. However, like the coach at No. 27, Gruden doesn't have much to work with. Maybe Chucky should have toned it down with Khalil Mack...
28. Vance Joseph, Broncos: It's lookin' like Case Keenum's breakout was a product of some talented company, namely Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Mike Zimmer's also a much better coach than Joseph.
On the plus side, the Broncos are 2-1, but I don't think that'll last very long. They might be the third-best team in their division (the Raiders, duh), but that isn't saying much. On the bright side, again, the bottom playoff spots in the AFC are wide open. Joseph has room to climb my list.
27. Jason Garrett, Cowboys: Garrett's seat is awfully hot, but the Cowboys' front office hasn't given him much to work with. Dak Prescott is in the bottom third of the league's starting quarterbacks, and he doesn't have anyone to throw to. I'm not exactly sure how Jerry Jones' braintrust expects Garrett to succeed. Ezekiel Elliott and a solid offensive line simply aren't enough. Garrett's results were better when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant still had "it."
Again, when you aren't a mastermind coach, your reputation hinges on the talent and performance of your players. Garrett's not alone -- there are many head coaches in the same boat.
26. Anthony Lynn, Chargers
25. Mike Vrabel, Titans: The Titans have scrapped out a couple tight wins early, but that's essentially an extension of what they did last year. The good news is that Vrabel's defensive background is shining through thus far. Tennessee has boasted an elite D through three games, and Vrabel should work his way up if this continues.
24. Pat Shurmur, Giants: An experienced all-around coach dealing with an aging QB and one of the worst offensive lines in the game. Shurmur's benching of tackle Ereck Flowers helped the G-Men redefine themselves in Week 3. What looked like a possible 0-16 season, has quickly changed shape. Eli Manning puts a ceiling on their potential success, though.
23. Frank Reich, Colts: Reich's a very good offensive football coach, but Andrew Luck's health is a major long-term concern. Not sure how much Reich can really do with this situation. Like the Raiders and Cowboys, the Colts are near the bottom of the league in pure talent.
22. Matt Patricia, Lions: It was a nightmarish start -- getting demolished by my lowly Jets on national TV -- but the bearded Belichick understudy has quickly turned things around in Detroit. The Lions looked much better against the 49ers in Week 2, before putting it all together in a surprising Week 3 win over his mentor's floundering Patriots.
If the Lions' vets buy into Patricia's strict rules, they could potentially do some damage. Kenny Golladay, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones make for an explosive receiving trio, and Matthew Stafford is back to normal after succumbing to Gang Green in the opener.
21. Dirk Koetter, Bucs: Who knew FitzMagic could resuscitate Koetter's chances of sticking with the Bucs?
The Bucs were a messy laughingstock last season, but maybe Jameis Winston was the problem; not Koetter. Tampa nearly capped a dramatic comeback to go 3-0 last night on Monday Night Football, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. They'll probably start falling back to earth, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
Part II of my list...coming soon!
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