THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB? - Grading the NFL Coaching Carousel

The offseason isn’t even here yet for everyone, but some teams have been making some key personnel changes. There were five coaching openings on teams that didn’t make the postseason. Four out of the five have already made their decision on their new replacement coaches. Every team feels as though the changes they made are for the best, but for public opinion, is that the same case? We will review these changes and then the potential best fit for the last opening spot over the next few days.

Washington Redskins- Ron Rivera

We will start with the first hiring of the early offseason. Redskins let Jay Gruden go early on in the year and feel it was time for a change. Their decision for change was to go with a well-known coach with a background in winning and being a great developer of men, Ron “Riverboat” Rivera. He was the former coach of the Panthers. He had winning seasons for the first couple of years including a Super Bowl berth in 2015. They might have been smacked in that game, but that was more due to a defense that was playing as well as any in history. Rivera was fired not too long after Gruden during this regular season because of another losing skid in the second half of the season. Unfortunately for him, his star quarterback, Cam Newton, was playing hurt towards the end of the 2018 season and only played in two games this past season before basically being shut down all year. In most people’s opinion, Rivera will do wonders for a team that needs to get a philosophical change in terms of team culture and defensive scheme. While he does that, he will also be able to groom Haskins with the help of a good quarterback coach to a valued and star quarterback. Only time will tell whether this will work, but in my opinion, they need to at least give him two to three years to see how this works out. Haskins needs time to develop, the defense needs to get the right fits for it in place, and the culture needs to start believing they are winner again after such mediocrity with Jay Gruden the last few years. 

Current state: C-

At Hire: B+

Potential: A

Dallas Cowboys- Mike McCarthy

Mostly everyone in the country other than Jerry Jones liked Jason Garrett. For the last few years, people have either been just ok or hated the way he has coached a very talented Dallas Cowboys team. In his nine seasons as head coach, he went 8-8 four times and only won only two playoff games in that span. When you have a team that includes a hall of fame tight end, multiple stars on the offense and the defense and one young RB that lead the league in rushing twice in four years, you want more success from your team. Finally, they parted ways with Garrett and have hired someone most people feel like is an upgrade, but only marginally. Jones went out and hired Mike McCarthy, formerly the Green Bay Packers long-time head coach. McCarthy has been known for having great discipline and a pedigree of winning. He was with the Packers for 12 years and lead them to nine straight playoff appearances. One of the appearances includes a Super Bowl to start off the 2010’s while about three more went as far as the conference championship round. He was a constant force in the NFC for many years recording over 120 wins which is one of the top five over that span. He was fired from the Packers though because his last two years with the Packers seen the once-promising team, miss the playoffs twice in back to back seasons. People were saying the offense was predictable and stagnant under his watch and it relied too heavily on Aaron Rodgers to make something happen. After his firing, he didn’t get upset but decided that the media and the public might have been right. He took a year off from coaching to watch film and learn more from his past mistakes. He watched more innovative football to try and keep up with the times so he can once again coach a team and adapt to the new offensive football landscape with the RPO’s and zone reads that have become more popular today. Armed with his new knowledge and his updated schemes and philosophies, Jerry Jones thought this would be a good fit for the Cowboys. Now you have a team that is as talented as any in the league with a coach that is disciplined and knows what it takes to win at the highest level. This should be a match made in heaven. Some people are still doubter that McCarthy has changed his ways but for me, I say the NFC East needs to watch out for a Cowboys team that not only can have good talented guys but can play like a good team that works hard as well.

Current State: C+

At Hire:  B

Potential: A

Carolina Panthers- Matt Rhule

In any job when there is new management, unless the people that were there before are exceptionally good at their jobs, they get fired or are on notice to watch out. Ron Rivera showed that he might not have been the best man for this particular job anymore, so he was fired midway through this last season. In the offseason, there were many speculations going on about who should get the job and many thoughts that new owner David Tepper would get his guy he personally liked the best. In the end, we found that out very quickly when they announced they would be hiring Baylor head coach Matt Rhule as the new head coach for the Carolina Panthers. This will be his first head coaching position at the NFL level, but his collegiate level is well known and highly respected. He was the head coach at Temple and Baylor. When at Temple, he led them to great success including a win over Penn State, something that hadn’t been done since 1941. While doing this he led them to a 10-2 record and a berth in the conference championship game. He followed that performance up with another conference championship berth and a win, something that hadn’t been done since 1967. After his time at Temple, he was hired at Baylor as the new head coach after the Art Briles scandal. He had to rebuild the culture and image of that program. His first year didn’t end well, but he rebounded with a win in the Texas Bowl the next year to finish from 1-11 to 7-6. This year he had great success and led his team to an 11-2 record. Unfortunately, he dropped the last two games of the year, one to Oklahoma before they went to the CFB playoffs. The second was against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Ultimately, Rhule has shown to be a guy that can build up a great culture and a winning pedigree collegiately and as a former assistant to Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants in 2012, he knows what it takes to win at the NFL level. This hiring was a good choice and what I like most about it is the contract length they issued to him. He was a given a 7 year-62 million-dollar contract to coach them. This type of signing will give him job security and the time to build up a winning record and get his time of guys in the built to see what he can do and produce from a team of his choosing. 

Current state: C+

At Hire: B

Potential: A-

New York Giants- Joe Judge

In the media capital of the world, the New York Giants have a solid core on offense, and a defense that has some pieces in place to grow. They thought that Pat Shurmur could have been the guy to make this grow, but he failed and was handed his papers this offseason. Now the Giants are in the market for a new head coach and particularly someone that can develop the young offensive core and grow the defense into a force. Their decision led them to, Joe Judge. This choice was one of the weirdest in all the hires this early offseason. Joe Judge is a former wide receiver and special teams’ coaches for the Patriots. Yes, he has learned something from one of the best coaches in the NFL, but does he qualify to get a head coaching position. Before his time with the Patriots, Joe Judge was a special team coordinator for Alabama for three years. Then he went on to work with the Pats from 2012 to 2019. He held the positions of special assistant and coordinator while also working as the wide receivers’ coach. Other than that, there isn’t much to back up the Giants decision. Hopefully, they don’t regret their decision because they decided to pick fast since they didn’t get who they really wanted in Matt Rhule.  In my opinion, they will be looking for another coach in two years and then they will need a coach that can truly grow a culture and has a background in developing a team to new levels. Whether it be a Marvin Lewis type or an Andy Reid type of guy. This will be the most interesting hire to watch of all the current ones to date. 

Current state: C

At Hire: C+

Potential: B+

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interviewer

Week 15: Greg Ward Seals the Deal for Philadelphia

The Eagles Keep Their Playoff Hopes Alive in a Win Over their Division Rivals

Takeaways:

1. Carson Wentz Keeps Delivering

Maybe the most scrutinized quarterback in football this year, Carson Wentz has delivered consecutive stellar performances in must-win games. Today, his top three wideouts were J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward, and Robert Davis. If Tom Brady can get constantly excused for his play because of his “poor” receiving core of Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry, then Wentz should be praised for coming through with this. He finished with 266 yards, three touchdowns, and zero picks while continuing his NFL-best streak of 17 consecutive games with a TD pass. He now has 25 touchdown passes to only seven interceptions this year.

2. Speaking of Receivers…

Greg Ward, former University of Houston quarterback, is the Eagles best wide receiver right now. On Sunday, he was the only receiver to record a reception for Philadelphia. He finished with seven grabs for 61 yards and most notably came up big on the last drive, totaling 4 catches for 40 yards and what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. The best part? His winning touchdown was a contested catch in the back of the end zone. Eagles receivers this season have refused to come down with passes that have any sort of contest on them, so it was good to see that change. Carson Wentz now has five game-winning/tying touchdown passes this season. Unfortunately, only two of them were caught. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside continues to have a terrible season. He failed to record a stat this game outside of a fumble recovery. He dropped yet another touchdown and just continued to be a non-factor overall. After watching Terry McLaurin (more on him later), D.K. Metcalf, and other young receivers make instant impacts on their respective teams, it stings, even more, to see JJAW do absolutely nothing.

3. Miles Sanders, Bell Cow

In my preview, I said that the Eagles needed to run the football, and run the football they did. Miles Sanders looked amazing throughout the game, appearing to have the makings of a #1 back. He averaged a monster 6.4 yards per rushing attempt and reached the end zone twice. He also recorded 6 receptions, adding 50 receiving yards to his 122 on the ground. In the process, Sanders broke the Eagles rookie records for scrimmage yards and rushing yards. After an early-season slump, he’s broken out as one of our more consistent players. Boston Scott touched the ball 13 times, good for 65 yards and a 5.0 average. Obviously, it wasn’t going to be like the last game, but it was good to see that he didn’t regress from Monday night’s breakout.

4. The Defense Is a Problem

I touched on how the Eagles defense seems to be a remedy for struggling QBs and WRs, and Dwayne Haskins proved my point. The rookie quarterback had a measly 61.2 passer rating coming into the contest… and proceeded to raise it a full nine points. He recorded 261 passing yards on just 28 attempts, keeping the score close throughout the entirety of the contest. He also wasn’t sacked at all. Terry McLaurin, who was picked after J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, doubled down on impressive performances vs. the Eagles. Let’s compare their stats in head-to-head matches.

2 games:

J. Arcega-Whiteside: 0 receptions, 0 yards, 0 touchdowns

T. McLaurin: 10 receptions, 255 yards, 2 touchdowns

Not even close. Even worse than watching McLaurin torch the defense again was seeing Haskins pick up major yards on scrambles. Haskins has never been a running QB and was also playing on a bum ankle. If the Eagles are serious about winning this division, they can’t bring the same defensive effort next week against Amari Cooper and Co.

5. Flashback to 2017

It was fun to see the Eagles end the game on a defensive touchdown, something they did several times in their 2017 Super Bowl season (vs. OAK, vs. LAR, vs. WAS*). Defensive players don’t get many chances to score touchdowns, so it must’ve been great for Nigel Bradham to just outrun Redskins players to the house as time expired.

* against Washington in Week 1, 2017, the Eagles defensive TD came with about 1:30 to go

The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys next week in what basically serves as the NFC East Championship.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer

Week 15 Preview: Eagles Look to Move to .500 Vs Washington

Sunday, December 15 at FedEx Field, Eagles 5-point favorites

The Eagles are tied for first place in the NFC East and a win on Sunday could keep them there alone.

Injury Report:

OUT:

Philadelphia: WR Nelson Agholor (knee), DE Derek Barnett (ankle), RB Jordan Howard (shoulder), OT Lane Johnson (ankle)

Washington: LB Ryan Kerrigan (calf), WR Trey Quinn (concussion), WR Paul Richardson (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE:

Philadelphia: CB Ronald Darby (hip)

Washington: CB Quinton Dunbar (hamstring), CB Fabian Moreau (hamstring), CB Montae Nicholson (ankle), CB Josh Norman (illness), OG Brandon Scherff (elbow/shoulder)

With the placing of Alshon Jeffery on IR in addition to Nelson Agholor’s nagging injury, the Philadelphia Eagles will once again enter a game with only three active receivers. Hopefully, they can finish with the same number that they started with. Jordan Howard is set to miss yet another game with this mysterious shoulder injury, and one can only assume that his season is over. He still hasn’t been cleared for contact, not a good sign for his availability in the coming weeks. Ryan Kerrigan was listed on Washington’s most recent injury report, but he is now on IR, ending his season. Washington has a quartet of cornerbacks listed on their injury report, so maybe the Eagles inexperienced receivers can get some good reps. 

Analysis:

On the surface, it was discouraging that the so-called playoff contender Philadelphia Eagles had to go to overtime with the New York Giants, but it’s wildly impressive that they won that game. With exactly one wide receiver left standing, Carson Wentz, Boston Scott, Zach Ertz, and the defense stepped up to deliver a crucial victory. The coaching staff also showed the ability to adjust, something that they hadn’t been able to do often this season. After Darius Slayton racked up 154 receiving yards and two trips to the end zone in the first half, he didn’t see the football again for the rest of the game. After only scoring three points in the first half, Philadelphia reeled off twenty straight including the game-winning touchdown to Zach Ertz in the extra period. Overall, there were plenty of positives to be taken from that game.

This week, the Eagles get a poor Redskins team led by a shaky rookie in Dwayne Haskins. It’s easy to overlook a man with a 3-7 TD: INT ratio and a passer rating near 60, but the Eagles defense has proven repeatedly that it can be the remedy for bad quarterback play. Haskins also has the dangerous Terry McLaurin in his arsenal, the rookie receiver who burned the Eagles for 125 yards and a touchdown on five grabs back in Week One. Adrian Peterson will be the bell-cow for Washington moving forward thanks to another injury to the talented Derrius Guice, but Philadelphia should have no issue slowing him down. Washington is averaging over 150 rushing YPG over their last three games, but that trend shouldn’t continue against a still-stout Philadelphia run defense. Forcing Haskins to throw is the Eagles best bet, but the DBs must be careful when it comes to keeping receivers in front of them.

Washington’s pass defense has actually been stout over their last three games, holding QBs to less than 190 passing YPG. Even Aaron Rodgers couldn’t break the 200-yard barrier against them. With J.J. Arcega-Whiteside set to be the #1 receiver outside of Zach Ertz and practice squad signee Robert Davis expected to see time, the Eagles should look to run at Washington’s 27th-ranked run defense as opposed to going with the air attack. With Lane Johnson out, it’s a good idea to limit the amount of times Carson Wentz drops back. If Philadelphia finds themselves in an early hole, Doug Pederson mustn’t abandon the run game as he tends to do. Philadelphia isn’t equipped to be in a track meet even against a team like the Washington Redskins.

The Eagles aren’t going to blowout the Redskins. It’s just not going to happen. This team has been afflicted by the injury bug and they’re too short-handed to put up explosive performances. Luckily for them, the goal isn’t to blow out the other team, it’s to just beat them. By utilizing Miles Sanders and Boston Scott, the Eagles can control the clock and limit the chances that Washington has to go for the big play. Remember, a win here coupled with a Dallas loss to the Rams equals sole possession of first place in the NFC East for the Eagles. The Redskins have nothing to play for while the Eagles are in the complete opposite situation. There’s no reason they should put forth a more inspiring effort than the Birds.

Prediction: Eagles 19, Redskins 13

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer