The hot seat has cooled off and the NFL head coaching fraternity slots are filled. Time to take a look at who wound up where and how they got there.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingbsbury was fired at Texas Tech after going 35-40 in six seasons. He then went to USC for a pit stop before the Cardinals decided they had to have the “offensive guru.” He doesn’t have a high bar as Steve Wilks was 3-13 in his lone season as Arizona head coach. Josh Rosen looked like a project that will never be finished. People point to Patrick Mahomes as someone Kingsbury groomed. Mahomes had all the ingredients while it feels as if Rosen is missing some and the recipe. This one feels like grabbing the hot name on social media as opposed to the best coach available.
7. New York Jets: Adam Gase
Bizarro move. If the Jets hired Gase because he beat them five of six as coach in Miami, that would make a whole lot of others prime candidates for the gig. Gase won 10 games in his first season in Miami and then the Dolphins went under .500 in consecutive seasons. Felt like he was more in like for an offensive coordinator gig, again, than a head coaching job. However, the Jets haven’t been in the Super Bowl in 50 seasons and it is logic like this that explains the absence.
6. Green Bay Packers: Matt Lafleur
The plus side is you get Aaron Rodgers. The negative side if you get Aaron Rodgers heading toward age 36. Rodgers is going to be demanding of Lafleur’s offensive mind, especially after the past two subpar seasons in Green Bay. Lafleur has worked for Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. That magic didn’t seem to rub off last year in Tennessee.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor
This seemed like a brilliant move before Sunday. And then the Patriots shut down the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. He learned from Sean McVay and says he will not try and be Sean McVay. That’s a good thing because a head coach needs their own identity. For all the grief Marvin Lewis took, his Bengals did win 15 games over the past two seasons. That is after they won 14 games total in the four seasons preceding. So, .500 won’t be good enough. What’s gonna be the difference if Andy Dalton remains the QB in Cincy? This is a stiffer test than one would think.
4. Miami Dolphins: Brian Flores
Fresh off a Super Bowl with New England, Miami brings in Brian Flores. The end results with the Patriots as the de facto DC after Matt Patricia left saw a strong finish. However, others have left New England as assistants and struggled. Look at Josh McDaniels, Romeo Crennel and Matt Patricia. It begs the question: Is it the job the assistants do in Foxborough or is it the Midas touch of Bill Belichick they are around?
3. Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio
In Vic Fangio, Denver brings in a mind that has built defenses throughout his career. However, his actually challenge will be getting the Broncos’ offense in order. There are pieces in the backfield as Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman make a wonderful young combo. Denver has been looking for a quarterback since John Elway exited. Can Rich Scangarello turn Case Keenum into a playoff QB in the rugged AFC East with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. That will be the biggest test for the Fangio regime. Defense should not be a problem.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bruce Arians
Bringing in sanity to the asylum. Bruce Arians’ wisdom will be helpful to a Tampa Bay team that has two winning seasons since 2009. He worked magic in Arizona. He’s 66, though, and one has to wonder how long Arians wants the stress and strain of the head-coaching life. And the stress and strain of Jameis Winston. The Bucs have had two coaches leave with better than .500 records. Both are Super Bowl winners, Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden. It will be a test for Arians to make it a trifecta.
1. Cleveland Browns: Freddie Kitchens
The Browns avoided the dreaded spot where you decide to hire the interim coach (Gregg Williams, in this case) because of short-term success. They went with a fresh face in their offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who revived an offense that has been dormant for what seems like decades. Baker Mayfield and Kitchens have chemistry off the bat. That’s critical for a team that feels as if it is on the rise. Though we have heard this before.
