3 ideal and realistic head coach-quarterback duos for Lions

2. Titans OC Arthur Smith and Jets QB Sam Darnold

Smith deserves as much credit for the rebirth of Ryan Tannehill as the man himself. Realizing that his mobility and deep accuracy was woefully underutilized with the Miami Dolphins, Smith built his entire passing game around those traits, and the result has helped Tennessee get to an AFC Championship Game and start 2020 7-3 with Tannehill under center. If Smith gets a head coaching job this offseason, his ideal first quarterback could be another mobile quarterback languishing under Adam Gase in Sam Darnold.

While Darnold’s inability to thrown downfield consistently and struggled when pressured have contributed to an awful season to this point, the lack of schematic innovation and Gase’s refusal to craft the offense around Darnold certainly isn’t doing him any favors. There is reason to believe his production might bump up a tick or two once he leaves the tire fire that is the Jets. Tannehill is a good stylistic comparison for Darnold, as both can use their legs to make plays while throwing on the run. While he won’t have Derrick Henry in the backfield in Detroit, Kenny Golladay and D’Andre Swift would give Darnold the best skill position talent he’s ever had.