First-year coaches in the NFL have a lot of pressure. Coaches like Jesse Minter and Joe Brady have very minimal margin for error as they are taking over teams that need to be in Super Bowl contention. Coaches like Mike LaFleur and Todd Monken, well they’re taking over teams in the bottom of the NFL standings that need a culture reset. We know it’s early in the season, but two weeks in, let’s take a look at what coaches are passing and which ones are struggling.
Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have looked like a team not in the depths of a rebuild. In fact, they look like the only thing that might slow them down is a division loaded with lethal defenses. Arizona is off to a decent start, considering they have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. They beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 and after a 31-7 loss to Seattle have some chances to bounce back over the next few weeks. The Detroit Lions is a winnable game for them as is the New York Giants. If they come out of the next three weeks with a 2-1 record, they just might be in good hands with LaFleur.
Grade: B
Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons
Kevin Stefanski got an upgrade going from Cleveland to Atlanta. That said, it couldn’t be a worse start for Stefanski. His top two quarterback choices are injured and he’s had to play Cooper Rush and Jack Strand. While that’s not entirely his fault, this team looks really uninspired right now and that is his fault. This almost feels reminiscent of his last couple of seasons in Cleveland. He’s the only person that can save this locker room, which was one of his biggest challenges with the Browns. Â
Grade: D-
Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore started out with a bang against the Indianapolis Colts then got humbled by the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. Those are the types of games that cost John Harbaugh his job last season. This feels like the same ol’ Ravens which means it’s the same ol’ problems. Things will get a lot easier after Dallas this week. That means Minter will have a chance to prove he’s not like most first year coaches. If the Ravens struggle to dominate the next month of the season, it will loom over his first season as a head coach.
Grade: B-
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills
This was the most seamless first-year coach transition. Joe Brady is passing all the tests early on. The Buffalo Bills offense still looks dangerous and the defense is doing just enough to win the game. For now, Brady is doing everything right. Brady will be judged on whether the Bills become a legitimate playoff threat or not. Through two games, he’s doing everything right.
Grade: A
Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns
Todd Monken’s job was always going to be a tough one. He hasn’t been horrible, though some questionable coaching decisions against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is holding him back a bit. He’s handling the quarterback situation as well as he can and he’s handling his first coaching job as good as he can. This season won’t be measured in wins or losses, it will be measured in how well he continues to develop this youthful squad.
Grade: D+
Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are off to a 2-0 start just like everybody thought, right? Kirk Cousins is playing the best he has in recent years. More than that, Klint Kubiak is thriving as a first-year coach. The Raiders look like a team that’s finally benefitting from good coaching. Kubiak deserves a lot of credit because the Raiders haven’t looked this good as a team in years. Especially in a season they were expected to be contending for one of the top picks in the NFL Draft.
Grade: A
Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins
Jeff Hafley already came out and said this season isn’t going to be measured by wins and losses. If we’re going to hold Hafley to that standard, we have to judge Miami on how they look. As of now, both are the same. The Dolphins are 0-2 and well, they look like a team that’s rebuilding. They haven’t scored more than 13 points yet this season and have a tough schedule. This was always going to be a tough year for Hafley so maybe things can trend upward a little bit to give Miami something to build toward.
Grade: C-
John Harbaugh, New York Giants
This New York Giants team hasn’t had this much potential in quite some time. Of course that was before Jaxson Dart’s injury upended any Week 1 momentum the Giants built. Harbaugh was the perfect coach for this team. They’ll have to see if Jameis Winston can save this season or not. Regardless, Harbaugh is a good enough coach that with a week’s worth of prep, this Giants team shouldn’t have too much of a drop off.
Grade: A-
Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike McCarthy has had an interesting start to the year. They struggled to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 and then played poorly against the New England Patriots. The Steelers have to figure out their offensive inconsistencies. That falls on McCarthy as the offensive mind of this team. Some of the same problems he had in Dallas are starting to arise again in Pittsburgh.
Grade: C
Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee looked a lot better against the Philadelphia Eagles than it did against the New York Jets, but they still don’t look like a team that’s building toward playoff contention. That can change, but Robert Saleh came to Tennessee to prove he can be a good head coach in the NFL. Right now, it’s the same ol’ Saleh. He’ll have a mountain to climb to prove he is more than a really good defensive coordinator.
Grade: C-
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