We are nearing the end of the Summer Series comparing different aspects of teams within the NFC South. After looking at the group rooms for each position: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, corner back safety, And specialists are now looking at the department’s coaching staff to figure out which groups can get the most out of their roster through scheme, culture, discipline and motivation.
Admittedly, there are so many factors involved in the coaching staff’s competence, and much of it is done away from media and fan scrutiny, that this is the most subjective of the entire series. Maybe ranking. And, just to be transparent, I’m the coordinator of his 3 main phases of the game (or if the head coach has a lot of influence over his specific one of these 3 phases) focus on
Those disclaimers aside, let’s take a look at the NFC South coaching rankings.
carolina panthers
Panthers Head Coach Frank Reich – Photo Credit: USA Today
Despite being abruptly fired by the Colts mid-season last year, Frank Reich has arguably the best head coaching track record in the department. He is the only head coach with a career winning record (40-33-1). Reich also excels in his offensive spirit as part of the team that led the 2017 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. That team ranked seventh in yards and third in points scored.Following that year, Reich took over the Colts where his team was ranked 5th, 16th, 9th in points from 2018 to 2021 and 9th until a wheel came off in 2022.
Despite having new quarterbacks every year, including superstars like Jacoby Brissett, the ghost of Philip Rivers and the ghost of Carson Wentz, Reich was able to accomplish all of this at Indianapolis. When Reich moved from a team with Rivers to one with Wentz, he transitioned from a quick spread game to a more RPO-focused team, and has shown himself a master at adapting the offense to his talents.
Reich is heavily involved in offense and has previously made play calls as head coach. He hired Thomas Brown as offensive coordinator, who will be responsible for installing the team. He hails from McVay’s coaching tree, where he coached running backs and tight ends for three years before rising to the position of assistant head coach.
Ejiro Evero is entering his second year as defensive coordinator and his first with the Panthers. He led the 2022 Denver Broncos defense to a solid seventh-place finish in EPA/Play.
best EPA/play #NFL 2022 defensive team and lowest tackle failure rate. #forever pic.twitter.com/9A8oeG0C67
— Sports Source Analytics (@SportSourceA) May 24, 2023
Evero and his squad have kept Denver for nearly every game in 2022 despite the lackluster offense. This went viral as a bit of a joke all over the Twitter world last season. The combination of Reich and Evero is a formidable one within NFC South.
Rounding out the Panthers coordinator is Chris Tabor. Reich has retained Tarball after a successful 2022 season. Tabor helped lead kicker Eddie Pinheiro to his best season since entering the league, and Tabor’s fingerprints positively impacted almost every aspect of Special Teams’ game, leading to the team’s standings. Tied for 6th in Pro Football Focus.
Atlanta Falcons
![Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Smith-Arthur-Bucs-Falcons-sideline-RJS-300x200.jpg)
Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
The Falcons have struggled under coach Arthur Smith. But even at 14-20, he still has a better head coaching record than any other head coach in the division except Reich. And Smith has real qualities as an attacking coach. During his two years as a coordinator for Tennessee, his offense ranked high. 12th and 2nd in yards, 10th and 4th in points. In his second year as Atlanta’s head coach, he was able to move the team’s offense to 15th in scoring and third in rushing yards. Dave Ragone is Smith’s offensive coordinator and has helped introduce Smith’s version of the wide-zone offense.
On the defensive side, Smith brought in former Saints defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in 2022. Nielsen led a strong unit last year that finished 10th in yards allowed and 5th in runs. In addition, there is also such a nugget.
Saints defense late last season:
– 2nd place in DVOA
-1st place in yards per play
– 1st place in Oppasar rating
-4th place in EPA/Play pic.twitter.com/YPyYYADWOT— Mina Kims (@minakimes) June 15, 2023
With the many additions the Falcons have made to their roster on the ball defense side, Nielsen is poised to be the breakout coordinator in 2023. Rounding out the Falcons coordinator is Marquis Williams. Mr. Williams is leading one of them. Units of the best special teams in football And contributed to the Pro Bowl acquisition of the kicker Yong Hoo.
new orleans saints
![Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Allen-Dennis-Saints-practice-300x200.jpg)
Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen – Photo Credit: USA Today
The final two spots in the NFC South Coaching Rankings were closely contested. In the end, the Saints edged the Bucks into third place. Head coach Dennis Allen is not an attractive option in my opinion.I have criticized his decision Just like Bowles in the past. Allen’s 7-10 record in 2022 marks a career high. He went 8-28 during his two-year tenure as head coach of the Oakland Raiders (at the time).
Still, Allen is a defensive master. The ranking I gave Nielsen as the Saints’ defensive coordinator last year has a lot to do with Allen’s influence. Since 2019, the Saints defense has ranked at least 11th in yards allowed and top 13 in points allowed. This includes top 10 finishes in both categories over the last three years.
Working the offensive side of the ball is offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.Carmichael has been the Saints’ offensive coordinator since. 2009 But with the retirement of former head coach Sean Payton last year, the team’s greatest chance to show offensive prowess came. Without Drew Brees or Payton, Carmichael organized the offense and finished 19th in yards and 22nd in points. Considering these results, it’s natural to wonder if he’s an average to solid coordinator.
Darren Rizzi is one of the best special teams coordinators in the NFL. His unit consistently ranks in the top 10 on the PFF rating system every year. Since Rizzi took over the position in 2019, the Saints have ranked 5th, 8th, 1st and tied for 6th in that rating system.
Rizzi’s presence helped the Saints outscore the Bucks and claim the No. 3 spot in the NFC South Coaching Rankings.
Tampa Bay Bucks
![Bucks head coach Todd Bowles](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Bowles-Todd-Bucs-Cowboys-side-look-playoffs-1-300x201.jpg)
Bucks Head Coach Todd Bowles – Photo Credit: Cliff Welch/PR
The Bucks coaching staff is marked with a question mark. And those question marks are what cause them to rank last in the NFC South. Head coach Todd Bowles has a better track record as a head coach than he did in New Orleans. But he still has just one winning season as a head guy, and his all-time winning percentage is .
And much like Allen, Bowles has some serious defensive chops. The Bucks have displayed strong defense in each of their four seasons in Tampa Bay, and their 2020 unit has proven to be one of the best in the league. The concern surrounding Bowles is whether he can get the coordinator to optimize his offense, or whether his defensive approach to the game will get in the way of the opposing side of the ball. And there is also the serious question of whether Bowles can employ analytical in-game decision-making to improve the team’s chances of winning.
Offensive coordinator Dave Canales said, It got off to a hot start with Bucks fans and media. Thanks to his work with Russell Wilson and Jenno Smith, both have risen to be among the best quarterbacks in the NFL at various points in the last decade. But let’s take a step back and admit that he’s the first coordinator to never call a play at any significant level in football. There is no guarantee that he will succeed, offensive philosophy Certainly promising.
Keith Armstrong continues to work as Bucks special teams coordinator, and many are wondering why.Bucks had historically bad A special team unit under his command. According to the PFF, the Bucks finished 29th, 27th, 30th, and 29th in the NFL during their four years with the team.
The NFC South features three head coaches who could be front-runners this year in Smith, Allen and Bowles. All three of them trail Reich by a wide margin in their NFC South head coaching careers. But all four feature strategists with creative thinking on one side of the ball. And that should lead to some fun battles in the NFC South this year.