With the preseason now within the rearview mirror, and cutdown day looming we at the moment are about to land the airplane that’s the summer time sequence “Rating the NFC South”. We’ve got ranked each place group and in case you missed them right here they’re.
Quarterbacks
Working Backs
Huge Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Tackles
Offensive Guards
Facilities
Defensive Tackles
Edge
Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Nickelbacks
Safeties
Now, earlier than I unveil the official full group rankings subsequent week right here is the final piece of the pie. Assembling an incredible roster is necessary to fielding a superb group. However it’s not the one necessary issue. Teaching can also be necessary. There are numerous examples of fine rosters underachieving (the Eagles, twice) and never so nice rosters that impulsively turned good (Lions final yr). A great teaching employees can remodel a roster and get one of the best out of each participant.
The NFC South is present process fairly a little bit of change amongst their teaching ranks. The Panthers and the Falcons have new head coaches, and each group has a brand new offensive coordinator as the whole division is embracing a standard Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay offensive system. I’ll be trying on the general document of the top coaches, the standard of their offensive and defensive schemes, the tenures of the offensive play-callers, and historic efficiency of the particular groups coordinators.
NFC South Teaching Staffs
1. Tampa Bay Bucs
Head Coach – Todd Bowles
Offensive Coordinator – Liam Coen
Defensive Coordinator – Co-Coordinators – Run Recreation, Kacy Rodgers – Go Recreation, Larry Foote
Particular Groups Coordinator – Thomas McGaughey
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
It is a enormous leap from my rankings final yr. I had the Bucs useless final this time final yr. Todd Bowles was coming off of an under-performing season with a poor monitor document earlier than that in New York. Dave Canales was an entire unknown as an offensive coordinator and particular groups coordinator Keith Armstrong was, nicely…Keith Armstrong. Quick ahead to current day and Bowles took a group anticipated to be dangerous by many and bought them to a aggressive displaying within the NFC Divisional Spherical.
The en vogue development within the NFL close to head teaching selections is to discover a younger and modern offensive thoughts. Defensive-minded coaches are considered much less of as a result of it’s a extra unstable facet of the sport. However I consider this can be a little too dismissive of the worth of a defensive head coach. That is an space of the sport I’m coming round on myself.
I nonetheless see the worth of an offensive thoughts in place on the high of the teaching depth chart, however I can’t assist however marvel if we’re lacking on Bowles’ “vibes.” A number of the greatest coaches in historical past have been extra tradition than X’s and O’s. The present poster boy for that is Dan Campbell in Detroit. Different profitable culture-builders are the Harbaugh brothers. John Harbaugh turned the 49ers round rapidly within the early 2010s and bought them to a Tremendous Bowl solely to lose to Jim Harbaugh and the Ravens, who constantly have among the best groups within the NFL.
Nearly each participant who has come by way of the Bucs group has had nothing however rave evaluations for Bowles as a pacesetter and culture-builder. And as Ben Solak lately stated in his personal article rating teaching staffs all through the NFL stated, “At its core, teaching is an train in maximization.” If you happen to want any proof as to how Bowles is ready to maximize his group look no additional than his opening speech to his gamers that the group posted to their X account.
“The expectation for us shouldn’t be simply the division. It’s bought to be the Tremendous Bowl.”
Coach Bowles addresses the group forward of Coaching Camp tomorrow 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/2Rcm2Sy6Mv
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 24, 2024
Moreover, the place different defensive coordinators have proven that with out elite cross rush expertise their programs are likely to falter, Bowles has confirmed again and again he can keep an efficient defensive unit with out star expertise on the sting. He, Brian Flores and Invoice Belichick appear to be the one coaches who’ve figured that out. Plus, within the again half of 2023 Bowles seemingly figured methods to correctly assess when to go for it on fourth down which bodes nicely for his future prospects.
With the entire fanfare offensive rookies Jalen McMillan, Graham Barton, Bucky Irving and Elijah Klein have elicited from the Bucs fan base, nobody could also be getting fairly the flowers that offensive coordinator Liam Coen has in Tampa Bay. Coen has not known as performs within the NFL for various video games in Los Angeles on the finish of the 2022 season, however has some expertise at a serious school program operating the offense at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023.
Bucs OC Liam Coen – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
His first run within the SEC was wildly profitable as he turned Will Levis right into a first-round caliber expertise at quarterback. In 2023, with a much less proficient roster, he had a way more ho-hum consequence. And the yr he was given the offensive coordinator title with the Rams (2022) was Los Angeles’ worst offensive season within the Sean McVay period – largely on account of accidents to quarterback Matthew Stafford and vast receiver Cooper Kupp.
The system he’s using ought to align nicely with the roster he’s main, and Coen has pretty much as good of a resume as a first-time NFL play-caller can have. His preseason outcomes have been thrilling because the Bucs run recreation appears miles higher than what Dave Canales was in a position to generate in 2023.
Co-defensive coordinators Kacy Rodgers and Larry Foote return working beneath Bowles, who will name performs. The Bucs protection has regularly ranked within the high 5-10 as a run protection unit since Bowles arrived in Tampa in 2019. The cross protection is the extra unstable facet of the sport. Bowles has proven he can create an elite protection when he has a premier cross rusher, however extra impressively he can create a useful unit with out one. Belief that by yr’s finish he could have a high 12-15 unit at minimal whereas getting there in a frustratingly unstable method.
Thomas McGaughey has led some good particular groups models in New York with the Giants the place he coached from 2018 to 2023. However his newer models have been average-to-worse. The most effective I can say about him is he isn’t Keith Armstrong…
2. Atlanta Falcons
Head Coach – Raheem Morris
Offensive Coordinator – Zac Robinson
Defensive Coordinator – Jimmy Lake
Particular Groups Coordinator – Marquice Williams
Falcons HC Raheem Morris – Picture by: USA Immediately
Raheem Morris’ path again to a full-time head coach job is likely one of the most storied and attention-grabbing journeys within the NFL. It contains stops in Washington (defensive backs coach), Atlanta (defensive backs coach and defensive cross recreation coordinator, vast receivers coach and cross recreation coordinator, defensive coordinator, interim head coach), and Los Angeles Rams (defensive coordinator). There are so few coaches within the trendy NFL who can lay declare to having coached on either side of the ball, and Morris is one.
He has additionally confirmed that he’s a chameleon of a defensive coordinator. Again in his Bucs days he was nonetheless a Monte Kiffin Tampa-2 disciple. Throughout his time in Atlanta, he labored beneath Dan Quinn in a Cowl-3 model protection. However when he bought to Los Angeles McVay requested him to proceed the quarters-heavy strategy that Brandon Staley had employed previous to Morris’ arrival. He thrived on the helm of all three schemes, proving he’s a chameleon that may tailor a system to the gamers he has quite than attempting to push his most well-liked scheme on a gaggle that it won’t work greatest for.
What’s most spectacular with Morris is how he was in a position to get probably the most out of a protection final yr that featured only one star (All-Professional defensive sort out Aaron Donald), a few promising gamers, and a variety of journeymen. The Rams had a strong protection that was in a position to dwell as much as their playoff look.
Working straight with Morris on protection is Jimmy Lake. Lake has expertise as a play-caller in on the collegiate stage the place he was a coordinator and head coach on the College of Washington, and expertise as a place coach within the NFL with stops in Tampa Bay and Detroit. Lake has a robust resume and can assist implement no matter model of protection Morris decides to implement.
Robinson has spent everything of his four-year teaching profession in Los Angeles with Sean McVay. I don’t know of any nice strategy to parse Robinson from Liam Coen given how a lot they’ve labored collectively and that they are going to be utilizing an analogous system. The tiebreaker I got here up with is Robinson labored beneath Coen, so I give Coen the nod because the larger of the 2 for now. Plus Coen known as performs for 2 years at Kentucky. However I foresee Robinson hitting the bottom operating (no pun meant).
Marquice Williams is a holdover from Arthur Smith’s employees. The truth that Morris stored him on speaks to his effectiveness. He has fielded some good models over his three years within the place.
3. New Orleans Saints
Head Coach – Dennis Allen
Offensive Coordinator – Klint Kubiak
Defensive Coordinator – Joe Woods
Particular Groups Coordinator – Darren Rizzi
Saints head coach Dennis Allen – Picture by: USA Immediately
Almost certainly nobody within the NFL has a warmer seat as a head coach than Dennis Allen. The Saints appear to regress every season because the departures of Sean Payton and Drew Brees, and Allen has been the chief over that complete time interval. A stereotypical defensive coach, he constantly has his defensive models enjoying exhausting and rating nicely whereas the offense has sputtered.
Allen has carried out his group no favors as an in-game decision-maker, eschewing alternatives to press an edge and maintain the ball, he prefers to play it secure and hope his growing older protection can maintain the road. Most of the time they can’t. And Allen has zero monitor document of success as an NFL head coach. He didn’t achieve Oakland and he has faltered up to now in New Orleans.
Allen must be given credit score for a minimum of making an attempt to modernize his offense as he introduced in Klint Kubiak to try to repair Derek Carr and Co. Kubiak is recent off a season serving as passing recreation coordinator for the 49ers beneath Kyle Shanahan. He’s additionally the one offensive coordinator within the division with any NFL play calling expertise (the Panthers’ play-calling duties will likely be dealt with by head coach Dave Canales).
Kubiak led a 2021 Vikings group that ranked twelfth in complete yards, twenty fourth in factors and twenty first in EPA/play. Since then, Kubiak has studied on the toes of the last word offensive grasp in Shanahan. He will get my highest offensive score of the group. Debate a wall.
Joe Woods will work with Allen, who like Todd Bowles and Raheem Morris – in Tampa Bay and Atlanta, respectively – will name performs for the Saints. To his credit score, Allen constantly fields top-tier defenses that play powerful and are uber-competitive. Even in what many would possibly take into account a “down” yr, final yr the Saints ranked thirteenth in yards allowed and third in EPA/play allowed. The Woods/Allen combo shouldn’t be underestimated.
One space that the Saints constantly excel in is particular groups the place Darren Rizzi continues to be one of many high specialist coordinators within the NFL. He fields assignment-sound models that cowl kicks and punts nicely. The Saints rank on the high of the division on this space.
4. Carolina Panthers
Head Coach – Dave Canales
Offensive Coordinator – Brad Idzik
Defensive Coordinator – Ejiro Evero
Particular Groups Coordinator – Tracy Smith
Panthers head coach Dave Canales – Picture by: Mark Konezny/USA Immediately
Canales has had a meteoric rise over the previous 18 months. Transferring from a quarterbacks coach who bought probably the most out of Geno Smith to the offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay he had a excessive variance 2023 season with the Bucs. General, he managed an offense that was seventh in cross effectivity however twenty seventh in run effectivity.
Extra impressively, for the second consecutive yr he confirmed he may assist a quarterback flip their profession round. The Panthers are banking on him going three-for-three in that division with Bryce Younger. By all accounts Canales ought to assist convey a brand new tradition to Carolina as he implements his “bully optimist” mentality.
Canales’ offense could not have been the runaway freight practice that has spring-boarded different coordinators to go coach positions, however he embodies a variety of CEO-style traits, that mixed along with his offense-centric background, give him a robust base from which to succeed. However in the long run, he’s nonetheless a rookie head coach, and as such I’ve him ranked final within the division (however with an eyes emoji subsequent to his identify).
Brad Idzik did nicely with the Bucs receiver room final yr. Mike Evans had a renaissance yr whereas Chris Godwin was nonetheless productive regardless of shifting away from the comfortable confines of the slot. Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett each had good seasons for his or her draft positions (or non-draft place because it had been for Jarrett). He now strikes right into a coordinator position with out play-calling duties. Canales was clear final yr that Idzik had a heavy hand in game-plan duties. He was answerable for the Bucs’ third down packages and the group ranked sixth in conversion price. This could symbolize a clean transition for him.
Canales was in a position to maintain defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in place after he stored the Panthers protection enjoying exhausting and nicely in an in any other case throwaway season. In his first season as a DC in 2022, he led the Broncos to a seventh-place rating in yards allowed and 14th place displaying in scoring protection. Final yr he improved the yards allowed rank to fourth, however the factors allowed rank fell to twenty ninth. That scoring protection rank shouldn’t be seen as a lot of a mirrored image on Evero because the Panthers offense put the protection in some actually powerful spots all year long. Of their final recreation of the season his protection was in a position to sluggish a Bucs offense that had been rolling within the again half of the season to simply 9 factors.
Tracy Smith has some expertise as a particular groups coordinator having served within the place in 2020 with the Texans. They had been a middle-of-the-pack unit that yr. From 2021-2023 he was the assistant particular groups coordinator with the Seahawks and the group improved in every consecutive yr he was there. I wouldn’t be stunned if this unit is likely one of the highlights of the Panthers this yr.
