Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Importance of a Head Coach

AFC West Coaches

Denver Broncos: Vance Joseph 11-21 6-10 FIRED

Vance Joseph was expected to help the Broncos get back to the playoffs after signing Case Keenum. Keenum didn’t do any close to what he did when he was in Minnesota and with John Elway looking over their shoulders he has been proven to be impatient. The Broncos still have a great defense but are expected to completely retool the offense. They found a spark in undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsey at the running back position but still need help at all other spots on offense. They hired Vic Fangio to take over and make the defense even better. The former Bears defensive coordinator brought them back to relevance and with a very similar defense in Denver, the success should easily transition.

Oakland Raiders: Jon Gruden 42-38 4-12 Missed Playoffs

Jon Gruden returned after a ten-year hiatus. We all know he wasn’t away from football as he was the announcer for ESPN and Monday Night Football. However, his first year back looked like he was really rusty. He did take over the struggling Raiders franchise who is on the verge of moving. No one expected the Raiders to be this super team, but when he moved on from Khalil Mack, everyone knew this year was gonna be a struggle. Moving on from Amari Cooper halfway through the season wasn’t going to help the stagnant offense. Gruden wants to re-mold this team which will take time. Luckily for him, he has nine more years and $90 million remaining on his contract.

Los Angeles Chargers: Anthony Lynn 21-11 12-4 Lost Divisional Round

The Los Angeles Charger were quietly one of the best teams in the NFL last season. The only reason they weren’t a bigger story was that Kansas City is in their division. Phillip Rivers had an MVP esque season but still has not made the big game yet. Running back Melvin Gordon is emerging as one of the best backs in the league. Their defense is gelling with Joey Bosa and rookie sensation Derwin James, but they still have to beat the Patriots if they want to make it to the Super Bowl. The potential is there but how many more seasons is Rivers expected to be playing at a high level.

Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid 65-31 12-4 Lost AFC Championship

Finally, the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the final four, has again one of the top four best coaches in the league. The Chiefs surprised many with Patrick Mahomes coming out of nowhere winning MVP, throwing 5000 yards, and 50 touchdowns. If you look at it, the Chiefs had the same record two seasons ago with Alex Smith at quarterback. Andy Reid is a phenomenal coach who gets the most out of his players. Since joining the Chiefs he has lost more than ten games once, and that year he went 9-7. They currently are Super Bowl favorites and that is with one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Andy Reid is the reason why and behind Bill Belichick, Andy Reid is the second best coach in the league.

Summary: Coaching Matters