2023 Week 2 NFL Coach Rankings: McDaniel’s Adjustments Key Dolphins' Win
There was a big deal made about Mike McDaniel possibly scoffing at the podium after being asked about Brandon Staley’s game plan in the week leading up to the Dolphins facing the Chargers on the road for the season opener.
It seemed, at least to me, that was him showing his competitive side. And there was no shade being thrown at Staley, the Chargers' coach, who got the best of McDaniel during their first meeting last season.
But McDaniel and his Dolphins took the second game over Staley and the Chargers, a 36–34 shootout that was probably the most entertaining game of Week 1 in the NFL. After the win, McDaniel said it was “super insulting” to put the focus on the coaching matchup and not on the players.
I won’t put this week’s coaching spotlight on the clash between McDaniel’s offense and Staley’s defense. Instead, I’ll focus on the terrific adjustments McDaniel made in the thrilling victory.
At times, it seemed as if Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill were playing backyard football against the Chargers’ defense, but McDaniel added subtle motions at the line of scrimmage to provide Hill running head starts against the Chargers’ defensive backs. With Hill quickly breaking free, that allowed Tagovailoa to get rid of the football before pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa broke the pocket—the two Pro Bowlers didn’t record a single sack.
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Also, credit to McDaniel for not stepping off the gas and going with 45 passing attempts to 20 running plays. With the Dolphins moving fast downfield, that might have forced Chargers' offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to call more running plays to allow Staley’s defense to get longer breaks. Justin Herbert only recorded 33 passing attempts to 40 running plays.
It’s clear McDaniel is one of the best offensive play-callers in the league and his offense might break several franchise records if Tagovailoa remains healthy.
Here are the updated rankings, with last week's in parenthesis.
NFL Coach Rankings (Week 2)
32. Matt Eberflus, Bears (Last week’s ranking: 29)
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It was a disappointing Week 1 showing all around for the Bears. Eberflus’s defense struggled against quarterback Jordan Love and allowed 38 points in the loss to the Packers. The unit was expected to improve in Year 2 with Eberflus and with the organization spending money in free agency on the defensive side. The biggest concern might be Justin Fields continuing to be inconsistent as a passer—he finished 24-of-37 for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
31. Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals (32)
30. Dennis Allen, Saints (31)
29. DeMeco Ryans, Texans (27)
28. Arthur Smith, Falcons (28)
27. Frank Reich, Panthers (25)
26. Brandon Staley, Chargers (20)
25. Ron Rivera, Commanders (22)
24. Shane Steichen, Colts (26)
23. Josh McDaniels, Raiders (24)
22. Todd Bowles, Buccaneers (30)
21. Kevin O’Connell, Vikings (23)
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The Vikings lost to the Buccaneers, but I was impressed with the overall performance, specifically on the defensive side. Yes, Brian Flores calls the defensive plays, but O’Connell made the hire, and now it could pay dividends in the future with the amount of improvement the unit showed in Week 1. O’Connell handles the play-calling on the offensive side, and had the passing attack humming against a stout Tampa Bay secondary. But O’Connell will need to make adjustments after a stagnant performance on the ground.
20. Kevin Stefanski, Browns (21)
19. Brian Daboll, Giants (14)
18. Sean Payton, Broncos (16)
17. Mike Vrabel, Titans (12)
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Vrabel made one of the worst coaching decisions of Week 1 by settling for a field goal with Tennessee down four points vs. the Saints and 2:17 left in regulation. It’s somewhat understandable why he played it safe; the Titans offense struggled most of the game and they still had all three timeouts and the two-minute warning. But the lack of faith in Ryan Tannehill and his offense cost Vrabel the game, as Derek Carr closed it out on the following drive.
16. Matt LaFleur, Packers (17)
15. Robert Saleh, Jets (18)
14. Sean McDermott, Bills (11)
13. Zac Taylor, Bengals (10)
12. Mike McCarthy, Cowboys (15)
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We didn’t get to see a full sample size of McCarthy as the Cowboys’ offensive play-caller because Dallas built a comfortable double-digit lead thanks to points scored by the defense and special teams. But McCarthy deserves plenty of credit for having all three phases well prepared for a dominant 40–0 win against the Giants. The Cowboys are now viewed as a favorite to win the Super Bowl, a narrative that hasn’t occurred in a long time.
11. Mike McDaniel, Dolphins (18)
10. Dan Campbell, Lions (13)
9. Pete Carroll, Seahawks (6)
8. Doug Pederson, Jaguars (8)
7. John Harbaugh, Ravens (7)
6. Sean McVay, Rams (9)
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With the offensive line stepping up, McVay delivered one of his best games as a play-caller during the upset win against the Seahawks, and did it without star wideout Cooper Kupp, who’s nursing a hamstring injury. McVay designed plays for rookie Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell to break free, and often did it with two tight ends on the field—the Rams are typically known for their 11 personnel with three wide receivers. McVay also stuck with the running game, despite trailing to start the third quarter. A healthy Matthew Stafford and the inexperienced offense broke the game open in the second half.
5. Mike Tomlin, Steelers (2)
4. Nick Sirianni, Eagles (4)
3. Bill Belichick, Patriots (3)
2. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers (5)
1. Andy Reid, Chiefs (1)
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It’s going to take a lot more than one loss for Reid to lose his top spot in these rankings. For the most part, Reid called the right plays against the Lions to allow his wide receivers to make plays without star tight end Travis Kelce. It’s not his fault Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore failed to catch the ball in critical moments. Reid, however, wasn’t perfect after calling a strange jet sweep involving a backup tight end and a rookie receiver instead of putting the ball in the hands of Patrick Mahomes for a pivotal third down. But the Chiefs likely would have beaten the Lions by double digits if Kelce and Chris Jones had been available, and the wide receivers didn’t have a ridiculous amount of drops.