Category: NFL

The 300s Podcast Dream Team Patriots Chargers Playoff Preview

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Today is a super podcast of sorts. We’ll be previewing the Patriots/Chargers upcoming playoff game but I am also joined by the heavy hitters in Big Z, Mattes, and Joey B. Hopefully we don’t all yell over each other like an episode of The View.

Patriots are (-5) point favorites with a 48.5 over/under

Patriots are undefeated at home this year and the Chargers are undefeated outside of the Los Angeles DMA…

Philip Rivers has never beaten Tom Brady…

Whats your biggest concern as a Patriots fan?

Official Predictions

I am FLOORED the Cleveland Browns Did Not Mess This Up

By on • ( Leave a comment )

First of all yes, I know, I am putting pen to paper twice in one day. Fairly reckless. Nonetheless….

Secondly, I don’t have a ton to add to this other than the headline. THE BROWNS DID NOT COMPLETELY FUCK THIS UP. The guy who has seemingly made Baker Mayfield a competent NFL starter is going to be named the head coach. Freddie Kitchens will become the latest in a string of “young QB guru” HC hires such as Sean McVay. If the Browns can now add a half decent D-Coordinator to oversee the plethora of talent they have on that side of the ball Cleveland might have a competent football team. REREAD THAT SENTENCE.

I am honestly awestruck that one of the most out-to-lunch franchises in pro sports made such a safe, solid decision operationally. It borderline does not make sense, possibly even stinking to high heaven.

But let Cleveland have this for now. Cheers, Browns fan.

-Joey B

Shawne Merriman Opens His Big Mouth and Gives Patriots Bulletin Board Material for Sunday

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Image result for shawne merriman

Former Chargers linebacker and walking human chest muscle, Shawne Merriman, is at it again.

On Monday’s episode of FS1’s “The Herd,” the 34-year-old – who is out of football and now apparently involved in clothing design, bare-knuckle fighting (which Red blogged about), and NASCAR – guaranteed that the Los Angeles Chargers, who haven’t beaten Brady ONCE in his career, would come in and beat the Pats in Foxborough on Sunday (h/t Patriots Wire):

“They’re a lock for me this week,” Merriman said. “The Patriots, yeah, you have Bill Belichick, you have Tom Brady there, but they’re not the same team they were in the past. They’re just not. They don’t bring that kind of stamp to the field anymore. I know they’ve been in the playoffs, they have the experience. But this Chargers team right now, they’re the most resilient team in football.

“They’ve been through so much. Injuries and the move and people not really paying attention to them and they just use all of it as fuel. Going out there is going to be no different. Them winning on the road, it hasn’t been a problem this year. They’ll go right into Foxboro, it will be competitive, it will be a good game. In the past, the Patriots have always found ways to win. Not this time, I don’t think that’s the case.”

I’ll start by saying that I believe the Chargers do actually have a shot of winning on Sunday, perhaps more than any previous Patriots home playoff opponent in the past two decades. They might be the most talented squad, up and down the roster, in the entire AFC, and their pass-rushers could give Brady fits this weekend. (Much more to come on all of that, and more, in this week’s preview.)

But for Merriman to be that certain is laughable. A lock? He’s banking on a quarterback with .500 career playoff record and a young defense that still has yet to prove themselves on the biggest stage. Also, the game is in New England, and the Pats will have had had two weeks to rest up. Oh, and “yeah,” Shawne, we do still have “Belichick and Brady there.”

Nothing would be sweeter than beating the Chargers on Sunday and seeing a shot of a sour-pussed Merriman somewhere in the stands. And hopefully, all 53 guys run out to mid-field after its over to do the “Lights Out” dance – just like the “classless” Patriots teams of the past (*he said with heavy sarcasm*). Right, L.T.??!!

Image result for ladainian tomlinson crying

Regardless, it’s safe to assume that Merriman’s words this week only further fueled and fanned the flames of a hungry, elder Thomas Patrick Edward Brady, Jr. In fact, I actually now feel better after hearing what he said.

Post this one up on the bulletin board, Bill!

The Patriots Need a Plan at Offensive Coordinator

By on • ( Leave a comment )

As Mattes blogged yesterday, Josh McDaniels will be staying with the Patriots for the 2019 season. To use McDaniels’ own words, “the book is closed” on interviewing this year. Who knows why; whether or not he decided to just stay another year or whether one of the jobs he coveted, such as the opening with Cleveland and Baker Mayfield, was looking like it would go someone else like Freddie kitchens and McDaniels didn’t want to be seen as a losing horse. Backing out in that situation is never a bad move.

Either way, the Patriots can’t continue to play this year by year. It just doesn’t make sense to not have a plan for when McDaniels does inevitably leave. And unlike 99.9% of the the big questions regarding the Patriots future, this one falls in the “regardless of Tom Brady” category. Brady or no Brady, when McDaniels steps away the Pats need a plan.

The obvious first question to ponder is whether or not this is one of those things that Belichick already has schemed up in his head but has never disclosed, as shocking as that is. It’s not like anyone has really ever asked him, to my knowledge, if he has a plan past Josh McDaniels’ tenure at the healm of the offense. Maybe there’s someone in the college ranks Belichick likes. Maybe there’s a coach in the NFL, possibly a football lifer in a lower coordinator or some sort of “special assistant” position, that he’s given the wink and the nudge to for when McDaniels leaves. There’s a distinct possibility that someone on the Pats current staff has been tabbed as the heir apparent. The latter makes possibly the most sense as the Patriots are known to promote from within (HR APPROVED!). Come to think of it, it wouldn’t shock me if Steve Belichick himself was vying for the job. I mean it does seem like the three things that guy loves is lacrosse, getting stoned in the Gillette parking lot, and football; football being something that has climbed to the top of that list as time has gone by.

On the other side of all these questions is McDaniels himself and his decision to stay. You kind of have to wonder why, right? Why two years in a row does it seem like he has his choice of jobs but decides to stay in a Coordinator position? Maybe the most logical reason would be that the Patriots have secretly told him that he was next in line for Belichick’s job. The “if and when” of Belichick’s retirement has more rumors attached to it than possibly any other storyline in football, and the team has come out before I believe and said McDaniel’s isn’t necessarily tabbed to be their next head coach, but that very well could be all smoke and mirrors.

Then there’s the fact that McDaniels has been here since 2012 and before that from 2001-2008. He has a family and so maybe he just wants to stay rooted. I mean, if we assume his kids are about a decade away from college then there’s no reason for him to not wait until his early 50s to be a head coach again, rather than uproot them now. He’d still be fairly young for that role being not yet 43 now. Lastly, and something Red and I discussed as a possibility, is the fact that maybe Josh McDaniels is simply shell shocked from his last time being a head coach. While his stint in Denver was not a without positives, it was far from a swimming success as well. Maybe he just chooses to stay at a job he is wildly successful in at an organization where he knows all the pieces and the operation cold. O and his QB is Tom Brady. There’s that.

Regardless, I hope both McDaniels and the Patriots have a plan for the future as right now we only have a plan for 2019. And, let’s face it, there’s about eight months until the beginning of next season, so that plan could change. The bottom line is that the “next era” of the Patriots, which we all are too afraid to talk about, is not just when this team moves on from Brady or Belichick. It would also be launched in part when we have to replace McDaniels and the rejuvenation he has brought to Brady’s career and the offense as a whole.

-Joey B

P.S: Anyone get that “close the book” is a reference to the Mafia and how they add names to the list of “made men”? McDaniels is such a weirdo.

Arizona Cardinals Are Reportedly Hiring Kliff Kingsbury to be the Most Handsome Head Coach in the NFL

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Watch out for the Cardinals because they just dipped into the Handsome Men’s Club for their next head coach. The rest of the league has been put on notice. I was legitimately worried the Jets were going to hire Kliff and the Patriots were going to be tasked with defeating the handsomeness for years to come. I can breathe a sigh of relief now.

In all seriousness though I am intrigued as all hell to see what Kliff Kingsbury brings to the table as an NFL head coach. Granted he just got axed by Texas Tech a couple months back, the guy has worked with and developed Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Johnny Manziel, and Case Keenum over the past 6 years. Pretty impressive lineup of guys under center. So for a league that is obsessed with finding the next young offensive guru, quarterback whisperer or whatever cliche you want to use, Kingsbury was bound to land a job somewhere in the NFL this year.

Now lets see what ya got, Kliff.

The Packers Got Their Coach, and It Ain’t Josh McDaniels

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Image result for josh mcdaniels sad

The Green Bay Packers won’t be stealing Josh McDaniels away after all.

After interviewing with the team this past weekend in Wisconsin, there were rumors as recent as yesterday that the Packers were “planning on bringing him in for a second interview,” and one site went so far as to write a headline saying it was “increasingly clear” that McDaniels would become the new leader of the cheeseheads.

Then came this news:

So there goes that whole idea…

As a Pats fan, I’ll admit I am very happy. While McDaniels could still bolt somewhere this offseason – most likely Cleveland, if anywhere – this move makes it much less likely. And the fact of the matter is, this team is simply better with McDaniels here. Would we be cooked without him? No. And we’ve proven that before. But there has perhaps been no other coach with whom Brady has worked better throughout his career, and keeping McDaniels around in TB12’s twilight years could prove to be vital.

Again, we have no idea what will happen with this guy – especially after the B.S. he pulled last offseason. But for now, Josh isn’t going anywhere, or at least not to Green Bay.

Stay tuned…

(MAJOR BREAKING UPDATE: During his weekly presser on Tuesday, McDaniels came out and said that he will not be pursuing any other head-coaching jobs this offseason [h/t ESPN Boston]:

“The book is closed,” McDaniels said on his weekly conference call, when asked if he anticipates interviewing for any other head-coaching jobs this year. “It’s always a humbling experience to have an opportunity to interview with anybody for that position.

“I was thankful for the opportunity to meet with Green Bay; it always gives you greater insight into another organization of how they do things. It’s been very educational for me every time I’ve gone through it and I’ve appreciated every single one of them.

“I’m completely focused on the Chargers and our season and finishing it strong. And I’ll be here moving forward.”

McDaniels also already denied a chance to interview for the Bengals, and he apparently also said he’s had “no contact” with Cleveland, proving that the entire media hoopla surrounding head-coaching vacancies is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

But hey, we got Josh back. I’ll take it.)

Chicago Kicker Cody Parkey May Have Just Killed the Bears Mascot

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Being a kicker must be the absolute worst way to live. Sure, you get paid millions of dollars but you never get any credit unless your name is Adam Vinatieri because you’re supposed to hit your kicks. So it’s a lose lose situation. When you miss a game winning kick you might as well just pack your shit because the entire city now wants your head on a spike. Even the poor mascot couldn’t take it and apparently had a heart attack right on the field.

Nick Foles just continues to snatch souls right out of his opponents as his deal with the devil rolls on.

Taking a Look at the 2018 NFL All-Pro Teams

By on • ( Leave a comment )

From NFL.com

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

SPECIAL TEAMS

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

SPECIAL TEAMS

_______________________________________________________________________________

-The first thing I want to point out is apparently there is now a “flex” position in All-Pro teams which is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny. Fantasy Football just owning real estate in the NFL’s head. I actually giggled a bit, especially when you consider the fact that Tyreek Hill is for sure a WR and Christian McCaffrey is most definitely a RB

-A paltry 2 New England Patriots made this list. Stephon Gilmore made the first team while Cordarrelle Patterson made the second as a KR (aka 2nd Flex) (kidding). I’m not sure what our record is in our years of greatness but I highly doubt it’s actually much more than two so maybe it isn’t that big of a deal. I think Shaq Mason got stiffed a bit but the Patriots OL brand is to be shitty, so I think he might of got the shaft due to reputation which sucks but happens.*

-At my a count, truly PREPOSTEROUS SIX rookies made All-Pro status. What a stacked fucking draft class. Remember when everyone ripped the Colts for taking Quenton Nelson at 6? Who is laughing now? But wait, want to really get nuts? An additional FIVE All Pros are from the 17′ class are on here. 11 All-Pros from the last two drafts. Sheesh.

-In regards to the above, Leighton Vander Esch also deserves a shout out. For most people he was “fucking who?” when he got selected and only collected 140 tackles on the year. Never found the QB but that is probably because he was too busy terrorizing the second level.

-Both Kelce brothers made First Team so that family is talentless.

-Cleveland Guard Joel Bitonio, long considered one of the good guys in the league, a worker through and through who sticks by his perennially shitty team a la his former linemate, Joe Thomas, made his first All-Pro team so kudos there.

-I had no idea JJ Watt had such a monster year. It makes me want to revisit my comment on the Pats and demand Trent Brown make this list off his game against Watt alone.*

-Also props to Julio Jones on finding this list a lot quicker than he found the end zone.

Hot Takes on the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Image result for football hall of fame logo

On Thursday night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Selectors announced the list of the 15 modern-era finalists who are eligible for induction into the H.O.F. in 2019 – and HO-LEE HELL, it is absolutely freakin’ LOADED.

No, seriously, I have no idea how in the world they are only going to be able to select five guys from the list. (While no less than seven people have been inducted into the Hall each year since 2010, only five “modern-era” finalists can be selected for enshrinement each year. It should also be noted that while some of those announced last night are on the ballot for the first time, not all of them are; rather, this year’s finalists were chosen from an overall pool of 102 other eligible “modern-era” players.)

And the best part is that I actually remember watching pretty much all of these guys! For the past few years, I’ve found myself caring more and more about the Hall – and the dog and pony show that comes along with it – than I ever did as a kid. With former players like Marvin Harrison, Terrell Davis, Jason Taylor, Kurt Warner, Terrell Owens, LaDainian Tomlinson, Brian Dawkins, Brian Urlacher, and Randy Moss all getting in within the past three classes, I have never been more attuned to the yearly announcement than I am nowadays.

Image result for 2018 hall of fame football

Last year’s class was a solid group.

But this list??!! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first saw it, and I have been agonizing all morning over which five of them I’d choose to make it in (ya know, if my opinion actually mattered at all in the grand scheme of things).

OK, OK, Mattes. We get it. So who’s on the list?

Here’s a full list of the 15 modern-era legends being talked about for next year’s class:

  • Steve Atwater
  • Champ Bailey
  • Tony Boselli
  • Isaac Bruce
  • Don Coryell
  • Alan Faneca
  • Tom Flores
  • Tony Gonzalez
  • Steve Hutchinson
  • Edgerrin James
  • Ty Law
  • John Lynch
  • Kevin Mawae
  • Ed Reed
  • Richard Seymour

That rundown reads like an early-2000s Madden dream team. And it even includes two former Patriots!

Save for Law, Seymour, Flores, and Reed, the group is actually pretty light in terms of Super Bowl hardware, but the amount of collective Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro selections is ridiculous.

But alas, only five can be selected, so here are my picks for the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class:

(Tony Gonzalez)

Image result for tony gonzalez catch chiefs

Tony G. was the easiest pick on the list for me. Some might be very quick to mention that it took him 16 years to finally get a playoff win, especially considering the fact he played on some pretty good teams in Kansas City and Atlanta throughout his career. OK. Fine. But there’s no doubting the fact that he is the most consistent and dependable tight end to ever play the game. In fact, he’s one of the most consistent and dependable pass-catchers to ever play the game, finishing second all-time in career receptions with 1,325! Only Jerry Rice has caught more balls in the history of the game, and the only other tight end who is even remotely close to Gonzalez’s total is Jason Witten – and he’s still almost 200 catches behind. Gonzalez is also eighth all-time with 111 receiving touchdowns. This is a guy who should get in purely on his numbers alone.

(Ed Reed)

Image result for ed reed

Throughout the first decade of the new millenium, there may have been no more dominant safety in the NFL than Ed Reed. (Although Troy Polamalu and Brian Dawkins, another Hall-of-Famer, might’ve given him a run for his money.) No, Reed wasn’t the biggest guy, or the hardest hitter. But his all-around ability gave opposing offensive coordinators fits, as there was very little you could do to fool him. He was always in the right spot at the right time, making tackles all over the field and ultimately finishing seventh on the all-time interceptions list with 64. Even Bill Belichick, who almost never gives praise to pretty much anyone, said this to Ed Reed back in 2009: “You’re the best free safety that has ever played this game that I’ve seen. You’re awesome.” Reed also helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl in 2013.

(Champ Bailey)

Image result for champ bailey

Another guy who I’m selecting based more upon numbers as opposed to wins, Bailey defined the term “lockdown cornerback.” His 52 career interceptions are even more impressive when you consider the fact that most opposing quarterbacks usually did anything they could to avoid throwing the ball anywhere near him on the field. He was an All-Pro selection seven times in his career, including three in which he was on the First Team, and very few players in history have ever been able to completely nullify a team’s No. 1 receiver on such a consistent and prolonged basis. Bailey played in his first Super Bowl as a 35-year-old, injury-riddled backup in 2014, but his Broncos were annihilated by the Seahawks, 41-8. Still, this guy is one of the greatest cover men to ever play the game.

Here’s where it gets super tough, but I only have two more slots to fill. So, without further ado:

(Alan Faneca) 

Image result for alan faneca blocking

This one might not be the sexiest of picks, but I gotta show some love to the big fella. Faneca was a reliable and consistent force on the Steelers’ offensive line for 10 seasons and missed a total of only two games over that time. He not only helped Jerome Bettis stay relevant toward the end of his career, but he was also one of the people helping to protect a young Big Ben, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2006. He was also a First-Team All-Pro six times (again, not just “All-Pro,” but “First-Team All-Pro”). (Side note: I always made sure to select Faneca as my top O-lineman in my Madden fantasy drafts. I’ve been a big fan of this dude for years.)

(Tom Flores)

Image result for tom flores

OK, so I wasn’t even a twinkle in my parents’ eyes during Flores’s time, but after reading a pretty awesome ESPN.com article on him today, I can’t ignore what I now know. Flores is eligible to be inducted into the Hall as a coach, even though he did spend some time as a player. And he was not just any player; he was the first professional Latino quarterback in history and finished as the fifth-leading passer in AFL history. (Again, this was before the NFL as we know it today was a thing.) He’s also won four combined Super Bowls in his career: one as a player, one as an assistant coach, and two as head coach of the Raiders in the 1980s. Again, I’m no expert on the guy, but after learning as much as I did about him recently, he’s a shoe-in.

We won’t know who ultimately makes it in until early February, but it’s always fun to speculate. (And I’m sorry to my guys Ty Law and Richard Seymour! But as the faithful 300s readers know, I’m no Patriots toadie! They’ll always be my No. 1 squad till I die, but I also keep it real, baby!)

We’d also love to know who you think should make it in and why. Be sure to let us know in the comments section or on Facebook!

Despite All the Dirt Thrown On Him, Josh McDaniels Still Drawing Interest from Multiple Teams as Head Coach

By on • ( Leave a comment )

CBS Sports – Less than one year after spurning the Colts, it doesn’t appear that Josh McDaniels is going to have any issues finding a head coaching job this offseason if he wants one.

The Patriots offensive coordinator is expected to land multiple interviews over the next few weeks and it looks like one of those will be going down in Green Bay. According to NFL.com, the Packers are expected to hold an interview with McDaniels on Friday. Since the Patriots have a bye this week, McDaniels is allowed to interview for open jobs this weekend. The Packers moved quickly to land an interview with McDaniels with the team sending in a formal request to interview him just one day after the NFL regular season ended.

Despite all the dirt thrown on his name after backing out of the Colts job, Josh McDaniels is still very much in on several head coaching job openings this offseason.

And I love it.

This may be the height of my “Patriots against the world” complex, but hey thats what happens when everyone calls you a cheater and openly roots for your demise for over a decade. Thats also what makes winning so much sweeter though. So yes, rooting for Josh McDaniels to get a head coaching job primarily out of spite against anyone that talked ill of a Patriots employee is petty, bizarre even; I fully admit that. Doesn’t change the facts though.

“Besides the Packers, the Browns and Bengals have also requested to interview McDaniels. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported on Dec. 30 that the Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is “very high” on McDaniels, which could make Cleveland a wild-card in the sweepstakes for the Patriots offensive coordinator.”

This comes less than a year after talking heads around the interwebs all but buried the guy under Gillette Stadium. The simple fact of the matter though is who would you rather have? There are a TON of head coaching vacancies this offseason and not nearly enough competent names to fill them. Eight to be exact. Yup, the Browns, Packers, Jets, Broncos, Dolphins, Bucs, Bengals, and Cardinals are all in the market for a new head coach.

Now as always, this comes with the disclaimer that Josh McDaniels has worked under potentially the greatest head coach of all time along with the greatest quarterback of all time for years. Lets be honest, I could be Tom Brady’s offensive coordinator and the Pats would probably still win the division. So aside from a brief stint with the Broncos (11-17), it’s hard to really peg McDaniels’ true value.

But thats also what makes him such an intriguing candidate.

If I’m the owner of an NFL franchise do I want someone from the Belichick Coaching Tree (more on this in a moment) that is young, innovative, and has worked with the best in the business for the past 10+ years? Or do I want to hire a guy thats already been a head coach for a long time and has already proven multiple times that he’s not a difference maker? Would you rather hire Josh McDaniels or Jeff Fisher?

Granted the Belichick Coaching Tree hasn’t exactly flourished when Bill’s assistants have gone on to set up their own programs, but this is a quarterback driven league. A lot of these coaches simply haven’t had “the guy.”

Romeo Crennel (28-55) had Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Matt Cassel, and Brady Quinn again at quarterback over the years before being axed for the final time. Eric Mangini (33-47) had Chad Pennington, 39-year-old Brett Favre, Brady Quinn (again!), and Colt McCoy at QB before he got axed for the final time. Charlie Weis (41-49) went over to the NCAA, which is an entirely different animal and failed at multiple schools. More recently we’ve seen Bill O’Brien (42-38) have moderate success in Houston, relatively speaking. Sure, he was rumored to be on the hot seat this year, but they’ve made the playoffs 3 out of the last 4 years. Before Deshaun Watson, O’Brien had Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Brock Osweiller (which was his own fault), and Tom Savage. So now that he has an actual QB in Watson you see what that team is capable of. Not a lot of Pro Bowl quarterbacks in there guys. Then theres Matt Patricia (6-10), who’s first season in Detroit can be described as nothing but disastrous.

So 1 out of 5 ain’t good, but hey I’d rather take a chance on a young guy with a great pedigree than hire a guy that I KNOW will have my team going 8-8 every year.

Here are some of the other candidates with previous head coaching experience just to name a few.

  • Mike McCarthy (125-77-2, 10-8 in the playoffs)
  • Adam Gase (23-25, 0-1 in the playoffs)
  • Todd Bowles (26-41)
  • Bruce Arians (49-30, 1-2 in the playoffs)
  • Vance Joseph (11-21)
  • Jim Caldwell (62-50, 2-4 in the playoffs)

Do ANY of those candidates excite you if you’re a fan of one of those teams that has an opening at HC? Maybe Bruce Arians, but he retired after the 2017 season and would be the 3rd oldest coach in the NFL, were he to come back, behind only Belichick and Pete Carroll. I’m looking for someone at least *a little* bit different if I’m an owner. Hell I’d take a shot on Lincoln Riley (Riley legit just signed an extension with Oklahoma yesterday) or Kliff Kingsbury over any of those guys. Am I biased because I’m 29 and I want to see more young blood in the league? Yea, probably. But these teams that are mired in mediocrity year after year, make the same dumb decisions every season and wonder why they never go anywhere. Hell it took the Bengals 16 years to get out of their own way before finally firing Marvin Lewis and his 0-7 playoff record. (Although they might step right back into their own way and hire Hue Jackson)

So yea McDaniels is kind of a dick for leaving the Colts at the altar last offseason (and hosing a few assistants in the process). I can understand why you wouldn’t want to grab a beer with the guy. But this is the NFL where the only thing that matters are results and Josh McDaniels has 5 Super Bowl rings working with the Patriots in various roles. And before you say it’s all because of the head coach and the QB, whether thats true or not, the Offensive Coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Bieniemy is rumored to be a hot head coaching candidate despite this being his FIRST year as an OC. Why? Because of what the head coach and the QB have been able to do this season. This comes less than a year after Bieniemy’s predecessor Matt Nagy was hired by the Chicago Bears as their new head coach who also had just one year as an OC on his resume. So you can’t have it both ways folks — the OC matters or he doesn’t.

TLDR; I think Josh McDaniels is as good as gone this offseason and I’d take McDaniels over a ton of other guys in this league as a head coach. Now, Bill Belichick isn’t one of them though so if it’s between him and McDaniels? Best of luck, Josh!