Retour
This past offseason, the coaching carousel saw not only 10 new head coaches but also many new offensive and defensive coordinators.
Through the first seven weeks of the season, these new coordinators and play-callers have experienced varying levels of success in their debuts with new teams, with some helping elevate their team into playoff contention as others have been a part of their squad’s downfall.
As the season approaches its midway point, here are the best and worst from the league’s new play-callers so far.
After a hot start, Baltimore’s offense under first-time play-caller Declan Doyle has stalled, and Lamar Jackson remains out with an ankle injury. Even amid a couple of rough games for the Ravens with backup Snoop Huntley—particularly during scoreless second halves against the Browns and Bengals—Doyle’s creativity has shined. That included the loss to Cleveland, when Doyle lined up tight end Josh Cuevas off the line at left guard and had him run through the line of scrimmage on a pass play for 29 yards.
Many of the Ravens players have talked about how offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is an innovator.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 18, 2026
Case in point: TE Josh Cuevas runs a route after lining up in the left guard spot. pic.twitter.com/imGJrvuuRG
Later in their game against the Browns, Doyle used shifts and motions to get Cuevas wide open in the end zone for a fourth-and-goal touchdown.
Holy, Declan Doyle.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) October 18, 2026
This is awesome on fourth and goal. pic.twitter.com/nfopPu5BWG
Doyle has also done a good job utilizing his stars. Despite missing a game due to injury, Zay Flowers ranks fifth in the league in receiving yards (608) and is in the midst of arguably his best season. Derrick Henry has slowed down the past couple of weeks, but started the year hot, scoring touchdowns in his first five games. When healthy, Jackson has looked like his MVP self, throwing for 967 yards, six touchdowns, and one pick over four games.
Few pairings this offseason were more anticipated than that of Mike McDaniel and Justin Herbert. Through the first part of the season, few have turned out worse. Herbert is playing the worst football of his career, completing 59.4% of his passes (a career low) for 1,141 yards, five touchdowns and a league-leading eight interceptions.
As Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wrote last week, McDaniel runs a Kyle Shanahan-style offense that typically leans on postsnap reads for quarterbacks. Previously, Herbert has primarily played under schemes that rely more on presnap looks and coverages to determine where the ball is going.
McDaniel was hired not only to unlock Herbert, but also to support him with an improved run game and take pressure off the offensive line. Neither goal has been accomplished. Injuries haven’t helped, but the Chargers rank just 29th in EPA per rush (-0.18), and Herbert is the third-most-sacked quarterback in the league. Perhaps the Chargers will find a way to improve their offensive approach coming out of the bye, but for now, things appear bleak in Los Angeles.
.@Rachel__Nichols breaks down why Mike McDaniel’s approach with Justin Herbert isn’t working. pic.twitter.com/Ztasfql6SK
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 27, 2026
Of all the quarterbacks and offenses moving to a more under-center approach this season, few have been more successful than Michael Penix Jr. After he went under center only 14 times on 522 snaps in 2025 under previous OC Zac Robinson—13 of which were run plays—he has gone under center on nearly 50% of snaps under new OC Tommy Rees. In his first game back, Penix went 6-of-8 on under-center dropbacks for 102 yards and a touchdown, per Mina Kimes. They are also using play-action with him much more often. In 2025, he had only 52 play-action pass attempts over nine games. This year, he already has 39 attempts through five games. He has completed 28 of those for 341 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 124. His passer rating on play-action throws ranks second in the NFL to Kirk Cousins (. Penix excelled off play-action in college, so it makes sense that the new Falcons regime is taking advantage of that skill set—as well as the threat of Bijan Robinson, one of the league’s best rushers.
Our MUSE on National Tight End's Day!
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 25, 2026
FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/UQNMR1Pvrb
The Cowboys’ moves to improve their defense have failed so far. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker has been unable to improve a unit that ranks 30th in defensive EPA per play (0.10) and 31st in rushing yards allowed per game (145.7). Between the Giants running nearly the same play four consecutive times and the Cowboys being unable to stop it, blown coverages, and missed tackles on Bucky Irving’s 72-yard run in prime time, the Cowboys have lacked discipline on defense. They’ve since hired Mike Pettine as a defensive assistant, held a players’-only meeting on defense and made roster adjustments to the unit, such as trading for Joey Porter Jr. As Mike Tomlin said of teams that hold a players’-only meeting, the Cowboys’ defense just might be cooked.
The Giants ran the SAME play FOUR TIMES on the same drive… and somehow scored off it 😭
— Dallas Cowboys Plug 🔌 (@Cowboyz_Plug) September 14, 2026
This #Cowboys defense is embarrassing on so many levels. pic.twitter.com/gRPSsKJvCi
The 49ers’ 6–1 start is partly due to their defense, which is in its first year under Raheem Morris. Morris has brought a new defensive scheme to the 49ers, and so far it’s been a success. The 49ers rank top five in yards and rushing yards allowed and 10th in defensive EPA per play (-0.07). They’ve blitzed more, 30.1% of the time (15th) compared to 20.8% in 2025 under Robert Saleh, who ranked 30th. In the back end, the 49ers’ young secondary is playing with confidence, aggressively tackling and breaking up passes.
“We’re more aggressive,” third-year corner Renardo Green told KNBR of the 49ers’ defense. “We got guys that can do it. When we first got here, we were more of a match-three, more of a zone-based defense. … In this defense, it allows us not to think as much, to go out there and be the dog that we is.”
Even the pass rush—without Nick Bosa—has had its moments, recording nine sacks against the Seahawks and Commanders. The team traded for DeForest Buckner to try to get even better.
While the Buccaneers’ run game has found its groove the past few weeks, the passing game has lagged under new OC Zac Robinson. Quarterback Baker Mayfield previously excelled under Dave Canales and Liam Coen, but hasn’t found the same success with Robinson. Mayfield has missed time with a thumb injury, which has hurt, but he also hasn’t been at his best when he’s in the lineup, completing 63.6% of his passes for 679 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks across four starts. Tampa Bay lost Mike Evans this offseason, but still has two quality receivers, Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin, who haven’t gotten going yet. Both Egbuka and Godwin, the team’s leading receivers, have fewer than 250 receiving yards and average less than 10 yards per reception.
Robinson acknowledged last week that they had a “tough meeting” about the state of the passing game. He said, “We gotta all get on the same page because the pass game has not been good enough by our standard.”
The Raiders have lost four consecutive games, but new coach Klint Kubiak has done impressive work with their offense, especially since the unit was a mess in 2025. The offensive line allowed a league-leading 64 sacks and Geno Smith threw an NFL-high 17 interceptions. With Kubiak, they’ve restored more than competency in the offense; they’ve also legitimately played well.
They rank 14th in yards per game (343.7) and EPA per play (-0.01). A season ago, they ranked last in both categories. They’ve only given up 10 sacks, which is the 26th-most. Kubiak has done particularly well with the passing attack, especially at getting one of his playmakers open for a big gain or touchdown each week, as he did with Ian Thomas in their loss to the Chiefs. Thomas motions across the formation, acts like he’s going to block, then breaks free for a wide-open touchdown. The Raiders don’t have the best weapons, but Kubiak has taken advantage of the ones they do.
TOUCHDOWN IAN THOMAS!
— Dom (@ZeroChillSports) October 4, 2026
WIDE OPEN TD FOR THE RAIDERS#NFL #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom #Raiders #RaiderNation #KCvsLVpic.twitter.com/QjQM1zbCzp
Kubiak has continued to line All-Pro Brock Bowers up much more out wide and in the slot than in line to use his receiving skills. He’s played only five games, but leads all tight ends in yards per game (91) and is second in receiving EPA (+32.2). No. 2 tight end Michael Mayer and running back Ashton Jeanty have also taken on bigger roles in the passing game. Mayer has 298 yards and a touchdown, while Jeanty has recorded 312 yards and a touchdown. Last season, Mayer had 328 receiving yards and Jeanty notched 346 receiving yards over the entire season. Through seven weeks, Jeanty leads all running backs in receiving yards.
The Titans hired Brian Daboll to help develop Cam Ward, but that development has yet to materialize. Ward couldn’t participate in much of the offseason program because of a shoulder injury, and he has struggled to find consistency in this new offense. Ward has completed 62% of his passes for 1,179 yards, four touchdowns and five picks, while averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt. He ranks 32nd in EPA per play (-0.19) and 30th in success rate (39.08%) as questions loom regarding whether the Titans will pursue another quarterback in the offseason. While Ward’s mechanics and footwork are still improving, the coaching staff also hasn’t gotten the most out of him.
My jaw dropped.
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) October 25, 2026
Cam Ward misfires on third down for a walk-in TD. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/n78WLqknqD
Unlike several other teams listed here, the Panthers did not change their offensive scheme. Rather, Dave Canales handed off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. Idzik’s play-calling has the Panthers’ offense playing its best in the Bryce Young era. Even after their blowout loss to the Buccaneers, they rank 11th in EPA per play (0) and 16th in EPA per pass (0.04) and are top-five in yards (381.3) and passing yards per game (276).
Under Idzik, the offense has become more aggressive. This may be the natural progression of a quarterback becoming more comfortable in his third year and his top two receivers, Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, gaining experience, but either way, it’s paying dividends for Carolina. This season, Young ranks 11th in deep pass percentage (10.5%) and fourth in air yards per attempt (9.4), according to Next Gen Stats. Last year, he ranked 31st in deep pass percentage (7.1%) and 28th in air yards per attempt (6.9).
#Panthers OC Brad Idzik lined up WR Jalen Coker in the backfield, getting him 1-on-1 with a linebacker.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 18, 2026
It worked to perfection.pic.twitter.com/b8xmKWr4YJ
Like the Panthers, the Broncos didn’t change their offensive scheme but saw their head coach, Sean Payton, hand play-calling duties to OC Davis Webb. The difference? Payton has already taken them back after the Broncos’ slow start offensively. The onus for the Broncos’ woes doesn’t fall solely on Webb; the players’ execution and failure to hit open receivers downfield also contributed. Still, the Broncos rank 30th in yards per game (270) and didn’t have the patience to stick with Webb’s play-calling for long.
The Steelers’ defense has taken a big leap under Patrick Graham, improving from 20th (-0.01) to eighth in EPA per play (-0.08) and 26th (356.9) to sixth in yards allowed per game (303.7). Graham, previously a DC for the Dolphins, Giants, and Raiders, has the Steelers playing much more zone coverage than last season, when they ran man coverage at one of the league’s highest rates. As a result, their pass defense has improved, ranking eighth in EPA per pass (-0.08). They’ve also built on one of last season’s main strengths: forcing turnovers. Pittsburgh has forced a turnover in six of seven games so far, including multiple turnovers in five of those contests.
The Bills’ defense has often been the team’s kryptonite in recent playoff losses. So far, that doesn’t appear to be changing under new DC Jim Leonhard. The Bills changed defensive schemes this offseason after firing Sean McDermott and installing a 3-4 scheme under Leonhard. While their run defense has improved moderately (moving from 28th to 15th in rushing yards allowed and from 31st to 25th in EPA per rush), their pass defense has worsened significantly. They rank 31st in passing yards allowed per game (285.8) after ranking first in that metric a season ago (156.9 yards per game). They’ve also dropped from sixth (-0.16) to 29th in EPA per pass allowed (0.20). As a result, they allow 28.5 points per game, ranking 30th. So far, Josh Allen and the offense have mostly outscored their opponents, but that may not hold up in the playoffs.
The Browns’ offense is far from a juggernaut—ranking just 27th in EPA per pass (-0.08) and 24th in passing yards per game (192.7)—but new coach Todd Monken has brought competency to a unit that has too often lacked just that. Last season, the Browns ranked 30th or 31st in yards (262.1) and passing yards per game (165.2), points per game (16.4) and EPA per play (-0.23) while cycling through three starting quarterbacks. The team rebuilt the offensive line and receiving core during the offseason. Monken has done a particularly good job taking advantage, especially in his use of rookie receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Titans’ No. 4 pick Carnell Tate is the only rookie with more receiving yards than Concepcion and Boston this season. Boston, with 372 receiving yards and three touchdowns, is already becoming one of the league’s premier deep threats, ranking first in yards per reception (18.6). While Boston is winning on the outside, Concepcion is doing most of his work in the slot, where he has caught 16 of his 30 receptions for 171 yards and recorded 115 of his 170 yards after the catch from the slot.
KC Concepcion showing off his speed 🏃
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
CLEvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qZVlUdpPyU
After a lackluster 2025 season for the Eagles’ offense, they hired Sean Mannion as their OC to bring in a different offensive scheme. Mannion was hired to install a scheme closer to the Sean McVay-style offense, one that goes under center and uses the middle of the field more than the Eagles did in the Nick Sirianni-Jalen Hurts era.
Early on, the Eagles faced many of the same issues that plagued them in recent seasons, including an inconsistent passing game and second-half struggles. Injuries have stalled any real chance to see whether the Eagles’ offense could improve under Mannion. Lane Johnson retired after Week 4, and players such as Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert and Landon Dickerson have all missed time due to injury, with Hurts slated to miss the remainder of the season. Now, the Eagles are on a five-game losing streak, leaving the future of much of the team up in the air.
Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Giants are thriving despite an injury to Jaxson Dart. Plenty of skepticism surrounded the Giants’ offensive coaching staff after they hired Matt Nagy, Brian Callahan and Greg Roman. So far, they’ve done a good job, especially in handling the adversity that came when Dart went down in Week 2. Several coaches have won with backup quarterbacks this season, but no team has done so more than the Giants. They’ve impressed with how they prepared J.J. McCarthy for his first start, a win over the Texans in which he completed a career-high 71.4% of his passes for 252 yards. It was only one game, but Nagy & Co. certainly deserve credit for getting him ready to both start and succeed within a month of arriving in New York.
Retour
Top
| Politique de confidentialité Conditions d'utilisation Contact |
Actualiser
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Football Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Football Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.