Now that we’re through the first month of the NFL season, it’s a good time to check in on how new head coaches have fared around the league.
Liam Coen has the Jaguars tied with the Colts atop the AFC South standings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the coach in Jacksonville has finally unlocked Trevor Lawrence’s potential.
Saints coach Kellen Moore and Jets coach Aaron Glenn would rather have Coen’s quarterback issues than the uphill battle they have had to face with their respective teams. Both rookie head coaches are heading into October still searching for their first win.
Here are first-quarter report cards for the seven new head coaches in the NFL.
Best moment: Las Vegas is riding a three-game losing streak, but the vibes were at least good in Week 1 with a surprising win in New England.
It initially seemed that Carroll was going to allow offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to step on the gas after green-lighting a Geno Smith pass on third down that went for 36 yards to rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. With the bold move, the Raiders were able to run out the clock and hand the Patriots a loss. But that might have been the last time Carroll made a bold decision for his team.
Then again, it’s difficult to manage games when Smith has a league-high seven interceptions. The Raiders just had four turnovers during their one-point loss against the Bears in Week 4.
Worst moment: Settling for a field goal with the Raiders down double digits in the fourth quarter against the Chargers in Week 2. What’s even worse was that the drive took 11 minutes off the clock. Clearly, Carroll’s team was having trouble moving the ball against one of the best defenses in the league and still didn’t attempt to maximize the rare red zone opportunity.
Carroll’s first four games with the Silver & Black have been filled with conservative moves, but none worse than this spiritless decision on . There weren’t many positives in the first month of the season, but at least it seems that the team has a good pass rush and finally unlocked rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who posted 138 rushing yards and three total touchdowns against Chicago.
Grade: D
