Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
Wild Card Weekend begins Saturday, but playoff teams are not the only organizations with plenty on their plate over the course of the next few weeks. While some squads are looking to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, others are looking for new direction.
The Washington Redskins hired Ron Rivera as their new head coach shortly after he was fired by the Carolina Panthers, and they also brought former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio on board to be the defensive coordinator. Meanwhile, teams like the Cleveland Browns cleaned house, mutually parting ways with general manager John Dorsey after firing head coach Freddie Kitchens.
Needless to say, non-playoff teams are still likely to make plenty of headlines throughout January. Here is the latest pre-playoff buzz surrounding the 2020 coaching vacancies.
Cowboys Expected to Move On From Garrett
The Dallas Cowboys looked like Super Bowl contenders through the first few weeks of the season, starting 3-0 behind the superb play of quarterback Dak Prescott. But things fell apart quickly.
Dallas lost each of their next three, and although they would bounce back to win three of their next four and enter Week 12 at 6-4, they would stumble to a 2-4 finish over their last six games, missing the playoffs in the process.
Speculation that the Cowboys would be moving on from head coach Jason Garrett is apparently soon going to be realized, as Ed Werder of ESPN reported the Cowboys are indeed expected to part ways with Garrett.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a close relationship with Garrett, who has been head coach since 2011 (he took over for Wade Phillips as interim head coach in 2010). Garrett previously served as the offensive coordinator before taking the main job, and he had been a backup quarterback for the Cowboys throughout the 1990s.
However, Garrett has now missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, and he has never made it to an NFC Championship game despite having a number of supremely talented rosters. This year also marked the fourth season since 2011 that the Cowboys have finished with an 8-8 record.
There was still a bit of confusion as of Friday after reports that neither coaches nor players or had been informed of a coaching change, but it might be just a matter of time.
Josh McDaniels Will Conduct Interviews Next Week
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is expected to be a top target for a number of vacancies, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported McDaniels will conduct his interviews on Jan. 10.
The Panthers, Browns and New York Giants have all requested to interview McDaniels, who has built a resume as one of the steadiest and most innovative offensive minds in the game. McDaniels was offensive coordinator for the record-breaking 2007 Patriots, and he eventually returned for a second stint in New England after a two-year run as head coach of the Denver Broncos.
McDaniels is expected to be highly sought-after by a number of teams.Elise Amendola/Associated Press
McDaniels initially agreed to be the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts for the 2018 season, but he suddenly recanted before the Colts hired Frank Reich.
The Browns might be the team to watch here. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reported McDaniels loved Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield even before the Browns selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. Cabot also reported McDaniels would not take the head coaching role if Dorsey were still the general manager, which could also speak to Cleveland’s motives in their decision to move on from Dorsey.
Regardless, McDaniels is sure to generate a lot of buzz, especially considering this might be Tom Brady’s final season with the Patriots given his contract being voided after the season.
Vikings OC Might Be Dark Horse for Browns Job
Another name to watch when it comes to the Browns opening is Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski.
Dan Graziano of ESPN reported Stefanski was initially considered a favorite for the Browns job last year and that “there were people in the Browns’ building strongly in favor of hiring Stefanski, but now-former GM John Dorsey had final say and picked now-former head coach Freddie Kitchens.”
The Browns have not officially requested to interview Stefanski, but their previous interest might make him a top candidate.
The Vikings ranked 10th in football in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) on the offensive side of the ball this season, according to Football Outsiders. Minnesota ranked sixth in rushing yards, and although quarterback Kirk Cousins only threw for 3,603 yards, Football Outsiders still had the Vikings as the tenth-most efficient passing attack in football.
Much like Minnesota, the Browns have a talented group of positional weapons—including Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry—and a quarterback that might benefit from some more balance.
Perhaps Stefanski will be the one to get the Browns back on track.
All stats obtained via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
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