NFL
By: Steve Atkinson
With the NFL Playoffs starting this weekend I thought it would be a good time to layout the best coach quarterback duo in the playoffs.
1. Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
There is no doubt that Reid and Mahomes are probably the best quarterback/coach duo in the playoffs. Reid has done a magnificent job with the Chiefs and his development of Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has grown to be the face of the league for the next decade and has a Super Bowl win already in his career. With Mahomes and Reid together the Chiefs will be good for a while.
2. Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill (Titans)
No question Mike Vrabel has done a remarkable job as head coach of the Tennesse Titans. He has brought Ryan Tannehill who was awful for the Dolphins and saw the potential he had. The Titans are the number one seed in the AFC and have earned that spot thanks to Vrabel and Tannehill.
3. Bruce Arians/Tom Brady (Bucs)
What Tom Brady has done these last two years is not surprising because he is the goat. What Bruce Arians has done is allow him to take over and run the offense. The Arians/Brady duo works because they are both offensive minds and it’s already won them a Super Bowl. You can never bet against Brady especially in the postseason.
4. Matt LaFleur/Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Aaron Rodgers has been great in the regular season and the Packers have earned the number one seed in the NFC Conference. It seems Rodgers gets along with LaFleur, and he allows Rodgers to do what he wants. He has put up MVP numbers this season but so has 44-year-old Tom Brady. As long as Rodgers is with the Packers, they will be unstoppable in the regular season. The postseason is a different story.
5. Matt McCarthy/Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
These two are five because Prescott is a great quarterback, but McCarthy is a bad coach. The duo so far has worked, and they are in the playoffs. But McCarthy is famous for screwing it up in the playoffs especially when he was with the Packers. We’ll see what happens this year but on this list they are five.
6. Sean McDermott/Josh Allen (Bills)
This duo has gotten better recently. The Bills have won the AFC East two years in a row and it seems McDermott and Allen have good chemistry as to what they are trying to do. Allen has improved as a quarterback since McDermott has taken over as head coach. We’ll see how Allen does Saturday night against Mac Jones and the Patriots.
7. Sean McVay/Matthew Stafford (Rams)
McVay is a good coach and Stafford is a good quarterback. Stafford was on a dreadful Lions team then was traded to the Rams and headed to the postseason. It seems the McVay/Stafford duo has worked so far as we head into the postseason.
8. Zac Taylor/Joe Burrow (Bengals)
Rookie quarterback and a rookie coach. First-year after Burrow comes back from a torn ACL, they win the division and are hosting a playoff game this weekend. The future is bright for both Burrow and Taylor and they are about to put the Bengals on the map.
9. Bill Belichick/Mac Jones (Patriots)
Belichick has done a great job developing Mac Jones in his rookie season. Jones who has struggled since the bye shows great mental toughness. He has a bright future with this team and in the league. He has the right coaching behind him to teach him the steps. I think if the Patriots win this game Saturday they will move up on this list.
10. Kyle Shanahan/Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers)
Jimmy Garoppolo despite his injuries has been a good quarterback for the 49ers. Shanahan has stuck by him despite drafting Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has said countless times that Garoppolo is their starter and gives them the best chance to win.
11. Mike Tomlin/Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
The Steelers have snuck into the playoffs in Roethlisberger’s final NFL season. This quarterback coach duo is pretty strong. They have both won a Super Bowl together and Ben has played in some big games and knows how to win when it matters the most. He may not be the same player as he was when he first got into the league, but he has pushed them into the playoffs this year.
12. Nick Sirianni/Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
Sirianni has confidence in quarterback Jalen Hurts who’s making his first career NFL start in the playoffs. Hurts has been tested during the regular season to win the games for the Eagles to get them into the playoffs. They do have a tough test with the defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers Sunday. But for Hurts, he should be up for the challenge.
13. Rich Bisaccia/ Derek Carr (Raiders)
Bisaccia has been the interim head coach for the Raiders since Gruden has been fired. Derek Carr doesn’t seem to mind because of their win against the Chargers on Sunday night they earned a playoff spot. Bisaccia seems to have confidence in Carr which is good heading into the playoffs.
14. Kliff Kingsbury/Kyler Murray (Cardinals)
Kyler Murray will be playing in a big game this weekend against the Rams, but his coach Kliff Kingsbury has all the confidence in the world he will do fine. “I think this is what he’s been waiting for three years,” Kingsbury said of his QB1, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “He’s a guy who wants to be playing for something and knows he’s playing for something.”
