Head Coach Ranking

The 5 Best Calls of 2018

By HCR Staff | Feb. 14, 2019

Throughout the 2018 season, Head Coach Ranking highlighted key coaching decisions in our weekly game posts – some good, some bad. Now it’s time to share our favorite and least favorite calls of the year. And since today is Valentine’s Day, we’ll start with the plays we loved…

1. Chargers go for the win
In Week 15, the Los Angeles Chargers were down 28-21 late in Kansas City. They scored a touchdown with seconds left and head coach Anthony Lynn opted to go for two and the win rather than kick an extra point that would force overtime. Philip Rivers hit a wide-open Mike Williams in the flat for the win, 29-28.

We thought this was a smart move for two reasons: 1) the Chargers had Kansas City’s defense reeling at the time; and 2) with the Chiefs’ quick-strike offense, why give Patrick Mahomes a chance to touch the football again?

2. Saints’ fake
With all the controversy in the NFC Championship Game, some fans might forget how close the New Orleans Saints were to not even being in that game. In the divisional playoff game a week earlier, the Philadelphia Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the Superdome. The Saints faced a fourth-and-1 at their own 30-yard line with 11:54 left in the first half. Thomas Morstead came in to punt, but backup quarterback Taysom Hill, who was in to protect, took a direct snap and drove straight ahead for the first down. The drive ended with a Drew Brees TD pass on fourth-and-goal for the Saints’ first points of the game, on the way to a 20-14 victory.

It wasn’t the first fake punt of the season for New Orleans, and it certainly wasn’t the first time they creatively used Hill (you’ll see him again on this list, in fact).

3. Sneaky Rams
The Los Angeles Rams faced a crucial fourth down on their side of the field late in their Week 5 game against the Seattle Seahawks. With 1:39 left to play and nursing a 33-31 lead, the Rams had fourth-and-1 at their own 42. Head coach Sean McVay sent out the punting unit. Seattle called timeout.

This gave the Rams time to reconsider the decision to punt, and the offensive unit came back on the field. Jared Goff plunged forward on a quarterback sneak and got the first down and sealed the game for the Rams.

4. Thrill Hill
As previously mentioned, Saints head coach Sean Payton was never afraid to take the ball out of the hands of his Hall of Fame quarterback and give it to versatile backup Taysom Hill in critical situations. In Week 9 against the Rams, less than four minutes into a scoreless game, the Saints faced a fourth-and-1 at the Rams’ 37. On this play, Hill lined up in the slot. Brees took the snap, lateraled to Hill and then went out to the left flat. The plan was for Hill to pass it to Brees, but he wasn’t open. So Hill tucked the ball away and scrambled nine yards for the first down. The Saints would eventually score on the drive.

This call was representative of Payton’s creative use of Hill throughout the season. Hill made plays as a runner, passer and receiver. And opponents were forced to take the time to prepare for him each week.

5. Bears’ confidence boost
By Week 3, the Bears had not yet emerged as the serious NFC contender they were to become. In fact, they were just 1-1, and trailing the Cardinals 14-3, midway through the second quarter in Arizona. They faced a fourth-and-1 at the Cardinals’ 19. With the offense struggling, it made sense to kick a field goal here and make it a one-score game. Instead, rookie head coach Matt Nagy gave his offense a vote of confidence and kept them on the field.

Mitch Trubisky hit Allen Robinson on a short pass to get the first down, and the drive resulted in a touchdown. The Bears went on to win, 16-14, on their way to an NFC North crown.

Chargers Win a Sloppy Contest and Advance to New England

By HCR Staff | Jan. 6, 2019

A win is a win, no matter how you get it. So after a sloppy win against the Ravens in Baltimore, the Los Angeles Chargers have advanced to play the New England Patriots in a divisional round matchup next Sunday in New England.

The Chargers’ 23-17 win was not a pretty contest. Notwithstanding that, to go cross-country and play an early-morning game on Pacific time against a physical opponent, any kind of victory is impressive.

As fans, we should have seen this kind of game coming, because these two teams played a similar game during the regular season.

The Ravens put the ball on the ground three times early in the game, losing one fumble, and quarterback Lamar Jackson chipped in an interception as well. Even with all this good fortune, the Chargers repeatedly failed to seize control of the game.

It’s not because the Chargers don’t have weapons. But clearly, the Chargers offense does not match up well with the Ravens defense. The Chargers struggled to move the ball all day but relied on four field goals by kicker Michael Badgley to take an early 12-0 lead, a lead that they would never relinquish.

Ravens quarterback Jackson had a difficult time the entire game, but came alive late in the fourth quarter. Trailing 23-3, he nearly brought the Ravens all the way back, and had to make Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn sweat things until the end.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Ravens had minus-2 yards passing and threatened to be the first team in NFL history to end a game with negative yards passing. If the Ravens intend to enter the 2019 season with Jackson as their quarterback, they clearly have to continue to refine him as a passer.

We anticipate the Chargers will perform much better at New England next Sunday. They have the weapons to keep the Patriots guessing on defense, and their defense matches up favorably with New England’s skill players. The biggest concern will be another cross-country trip, as well as an early Pacific time kickoff for the game. Both teams will have a lot of work to do this week in preparation as they did not play each other during the regular season.

Finally, with the Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs game being played on Saturday, and if the Colts should win that game, both the Chargers and Patriots will know the victor will host the AFC Championship Game.

Los Angeles Chargers 23, Denver Broncos 9 – Dec. 30, 2018

At Denver
4:25 p.m. ET
51 degrees

TEAM PLAY
CALLING		 PERSONNEL GAME
PLANNING		 IN-GAME
ADJ		 CLOCK
MGMT		 HCR
LAC 7 6 7 8 7 7.0
DEN 6 6 6 6 8 6.4

Key Coaching Decision #1: (DEN ball, trailing 14-9 / 2-point conversion attempt / 10:10 Q4)
• A two-point conversion attempt from Case Keenum to wide receiver Courtland Sutton is intercepted by Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward. Not only does the conversion attempt fail, but Heyward returns the ball the other way for a two-point score for the Chargers. Rather than kick a PAT that would have it a 14-10 game, it is a seven point advantage for the Chargers (16-9). On the next possession, the Chargers score a touchdown and kick the PAT to give them an unsurmountable 23-9 lead.

• We understand why the Broncos went for two, but there was plenty of time remaining in the contest where they could have kicked the PAT and stayed within four points of the Chargers.

Key Observations:
• The Broncos were without rookie running back sensation Phillip Lindsay, as he was injured in Week 16.

• The win over the Broncos gave the Chargers a 7-1 road record. They have won six games in a row and face the Baltimore Ravens on the road during the upcoming Wild Card weekend.

• This was Vance Joseph’s final game as head coach. He finishes his Broncos head coaching tenure with an 11-21 record.

• Denver failed to get any points off two turnovers in the first quarter, both of them Philip Rivers interceptions.

• Melvin Gordon seemed to have turned an ankle late in the fourth quarter of a meaningless game (Kansas City was dominating Oakland, which meant the Chargers were locked into the No. 5 seed). Gordon was hurt earlier in the season during the third quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Key Observations From Week 17 in the NFL

By HCR Staff | Dec. 31, 2018

Here are some key observations from the final week of the 2018 NFL regular season:

• The Cleveland Browns clearly will be a contending team in 2019, and one of their best players is wide receiver Antonio Callaway. He is one of the most natural receivers in the league, and he also is a dangerous kick returner. If mid-season pickup Breshad Perriman continues to improve, then the trio of Callaway, Perriman and Jarvis Landry will form a terrific receiving group for quarterbacks Baker Mayfield. Add in tight end David Njoku, and the Browns are going to put up points.

• Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles for clinching a playoff spot. While Carson Wentz remains their future and franchise quarterback, backup quarterback Nick Foles brings a different and more calming influence to the Eagles offense. One thing he possibly does better than Wentz is playing within himself. Wentz, of course, is a marvelous athlete, and he has a strong belief that he can exert his physical will on every game. While this is admirable, this trait often leads him to play out of control and in a frenzy at times. Foles, on the other hand, takes what the defense gives him and understand precisely what he can or cannot do. As a result, the Eagles have looked more efficient on offense with Foles in recent weeks.

• The Arizona Cardinals played one of their better games of the season but, ironically, it also may have been the last game for head coach Steve Wilks. If that is the case, one issue Cardinals management will have to contend with will be another potential rebuilding of the defensive philosophy. When Wilks came into the job, he started transforming the Cardinals’ defensive personnel and that could be an issue that will hinder progress in 2019.

• It has been fashionable lately to criticize Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for the team’s failures. We see it somewhat differently, however. One of the big personnel failures for the Vikings in recent years has been the neglect of their offensive line. This unit will have to be a priority in the offseason. The Indianapolis Colts have shown what a rebuilt offensive line can do, and that is a model for the Vikings to emulate.

• We remain steadfast in our belief that San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the best young head coaches in the game. However, he desperately needs a strong turn of luck in the injury department. In Sunday’s loss to the Rams, the 49ers lost yet another running back when promising undrafted rookie Jeff Wilson was carted off; starting guard Laken Tomlinson also was carted off with what appeared to be a serious leg injury. We see the 49ers as one of the surprise teams for 2019 and a contender for the division… if they can stay healthy.

• The Los Angeles Chargers offense needs to get untracked in a hurry. Once again, they played an uninspiring game on Sunday, letting Denver hang around for far too long. We feel that recent injuries to running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler have brought the offense to a halt. As good as quarterback Philip Rivers is, we feel the Chargers need to have a robust running game if they are going to advance in the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens 22, Los Angeles Chargers 10 – Dec. 22, 2018

At Los Angeles
8:20 p.m. ET
60 degrees

TEAM PLAY
CALLING		 PERSONNEL GAME
PLANNING		 IN-GAME
ADJ		 CLOCK
MGMT		 HCR
BAL 8 9 9 9 9 8.8
LAC 7 7 6 7 7 6.8

Key Coaching Decision #1: (BAL ball, leading 3-0 / fourth-and-1, LAC 2 / 12:15 Q2)
• Baltimore decides to go for it on fourth down. Lamar Jackson threw an incomplete pass to Michael Crabtree in the end zone; Crabtree was also called for pass interference on the play.

Key Coaching Decision #2: (BAL ball, leading 3-0 / fourth-and-1, LAC 39 / 6:24 Q2)
• Facing a fourth-and-short in Chargers territory, the Ravens went for it on fourth down. Lamar Jackson ran up the middle for a short gain and the first down. The drive ended with a Ravens field goal to extend the lead.

Key Observations:
• Baltimore controlled the game on the ground and won the time of possession battle. They had over 150 yards on the ground as running back Gus Edwards led the way with 92 yards.

• The Ravens defense was incredible in the win over the Chargers. They held a top-10 offense to 198 yards of total offense in the game. When you consider that Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon was back from injury, it’s even that much more impressive of a performance.

• Lamar Jackson only completed 54 percent of his passes but made plays when he needed, including a 68-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Mark Andrews.

• If the season ended today these teams would have a rematch in Baltimore in the wild card round.

ABOUT HCR

Headcoachranking.com assigns a grade to the in-game performance of NFL head coaches each week.  Our knowledgeable graders analyze each head coach’s performance in 5 key areas of decision making. After determining their “HCR” (Head Coach Ranking), we rank them from best to worst. HCR rankings are posted every Tuesday of the NFL season, and fans will be able to track each coach’s performance throughout the season.

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