Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
It has been a wild 24 hours in the NFL. After Mike Vrabel got fired on Tuesday, I didn't think that things could possibly get any crazier this week, but I was definitely wrong about that. In a span of 18 hours, we saw a total changing of the guard in the NFL with two of the league's most successful coaches -- Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick -- both losing their job.
If you throw in the fact that Nick Saban also retired, it's been a shocking period in the world of football coaching. In today's newsletter, we'll be looking at possible landings spots for Belichick, plus breaking down coaching candidates for the Seahawks. Also, Brady Quinn will explain why playing in cold weather can be such a challenge for quarterbacks.
As always, here's your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let's get to the rundown.
1. Today's show: Two former NFL players break down the latest NFL news
For today's episode of the "Pick Six NFL" podcast, we brought on two former NFL players to break down all of the latest NFL news: Brady Quinn and Leger Douzable.
Host Will Brinson joined them during Thursday's show, and the three of them had an interesting conversation about what it's like to play football in sub-zero weather. The weather is expected to be under 10 degrees when the Chiefs and Dolphins kickoff on Saturday night, which is bad news for the Dolphins, who have lost 10 straight games when the weather is under 40 degrees.
Why is it so tough to play in cold-weather? Quinn, who spent three seasons in Cleveland and one in Kansas City, outlined the three reasons why playing in cold weather can be so difficult, especially for quarterbacks.
"When you think about how cold weather impacts the game, there are three things that stand out," Quinn said. "The first is the grip of the football. If it's cold, the QB can wear a glove on their off-hand, glove on both hands. The problem is that once you put a glove on your throwing hand, you can not take it off. It feels so different. You have to commit."
If you don't usually wear a glove on your throwing hand, but decided to in the cold, that can also throw things off. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has already said he WON'T be wearing a glove, which means his hands will be exposed to the frigid temperatures.
"The other issue is wind," Quinn said. "In Buffalo, it's going to be windy and that's what makes it really difficult for quarterbacks. If you're having a hard time throwing a spiral, that wind, if it's a cross-wind, or going one-direction, could impact the spiral and how far you can throw the ball down field."
The third issue for Quinn is one that other players don't really think about. Before a cold-weather game, some players will slap some Vaseline on their body to stay warm, but there's a downside to that.
"They're putting vaseline on their sleeves or arms and so then, it gets on the ball, and that thing would be slick all of a sudden," Quinn said. "You think it's funny, but the reality is, you get a snap and it's slippery, just because some vaseline got stuck on there because some [Vaseline-covered] running back was carrying the ball."
If you want to hear their full thoughts on the situation, then be sure to click here so you can listen to today's episode. The three guys also broke down Pete Carroll's departure from Seattle and how they feel about postseason revenge games like Jared Goff against the Rams. If you prefer your podcasts in video form, you can also watch today's episode on YouTube by clicking here.
2. Bill Belichick parts ways with Patriots: Ranking the best landing spots for the six-time Super Bowl winner
After 24 seasons, the New England Patriots have decided to move on from Bill Belichick (You can check out our full story here).
The 71-year-old will be leaving New England after arguably the most successful head coaching stint in NFL history. During his time with the Patriots, Belichick won six Super Bowls, he led the Patriots to a victory in NINE AFC title games and he won 17 division titles. He also holds the record for most playoff wins (31) by a coach in NFL history and his 333 career victories are the second-most in NFL history, behind only Don Shula (347).
Although some coaches will take a year off after losing their job, that's not likely going to happen with Belichick. At 71, he doesn't have time to take a year off, which means if he stills wants to coach, he's almost certainly going to be on an NFL sideline in 2024. With that in mind, Tyler Sullivan came up with several possible landings spots for the coaching legend.
- Commanders. "As is the case whenever a new owner comes into the picture, they typically like to make a big splash out of the gate. Well, what bigger splash would there be than to bring Belichick aboard to reset the franchise going forward? For Belichick, the Commanders present a situation where he could have total control of the team in a similar fashion that he does with the Patriots now."
- Chargers. "Along with Brandon Staley, the Chargers also fired GM Tom Telesco, which would pave the way for Belichick to retain power across the entire operation in a similar fashion he did in New England. This job may be the most attractive and that's mostly because of Justin Herbert."
- Falcons. "This is an intriguing one for Belichick and CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones even called it the most logical landing spot for the legendary coach. For someone that has struggled to draft offensive skill position players, the Falcons have them in spades with the likes of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts already on the roster. Belichick could simply focus on building other parts of the roster out while looking to maximize the talent of those players."
You can check out Sullivan's full list here.
With the Patriots now getting set to start a coaching search for the first time since January 2000, we though we'd kickstart their search for them by ranking the best candidates for the job.
- 1. Jerod Mayo. "Mayo, who has been a defensive play-caller for the Patriots for the last handful of years, has been pegged as a potential successor to Belichick with Kraft himself even saying this offseason that he is "definitely a strong candidate to be the heir apparent." That effort by ownership to retain him, along with Mayo forgoing any head coaching interviews last offseason, only added more smoke to that potential outcome."
- 2. Mike Vrabel. "Tennessee fired Vrabel as their head coach following the 2023 season, but is still regarded as one of the top in-game coaches in the league and would certainly be a top option for New England given his relationship with the Kraft family. Vrabel played for the Patriots from 2001 thru 2008."
- 3. Lions OC Ben Johnson. "Detroit's Ben Johnson will be a popular name that is brought up and could end up being the most sought-after head coaching candidate this cycle. Johnson has been the offensive coordinator with the Lions since 2022 and has been a hot name as a future head coach."
If you want to see Sullivan's full list of possible candidates, be sure to click here.
If you want to stay up to date on all seven coaching searches going on around the league, including the latest interviews and the hottest candidates, be sure to check out our coaching tracker here.
3. Pete Carroll out in Seattle: Ranking the best candidates to replace him
The Seahawks sent shockwaves through the NFL on Wednesday by parting ways with Pete Carroll, who had been the team's coach since 2010 (You can read our full story here). The one-time Super Bowl champion is leaving the team as the winningest coach in franchise history with a record of 137-89-1.
Although Carroll is no longer the head coach, he'll be staying on with the team as an advisor. Carroll met with the media on Wednesday and he had some interesting things to day.
- He might not be done coaching. Carroll was asked if he would be open to being a head coach somewhere else and he didn't exactly shoot the idea down. "I have to wait and see," Carroll said. "Today is about today. I don't know that." That sounds like someone who wants to continue coaching.
- Carroll won't be helping with the search to find his replacement. Carroll was asked if he would help with the coaching search and he said that would be handled by general manager John Schneider.
If Carroll was truly advising the team, you'd think they'd want at least some of his input when making a hire, but apparently, that's not the case. Although the Seahawks won't be listening to Carroll, they might want to listen to CBSSports.com's Cody Benjamin, who came up with a list of candidates that the team should consider for the new opening.
- 1. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn. "Quinn, 53, has the most obvious ties to Carroll and the Seahawks, hence Seattle already eyeing him as a possible successor, per CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. Before running Dallas' playmaking defense and serving more than five years as the Falcons' head coach, Quinn made a name for himself as Carroll's defensive coordinator from 2013-2014, the two seasons Seattle's "Legion of Boom" unit propelled a pair of Super Bowl appearances."
- 2. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. "The dramatic irony would be unmatched here, considering Harbaugh, 60, was a noted rival of Carroll both in college and in the NFL. But sometimes fierce competitions breed championship results. Harbaugh has thrived on the West Coast at both levels, and the Seahawks are arguably built to compete sooner rather than later."
- 3. Seahawks OC Shane Walderon. "Carroll staying within the organization could signal an effort to maintain as much continuity as possible, in which case Waldron, 44, makes a world of sense as an in-house promotion. After four years under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, he became Seattle's OC in 2021, helping the team make a seamless transition from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith under center."
If you want to see Cody's full list of possible candidates, be sure to click here.
4. Ranking the playoff coaching staffs: Ravens take the top spot
When it comes to the playoffs, the two teams on the field can be so evenly matched that the difference in the game will sometimes come down to who has the better coaching on the sideline. With that in mind, CBSSports.com's Jared Dubin decided to rank the coaching staffs of every playoff team.
Although Dubin ranked all 14 teams, we're only going to cover his top five here:
1. Ravens: HC John Harbaugh, OC Todd Monken, DC Mike Macdonald. "Baltimore has remade its staff over the past two years, and could not possibly have done a better job. Harbaugh's willingness to pivot strategies and styles to maximize his roster is his greatest skill, and hiring Macdonald and then Monken to lead each side of the ball were masterful strokes."
2. Chiefs: HC Andy Reid, OC Matt Nagy, DC Steve Spagnuolo. "If you want to doubt Andy Reid, you do so at your own peril. And Spagnuolo's defense this year is by far the best it's been since he arrived in Kansas City."
3. 49ers: HC Kyle Shanahan, Run-game Coordinator Chris Foerster, DC Steve Wilks. "Shanahan is the NFL's best play caller and offensive designer. There's a reason that every team in the league is trying to borrow from him, and why his offense essentially operates as a Death Star when it has all the important pieces healthy and on the field."
4. Rams: HC Sean McVay, OC Mike LaFleur, DC Raheem Morris. "McVay has almost completely overhauled his offense's style from where it was during the Jared Goff years, better matching the scheme to fit his personnel... And what Raheem Morris did with one of the league's youngest defenses around Aaron Donald was wildly impressive."
5. Dolphins: HC Mike McDaniel, OC Frank Smith, DC Vic Fangio. "McDaniel is able to generate open space better than pretty much anybody in the league. There's a reason half the teams in football stole his motion and concepts during the season. The guy knows what he's doing. And once the defense got healthy, Fangio had them playing at as high a level as any group in the NFL over the second half of the year. The Dolphins are now decimated by injury, but they're arguably the league's most innovative staff right now, and that matters."
If you want to see Dubin's entire rankings, be sure to click here.
5. NFLPA names its second-annual All-Pro team
For the past eight decades the Associated Press has been voting for the NFL's All-Pro team, but apparently, players were tired of being judged by media members, because the NFLPA is now also releasing its own All-Pro team.
This marks the second year that the NFLPA has decided to vote on its own All-Pro team. The NFLPA version, which was released Wednesday, won't replace the AP version as the official All-Pro team used by the NFL, but since the NFLPA version involves players voting for other players, it's very fascinating to see who made the cut.
With that in mind, here's the NFLPA's offensive All-Pro team for 2023:
OFFENSE
QB: Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
RB: Christian McCaffrey (49ers)
FB: Kyle Juszczyk (49ers)
WR: CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys)
WR: Tyreek Hill (Dolphins)
TE: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
LT: Trent Williams (49ers)
LG (TIE): Joel Bitonio (Browns), Tyler Smith (Cowboys)
C: Jason Kelce (Eagles)
RG: Zack Martin (Cowboys)
RT: Lane Johnson (Eagles)
Seven of the 11 offensive players above were also voted to the All-Pro team last year. The only newcomers are Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb. (Tyler Smith is also a newcomer, but we also have a repeat at left guard because Joel Bitonio was on last year's team). Overall, the Cowboys have the most players on the NFLPA's All-Pro team with five. However, Micah Parsons was not one of the players. Also, the Bills got totally snubbed with zero players on the list.
If you want to see who made it on the defensive side of the ball or on special teams, be sure to click here.
6. Extra points: NFL reveals home teams for international games in 2024
It's been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Four teams headed to Europe. The NFL has revealed the four home teams for the European games that will be played in 2024. The Bears, Vikings and Jaguars will host a game in London while the Panthers will host the league's one game in Germany. As for the NFL's first-ever Brazilian game, the league hasn't revealed the home team for that yet.
- Bears don't commit to Justin Fields. The Bears will be keeping their options open at QB this offseason. The team could either keep Justin Fields or select a QB with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Bears GM Ryan Poles wouldn't commit to keeping Fields when asked about it this week.
- NFL TV ratings are way up. The NFL was already popular going into the 2023 season, and now, it seems that the league has gotten even more popular, at least according to the TV ratings for this past season. The NFL averaged 17.9 million viewers during the regular season in 2023, which is tied for the league's second-highest average since 1995. It's also an increase of 7% compared to last season, according to ESPN.com.
- Joe Flacco looking to set NFL record. Flacco currently has seven road playoffs wins in his career, which is tied with Tom Brady for the most in NFL history. If the Browns beat the Texans on Saturday, then Flacco will hold the record all to himself. All of this from a guy who spent the first 11 weeks of the season on his mom's couch.
