Eight weeks of the 2024 NFL season are in the books, which means we're about halfway through the schedule. It seems like a fair time to check in on the first-year head coaches, of which there are eight. Five of those eight are true first-timers, while three are on their latest top gigs with new teams. All of them, of course, are trying to prove their worth. So how are they faring?
Here's how we'd rank them after eight weeks:
8. Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers)
Record: 1-7 | Point Differential: -147 (32nd)
No one really expected the Panthers to be contenders. But a little progress would've been nice. Maybe Bryce Young really isn't cut out for the NFL game at this juncture, and Canales' group has been further weathered by injuries, such as to defensive anchor Derrick Brown. Still, save for the mirage that was the Andy Dalton spark, they've not even been competitive. Like the many coaches before him under owner David Tepper, Canales probably isn't chief to blame. He's also yet to truly elevate the club.
7. Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans)
Record: 1-6 | Point Differential: -76 (31st)
There's a mild case to be made that Callahan warrants even more flak than Canales considering the amount of veteran resources poured into his offensive infrastructure this offseason. Was this team ever truly built to contend? Probably not. Still, they should've had far more than one win in seven games within such an atrocious division. While quarterback Will Levis already played with risky flair, his apparent regression as a decision-maker under Callahan's watch is perhaps most concerning.
6. Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders)
Record: 2-6 | Point Differential: -66 (29th)
Quarterback has been a central issue in Las Vegas (sound familiar?), with Pierce waffling between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. It's hard to give him a full offensive evaluation given the dearth of star talent in the wake of Davante Adams' exit. Still, he appointed Luke Getsy as the play-caller, and his own in-game decision-making has been puzzling at times. Throw in the fact his defense has allowed many double-digit deficits, and the luster is probably all the way worn off from his 2023 interim stint.
5. Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots)
Record: 2-6 | Point Differential: -73 (30th)
New England has remained scrappy, most recently in an upset of the rival New York Jets, amid a slew of mild Mayo-generated controversies, including the coach directly calling his own team "soft" and at one point prompting internal speculation of a "mutiny" over hesitance to start rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Is Bill Belichick's successor really wired to shepherd Maye and Co. in the modern NFL? Time will tell. For now, he's been a mixed bag with a stripped-down roster, getting fight more than rhythmic results.
4. Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks)
Record: 4-4 | Point Differential: -5 (18th)
The Seahawks looked like a defensive juggernaut after a 3-0 start, but then injuries took their toll on the former Baltimore Ravens coordinator's signature unit. Discipline has been an even bigger issue of late, including in a telling Week 8 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. A .500 mark in a wide-open NFC West isn't a horrible place to be, but unless DK Metcalf returns and saves the day for the Geno Smith-led offense, Macdonald may have his hands full. His group has been quite dependent on its star power.
3. Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons)
Record: 5-3 | Point Differential: -1 (17th)
It's one thing to scrape by each week to stay in the win column. It's another to earn genuine buy-in from around the locker room. Morris seems to have the pulse of his group, including veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, and they've produced some high-wire performances against legitimate opponents, including a sweep of the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dare we call them clutch? In truth, they'll probably go as Cousins goes, but the way this partnership has begun, a playoff run doesn't seem far-fetched at all.
2. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers)
Record: 4-3 | Point Differential: +41 (10th)
The former San Francisco 49ers coach entered a unique situation, bringing a dominant resume to a rebuilding lineup. So far, he's done about exactly as expected, restoring the Chargers as a tough, respectable challenger in the AFC West. We've yet to see a true offensive explosion, as they've leaned into old-school ball, but Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and Co. are making strides through the air. If they can find yet another gear as a passing offense, we might be sniffing a wild-card player, after all.
1. Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders)
Record: 6-2 | Point Differential: +69 (2nd)
There's little doubt that rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is the biggest reason Washington is a surprise leader in the NFC East, much like C.J. Stroud single-handedly elevated everyone's stock with the Houston Texans in 2023. Still, Quinn outfitted his young signal-caller with a perfect coordinator in Kliff Kingsbury, and the head coach's veteran defense has quietly beaten up on inferior foes along the way. For an aging retread whose hire felt curiously uninspired, Quinn has exceeded all expectations at the halfway point, infusing Washington's locker room and fan base with not only a been-there attitude but newfound hope.
