NFL Analysis
10/18/24
5 min read
Should Struggling NFL Teams Stay The Course or Make Big Changes?
Stay the course or make a change?
That’s the question being asked in many NFL cities this week as things start to get ugly going into Week 7 and teams begin to feel like this season might be slipping away.
In Cleveland, fans and the media are not only asking Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski why he is still playing Deshaun Watson at quarterback but also questioning him about whether it was even his decision to make in the first place.
In Tennessee, high-priced acquisition Calvin Ridley unleashed a tirade after yet another poor outing and loss on Sunday. Questions continue to swirl around their quarterback, Will Levis.
In Jacksonville, safety Andre Cisco said he saw a “lot of quit” in some of his teammates, and head coach Doug Pederson called for a “culture change” after the Bears beat down the Jaguars in London.
In Dallas, owner Jerry Jones seemingly threatened to fire radio hosts for asking him questions about the Cowboys' embarrassing 47-9 loss to the Lions on Sunday, his 82nd birthday.
Certainly, there are plenty of questions about the Giants, Jets, Rams, Saints, Cardinals, Raiders, etc, just to name a few.
Yep, it is that time of year in the NFL.
The Winds of Change
It is when anyone and everyone is calling for change after disappointing starts in all of the aforementioned cities and more. But is that the best move?
Based on my experience, the answer would be no.
Look, I get it. It’s a bad time to be a fan of these teams that look like they likely won’t be a legit playoff team or even competitive the rest of the season. I can assure you that the only place it might be more miserable is in one of these NFL facilities.
I was on the Washington team that started 0-5 in 2001 and the 0-4 Buffalo team in 2004.
It’s bad. Some coaches won’t look players in the eyes. People begin to question themselves. There can be in-fighting among sides of the ball. With the anticipation of change, some players and coaches start to wonder if they will be the one, or perhaps one of many, to lose their jobs.
What’s so interesting is that no major changes were made in both instances. No coaches were fired, and no play-callers were stripped of duties. I don’t even remember any players getting benched.
Although, in fairness, head coach Marty Schottenheimer had moved on to Tony Banks after cutting starting quarterback Jeff George. That happened after Week 2, and we had still lost three more games in a row.
Do you know what Schottenheimer did in 2001 and Mike Mularkey did in Buffalo in 2004? They stayed the course. They stuck to their beliefs, doubled down on their core values, and found a way to win a game. And then the next one. And then things snowballed.
In Washington, linebacker Lavar Arrington made a season-changing pick-six against the Panthers, which spurred us to five straight wins and an 8-8 finish. In Buffalo, we went 9-2 after losing those first four and narrowly missed a playoff berth.
Does that mean that all of the aforementioned teams should stand pat? Absolutely not.
It means that you don’t have to make a big change to turn things around after a slow start.
Some Teams Already Panicked
Interestingly, the Jets have already made several major changes. They fired head coach Robert Saleh, switched offensive play callers from Nathaniel Hackett to Todd Downing, and most recently made a huge trade to bring in star WR Davante Adams.
On some level, the Patriots and Panthers have also made big moves. New England benched veteran Jacoby Brissett to put in first-round pick Drake Maye, while the Panthers did the inverse by inserting Andy Dalton in place of last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young.
The Browns made a move, too. However, that wasn’t about trying to turn around this season. Instead, the trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo feels like a white towel waving of sorts for a season that felt over before it even got started.
Could the Cowboys and Jaguars fire their coaches during the season like the Jets? That’s one option and probably the only “major change” possibility since both teams’ starting quarterbacks signed huge contracts in 2024.
Will the Titans bench Levis in favor of Mason Rudolph?
The commonality between Washington in 2001 and Buffalo in 2004 is that in each example, the head coach was in his first year. They didn’t feel like they were on the hot seat because they weren’t.
Some teams have already made their moves, and others haven’t. And some teams never will.
My personal examples are a small sample size, but over time, there are more turnarounds from teams that stay the course than ones who make significant changes.
