NFL Head Coaches: Ranking the AFC North

by Guest Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:27 pm

NFL Head Coaches: Ranking the AFC North

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[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.](Correspondent) on April 1, 2012

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On Friday I began my list of head coach rankings, broken down by division.

Up first was the AFC East, headlined by a guy that few other coaches in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] history—much less in today’s game—stack up to in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

In the AFC North, our next stop on the tour, the gap between the top competitor and the rest of the field isn’t so wide, as you could justifiably make a case for a pair of coaches as being the best.

But in the end, only one coach has laid his hands on the most prized trophy in all of football, and for that [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] takes the cake as the AFC North’s finest.

1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Tomlin isn’t just amongst the most enjoyable press conferences you’ll witness amongst coaches, he’s also a—still young—coaching superstar. He already has a Super Bowl trophy on his resume and nearly secured another one during the 2010 season.

Some will point to the loaded roster Tomlin inherited, but history in sports has shown that taking over for a legend—which he did in following Bill Cowher—is no easy task.

Tomlin has earned the respect of his veterans and helped catalyze a youth movement that includes the development of young skill players such as Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, as well as offensive line anchor Maurkice Pouncey.

2. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

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Trust me, the gap between Harbaugh and Tomlin was supremely slim. Harbaugh mans a Baltimore team that exemplifies toughness in football, and his teams are amongst the best prepared on a week-in, week-out basis.

Like Tomlin, Harbaugh took over a roster with more than enough ready-made pieces, and he’s been able to establish consistency in winning, especially at home.

Before the 2011 season, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] infamously [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.](amongst other things) that the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] were inches away from competing for a Super Bowl trophy. How right he was, as a Lee Evans drop in the AFC championship kept them from playing the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

With Harbaugh leading the way, the Ravens won't ever be far from contention.

3. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

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The 2011 season was resurgent for the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] franchise, Lewis included. More than a few people asked the question of whether or not Lewis was the right man to lead a rebuilding effort in Cincinnati, but he proved fit for the task in paving the way to nine wins and a playoff berth last year.

Lewis has a unique way about himself and how he handles his players publicly, but winning games will continue to buy him time in Cincinnati. If he can continue his young nucleus on the development path, the Bengals are primed to challenge Baltimore and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in the division for years to come.

4. Pat Shurmur, Cleveland Browns

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Despite the fact that he has coached a full season, we really don’t know much about Shurmur other than the offensive system he wants to run.

The [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] were a trendy pick to overachieve in the beginning of 2011 with what looked like a cakewalk schedule in the first 11 games, but that proved not to be the case, and Shurmur’s head coaching career started out rockier than he likely bargained for.

What will it take for us to know what he’s made of? Well, finding a quarterback for the team to commit to long-term will help, and it appears Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M may be their target in the draft. Until then, the story remains incomplete on Shurmur.

by Guest Mon Oct 01, 2012 11:57 pm

HAHA...SHITS FUNNY...AND BEING TEH BEST OF 4 PILES OF SHIT ISNT NO GRAND ACHIEVMNET..HAHAHA...HES BASICALLY IN HIS 7TH YEAR AS COACH..AND ALL TEHY CAN NAME IS 3 PLAYERS HES ADDED TO TEH YOUTH MOVEMNET...3 KRUMMY ASS PLAYERS IN 7 YEARS...WHAT ABOUT TEH DOZENS OF LOSERS?..NO COMMENT?......THIS IS WHAT SWRONG WITH YOU..YOU HANG YOUR OPINIONS AND FACTS AND HAT ON BULLSHIT....THIS ARTICLE MEANS JACK SHIT...NOR IS IT ANY KINDA FACT...HE WOULDNT HAVE WON KRAP WITH OUT TEH TEAM HE INHERITED...PERIOD...AND HE WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED A MEDIOCRE TEAM INTO A SUPER BOWL CHAMP EITHER....THIS IS JUST MORE MODREN DAY PROPAGANDA TO PROP A PERSON UP....WHO GIVES TWO FLYIN' TERDS WHAT THIS IDIOT JOURNALIST THINKS....

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:12 am

ID QUIT GIVIN' DIEHARD SUCH A HARD TIME..IF TEH GUY COULD EVER DISCUSS TOMLIN RATIONALLY...ITS ALL ASS KISSING GLORIFICATION AT ALL COSTS..AND NEVER EVEN TEH S LIGHTEST ADMISSION OF MIKE TOMLINS MISTAKES..ITS ALWAYS A EXCUSE..OR BLAME DEFLECTION GAME...NEVER ONE BAD WORD EVER ABOUT HIS COACHING..TEHERS PLENTY TO POINT OUT...YET THEY DONT EXIST IN HIS WORLD...SO UNTIL HE JOINS REALITY I WILL CONTINUE TO PUNK HIM..

by **Admin** Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:24 am

DaRKMuMMySauRuS wrote:ID QUIT GIVIN' DIEHARD SUCH A HARD TIME..IF TEH GUY COULD EVER DISCUSS TOMLIN RATIONALLY...ITS ALL ASS KISSING GLORIFICATION AT ALL COSTS..AND NEVER EVEN TEH S LIGHTEST ADMISSION OF MIKE TOMLINS MISTAKES..ITS ALWAYS A EXCUSE..OR BLAME DEFLECTION GAME...NEVER ONE BAD WORD EVER ABOUT HIS COACHING..TEHERS PLENTY TO POINT OUT...YET THEY DONT EXIST IN HIS WORLD...SO UNTIL HE JOINS REALITY I WILL CONTINUE TO PUNK HIM..

I want you to come up with 10 good things about him. And die will come up with ten good things.Do it...

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 1:52 am

Admin wrote:
DaRKMuMMySauRuS wrote:ID QUIT GIVIN' DIEHARD SUCH A HARD TIME..IF TEH GUY COULD EVER DISCUSS TOMLIN RATIONALLY...ITS ALL ASS KISSING GLORIFICATION AT ALL COSTS..AND NEVER EVEN TEH S LIGHTEST ADMISSION OF MIKE TOMLINS MISTAKES..ITS ALWAYS A EXCUSE..OR BLAME DEFLECTION GAME...NEVER ONE BAD WORD EVER ABOUT HIS COACHING..TEHERS PLENTY TO POINT OUT...YET THEY DONT EXIST IN HIS WORLD...SO UNTIL HE JOINS REALITY I WILL CONTINUE TO PUNK HIM..

I want you to come up with 10 good things about him. And die will come up with ten good things.Do it...

10 GOOD THINGS ABOUT WHO?..DIEHARD OR TOMLIN

by Toddseahawks Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:40 am

DaRKMuMMySauRuS wrote:
Admin wrote:
DaRKMuMMySauRuS wrote:ID QUIT GIVIN' DIEHARD SUCH A HARD TIME..IF TEH GUY COULD EVER DISCUSS TOMLIN RATIONALLY...ITS ALL ASS KISSING GLORIFICATION AT ALL COSTS..AND NEVER EVEN TEH S LIGHTEST ADMISSION OF MIKE TOMLINS MISTAKES..ITS ALWAYS A EXCUSE..OR BLAME DEFLECTION GAME...NEVER ONE BAD WORD EVER ABOUT HIS COACHING..TEHERS PLENTY TO POINT OUT...YET THEY DONT EXIST IN HIS WORLD...SO UNTIL HE JOINS REALITY I WILL CONTINUE TO PUNK HIM..

I want you to come up with 10 good things about him. And die will come up with ten good things.Do it...

10 GOOD THINGS ABOUT WHO?..DIEHARD OR TOMLIN

Tomlin

by Toddseahawks Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:41 am

Admin wrote:
DaRKMuMMySauRuS wrote:ID QUIT GIVIN' DIEHARD SUCH A HARD TIME..IF TEH GUY COULD EVER DISCUSS TOMLIN RATIONALLY...ITS ALL ASS KISSING GLORIFICATION AT ALL COSTS..AND NEVER EVEN TEH S LIGHTEST ADMISSION OF MIKE TOMLINS MISTAKES..ITS ALWAYS A EXCUSE..OR BLAME DEFLECTION GAME...NEVER ONE BAD WORD EVER ABOUT HIS COACHING..TEHERS PLENTY TO POINT OUT...YET THEY DONT EXIST IN HIS WORLD...SO UNTIL HE JOINS REALITY I WILL CONTINUE TO PUNK HIM..

I want you to come up with 10 good things about him. And die will come up with ten good things.Do it...

Whoops.I ment die will come up with ten bad things.

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:27 pm

How old is that acticle? It's talking about these coaches before the draft. Can we have current events please?

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:28 pm

Dmounts wrote:How old is that acticle? It's talking about these coaches before the draft. Can we have current events please?

I'd say its pretty accurate after 4 games. Tomlin/Harbaugh may be even, but remember Tomlins dealing with a ton of injuries the Ravens are loaded. Shurmer might be the worst coach in football..

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:32 pm

Good coaches deal with injuries. New England comes to mind after losing Brady. Do you think Tomlin could still win and make the playoffs without Pig Ben?

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:46 pm

Dmounts wrote:Good coaches deal with injuries. New England comes to mind after losing Brady. Do you think Tomlin could still win and make the playoffs without Pig Ben?

The article was about the AFC North. New England is in the East. Would Harbaugh win if Flaco went down?

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:53 pm

I think he could. He has a decent running game, a good defense, and decent wideouts. Flacco would be missed but Harbaugh would be alright.

So I answered your question now answer mine. If Ben goes down would Tomlin make the playoffs?

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:56 pm

captnbrojangles wrote:
Dmounts wrote:Good coaches deal with injuries. New England comes to mind after losing Brady. Do you think Tomlin could still win and make the playoffs without Pig Ben?

The article was about the AFC North. New England is in the East. Would Harbaugh win if Flaco went down?

Well, considering Flacco doesn't do a whole lot, I'd say he could still win without him. In fact, I bet if we gave them Leftwhich they could go to the Super Bowl. Smile

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:58 pm

Dmounts wrote:I think he could. He has a decent running game, a good defense, and decent wideouts. Flacco would be missed but Harbaugh would be alright.

So I answered your question now answer mine. If Ben goes down would Tomlin make the playoffs?

right now-no.

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:01 pm

OK then if for some reason like the NFL said Tomlin broke some rules and couldn't coach the rest of the season and Ben remains healthy could the steeler still make the playoffs?

by foghorn Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:02 pm

captnbrojangles wrote:
Dmounts wrote:I think he could. He has a decent running game, a good defense, and decent wideouts. Flacco would be missed but Harbaugh would be alright.

So I answered your question now answer mine. If Ben goes down would Tomlin make the playoffs?

right now-no.

I don't know.... Leftwich isn't same caliber as Ben... but I think he could do enough. I'm not so worried about the offense... it's the defense that hasn't showed so far.

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:05 pm

Dmounts wrote:OK then if for some reason like the NFL said Tomlin broke some rules and couldn't coach the rest of the season and Ben remains healthy could the steeler still make the playoffs?

what is it with you and these hypothetical's. Cant answer that one. too many variables to consider.
Would you consider Sean Payton as one of the best coaches in the league? cause he is looking like a damn genius about now!

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:21 pm

I believe he is a very good coach. I also believe that a lot of other people involved in that organization are also missing or on leave. I also believe that a lot of the distractions between the NFL and the Saints have caused issues outside of the football field that any team would have trouble fighting through.

The only variable is your head coach wouldn't be there, no missing players, no banned defensive coordinator, no assistant coach's missing, just Tomlin. What's so hard to answer.

by foghorn Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:24 pm

Dmounts wrote:I believe he is a very good coach. I also believe that a lot of other people involved in that organization are also missing or on leave. I also believe that a lot of the distractions between the NFL and the Saints have caused issues outside of the football field that any team would have trouble fighting through.

The only variable is your head coach wouldn't be there, no missing players, no banned defensive coordinator, no assistant coach's missing, just Tomlin. What's so hard to answer.

Personally, I think if your talking about one player or coach, i don't think there'd be that much a drop-off. In some cases the difference in attitude has caused the opposite to happen... an improvement.

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:26 pm

DiehardSteelersfan wrote:
captnbrojangles wrote:
Dmounts wrote:Good coaches deal with injuries. New England comes to mind after losing Brady. Do you think Tomlin could still win and make the playoffs without Pig Ben?

The article was about the AFC North. New England is in the East. Would Harbaugh win if Flaco went down?

Well, considering Flacco doesn't do a whole lot, I'd say he could still win without him. In fact, I bet if we gave them Leftwhich they could go to the Super Bowl.

No, really Flacco is their best QB so I'm sure that he does make a difference but the Raven's do have a more complete team than the Steelers right now.

by Guest Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:33 pm

foghorn wrote:
Dmounts wrote:I believe he is a very good coach. I also believe that a lot of other people involved in that organization are also missing or on leave. I also believe that a lot of the distractions between the NFL and the Saints have caused issues outside of the football field that any team would have trouble fighting through.

The only variable is your head coach wouldn't be there, no missing players, no banned defensive coordinator, no assistant coach's missing, just Tomlin. What's so hard to answer.
Personally, I think if your talking about one player or coach, i don't think there'd be that much a drop-off. In some cases the difference in attitude has caused the opposite to happen... an improvement.

My thoughts would be that it would be hard with out Tomlin. They have a new Offensive cordinator that at time looks like he and Ben don't get along. I don't know that Ben has bought into Haley's system. I do however think he believes in Tomlin and Tomlin is the guy Ben plays for.

by foghorn Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:48 pm

Dmounts wrote:
foghorn wrote:
Dmounts wrote:I believe he is a very good coach. I also believe that a lot of other people involved in that organization are also missing or on leave. I also believe that a lot of the distractions between the NFL and the Saints have caused issues outside of the football field that any team would have trouble fighting through.

The only variable is your head coach wouldn't be there, no missing players, no banned defensive coordinator, no assistant coach's missing, just Tomlin. What's so hard to answer.
Personally, I think if your talking about one player or coach, i don't think there'd be that much a drop-off. In some cases the difference in attitude has caused the opposite to happen... an improvement.

My thoughts would be that it would be hard with out Tomlin. They have a new Offensive cordinator that at time looks like he and Ben don't get along. I don't know that Ben has bought into Haley's system. I do however think he believes in Tomlin and Tomlin is the guy Ben plays for.

I agree with part of what you say. But I think the bit of Haley and Ben not getting along is more fodder brought up by the media. Ben's execution of the offense so far has been outstanding. I think he's embraced it and realizes the potential of it. Bottom line... in Pittsburgh, the Rooney's call the shots. What they say will happen. If they said Haley was head coach in absence of Tomlin, it'd flow along. Maybe not as smoothly as WE'D like... but along.

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