It’s summertime offseason content time! As the season approaches, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up first, we’re talking about the top 10 NFL offensive coordinators for 2022!
Like I wrote about last week with the head coaches, the coordinators are so hard to rank because we have no real idea of what that division of labor looks like among NFL teams. Obviously, we aren’t in the meeting rooms or the film sessions, so anyone that tells you they know enough about each NFL locker room thoroughly enough to rank offensive coordinators is full of shit. So, it’s hard enough as is, but what makes 2022 particularly difficult to rank is that there is a whole gaggle of unproven offensive coordinators taking the job for the first time (six rookie OCs!!!). There are staffs with NO offensive coordinator, and there are offensive coordinators on staffs where the head coach is still calling the plays on offense. So, what are we supposed to make of all this?
Well, I don’t know about the rest of the faceless entities on the internet that rank positions, but I’ll tell you my approach. This is more of a “play callers” list than it is strictly coordinators. It’s based on a very results-oriented surface level overview of how these offenses run with whatever the dynamic they have in place between head coach and offensive coordinator. In other words, this list might be absolute trash, and you’re more than welcome to not only call me out on it, but provide your own list, and I will add it to this article. That’s my rule – full transparency.
THE TOP 10 NFL OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS FOR 2022
10. Pep Hamilton, Houston Texans – Man, I feel like I’m really projecting here, and considering some of the names that I left outside of the top 10, this is probably going to be the decision that has y’all waving your pitchforks outside of my office. I get it. But, people keep acting like this Texans team is just kind of going through the motions to get through 2022 and onto 2023, and I just don’t think that’s the case. This was a competitive team at times a season ago. They may have arguably had the best rookie quarterback of the class in Davis Mills. And now, a guy who is renowned for quarterback development takes over at OC. Call me nuts. Call me bonkers. Put me in a mental institution, but Hamilton is equipped to succeed, and I think the Texans may surprise a few people this season…much like they surprised my Tennessee Titans in 2021.
9. Doug Pederson/Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars – I still have a lot of respect for Pederson, and that’s really what this ranking is based off of. His work with the Eagles was impressive, and now he’s going to be working with the best quarterback he’s ever had as a head coach. While Press Taylor is cutting his teeth as an offensive coordinator, he’s been around Pederson and Frank Reich for the last several years. There’s going to be some familiarity there for a head coach who is already a distinct play-caller.
8. Greg Roman, Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens stunk last year, but that wasn’t Roman’s fault. They suffered a rash of injuries, and just couldn’t quite overcome their limitations. Roman’s name still means something, and as long as he’s around and this Ravens offense is healthy, he’s the man to get the most out of Lamar Jackson.
7. Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals are one of the teams with a “vacancy” at offensive coordinator, though we all know well and good why that is the case. Kingsbury is the man with the headset, and he’s the man on the call. An interesting hire to begin with, Kingsbury’s teams have famously collapsed halfway through the season. He’ll have to overcome that if he wants to join the elites of the head coaching ranking, but his work with Kyler Murray and this Cardinals offense can’t be denied.
6. Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Leftwich probably should’ve gotten his first crack at a head coaching gig this cycle, but he didn’t. I know a lot of people seem to think he’s the beneficiary of coaching under Bruce Arians and for Tom Brady. But, don’t sell him short – hearing those guys talk about the positive impact Leftwich has had on this offense carries weight. Now, Todd Bowles has taken over as the head man, so it is a bit of a gut check time for Leftwich, though not as critical as it would’ve been had Brady retired too. This season, I imagine we’ll see Leftwich become even more undeniable in future NFL head coaching searches.
5. Kellen Moore, Dallas Cowboys – Moore is the best ‘pure’ OC in the league, and I figure this is going to be his last season as an assistant. Cowboys fans came after me after I had him ranked so highly on last year’s list, and I still don’t get it. The fact that that Cowboys offense was as potent as it was despite Mike McCarthy being on the sideline should say all you need to know about Moore’s work. He’s been able to ignite that side of the ball, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s the head coach somewhere.
4. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers – I’d be curious to see what LaFleur’s stock would look like if he didn’t have Aaron Rodgers at the helm of his offense. But, as it stands now, the guy is pretty damn good at calling football games and getting the most out of his offense. How they’ve been able to keep contending for Super Bowls despite totally neglecting the wide receiver position is mind-boggling to me.
3. Sean McVay/Liam Coen, Los Angeles Rams – What on Earth do we do with Coen’s year as the offensive coordinator of the Kentucky Wildcats? Do we just burn that tape? Do we run back that game against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl? I don’t know – but I’ll tell you one thing I do know is that as long as Sean McVay is breathing, he’s going to hold up the stock of the Los Angeles Rams. He has to be near the top of every coaching ranking we have as long as the rest of the NFL keeps hiring anyone who has ever even remotely made eye contact with the man.
2. Andy Reid/Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs – Man, Bieniemy’s stock has taken a bit of a hit as more details about his relationship with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense has trickled out, however true or false (here’s a link, though this is just he-said she-said speculation). Folks just kept reporting that Bieniemy was being denied these coaching opportunities, and it infuriated most of us who simply didn’t understand how that offense could perform to the level it does and the man who oversees it couldn’t be granted an opportunity to be a head man somewhere. But, maybe there’s something to this notion that he’s just bombing these interviews. Regardless, much like McVay, as long as Andy Reid is breathing, he’s going to be among the best offensive minds in football.
1. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers – Yeah, it’s Shanahan for me, y’all. I know having guys like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle certainly helps, but the fact that Shanahan can seemingly plug and play any ol’ running back and get ’em a thousand yards on the season, and that he’s been able to get to a Super Bowl, and nearly get to another, with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback is a testament to just how sharp he is at calling an offense. Even going back to his time with the Atlanta Falcons, that offense just hasn’t been the same ever since he left. When we’re talking about play callers and offensive gurus in the league, I think Shanahan is the most capable to get the most with the least than anyone in the league right now. I say that he is, quite simply, the guy.
OTHER 2022 NFL TOP 10S
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.