With most of the NFL Week 8 games in the books, it's time to take a look at some of the biggest losers from around the NFL this week.
Mike McDaniel, head coach, Miami Dolphins
McDaniel gets a lot of headlines and love for his personality and great play design, but it is hard to keep ignoring the consistent mediocrity that comes out of the Dolphins under his watch. He had an excuse for the past couple of weeks due to the quarterback situation. But with Tua Tagovailoa back on Sunday, and playing a home game against a 3-4 Arizona Cardinals team that traveled the entire way across the country an early kickoff, his team still came up short in a 28-27 loss. They are 2-5 and quickly running out of time in the AFC playoff race.
The New York Jets front office
This is not just about losing to a bad New England Patriots team. This is about the entire process that has allowed them to reach this point. Hitching their wagon to a 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers and pretty much allowing him to run the organization to bring his friends and dictate what the team does has not worked. They are 2-6 and in last place in the AFC East. Davante Adams forced a trade out of Las Vegas and may have ended up on a worse team.
Rashod Bateman, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were stunned by the Cleveland Browns, 29-24, thanks to a strong game from Browns backup quarterback Jameis Winston. There is one play from the Ravens offense that is going to have them asking "What if?" all week, and it was this drop by wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
That could have been a game-changing play for the Ravens. Bateman caught one pass for 28 yards on five targets in the game.
Anthony Richardson, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
Just a really tough game for Richardson. He did throw a 69-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but there was nothing else positive to come out of this game. He finished the day completing only 10 of 32 passes. He threw an interception and then briefly took himself out of the game because, in his words, he was tired.
That is not the sort of thing you usually see from a quarterback. All of that is a tough look.
Brian Callahan, head coach, Tennessee Titans
It is really difficult for a head coach to not get more than one year with a team, but Callahan might be in danger of being one of those one-and-done coaches. If nothing else he should at least be on the hot seat. The Titans do not even look remotely competitive, are seemingly always unprepared at the start of games and were thoroughly humiliated in a 52-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday to move them to 1-6 through the first seven games.
Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, New Orleans Saints
After two weeks hiring Kubiak as their offensive coordinator looked like the best move any team had made in the offseason. The Saints offense looked unstoppable in big wins over Carolina and Dallas, and they were off to a 2-0 start. Since then the Saints are 0-6 and the offense has been a complete non-factor. The injury to Derek Carr is not helping, but the offense had already started to struggle before then and if you want to get all of the credit when things are going well, you have to be able to piece together some sort of competent gameplan even with a backup quarterback.
Chicago Bears coaching staff
The Bears coaching staff put a clinic of coaching malpractice in the fourth quarter of their 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders.
First, there was the handoff to a backup offensive lineman on third-and-goal with the game on the line that resulted in a fumble.
Then there was the way they allowed Washington to gain a free 15 yards on the next-to-last play of the game, allowing the Commanders to even get into Hail Mary range for Jayden Daniels. Just a terrible job in the biggest moments for a team that had fought back to put itself into a position to potentially win.
Carolina Panthers defense
It is almost impossible to have enough adjectives for how bad the Panthers defense has been this season. It is almost a given that they are going to allow at least 28 points every week, and on Sunday they allowed rookie quarterback Bo Nix to pass for 284 yards and three touchdowns.
