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Sean Payton has proven himself as one of the brightest, most innovative offensive minds in the NFL. He’s constantly changing and evolving his game with different personnel the New Orleans Saints have employed over the years.
This is largely the reason Bleacher Report ranked the New Orleans Saints coaching staff third in the NFL, on the back of Sean Payton:
Head Coach: Sean Payton (118-74)
Offensive Coordinator: Pete Carmichael
Defensive Coordinator: Dennis Allen
Some will argue that as high as this ranking is, Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints staff is still being low-balled. Payton’s a Super Bowl-winning head coach who led the league’s head men in both overall ranking and in-game adjustments last year, per Head Coach Rankings.
The Saints won 13 games and were the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs, and were it not for the blown call to end all blown calls against the Rams, Payton likely would have gotten to his second Super Bowl.
But Payton’s Saints are 8-6 in the postseason over 12 years, with just two playoff wins the past five seasons. And while the Saints are annually among the NFL’s best offensive teams, Allen’s tenure as defensive coordinator (both in New Orleans and elsewhere) has been up-and-down.
That’s enough to keep Payton behind the next young gun on this list, even if has a piece of gaudy jewelry that youngster doesn’t yet.
As the end of the piece suggests, there’s a not-so-surprising name at #2 on the list: Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams. Also, as the end of the piece suggests, I don’t believe McVay should be above Payton on this list, having shown no ability to call a good offensive game plan in the grandest of games.
Bill Belichick is obviously sitting atop the list, and with enough Super Bowl rings to start filling a second hand of fingers, his weight alone should justify the New England Patriots #1. But this list is ranking only head coaches, it includes the offensive and defensive coordinators for each time as well. Pete Carmichael and Dennis Allen are nothing to scoff at for their respective football brains, and while Wade Phillips is a former NFL head coach, give me the Saints’ staff over the Rams every day of the week and twice on Sunday.