The 2023 NFL season is nearly here and it represents a key opportunity. Now with new head coaches and renewed optimism, they have the opportunity and pressure to break a decades-old curse. Aaron Glenn, the New York Jets are ready to break their 14-year playoff drought. That streak is now the league’s longest active skid. Meanwhile, other coaching newcomers like Kellen Moore, who is the youngest head coach at 36, confront their own sets of circumstances as they seek success in their respective franchises.
As that landscape continues to change, many of these same teams have been forced to move or adapt with new, radical swings at the coaching level. In this article, we’ll examine the chances for success of these comparatively new leaders. Along the way it will feature their individual stories and the communities they play for.
The Jets’ Bid to End Their Playoff Drought
Aaron Glenn takes over as head coach of the New York Jets with a clear mission: to end the team’s lengthy playoff drought. The Jets haven’t reached the playoffs in 14 straight seasons, a far cry from their glory days. Glenn’s leadership will be crucial as he spearheads efforts to energize the franchise and regain trust from its fan base.
With Glenn’s mentorship, there are plenty of promising players on the Jets roster who could help change the narrative. Garrett Wilson, the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, is generating comparisons around Florham Park to former Jets legend Keyshawn Johnson. Here’s everyone comparing Jets running back Breece Hall to Curtis Martin, another icon of Jets history. These comparisons highlight the potential within the roster and place additional pressure on Glenn to develop these talents effectively.
“Predicting the future in the NFL is often an exercise in futility.” – Neil Paine
Glenn is thus challenged on two fronts. Aside from needing to improve these players, he’ll need to establish the winning culture the Jets have yet to accomplish in over a decade. The stakes are enormous, and supporters are hungry for reform.
The Saints’ Quarterback Conundrum
Things are really bad for the New Orleans Saints right now. They seemingly have the firepower to recover after their worst record since 2005. Derek Carr’s recent retirement has left a major gap for the team. Now, they will need to turn their hopes and expectations to either Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough to emerge as the starter. This is a huge move for the beloved franchise. It would be their lowest combined quarterback experience since Steve Walsh way back in 1990.
The cloudy QB picture adds to the steeper slope that head coach Kellen Moore must climb. At 35, the league’s youngest head coach, Moore knows the pressure is on him. He needs to quickly develop Rattler or Shough into a trusted starter. Equally important to the Saints is how well he can make this transition. They will need to if they hope to retake their competitive stampede in the always bafflingly rugged NFC South division.
As Moore uses his vision of offense, he’ll obviously have to rely on the strengths of the rest of his roster. The Saints still possess talented players who can make an impact if utilized effectively. Without a proven quarterback, the team’s prospects may hinge on how quickly they can adapt and grow under Moore’s leadership.
“Less tangible, and therefore less predictable.” – Neil Paine
With a rocky road looming, Moore will need to work miracles to keep his team upbeat and build belief in his youthful signal-caller. A big 2023 could reshape the future not just of his career, but of the Saints too.
The Landscape of Coaching Changes
Outside the Jets and Saints, several other coaching changes have created a buzz around the league. In Washington, Dan Quinn has assumed coaching duties for the Commanders. Quinn the player Quinn is well-renowned for his defensive prowess. He’ll need to help re-christen a last-place defense and reinvigorate a team that is desperate for stability.
On the one hand, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is still rolling out as the starter. And, with a weighted AV of 12.3 per season, Smith has shown that he can command the helm effectively when it matters. The Seahawks first and foremost want to continue their string of success and contention while competing in an inexplicably tough NFC West.
The New England Patriots have experienced the most precipitous fall-off. In their first five full seasons since, they’ve accrued more defeats than in their first 14-year history. This trend underscores the volatility within the league and highlights how important it is for new coaches like Quinn and Moore to establish stability.
The NFL landscape is shifting almost as quickly as these moves can be made. Therefore, making predictions becomes difficult. Coaches are going to have to use their gut and their knowledge to put their teams in the best position to come through these changes intact.
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