NFL media is eventually going to run out of ideas for rankings, but until then, there are some left! The folks at For The Win ranked out the 32 head coach/quarterback duos. Those are arguably the two most important roles on the team, so it makes some sense to consider them as a duo. NFL is a team game, but having a strong head coach and quarterback can make up for a lot of shortcomings.
The San Francisco 49ers actually ranked out better than some might expect. The writer ranked the 49ers No. 21. He listed Chip Kelly with Blaine Gabbert, but in his short analysis, he acknowledged it could be either Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick:
It pains me to put San Francisco this low on the list because I think the 49ers offense — whether it’s Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick starting — will be a lot better than expected in 2016.
A lot of this is going to come down to what Chip Kelly is able to do with this offense. You could make an argument that Kelly’s offense and the 49ers offensive line are the two biggest questions facing the team. Yes, the quarterback position is a big issue, but if the offensive line holds up, I think we see an offense that is at least competent. I don’t know what the ceiling for this offense is, but strong offensive line play will be huge for whether or not Gabbert or Kaepernick is able to do something with Kelly’s offense.
It is not surprising the Patriots topped the list. Here are the duos that ranked behind the 49ers:
22. Falcons - Dan Quinn, Matt Ryan
23. Lions: Jim Caldwell, Matthew Stafford
24. Broncos: Gary Kubiak, Mark Sanchez
25. Dolphins: Adam Gase, Ryan Tannehill
26. Eagles: Doug Pederson, Sam Bradford
27. Buccaneers: Dirk Koetter, Jameis Winston
28. Jaguars: Gus Bradley, Blake Bortles
29. Jets: Todd Bowles, Geno Smith
30. Browns: Hue Jackson, Robert Griffin III
31. Titans: Mike Mularkey, Marcus Mariota
32. Rams: Jeff Fisher, Jared Goff