Ranking 2023 NFC North Head Coaches
The NFC North was a battleground controlled by the Green Bay Packers heading into the 2022 season. With long-time quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, it was hard to bet against the Packers any time they took the field.
However, the Minnesota Vikings set the tone for the season with a dominating 23-7 Week 1 win over the Packers. Under first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings rolled to the division title with a 13-4 record.
The apparent changing of the guard is intriguing. Rodgers has been mum on his future with the Packers, though reports have indicated a desire to move on from the team. This dynamic makes the division all the more interesting heading into 2023.
All four teams will keep the same head coaches moving forward. Two, the Vikings and the Chicago Bears, just wrapped up their first season with new regimes. The Detroit Lions are heading into Year 3 under Dan Campbell, while Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur is beginning his fifth year with the Packers.
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Here is a ranking of the NFC North’s four head coaches heading into the 2023 season.
4.) Matt Eberflus - Chicago Bears
A defensive-minded coach, Eberflus struggled to get things going in his first year with the Bears. The team finished 3-14, losing their final 10 games of the season.
Eberflus did have his bright spots, though. A Week 1 upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers stands out, as the team controlled the ball through inclement weather to steal a win at home over one of the league’s best teams.
There was also the emergence of second-year quarterback Justin Fields as one of the NFL’s premier mobile quarterbacks. Fields played in 15 games and rushed for 1,143 yards, second all-time to only Lamar Jackson’s 2019 season for most rushing yards by a signal-caller.
Though the Bears had their moments, Eberflus has yet to really prove his mettle as a head coach. Currently, they have the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 Draft. He could use that pick to upgrade his defense, but it will likely be traded to a team who is in search of a quarterback.
Regardless, the Bears have ample cap space after midseason trades to upgrade on both sides of the ball. How Eberflus approaches this offseason will be intriguing, as it will either signal a rebuild or boost the Bears closer to contention.
3.) Kevin O’Connell - Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings’ offense stole the show in the first season of O’Connell’s tenure. Quarterback Kirk Cousins played at a high level, and Justin Jefferson continued his ascension as one of the league’s best receivers.
O’Connell, an offensive guru who coached under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, used his expertise to put his best players in the best positions to succeed on the offensive side of the ball. However, the defense served as a crutch for much of the season.
Minnesota’s defense ranked among the league’s worst, especially down the stretch. It surrendered 40-plus points in losses to Dallas (Week 11) and Green Bay (Week 17) that hampered the team’s playoff seeding later in the year.
Though the Vikings put together a solid campaign, they saw their season end prematurely in the Wild Card round to the New York Giants. Heading into his second year, O’Connell will look to put together a more complete product so the Vikings can continue their success.
2.) Matt LaFleur - Green Bay Packers
After three straight 13-win seasons to begin his tenure as head coach, the Packers took a step back in 2022. Due to dysfunction on both sides of the ball, Green Bay began its season 4-8 before a late-season surge put it back in the playoff hunt.
There was a lack of chemistry throughout the offense at points, as the team put up 14 points or less four times through the season’s first nine weeks.
LaFleur got the ship right late in the year, but a loss to the Detroit Lions on the regular season’s final night ended their year.
Green Bay is entering an offseason of major questions. Like last season, the future surrounding quarterback Aaron Rodgers is murky. Should he and the team part ways, LaFleur will have to decide whether to move forward with Jordan Love or add another signal-caller.
The 2022 season points to a changing of the guard in the NFC North, so it’s on LaFleur to get the Packers back to their winning ways.
1.) Dan Campbell - Detroit Lions
Though the Lions were on the outside of the playoff picture, the fact that they were even in the race in Week 18 is a testament to Campbell. The leader of the Lions, known for his quick quips and motivational tactics, showed he’s got skill on the sideline over the final half of the season.
Late-game miscues had doomed the Lions over the first 24 games of Campbell’s tenure, during which he posted a 4-19-1 record, but he demonstrated improvement over the 2022 season’s final 10 games.
The Lions went 8-2 over those last 10 games, with Jared Goff showing marked improvement under Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Speaking of Johnson, the first-year offensive coordinator lifted the Lions’ offense to a top-five level.
As the Lions look to build up their roster heading into 2023, Campbell will be a popular Coach of the Year pick heading into next season. He answered the questions about his ability to manage a game and took a huge step by defeating the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 18.
Detroit finished with the top mark in the NFC North in 2022, a 5-1 mark that could've been 6-0 had it not squandered a Week 3 game at Minnesota.
Campbell has received buy-in from his players and Detroit’s dedicated fan base, indicating that the organization is ready to move closer to contention. If he can continue to make the right moves, Detroit will be dangerous in 2023 and beyond.
