NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

DC Wink Martindale on his relationship with Coach Brian Daboll. Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has reportedly had tensions with head coach Brian Daboll, but Martindale says the primary cause of the tension is that both of them want to win.

Martindale said that if the relationship was better in 2022, it’s because the team was better in 2022.

“We’re fine,” Martindale said, via the New York Post. “It’s the same thing as it was last year. It was just different because we were winning more games. It’s different every place you go — the relationship with the head coach and the defensive coordinator or assistants — especially when it’s new.”

Asked if he always sees eye-to-eye with Daboll, Martindale answered, “I don’t see eye-to-eye with my wife all the time. He’s the head coach and it’s my job to forward his plan. That’s what I’m going to do.”

When a head coach and defensive coordinator aren’t seeing eye-to-eye but the team is in the playoffs and winning a playoff game, as the Giants did last year, it’s easy to overlook their differences. Not so much this year, when the Giants are 4-8.

PHILADELPHIA

The Eagles have banished (or been told to banish) “Director of Security” Dom DiSandro from the sideline after his altercation with LB DRE GREENLAW of the 49ers.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Eagles head of security Dom DiSandro will not be permitted on the sideline for Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys, but the team is standing by DiSandro’s ability to fulfill his other job requirements.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the Eagles confirmed that DiSandro will be off the sideline while the NFL continues to look into the incident that happened between DiSandro and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw last week.

“This is an ongoing conversation with the NFL, and we are going to respect the restriction that is currently in place. Although Dom will not be on the sideline this Sunday, he will continue to fulfill his role with the team in all other capacities,” the Eagles said in their statement.

Greenlaw was ejected from the game after last week’s incident, and DiSandro was also instructed by the officials to leave the sideline. Whether DiSandro will ever be allowed back on the sideline is not something the NFL has yet determined, but for this week anyway, DiSandro will be watching the game from elsewhere.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

QB DEREK CARR will play Sunday, clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol on Friday. Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com:

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has cleared concussion protocol and will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced on Friday night.

Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (foot/left hand) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (thigh) are also questionable after missing the week of practice, while wide receiver Chris Olave is questionable after missing two practices with the flu.

“I have felt better, but I’m doing great, that’s for sure,” Carr said in a pool report distributed to the media by the team on Friday.

Carr was placed into concussion protocol in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, the second time he had gone into protocol in a month.

Carr also left the Saints’ game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 12 after sustaining a concussion. The Saints were on a bye the following week, but Carr returned the following week against the Atlanta Falcons.

He has not missed a game yet this season despite leaving three games with an injury. The Saints (5-7) have lost their last three games.

Carr said he didn’t have additional concerns about sustaining two concussions in a short time span but went through additional testing this week.

“Our doctors and the non-affiliated doctor said everything was perfect. They showed me the results in comparison to things. I do not have any worries on that stuff,” Carr said. “It didn’t feel like the two were even related to one another. So for me, that’s just sometimes the price of doing business and playing football. So no concern on that part, long-term or short-term.”

Carr also injured his shoulder in Week 3 and was listed with the same shoulder injury and a rib injury on this week’s injury report. He was able to practice all week and participated fully in Friday’s practice.

Carr said he feels prepared enough to play on Sunday even with the additional testing he went through.

“It was a a few more hours maybe into the day,” he said. “But those are the sacrifices you make, especially this late in the year when everyone is dealing with stuff. Everyone has got a broken something, dealing with this or dealing with that. I got my treatment, I did my protocol stuff, but also, most importantly, made sure I did everything I need to do to accomplish my job.”

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Re-enforcement for the Chiefs defense.  Bryan de’Ardo of CBSSports.com:

One of the NFL’s best defenses is about to get even better. The Kansas City Chiefs, who currently boast the league’s third-best scoring defense, have activated starting inside linebacker Nick Bolton from injured reserve.

Bolton missed the Chiefs’ past five games after undergoing surgery to repair a dislocated wrist that was sustained during Kansas City’s Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Bolton is returning earlier than his expected two-month recovery timetable.

A 2021 second-round pick, Bolton has 28 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble in four games this season. He tallied a whopping 292 tackles during his first two seasons in Kansas City that included 180 stops last season. He also picked off two passes last season while playing an integral role in the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl win since 2019.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

He may not be QB BROCK PURDY (who is?), but Bengals interim starting QB JAKE BROWNING has actually played more successful football than you think.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

When Joe Burrow went down with his season-ending wrist injury, it looked like the Bengals were cooked. Browning then stepped into the starting lineup, and following what transpired in Week 13, the NFL world is now paying close attention to him.

Browning was a high school football legend in Folsom, California. He attended the University of Washington, and led the Huskies to the College Football Playoff in 2016 while being named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Browning ended up going undrafted in 2019, and got his first NFL shot with the Minnesota Vikings. He never played a game for the franchise.

Following Burrow’s injury, Browning received his first career start two weeks ago against the Steelers. It wasn’t too special, as he threw for 227 yards and one touchdown plus an interception in a 16-10 loss, but he became a national headline this week on “Monday Night Football,” when he threw for 354 yards and scored two total touchdowns en route to an overtime win over the Jaguars. The Bengals were double-digit underdogs in that matchup.

Browning has recorded the highest completion percentage (81%) in a quarterback’s first two starts since 1950. What is he capable of moving forward?

Why was Browning undrafted?  Before his win over the Jaguars on December 4, his last win was for the Washington Huskies in the Apple Cup more than five years earlier (11/20/18).  Shane Lantz of the Seattle Times:

Now in his fifth pro season, the Folsom, Calif., product is finally getting a chance to shine following his record-setting career on Montlake, much to the delight of former UW head coach Chris Petersen.

For Petersen, watching Browning get his long-awaited opportunity is something worth celebrating. It’s not easy to improve your game without getting regular snaps in practice or games, but Petersen knew that if anyone could do it, it was Browning.

“That guy, I know for a fact, prepares like he’s the starter, no matter what his role is on that team,” Petersen said. “I learned that when he was a freshman … the work ethic is second to none and he will go above and beyond in a really consistent way, day after day.”

Petersen, who works as an analyst for Fox Sports, described himself as “perplexed” that Browning went undrafted after graduating in 2019 as the Pac-12’s all-time winningest quarterback, as well as the Huskies’ all-time passing leader and the fourth-leading passer in conference history with 12,296 career yards.

The narrative around Browning always centered around his perceived lack of arm strength, a slight that Petersen has seen Browning work hard to counter in his time in the NFL.

“He’s been working on that for awhile,” Petersen said. “To have more pace on the ball, but not lose any accuracy. And I think even a year after he left us and I saw him throw one time, I thought his arm strength had really improved. So, you know, I think it’s all those things. It’s just, it’s subtle, how he operates in the pocket, the timing of his passes. The anticipation, the accuracy, the arm strength. It’s all those things that I know he’s gotten better at.”

Petersen is even more impressed by the fact that Browning has managed to improve so much without getting much of a chance to play in the NFL. Browning spent his first four full professional seasons without playing a game, with time spent on the Minnesota and Cincinnati practice squads before securing a spot on the Bengals’ active roster this year by beating out Trevor Semien for the backup quarterback job.

He took his first career regular-season snap in Week 1, but didn’t get his first extended look until Week 11 when Burrow left with a wrist injury. Over his four games of action, Browning has completed 75.6% of his passes while throwing for 649 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

All that from a quarterback who hadn’t started a competitive game since Jan. 1, 2019, when the Huskies lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

“You always think you can do it, but you don’t know until you know,” Browning said in his Thursday press conference. “I finally have a good performance, but I would like to reiterate that it was one good game. So let’s, you know, stack some of those back-to-back and not just be the guy that had one good Monday night game and then just kind of fell off.”

Petersen doesn’t seem worried about Browning being a flash in the pan. While he’s been out of the spotlight for a while, his old coach knows that Browning has been working hard while waiting for his chance.

“It’s one thing to be the starting quarterback for the last four years and get a ton of reps and it’s always about you,” Petersen said. “But his path has been kind of ‘wait your turn, wait your turn.’ But the one thing, like I said, that you know about Jake, is he’s going to be ready. He will prepare, if he’s on the practice squad, he’s going to prepare like he’s the starter. He did that at Minnesota, and I know he’s doing that now.”

PITTSBURGH

EDGE T.J. WATT has gone into the concussion protocol after Thursday’s loss to New England, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the facts indicate he should have been removed during the game:

On Thursday night, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt took a knee to the face from Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott on the first play from scrimmage.

Watt returned to action. He eventually was checked for a concussion. At one point, he had a tinted visor. After the game, he was unable to participate in a previously-scheduled conversation with Peter King due to a “migraine,” as King said on Friday’s PFT Live.

On Friday, Watt was checked once again at the team facility, and he was placed in the concussion protocol, according to the Steelers.

It’s unclear why he wasn’t removed from Thursday night’s game. It’s also unclear why he was given a tinted visor. Light sensitivity is a symptom of a concussion.

Now that Watt is in the protocol, he won’t be able to practice or play until properly cleared. The big question for now, however, is how and why was he cleared to continue to play on Thursday night?

PFT sent the league an email on Friday asking for an explanation of why and how Watt was cleared to play, and regarding the use of a tinted visor. As of this posting, the league has not responded.

– – –

Good new for RB JAYLEN WARREN, as sanity has prevailed at NFL Justice. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL rescinded Steelers running back Jaylen Warren’s $48,556 fine for lowering his helmet against the Rams, Warren’s representation announced.

Warren was not flagged for a block on Rams pass rusher Michael Hoecht during the Oct. 22 game. He ducked his head to hit Hoecht but did not initiate contact with the crown of his helmet, and it did not appear egregious.

In Week 2, Warren was fined $48,333 for a hit that also wasn’t penalized.

The two fines equaled a paycheck for Warren, who said he was fined twice last season for lowering his helmet.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

The Bills rally around their head coach after a hit piece from Tyler Dunne.

Buffalo Bills players and general manager Brandon Beane offered their support for coach Sean McDermott on Friday, one day after the coach held a team meeting to address remarks referencing 9/11 that he made in training camp in 2019 and became public this week.

“Obviously when you’re in leadership positions, you’ve got a lot of people looking up to you, and none of us are perfect, OK,” said Beane, who is in his seventh season in Buffalo with McDermott after also working together for the Carolina Panthers.

“I think Sean acknowledged that. I went into the team meeting yesterday, I think he talked to [the media] first, went into the team meeting and I thought it was very authentic. I thought the guys all saw that, felt that, and know Sean for who he is. I think you guys that have been around here some years know who Sean’s character is. I’ll stand by his character every day of the week.”

McDermott, who held the meeting with the team late Thursday, described the past day by saying, “Definitely gets your mind spinning, right. Just being real. And it’s been disappointing. It’s been hurtful.

“At the end of the day, I know who I am. At the end of the day, I know how I handle myself. As I’ve said, humbly, I’m not without flaws. I wake up every morning and try and do the best job that I can to win games for the fans of the Buffalo Bills and do it the right way. And that’s my main goal every day.”

As first reported by Go Long, McDermott told players in a 2019 speech to come together and used the terrorists on 9/11 as an example, asking players in the room questions about how the attacks were executed and referencing the hijackers getting on the same page. Multiple players who were with the team at the time confirmed the story to ESPN, while others who were there told ESPN they did not recall it.

McDermott said that he has heard from people in the franchise’s office, in addition to players on the team and others with different clubs offering support.

“It was clearly to me an attack on my character, and that’s important to me, very important, as much if not more, very clearly more than wins and losses,” McDermott said. “Wins and losses are important, but what’s more important to me from Day 1 is how you handle yourself. Doesn’t mean that I’ve been perfect, no one’s perfect. Doesn’t mean that I haven’t been without flaw. But to me, it’s most important that for myself and my family, my kids that I handle this job the right way.”

McDermott said the meeting Thursday went as well as he could have expected and that it was important to him to address the players who were not on the team in 2019, to make sure they understand the situation.

“Honestly, I don’t really even know really what happened,” said wide receiver Trent Sherfield, who signed with the team in free agency this year. “I just know that we had a team meeting and kind of talked about, he didn’t go into detail of what he said, but at the end of the day, for me personally, I know who Sean is. Like I know whatever was said or whatever was said in detail that he, I don’t believe any ounce of that was him supporting what happened on 9/11.”

It was safety and captain Micah Hyde who first spoke in support to McDermott during the team meeting when the coach asked if there were any questions.

“Micah kind of broke the silence,” Sherfield said. “He was just like, ‘Sean, like, we know who you are,’ and everybody was just kind of in agreement, and that was it.”

The safety is in his seventh season in Buffalo and said he hadn’t thought about the remarks between when they happened and when he was asked about them Thursday. He said he doesn’t believe anyone has lost sleep over it until it came back up.

“But to me, I think it’s a low blow to question Sean’s character. And I don’t think there’s any good coming out of that,” Hyde said. “I think a lot of us are, would, not to knock on you guys, but the media reporting the story, but I think in the locker room and stuff, we’re all here to lift each other up. So, for guys to do that, it’s kind of messed up in my eyes. You know me, I’m pro-Sean McDermott. I trust in everything that he’s done around here, and what he’s going to continue to do, and I’m going to back him any day of the week, twice on Sunday.”

THIS AND THAT

THE OWNERS 1 to 32

Who will Mike Sando of The Athletic have at the top of his NFL owner’s rating?  Jeffrie Lurie? Clark Hunt?  Jed York? Arthur Blank?

And at the bottom?  Someone other than David Tepper?

Well, it turns out this list is strictly base on W-L record as an owner…so it doesn’t shake down exactly like you might think:

NFL team owners collect millions in revenue. They wield outsized power over their organizations and in their communities. They point to the bottom line, wins and losses, when firing coaches and executives, sometimes without giving them much time. But their own won-lost records appear nowhere.

Even people who follow the NFL closely might not know whether Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross owns a better record than New York Giants owner John Mara (he does).

They might not know whether female owners account for two of the five highest winning percentages since taking over their teams (they do).

They might not know that the only team without a traditional owner could lose 200 games overnight without dipping below .500 (the Green Bay Packers could).

They might not know that five of the last six owners to buy (rather than inherit) a team make up the bottom five in win percentage (they do — the lone exception is the Buffalo Bills’ Terry Pegula).

Some of these ownership situations are difficult to evaluate for reasons such as owners allowing their offspring to operate their teams. I’ve used simple criteria in ranking owners from worst to best win rates below. For our purposes, wins and losses are counted for owners after the NFL has approved their purchases; after an owner transferred the team to a family member; or after an owner died and left the team to an heir.

Setting aside the Packers and their 1,430 games without an individual owner, the Chicago Bears’ Virginia McCaskey ranks No. 1 in total games (644) and wins (324), but only 16th in win rate. The Washington Commanders’ Josh Harris resides at the other end with only 13 games, and with a 4-9 record (.308) so far, that is where we begin.

The charts below show each owner’s wins by season, with markers for when each coach (excluding interim coaches who weren’t retained) was hired. You can toggle the view to see cumulative wins over time relative to .500.

32. Josh Harris, Washington Commanders: 4-9 (.308)

Owner since: 2023

Playoff record: N/A

Coach inherited: Ron Rivera

Coaches hired: None

Harris might need to win a Super Bowl to top his biggest victory, which was replacing unpopular owner Daniel Snyder entering this season. Thirteen games is hardly enough to assess much, although that was two more games than Carolina’s owner needed to return a verdict on his recently fired coach. Big changes for Washington are expected once this season ends.

31. Shad Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars: 60-133 (.311)

Owner since: Dec. 15, 2011

Playoff record: 3-2

Coach inherited: Mel Tucker (interim)

Coaches hired: Mike Mularkey (2-14), Gus Bradley (14-48), Doug Marrone (23-43), Urban Meyer (2-11), Doug Pederson (17-12)

Pederson has a winning record through his first 29 games. Three of Khan’s previous four coaching hires never had a winning record at any point during their tenures. Marrone was above .500 through 27 games, but never during his final 39. Khan now has his best combination of coach and quarterback, with a general manager who has improved the personnel.

30. David Tepper, Carolina Panthers: 30-64 (.319)

Owner since: 2018

Playoff record: N/A

Coach inherited: Ron Rivera

Coaches hired: Matt Rhule (11-27), Frank Reich (1-10)

Tepper has had as many interim coaches (three) in the past four years as the Steelers have had head coaches in the past 54. That seems notable with Tepper having previously served as minority owner of the Steelers. Tepper’s record has gone from 12-16 (.429) under Rivera to 12-37 (.245) with Rhule and Reich. Interim coaches Steve Wilks (6-6), Perry Fewell (0-4) and Chris Tabor (0-1) account for the remaining wins and losses.

29. Jimmy Haslam, Cleveland Browns: 65-117-1 (.358)

Owner since: Oct. 25, 2012

Playoff record: 1-1

Coach inherited: Pat Shurmur

Coaches hired: Rob Chudzinski (4-12), Mike Pettine (10-22), Hue Jackson (3-36-1), Freddie Kitchens (6-10), Kevin Stefanski (33-29)

Haslam, who was also a Steelers minority owner, has one winning record to show for 10 full seasons of ownership. The super-stable Steelers producing Haslam and Tepper, two of the most impulsive owners in the league, seems as likely as Tony Dungy’s coaching tree producing two Rex Ryans. It somehow happened.

The Browns under Haslam have stabilized under their current football leadership. Cleveland has a winning record and 1-1 playoff mark since hiring Stefanski as coach. The playoff victory was the Browns’ first since the 1994 season, when Bill Belichick was coach.

The irony is that Haslam’s huge swing for Deshaun Watson might also promote stability, simply because the team cannot escape the quarterback’s contract anytime soon.

28. Greg Penner, Denver Broncos: 11-18 (.379)

Owner since: 2022

Playoff record: N/A

Coach inherited: Nathaniel Hackett

Coaches hired: Sean Payton (6-6)

Note: An earlier version of this article listed Rob Walton as the Broncos’ owner. His son-in-law, Greg Penner, has been running the team since the sale and was formally designated as the team’s principal owner beginning in October.

Hackett was already in place when the NFL approved the sale to the Penner-Walton group shortly before the 2022 season. The team has made two major moves since the group took over. Signing quarterback Russell Wilson to a $245 million extension was one. Hiring Payton as coach was the other.

27. Cal McNair, Houston Texans: 32-51-1 (.387)

Owner since: Nov. 24, 2018

Playoff record: 1-2

Coach inherited: Bill O’Brien

Coaches hired: David Culley (4-13), Lovie Smith (3-13-1), DeMeco Ryans (7-5)

McNair took over ownership after his father died during the 2018 season. The Texans went to the playoffs that season and the next before descending into one of the most chaotic periods any franchise has endured over a three-season run. Stability finally appears to have arrived with Ryans taking over as coach and C.J. Stroud in place as the starting quarterback.

26. Mark Davis, Las Vegas Raiders: 82-120 (.406)

Owner since: Oct. 9, 2011

Playoff record: 0-2

Coach inherited: Hue Jackson

Coaches hired: Dennis Allen (8-28), Jack Del Rio (25-23), Jon Gruden (11-21), Josh McDaniels (9-16)

If it feels nothing has changed substantively since Mark Davis took over for Al Davis, his Hall of Fame father, the on-field record would concur.

The Raiders are 71-107 (.399) in their first 11 full seasons under Mark.

They were 70-106 (.398) in their final 11 full seasons under Al.

Al Davis left the franchise to his widow, Carol Davis, but Mark is the controlling owner and managing general partner.

25. Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals: 31-44 (.413)

Owner since: Oct. 3, 2019

Playoff record: 0-1

Coach inherited: Kliff Kingsbury

Coaches hired: Jonathan Gannon (3-10)

Michael Bidwill was running the team for years before his father, Bill Bidwill, died at age 88 during the 2019 season, but the elder Bidwill remained owner until his passing.

Michael Bidwill drove decisions to hire coaches Dennis Green, Ken Whisenhunt, Bruce Arians, Steve Wilks, Kingsbury and Gannon, beginning in 2004. The team has a 144-173-2 (.454) record since then, which would move Michael up a few spots in this ranking. The team reached a Super Bowl for the first time during that span, but also has suffered from dysfunction in recent years.

24. Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: 220-301-4 (.423)

Owner since: 1991

Playoff record: 5-9

Coach inherited: Sam Wyche

Coaches hired: David Shula (19-52), Bruce Coslet (21-39), Dick LeBeau (12-33), Marvin Lewis (131-122-3), Zac Taylor (34-42-1)

Mike Brown took over for his Hall of Fame father and team founder, Paul Brown, and has in recent years ceded control to his daughter, Katie Blackburn. Lewis’ tenure is frequently remembered for his 0-7 mark in the postseason, but it also stands out for its longevity and winning record. Lewis, Forrest Gregg (32-25) and Bill “Tiger” Johnson (18-15) are the only coaches in franchise history with winning records during their tenures, as Paul Brown (55-56-1) fell just short of .500 despite an 11-3 record in his final season.

23. Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions: 26-35-1 (.427)

Owner since: 2020

Playoff record: N/A

Coach inherited: Matt Patricia

Coaches hired: Dan Campbell (21-24-1)

The Lions are 17-5 in their past 22 games and on pace to have top-10 scoring offenses in consecutive seasons for the first time since Barry Sanders and Herman Moore starred for the team under coach Wayne Fontes in the mid-1990s.

Ford Hamp became vice chairwoman of the Lions when her father, William Clay Ford Sr., died in 2014 and left the team to her mother, Martha Firestone Ford. She took over ownership from her mother in 2020 and started fresh by firing Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn during that season.

22. Woody Johnson, New York Jets: 165-217 (.432)

Owner since: 2000

Playoff record: 8-8

Coach inherited: None

Coaches hired: Al Groh (9-7), Herm Edwards (39-41), Eric Mangini (23-25), Rex Ryan (46-50), Todd Bowles (24-40), Adam Gase (9-23), Robert Saleh (15-31)

Johnson’s ownership tenure began with the team in turmoil following Bill Parcells’ retirement just as Johnson was taking control of the team. The turmoil continued when Parcells’ supposed successor, Bill Belichick, quit shortly before the news conference to announce his hiring. The coach Johnson eventually hired, Al Groh, resigned after one season to become coach at Virginia. The franchise has seemingly been in varying states of turmoil ever since, and especially now.

21. Joel Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 71-87 (.449)

Owner since: 2014

Playoff record: 5-2 (1-0 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Lovie Smith

Coaches hired: Dirk Koetter (19-29), Bruce Arians (31-18), Todd Bowles (13-16)

Glazer and his siblings were running the team long before their father, Malcolm, died in May 2014, but that was the date when ownership formally transitioned. The franchise has been willing to take big swings — trading for coach Jon Gruden, signing Tom Brady — but has struggled to win consistently.

The Buccaneers went 34-62 (.354) in their first six seasons following Malcolm Glazer’s passing. Only the Jaguars and Browns were worse during that stretch. Brady delivered two winning records and a Super Bowl victory during his three seasons with the team. The future is now murky again.

20. John Mara, New York Giants: 138-157-1 (.468)

Owner since: Oct. 26, 2005

Playoff record: 9-5 (2-0 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Tom Coughlin

Coaches hired: Ben McAdoo (13-15), Pat Shurmur (9-23), Joe Judge (10-23), Brian Daboll (13-15-1)

The Mara name is legendary in the NFL, but the franchise’s trajectory since Hall of Famer Wellington Mara merits some scrutiny.

With Coughlin already in place, the Giants won two Super Bowls in the first six seasons after John Mara took over for his father. The team ranks 27th in winning percentage since that second Super Bowl victory following the 2011 season. The Giants’ 82-123-1 (.400) record over that span outranks the records for the Commanders, Raiders, Jets, Browns and Jaguars. The Lions recently overtook the Giants since 2012.

T-17. Denise DeBartolo York, San Francisco 49ers: 190-207-1 (.479)

Owner since: 1999

Playoff record: 12-8 (0-2 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Steve Mariucci

Coaches hired: Dennis Erickson (9-23), Mike Nolan (18-37), Mike Singletary (18-22), Jim Harbaugh (44-19-1), Jim Tomsula (6-11), Chip Kelly (2-14), Kyle Shanahan (61-49)

DeBartolo York took over for her brother, Eddie Jr., just as concussions were forcing quarterback Steve Young into retirement. The team went 4-12 in her first season, ending a streak of 16 consecutive with winning records. Her son, Jed, took over day-to-day operations in 2006. An eight-season stretch without a winning record ended with Harbaugh’s hiring in 2011. The 49ers are 112-93-1 (.546) since then, the 10th-best record in the NFL, and have reached two Super Bowls. Jed York seems to have grown into the lead role.

T-17. Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins: 114-124 (.479)

Owner since: 2009

Playoff record: 0-2

Coach inherited: Tony Sparano

Coaches hired: Joe Philbin (24-28), Adam Gase (23-25), Brian Flores (24-25), Mike McDaniel (18-11)

Ross’ last three head-coaching hires produced winning seasons within their first two years on the job. His first hire, Philbin, went 8-8 in his second and third seasons. That is not terrible, despite some tumultuous times along the way. The 9-3 Dolphins now sit atop the AFC East with a top-five offense, an improving defense, a reborn quarterback and arguably the NFL’s most interesting coach in McDaniel.

T-17. Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams: 106-115-1 (.480)

Owner since: 2010

Playoff record: 7-3 (1-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Steve Spagnuolo

Coaches hired: Jeff Fisher (31-45-1), Sean McVay (66-44)

Kroenke made no friends in St. Louis when he relocated the team to Los Angeles, but the franchise is in much better position now than it was then. Kroenke’s hiring of McVay, his ability to build a new stadium, his willingness to fund a Super Bowl-winning roster and his vision for nestling a new headquarters inside a 100-acre economic development distinguish him.

16. Virginia McCaskey, Chicago Bears: 324-320 (.503)

Owner since: Nov. 1, 1983

Playoff record: 10-15 (1-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Mike Ditka

Coaches hired: Dave Wannstedt (40-56), Dick Jauron (35-45), Lovie Smith (81-63), Marc Trestman (13-19), John Fox (14-34), Matt Nagy (34-31), Matt Eberflus (7-22)

If anyone spends a long enough time in the NFL, they’ll likely wind up near .500, to my thinking. Parity pulls like gravity, and everyone succumbs eventually.

McCaskey was 60 when she inherited the team from her Hall of Fame father, George Halas, following his passing during the 1983 season. She turned 100 in January and still attends games, but her sons have run the team for years, with George McCaskey in charge of day-to-day operations since 2011.

15. Dean Spanos, Los Angeles Chargers: 45-44 (.506)

Owner since: Oct. 10, 2018

Playoff record: 1-2

Coach inherited: Anthony Lynn

Coaches hired: Brandon Staley (24-22)

Alex Spanos owned the Chargers from 1984 until his passing during the 2018 season. His son, Dean, ran day-to-day operations from 1994 until handing over those duties to his son, John, in 2015. Dean Spanos remains the owner of record. The team was 172-164 (.512) when Dean ran day-to-day operations from 1994 to 2014, which was 13th-best in the NFL over that period. The team is 66-67 (.465) since 2015 (20th-best).

The Chargers have not won a division title since 2009, despite having Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert start 221 of 222 regular-season games since the 2010 opener.

14. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons: 177-172-1 (.507)

Owner since: 2002

Playoff record: 6-8 (0-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Dan Reeves

Coaches hired: Jim Mora Jr. (26-22), Bobby Petrino (3-10), Mike Smith (66-46), Dan Quinn (43-42), Arthur Smith (20-26)

The Falcons ranked tied with New Orleans for fourth in the NFL with a 95-65 record (.594) from 2008 to 2017, the first 10 seasons of quarterback Matt Ryan’s career. They are now riding a streak of five consecutive losing seasons and are 6-6 so far in 2023, without much evidence they can bet on Desmond Ridder as their quarterback of the future.

13. Amy Adams Strunk, Tennessee Titans: 73-69 (.514)

Owner since: 2015

Playoff record: 3-4

Coach inherited: Ken Whisenhunt

Coaches hired: Mike Mularkey (20-21), Mike Vrabel (52-42)

Adams Strunk’s tenure can be broken into three phases.

The Titans were 4-16 in her first 20 games, beginning with Marcus Mariota’s 2015 debut at quarterback and the transition from Ken Whisenhunt to Mike Mularkey as head coach.

The team then went 65-38 over its next 103 games, which covered the transition from Mularkey to Mike Vrabel on the sideline and from Mariota to Ryan Tannehill behind center.

Tennessee has gone 4-15 since that run, firing general manager Jon Robinson and beginning the transition away from Tannehill.

The Titans’ quarterback uncertainty, combined with an unproven front office and tougher competition within the AFC South, will increase the degree of difficulty in the future.

12. Zygi Wilf, Minnesota Vikings: 160-140-2 (.533)

Owner since: 2005

Playoff record: 3-7

Coach inherited: Mike Tice

Coaches hired: Brad Childress (39-35), Leslie Frazier (21-32-1), Mike Zimmer (72-56-1), Kevin O’Connell (19-10)

Every coach Wilf has hired posted 10-plus victories in a season within three years of taking the job. Tice went 9-7 in his final season with the team, meaning every Vikings coach under Wilf had at least one winning season. Childress and Zimmer reached the NFC Championship Game, but it’s pushing 50 years since the Vikings reached a Super Bowl (1976 season).

11. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys: 309-249 (.554)

Owner since: 1989

Playoff record: 16-14 (3-0 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Tom Landry

Coaches hired: Jimmy Johnson (44-36), Barry Switzer (40-24), Chan Gailey (18-14), Dave Campo (15-33), Bill Parcells (34-30), Wade Phillips (34-22), Jason Garrett (85-67), Mike McCarthy (39-23)

Seven of the eight coaches hired by Jones had or have winning records, including McCarthy, whose winning percentage so far with the Cowboys (.629) exceeds his win rate with the Packers (.618).

Jones’ failure to replicate the postseason success he enjoyed with the roster Johnson built in the early 1990s did not stop him from earning Hall of Fame enshrinement. The economic vision Jones brought to the league remains a huge part of his legacy. Winning another championship would bookend his career.

10. Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles: 268-207-3 (.564)

Owner since: 1994

Playoff record: 17-16 (1-2 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Rich Kotite

Coaches hired: Ray Rhodes (29-34-1), Andy Reid (130-93-1), Chip Kelly (26-21), Doug Pederson (42-37-1), Nick Sirianni (33-13)

Three of the five coaches Lurie hired reached the Super Bowl. A fourth, Rhodes, was named NFL Coach of the Year. Reaching two of the past six Super Bowls with different coaches and different starting quarterbacks further distinguishes Lurie from most of his peers.

9. Green Bay Packers, Inc.: 796-596-38 (.570)

Owner since: 1921

Playoff record: 36-25 (4-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: None

Coaches hired: Curly Lambeau (209-104-21), Gene Ronzani (14-31-1), Ray McLean (1-12-1), Lisle Blackbourn (17-31), Vince Lombardi (89-29-4), Dan Devine (25-27-4), Bart Starr (52-76-3), Forrest Gregg (25-37-1), Lindy Infante (24-40), Mike Holmgren (75-37), Ray Rhodes (8-8), Mike Sherman (57-39), Mike McCarthy (125-77-2), Matt LaFleur (53-25)

The NFL’s ownership requirements apply to every team but the publicly owned Packers, whose seven-member executive committee features team president and CEO Mark Murphy. His tenure is shown in the above chart.

There have been times over the past two decades when a traditional owner might have spurred the team to act more aggressively in an increasingly competitive league, but the unique structure has served the organization well on the whole.

Yes, the Packers really could lose 200 consecutive games overnight without falling below .500 over their 103-year history.

8. Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs: 156-117 (.571)

Owner since: Dec. 14, 2006

Playoff record: 12-9 (2-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Herm Edwards

Coaches hired: Todd Haley (19-26), Romeo Crennel (4-15), Andy Reid (125-49)

Lamar Hunt founded the American Football League and the Chiefs (then the Dallas Texans) before passing the team to his four children, with Clark taking control of the team upon Lamar’s passing in 2006.

Hiring Reid was by far the best move Clark Hunt has made since taking control. The Chiefs were 31-68 (.313) from Lamar Hunt’s passing up to Reid’s arrival. Only the Lions and Rams had worse records over those five-plus seasons. The Chiefs own a league-leading 125-49 (.718) win rate since hiring Reid, including the NFL’s third-best record before Patrick Mahomes became the full-time starting quarterback in 2018.

7. Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts: 247-182-1 (.576)

Owner since: 1997

Playoff record: 13-15 (1-1 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Lindy Infante

Coaches hired: Jim Mora (32-32), Tony Dungy (85-27), Jim Caldwell (26-22), Chuck Pagano (53-43), Frank Reich (40-33-1), Shane Steichen (7-5)

Irsay’s record is 141-67 (.678) when Peyton Manning starts at quarterback and 106-115-1 (.480) the rest of the time, which is how the league usually works.

All three coaches hired after Manning’s time with the team had winning records. That includes Steichen this season. Irsay’s sometimes erratic behavior and comments distract from that winning legacy.

6. Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills: 89-63 (.586)

Owner since: Oct. 10, 2014

Playoff record: 4-5

Coach inherited: Doug Marrone

Coaches hired: Rex Ryan (15-16), Sean McDermott (68-41)

The Bills had missed the playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons before Pegula and his wife, Kim, purchased the team. That streak ended in their third full season of ownership.

Buffalo trails only Kansas City in winning percentage over the past five-plus seasons but faces challenges in keeping open its championship window and in running the team. Kim Pegula’s heart attack has prevented her from leading the Bills’ day-to-day business operations, which have been marked by executive upheaval.

5. Jody Allen, Seattle Seahawks: 52-36 (.591)

Owner since: Oct. 16, 2018

Playoff record: 1-4

Coach inherited: Pete Carroll

Coaches hired: None

Allen took over the Seahawks when her brother, Paul Allen, died during the 2018 season. She extended the contracts of Carroll and general manager John Schneider, and backed them in their decision to trade franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

As trustee of her brother’s trust, Allen is guiding the process of liquidating his assets to support causes he considered important. That will reportedly lead to selling the team, although there is no known timeline and no apparent urgency.

4. Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens: 189-129 (.594)

Owner since: 2004

Playoff record: 11-10 (1-0 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Brian Billick

Coaches hired: John Harbaugh (156-98)

Bisciotti grew up a Colts fan in Baltimore, founded a staffing company that made him wealthy, and bought a minority stake in the Ravens before the 2000 Super Bowl-winning season. After buying out majority owner Art Modell in 2004, Bisciotti bucked convention by hiring as his head coach Harbaugh, who had never been a coordinator on offense or defense at any level. Only the Patriots, Steelers and Packers own a better record than the Ravens since Harbaugh’s hiring.

3. Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers: 67-42-2 (.613)

Owner since: 2017

Playoff record: 0-3

Coach inherited: Mike Tomlin

Coaches hired: None

Rooney became team president in 2003 and became majority owner after his Hall of Fame father, Dan Rooney, died in 2017. The Steelers have transitioned to a new general manager, Omar Khan, during that time, but otherwise have made few important changes.

2. Gayle Benson, New Orleans Saints: 59-35 (.628)

Owner since: 2018

Playoff record: 2-3

Coach inherited: Sean Payton

Coaches hired: Dennis Allen (12-17)

Benson took control of the team when her husband, Tom, died before the 2018 season. The Saints went 38-10 in her first three seasons before entering the current transition period following Drew Brees’ retirement. She could face a crossroads this offseason in determining what course to set for the long-term future.

1. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots: 319-160 (.666)

Owner since: 1994

Playoff record: 33-16 (6-4 in Super Bowls)

Coach inherited: Bill Parcells

Coaches hired: Pete Carroll (27-21), Bill Belichick (265-118)

Kraft inherited and hired high-end coaches, saved his franchise from leaving town, became a leading confidant for commissioner Roger Goodell and influenced league policy at the highest levels, especially when he helped broker the 2011 labor agreement.

With six Super Bowl victories in 10 appearances, it’s easy to see why Kraft has been a finalist for the Hall of Fame.

2024 COACHING CANDIDATES

Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com thinks the best candidates for the 2024 coaching cycle tilt to the defense:

The NFL head-coaching cycle will soon be revving up. Already there are permanent job vacancies in Las Vegas and Carolina, and league sources anticipate anywhere from four to six more jobs coming open once we get to 2024.

Team owners have been inclined to fill those jobs with offensive-minded head coaches in recent years. Since Feb. 3, 2020, 22 head coaches have been hired and 14 have offensive backgrounds.

But a constant churn at the offensive coordinator position in recent years has left the league with an issue — one that could rear its head in a few weeks as NFL owners look to fill their top jobs with offensive-minded head coaches.

“There aren’t enough offensive guys to fill the spots,” one well-known coaching agent told CBS Sports.

“People are reaching on the offensive side,” one personnel executive said. “There’s not enough out there.”

The NFL may be about to experience a reap-what-you-sow situation at offensive coordinator. NFL teams have made 106 changes at the offensive coordinator position in the eight years leading up to this season. (That’s compared to 85 changes at defensive coordinator in the same time period.)

“This extremely high turnover rate … is not ideal from a player development or career trajectory and sustainability perspective,” reads the most recent diversity and inclusion report the league produces each year.

Going into the 2023 regular season, the average length of time for an NFL offensive coordinator is only 1.2 seasons in the current position.

Sixteen offensive coordinators entered this season in the first year in the post. Another nine were going into their second season. So the league has 25 offensive coordinators with no more than two seasons of experience in their current gigs.

Only three offensive coordinators have held their current positions for more than three seasons: Pete Carmichael (Saints), Brian Callahan (Bengals) and Alex Van Pelt (Browns).

Sources across the league agree that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the hottest coaching candidate this cycle. He could wind up getting multiple offers a year after deciding to return to Detroit as a sought-after coach.

But after Johnson, sources say there’s no obvious offensive-minded coach who’s a shoe-in for a job. Callahan, Eric Bieniemy (Commanders), Kellen Moore (Chargers), Frank Smith (Dolphins), Brian Johnson (Eagles) and Bobby Slowick (Texans) are among offensive coordinators who could get interviews, and some of them may even get head-coaching jobs. But the point remains that the pool of candidates isn’t as deep as years past.

NFL owners have been hesitant to go with defensive-minded coaches in recent years thanks to a league that has been consumed with offensive fireworks. The thinking goes that teams with defensive-minded coaches will have to constantly hire new offensive coordinators when the latest successful one leaves for a top job. And that regular stocking of the cupboard will eventually catch up to the team.

“That’s a rich-person problem,” another well-known coaching agent said, referring to the fact that such offensive success would have likely led to postseason success and perhaps a lucrative contract extension.

This upcoming cycle could see the return of the defensive-minded head coach. Or, perhaps inspired by the success of Dan Campbell, the “leader of men” type of coach.

Teams that may be pegged to go offense after Black Monday may very well find their best options are on the defensive side.

There are several strong candidates serving as defensive coordinators today. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks both have their units playing some of the best ball in the league, and both men have been head coaches before. Quinn nearly won a Super Bowl with the Falcons, and the passage of time has helped bolster Wilks’ tenures in Arizona and in Carolina last year as the interim head coach.

“They had a culture established there with Steve in Carolina,” one league source said. “Now they have nothing.”

Lou Anarumo (Bengals), Aaron Glenn (Lions), Raheem Morris (Rams) and Mike Macdonald (Ravens) are also considered to be candidates this cycle. Former Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who took a year off from coaching after stunningly not receiving one head-coaching interview last cycle, has been deserving of another opportunity and is an eligible candidate this year as well.

Today the league is seeing the consequences of the actions over the past years. The constant churn at offensive coordinator throughout the NFL has helped contribute to a lack of slam-dunk candidates.

And in an offseason where a quarter of the league may be looking for a new head coach, perhaps the right leader is standing on the other side of the ball.

Quinn and Wilkes seem to have rehabbed their reputations enough for second shots.  Maybe, Raheem as well.

Still seeing Bienemey on these lists…