It could be argued, and strongly, that NFL head coaches have one of the loneliest jobs in sports. They’re responsible for all of the key game-related decisions and if things go wrong, it’s their head on a plate. However, the reality is that even at the highest level, there are some strange plays and poor moments of judgment.
So today, we’ll take a look at 30 of the most controversial, ridiculous, and purely dumb decisions made by NFL coaches. Of course, some of these coaches were one and done in terms of seasons coached because they were too inept, but there are some Super Bowl winners on the list as well. Check out the list below via Complex.
30. Matt Patricia
There really isn’t anything good to say about Patricia’s tenure in charge of the Detroit Lions. The team wallowed in despair under his tutelage with few upsides. Patricia is a good coordinator but was a terrible head coach. Their loss to the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 flaunted all of his inept traits. He ordered a stretch run on 3rd-and-1 from the one-yard line with Adrian Peterson, who is getting up there in age at this stage. It obviously didn’t work.
The Lions and former Patriots staffer Bob Quinn fired playoff coach Jim Caldwell to hire Patricia, who trashed their goodwill with a brutal win-loss record over three painful seasons. His entire run as head coach was essentially a horrific coaching decision. It all culminated in an atrocious Thanksgiving Day loss to the also terrible Houston Texans, after which Detroit ownership had seen enough. This showed how inept coaching can be even at the highest level.