Finding the Next Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan

Thursday Night Football was supposed to be boring, bad football. In one night Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan made it must-see television.

After two awful weeks, the controversial primetime game saw one of the most exciting contests in recent memory between two rookie head coaches and their offensively-driven teams. It was the hotshot youngest in the league McVay and his former #1 overall pick Jared Goff taking on Shanahan who’s scheme just got Atlanta to the Super Bowl last year. In hindsight people should’ve expected a shootout. That’s what they got.

In a thrilling back-and-forth game, the two teams traded touchdowns, turnovers and big plays. It was a showcase of what hiring young, energetic coaches who know their stuff can do for a franchise. It creates buzz, excitement and some good football when the situation is right. A total of 80 points later the Rams escaped with a 41-39 victory.

If this continues for both teams, one can bet others will try to follow that exact same formula. Hiring the young, offensive wizard to breathe some life into a team. Should that be the case are there any out there who might fit the bill? In order to answer that there must be a stipulation. They must be an offensive assistant coach and they must be under the age of 40 as both McVay and Shanahan are.

Jim Bob Cooter (OC, Detroit Lions, 33-years old)

He might be the hottest name of the really young coordinators out there. Matthew Stafford was already a good quarterback, but didn’t become an MVP hopeful until Cooter took over the offense in 2015. Stafford is averaging more touchdowns, fewer interceptions and a higher completion percentage than at any other time during his career. Not to mention Cooter’s ability to call plays late in games that have sparked nine 4th quarter comebacks since last year.

Todd Downing (OC, Oakland Raiders, 37-years old)

Probably the most under-the-radar of names on this list. People are so caught up in the aura of Derek Carr that it’s easy to forget the man who’s calling the shots for that offense. Todd Downing was actually the quarterbacks coach for Stafford in Detroit when he threw for 5,000 yards in 2011. When he arrived in 2015 with the Raiders, Carr immediately experienced a huge upswing in production. Now with Downing in charge of the play calling Carr has five touchdowns and no interceptions thus far in 2017.

Dowell Loggains (OC, Chicago Bears, 36-years old)

People are no doubt cracking on Loggains of late because of the sluggish start for the Bears offense. In truth it’s not his fault. Not only is his starting quarterback Mike Glennon erratic, the teams’ receiver position has been decimated by injury. Yet somehow this team is still able to move the ball. Much of that due to Loggains’ ability to craft plays that get his players open or create a lane to run. People are anxious to see what he can do with Mitch Trubisky once the Bears let him off the leash.