Having lost six of their last seven games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all but down for the count this season.
The issues have been all over the board, including on offense, where the Bucs rank in the bottom third of the league in scoring. The strategy for the Bucs, this year, has seemed to be way off base under first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
One would think it should be pretty simple: get the ball to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin while giving touches to Rachaad White in space. But, the Bucs offense has been middling at best this year.
When Todd Bowles is ultimately fired, Canales will get the boot as well. Looking ahead, let's check out some early candidates the Bucs should consider in his place.
1. Ken Dorsey, Former Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills
Ken Dorsey could only do so much for the Buffalo Bills while Josh Allen continued to get in his own way. Dorsey is a bright offensive mind and, sadly, was the scapegoat in Buffalo a couple of weeks back.
Under Dorsey, the Bills had continued to be one of the top offenses in football over the last season and a half. He will not be out of a job for long and should have another offensive coordinator position locked in come the offseason.
Dorsey worked closely with previous offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, helping Allen get to the pinnacle of the league as one of the top quarterbacks in the game today. Prior to being fired, the Bills were in the top five in terms of yards per game and were top 10 in scoring. He clearly wasn't the real problem in Buffalo.
Hiring Dorsey would give the Bills a much more fitting coordinator for whomever the quarterback may be in 2024, but could also allow him to get back on the track of potentially becoming a head coach.
2. Josh McCown, Quarterbacks Coach, Carolina Panthers
This might seem like a bit of a stretch at first glance. The Carolina Panthers own the league's worst record. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young has struggled. Offensively, the Panthers are third-worst in yards per game and fourth-worst in scoring.
But, a lot of that is due to the lack of talent around Young. The Panthers' offensive line is in rough shape. Young doesn't have a legitimate no. 1 receiver. The running back room is average. So, you can't put the bulk of the blame on anyone other than the front office.
Josh McCown is going to be a great coach in this league. Most around the NFL would tell you that. McCown is one of the brighter and more respected individuals in the game today. His near-20 years in the NFL gave him a ton of experience and knowledge to now use going into coaching, and he's able to be a true player's coach.
Hiring McCown would also be somewhat of a reunion, as he played for the Bucs back in 2014. The familiar face could really put his name on the map with the weapons the Bucs already have in place.
3. Chris O'Hara, Quarterbacks Coach, Minnesota Vikings
One of the nicer stories over the last few weeks has been the Minnesota Vikings' ability to remain competitive, despite losing Kirk Cousins for the season. Let's first look at Cousins' work this season, though, under Kevin O'Connell and Chris O'Hara.
Cousins was top-3 in yards per game and touchdown passes prior to his injury. He was having arguably his best season yet as a pro, which makes his season-ending injury that much more devastating.
But, the Vikings then traded for Joshua Dobbs and, somehow, have remained in the thick of the playoff race. Minnesota remains the league's no. 4 overall passing team, averaging 266.7 yards per game through the air, and you've got to give some credit to O'Hara for the consistency.
O'Hara came with O'Connell from Los Angeles where they both worked under Sean McVay, and that's a fantastic tree to hire from, as the Vikings are finding out.
If the Bucs want an up-and-coming offesive coordinator with a background in a great system, then O'Hara would be a strong hire.
4. Kevin Patullo, Associate Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles
Finally, let's take a look at a guy who is already an associate head coach, with plenty of evidence to believe he can be a head coach in the near future. Kevin Patullo got his start coaching in the NFL back in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs. For the past three seasons, he's been the passing game coordinator for Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.
It wasn't until this year that Patullo was given the title of Associate Head Coach, though. That, alone, should show plenty of faith in him and his leadership skills to be considered for a head coaching gig down the line. The next step, though, is to become an offensive coordinator.
Hurts and the Eagles offense have been one of the best units in football the last couple of seasons, both in the run and passing game. Patullo, along with Brian Johnson and Alex Tanney (quarterbacks coach) have done a great job with Hurts' development. He's become one of the top quarterbacks in all of football thanks to their direction.