NFL Insider: Coaching changes have worked out for most teams

Fans of the Buccaneers and Titans might not agree, but 2014 has been a good year overall for the NFL teams that decided to make coaching changes.

The seven teams that changed coaches last year — Cleveland, Houston, Tennessee, Washington, Detroit, the Vikings and Tampa Bay — were a combined 32-79-1 (.290) last season. This year, those same teams already have 26 wins while posting a .433 winning percentage.

Heck, even the Browns apparently did something right when they made Mike Pettine their coach. He's 6-3, riding a 24-3 victory at Cincinnati and tied for first place in the league's best division. And he got there without his best player, Josh Gordon, who loves football almost as much as the marijuana that keeps getting him suspended.

Meanwhile, in the NFC, offensive-minded Jim Caldwell is 6-2 and leading the NFC North with the league's best defense in yards and points allowed. His best player, Calvin Johnson, has missed three games and has had little impact in the other five.

Come to think of it, there's something strange going on with new coaches and their best players. In Minnesota, Mike Zimmer has a two-game winning streak and a 4-5 mark with Adrian Peterson missing all but the season opener. And in Washington, Jay Gruden has seen Robert Griffen III suit up for only three games.

With four victories, Houston's Bill O'Brien already has doubled Gary Kubiak's win total from last season. Pettine has two more wins than Rob Chudzinski had a year ago, and Gruden has matched Mike Shanahan's 2013 win total.

Zimmer and Caldwell are one win from matching last year's totals. That leaves only Tampa Bay's Lovie Smith and Tennessee's Ken Whisenhunt looking at taking steps backward.

Let's rank the newbies:

1. Lions: Jim Caldwell

2013 record: 7-9, third in NFC Nouth

2014: 6-2, first

Signature win: 19-7 vs. Packers.

Worst loss: 17-14 vs. Buffalo.

Comment: The Lions are giving up 15.8 ppg.

2. Browns: Mike Pettine

2013 record: 4-12, last in AFC North

2014: 6-3, tied for first

Signature win: 24-3 at Cincinnati.

Worst loss: 24-6 at Jacksonville.

Comment: The last time the Browns won as many as six games in one season? 2007.

3. Texans: Bill O'Brien

2013 record: 2-14, last in AFC South

2014: 4-5, second

Signature win: 23-17 vs. Buffalo.

Worst loss: 30-17 at the Giants.

Comment: Houston's turnover differential is plus-7. Last year, it was a league-worst minus-20.

4. Vikings: Mike Zimmer

2013 record: 5-10-1, last in NFC Nouth

2014: 4-5, third

Signature win: 19-13 in overtime at Tampa Bay.

Worst loss: 17-16 at Buffalo.

Comment: Teddy Bridgewater may look like a rookie sometimes, but all three of his wins include a fourth-quarter comeback. Zimmer's defense has climbed from last in points allowed (30.0) last season to 13th (22.1).

5. Redskins: Jay Gruden

2013 record: 3-13, last in NFC East

2014: 3-6, last

Signature win: 20-17 at Dallas.

Worst loss: 45-14 vs. Giants.

Comment: Like Zimmer, Gruden has started three quarterbacks. No. 3 QB Colt McCoy beat the Cowboys in Dallas on a Monday night.

6. Titans: Ken Whisenhunt

2013 record: 7-9, second in AFC South

2014: 2-6, third

Signature win: 26-10 at Kansas City.

Worst loss: 29-28 vs. Browns.

Comment: Hamstrung by Jake Locker's failure, Whisenhunt sure won't post Tennessee's first playoff win since 2003.

7. Buccaneers: Lovie Smith

2013 record: 4-12, tied for last in NFC South

2014: 1-7, last

Signature win: 27-24 at Pittsburgh.

Worst loss: 56-14 at Atlanta.

Comment: The Bucs are proving that free agency and the Tampa 2 defensive scheme are A, overrated and B, outdated.

NFL Chatter

The Vikings are one of seven NFL teams without a victory in its division. But they'll have plenty of chances to correct that problem coming out of this week's bye.

"I think four of our next seven are division games," said General Manager Rick Spielman, who thought correctly. "So it will be interesting to see where we were when we played those division games early and how much our team has progressed as we head into this last stretch of the season."

The Vikings come out of the bye with NFC North games at Chicago and back home against Green Bay. They play at Detroit on Dec. 14 and finish the season at home against the Bears on Dec. 28.

The Vikings are 4-5 with a two-game winning streak, but went 0-2 while being overmatched in division losses to the Packers (42-10) at Lambeau Field and the Lions (17-3) at home in Weeks 5-6. Christian Ponder and Teddy Bridgewater were sacked a total of 14 times in the two losses.

"I know the potential and how much more growth this team has just because of the youth on this football team," Spielman said. "You're seeing those steps taken week in and week out. We're improving, but we're not anywhere near where we're potentially going to be down the road."

The other teams without a division victory are the Jets (0-2), Jaguars (0-2), Raiders (0-1), Bears (0-1), Buccaneers (0-3) and defending champion Seahawks (0-1).

THIRD-AND-2

Three observations

• With four wins, the Texans have doubled last year's victory total. Cleveland and Washington have matched or exceeded their totals, while the Vikings (4-5) and Bills (5-3) each need one to match.

• With five defeats, the Panthers have surpassed last year's loss total of four. The Jets (1-8), Seahawks (5-3) and 49ers (4-4) have matched their totals from last year.

• The Raiders have scored a league-low 15 touchdowns, 17 fewer than the Broncos.

Two predictions

• Denver, which posted just eight points in its Super Bowl loss last season, will reach at least 20 points for the 30th consecutive regular-season game.

• The Lions' No. 1-ranked scoring defense will hold an opponent under 20 points for the sixth time this season.

FOCUS ON FIVE STORY LINES

1 Bring on da Bears: Chicago at Green Bay

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers welcomes the Bears to Lambeau. And why not? Rodgers is 11-3 against Green Bay's oldest rival; this is their 190th meeting.

2 Back in the saddle: Denver at Oakland

Peyton Manning and his teammates are looking to rebound from last week's shellacking against the Patriots. No better way to get healthy than against the NFL's only winless team.

3 Something in the water: Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets

The two Meadowlands tenants — the Giants and Jets — are a combined 4-13. The Jets never have lost nine in a row, but falling to Pittsburgh will achieve that dubious distinction.

4 The withering Cowboys: Dallas vs. Jacksonville at London

After a strong start to the season, the Cowboys have lost their past two games and QB Tony Romo's (pictured) tender back makes him a question mark.

5 On a roll: St. Louis at Arizona

The Cardinals have the NFL's best record, and plenty of momentum after wins over Philadelphia and Dallas. They have not gone 8-1 since their 11-1 season in 1948, when they called Chicago home.

CRAIG'S LIST

Week 10 is a bye for the Vikings, Texans, Colts, Patriots, Chargers, the Washington, D.C., football team whose name escapes us and the intended targets of Bengals QB Andy Dalton.

There are bad nights and then there is what happened to Dalton in Thursday night's 24-3 loss to the Browns.

When the game ended, Dalton had one more interception (3) than passer rating percentage points (2.0). And we hear you get 1.9 for not being Tim Tebow.

Dalton fell to 2-9 in nationally televised games, which adds to his 0-3 playoff record, which makes critics of his $115 million contract very, very unhappy.

Here's a look at this weekend's possibilities when it comes to passer ratings, big stages and better uses of $115 million:

Jaguars +71/2 vs. Cowboys at London

Cowboys by 3

We'll spot Tony Romo 60.1 rating points for fracturing his back, flying to London, practicing and not saying, "Blimey, Jer, I'm knackered here. The lolly's good, but me back even hurts when I go to the loo. Do you want me leaving in a buggy?"

Dolphins +21/2 at Lions

Lions by 7

Speaking of big stages, the Lions and Browns are a combined 12-5, bringing pride to zoo animals and Paul Brown's family for the first time since 1957.

Chiefs -2 at Bills

Bills by 3

Kyle Orton has called Dalton's agent and asked, "Hey, did you see that fourth-and-20 against the Vikings?"

Titans +91/2 at Ravens

Ravens by 7

Talk about a must-win situation. If the Ravens lose, they'll be relocated to 1990 Cleveland.

Steelers -5 at Jets

Steelers by 3

Someone will play QB for the Jets and only ESPN will care.

Falcons -21/2 at Buccaneers

Buccaneers by 3

We're not saying this isn't a big stage, but parents will hand out oranges, juice boxes and plastic trophies to players after the game.

Broncos -11 1/2 at Raiders

Broncos by 10

To maintain parity, the NFL is asking Peyton Manning to play left-handed, eat two large pizzas and take no bathroom breaks.

Rams +7 at Cardinals

Rams by 3

The Cardinals look so darn good, we have no choice but to pick them to lose.

Giants +9 at Seahawks

Seahawks by 7

Having won two straight, the Seahawks are on high alert for remorseful pre-game skydivers who look like Percy Harvin.

Bears +7 at Packers

Packers by 3

We're not saying the Packers are taking Jared Allen lightly, but there does seem to be awful lot of imaginary calves that haven't been roped.

Panthers +61/2 at Eagles

Eagles by 3

Mark Sanchez looked so confident last week, we have no choice but to pick him to lose.

UPSET SPECIAL

49ers +5 at Saints

49ers 27, Saints 24

This one doesn't feel right, which is what makes it feel right.

Record

Last week/overall: 7-5/ 76-48-1

Versus spread: 10-4/ 58-55.

Vikings picks: 6-3

Upset special picks: 3-6

Mark Craig • 612-673-7011