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Where does the Commanders’ coach-QB duo rank in the NFL?

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When you think of elite head coach and quarterback duos in NFL history, Bill Walsh/Joe Montana and Bill Belichick/Tom Brady often come to mind. There are others, but those stand out as the most successful.

Who is the top coach/quarterback duo in the NFL today? Well, that’s actually quite easy: Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs.

There are other good coach-QB duos, such as Sean McDermott/Josh Allen, Zac Taylor/Joe Burrow and John Harbaugh/Lamar Jackson.  One that will be moving up the list in 2023 is Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville.

What about the combination of Ron Rivera and Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders?

Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated recently ranked all 32 coach-QB situations across the NFL. He ranked Washington’s combo at No. 27, offering the following explanation:

Rivera went to a Super Bowl with the Panthers in 2015, but his tenure in Washington has yet to produce a playoff victory. Now he’s turning to his third quarterback in as many years with Howell taking over. Howell, a ’22 fifth-round pick from North Carolina, has exactly one start to his name.

SI has Howell ranked as the No. 30 quarterback and Rivera as the No. 22 coach. We believe Howell will be better than some of those ranked ahead of him on this list. However, both Rivera and Howell have a lot to prove in 2023. Howell as a young quarterback, and Rivera as a coach. Rivera hasn’t had a winning season as a head coach since 2017, and the Commanders are under new ownership.