Bear Digest

Recent Interims Indicate Trend for Thomas Brown's Bears Debut

When interim coaches take over after in-season firings in recent years the result is often surprising considering how their team has been playing.

Gene Chamberlain

Matthew Stafford is congratulated by Khalil Mack after the Lions won the debut of interim coach Darrell Bevell in 2020.
Matthew Stafford is congratulated by Khalil Mack after the Lions won the debut of interim coach Darrell Bevell in 2020. / Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
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If history means anything—and it often does in the NFL—the Bears rate a good chance of playing well and winning Sunday at San Francisco.

San Francisco might be defending NFC champions and in desperate need of a win to stay in the NFC West chase, but the past says teams who fire their coach in the middle of a season benefit.

At least initially, they benefit.

Of the 16 coaches fired mid-season since the start of the Matt Nagy era in Chicago, nine won the interim coach's debut.

While 9-7 might not sound like a reason for celebration or even to count on a strong Bears performance, it probably is. After all, almost every team on the list that fired its head coach was bad but managed to win its next game. So for a bad team to suddenly turning it around and winning after a firing definitely represents a trend.

It's not just that they won the next game but many of those teams either broke long losing streaks or ended periods of poor play, possibly inspired by the thought of someone else running the show.

Even when they didn't win, they made good showings, for the most part.

Typical was the pitiful New York Jets this year. Jeff Ullbrich took over after Robert Saleh was fired with a 2-3 record. They had to play division champion Buffalo. Yet, they put up a very good fight in losing 23-20 to the Bills.

Last year the Chargers owned a 5-9 record, fired Brandon Staley, and named Giff Smith the interim coach after they had just been embarrassed 63-21 at Las Vegas. Under Smith, they didn't win the first game but played AFC East champion Buffalo at Los Angeles and lost a tight 24-22 game.

Another like this was Jerry Rosburg inheriting Nathaniel Hackett's 4-11 mess with the Broncos in 2022 after a 51-14 shellacking against the Rams. They went to Kansas City and nearly won, losing 27-24.

The other firing during the season this year besides the Jets was Dennis Allen in New Orleans after their ninth game. Darren Rizzi took over and the Saints won their first game, 20-17 at home over the Falcons.

Last year the Raiders became a rare team with an interim coach who went on to coach the team the next season. They were melting down under Josh McDaniels with a 3-5 record, finally fired him and then turned to Antonio Pierce. They won the first game under Pierce, 30-6 at home over the New York Giants. They went on to a 5-4 finish as Pierce won the job. This year his team has struggled to a 2-10 mark.

POWER RANKINGS SAY BEARS CAN BENEFIT FROM CHANGE

THE HAND THOMAS BROWN MUST PLAY IN HIS DEBUT

THE CONCERN OVER CALEB WILLIAMS WITH THOMAS BROWN AS INTERIM COACH

HOW THOMAS BROWN SEES BEARS PULLING IT ALL BACK TOGETHER

Most often the quick payback for firing the head coach in-season lasts only a week or so and then they revert back to their true pathetic nature.

The classic case of this was in 2022 when the Colts had lost three straight and were 3-5-1 under Frank Reich. He was fired by Colts owner Bob Irsay, then replaced by former Colts center Jeff Saturday, of all people. Even Matt Eberflus was commenting on the unjust treatment his friend and former boss got by being fired and replaced by someone whose only experience had been coaching Hebron Christian Academy.

And the Colts won their first game under Saturday 25-20 over the Raiders.

Then they lost every remaining game.

Interim Coaches

Since 2018 First Game

2024

Jets: Jeff Ullbrich took over 2-3 team, lost 23-20 to Buffalo at home

Saints: Darren Rizzi took over 2-7 team, won 20-17 over Atlanta at home

2023

Raiders: Antonio Pierce took over 3-5 team, won 30-6 over Giants at home

Chargers: Giff Smith took over 5-9 team, lost 24-22 to Buffalo at home

Panthers: Chris Tabor took over 1-5 team, lost 21-18 at Tampa Bay

2022

Colts: Jeff Saturday took over 3-5-1 team, won 25-20 at Las Vegas

Broncos: Jerry Rosburg took over 4-11 team lost 27-24 at Kansas City

Panthers: Steve Wilks took over 1-4 team, lost 24-10 in L.A. to the Rams

2021

Raiders: Rich Bisaccia took over 3-2 team, won 34-24 at home over Denver

2020

Texans: Romeo Crennel took over 0-4 team, won over Jaguars 30-14

Lions: Darrell Bevell took over 4-7 team, won over BEARS at Soldier Field 34-30

Falcons: Raheem Morris took over 0-5 team, won over Vikings at Minnesota 40-23

2019

Washington: Bill Callahan took over 0-5 team, won 17-16 at Miami

Panthers: Perry Fewell took over 5-7 team, lost at Atlanta 40-20

2018

Browns: Gregg Williams took over 2-5-1 team, lost at home 37-21 to Kansas City

Packers: Joe Philbin took over 4-7-1 team, won 34-20 over Falcons at home

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.