With a relatively short season compared to other pro sports, NFL teams need to get off to a good start to put themselves in position to vie for a playoff berth.
So BetMaryland.com, as part of our sports betting Maryland coverage, looked at how successful current NFL coaches have been in the season’s opening month.
Best NFL Coaches In September
BetMaryland.com – where you can find the best Maryland sportsbook promo codes – used data from Pro-Football-Reference.com to review which coaches get off to a fast start, and which do not. The coaches were ranked by winning percentage in September. Coaches must have at least three seasons as a head coach to qualify for this list.
Ravens Fast Starters Under Harbaugh
Ravens fans should be pleased that Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is near the top of the list for best winning percentage in September. Harbaugh’s September winning percentage of .660 is even more impressive compared to other coaches who also have outstanding early-season starts because Harbaugh’s track record is over a much longer time than most.
You can follow the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl odds all season with BetMaryland. Harbaugh, going into his 16th season as the Ravens head coach, has a September record of 33-17.
Ahead of Harbaugh for September win-loss records are Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay (16-4, .800), Green Bay’s Matt LeFleur (10-3, .769) and Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski (6-3, .667). However, Harbaugh’s record is over 50 games compared to the three coaches ahead of him, who have compiled their records over a combined 42 games.
Other Veteran Coaches Also Start Well
The man with a similar number of total games in September is current Dallas coach Mike McCarthy who has a September record of 34-19-1, .639, (tied for seventh-best) over 16 seasons with Green Bay and the Cowboys.
The Cowboys and Ravens have similar Super Bowl odds at the best Maryland betting app options. Baltimore is listed at +1800 to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy next February; Dallas is hovering between +1300 and +1500.
Two other long-tenured coaches, Kansas City’s Andy Reid (tied for seventh with McCarthy) and New England’s Bill Belichick (eighth) have typically gotten their teams off to strong starts. Reid is 51-29, .638 with the Chiefs and Philadelphia. Belichick is 60-35, .632, with the Patriots and Cleveland (footnote: despite technically being the head coach of the Jets, Belichick never coached a game with the franchise).
Other veteran coaches who have gotten out of the starting gate fast are Pete Carroll, Seattle, New England and N.Y. Jets, 36-21, .632; Sean Payton, now with Denver but 27-23 in September with New Orleans, and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, 28-25-2.
Looking ahead to the imminent NFL regular season, and the Baltimore Ravens playoff chances, Harbaugh has an opportunity to pad his September career record. The Ravens have three regular-season games in the opening month and they should be big favorites in two of them, against Houston (Week 1) and Indianapolis (Week 3). The game in between is Week 2 against Cincinnati, where starting quarterback Joe Burrow has been dealing with a calf injury during the preseason.
