NFL roundtable: Which teams and figures are doing the most with the least?

NFL teams are ultimately defined by their records, but the win and loss columns don't tell the full story.
In any given year, a few franchises will defy expectations and manage to prevail despite significant shortcomings. And while their efforts are not to be undermined, their performances serve as a reminder that pure talent only goes so far in the league.
With that in mind, we asked writers and editors from Paste BN Sports and the Paste BN Network: Which team, player or coach is doing the most with the least this season?
Their answers:
Nancy Armour
Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins.
Yes, I know they’ve only won two games. But given that Miami’s brain trust has decided that tanking is the best path to future success, the Dolphins should have no business being in any games, let alone actually winning any. Let’s revisit what the Dolphins have cut or traded away since last season ended: defensive end Robert Quinn, who led Miami in sacks last year; offensive tackle Lamery Tunsil; wide receiver Kenny Stills; safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been outstanding for the Pittsburgh Steelers; and running back Kenyan Drake, who led Miami in rushing in 2017. Now consider that Josh Rosen has been a bust, and it truly is mind-boggling that the Dolphins have not established residency in the NFL’s basement.
But credit Flores, who is in his first year as a head coach, for defying his bosses and insisting the Dolphins act like a legitimate NFL team. He benched Rosen in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick when it was clear Rosen wasn’t going to cut it, and has been aggressive in his play calling. That attitude has rubbed off on his team, which is playing with fire and discipline. The Dolphins have started their last several games surprisingly strong, and were able to carry that through to the end in the last two.
This isn’t to say the Dolphins are going to be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Even getting to .500 will be a stretch. But considering how little they have to work with, Flores and the Dolphins are doing far better than anyone would have expected.
Jarrett Bell
Brian Flores. The Dolphins coach has his team positioned to win their third consecutive game on Sunday despite their massive fire sale and sky-writing in the clouds that reads, “Tanking.” They sent left tackle Laremy Tunsil and play-making receiver Kenny Stills to Houston. They traded game-changing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Pittsburgh. They dumped running back Kenyon Drake into Arizona’s lap. Yet Flores’ team is still hanging tough enough at 2-7 – just one game worse than the talented, preseason darling Cleveland Browns were heading into Thursday night’s game – with two of the losses (Dallas, Pittsburgh) nearly twisting into upset wins.
Hats off to Flores, a rising star who was so passionate in shooting down the “tanking” talk, even while his best players were shipped away to stash some sweet draft capital for GM Chris Grier to manage. All along, Flores has preached – and exemplified -- professional pride. Apparently there are enough Miami players buying in. He injected some life into the offense by settling on Ryan Fitzpatrick over Josh Rosen as the stop-gap quarterback. And the win over the Jets (and last year’s Miami coach, Adam Gase) provided the tie-breaker edge that now has Miami out of last place. Funny, for all of the tanking talk, the Dolphins would have the fifth pick overall if the NFL draft were today. The rookie head coach, hired off Bill Belichick’s staff, is establishing the culture missing in Miami for years. And with the cache of draft picks, the future looks so bright – especially with Flores signed to a 5-year contract.
Nate Davis
I want to tread carefully as it pertains to “most with the least,” but I certainly believe the Oakland Raiders deserve recognition this season – perhaps getting some of the most positive results with some of the least-experienced players in the league. The team’s offseason veteran acquisitions have obviously not panned out, the Raiders getting nothing but headaches from Antonio Brown and next to nothing from suspended LB Vontaze Burfict. But rookie GM Mike Mayock’s draft class, led by first-round RB Josh Jacobs, has provided wonderful returns. Reclamation project Darren Waller is one of the league’s unanticipated feel-good stories. And QB Derek Carr appears far more comfortable in Year 2 under Jon Gruden than he did in 2018. And despite suffering more than its fare share of injuries, Oakland only sits a tiebreaker outside the AFC playoff bracket. “Most with the least?” I don’t know about that. Impressive return on investment from a young core and a $100 million coach? Definitely.
Jori Epstein
Was Jacoby Brissett expected to play smart football this well, this quickly? Seems like Colts fans wouldn’t have unceremoniously booed Andrew Luck’s retirement announcement as avidly if they thought their next-up quarterback could. The Colts aren’t running the AFC by any means, but they’re just one game behind the Texans in the AFC South. And had Brissett’s knee not sidelined him the last 1.5 games, it seems like they’d be at least tied for vision lead. Instead, Brian Hoyer stepped in to complete just 46 percent of his passes and throw three interceptions to one touchdown. The Colts have lost both games he’s managed. In comparison: Brissett has completed 64.8 percent of his passes, allowed just three picks in 236 pass attempts, and scored 14 touchdowns. In the seven games he played most snaps, the Colts won five. Sometimes, it’s tough to tell how much a quarterback is helped by the pieces around him. The stark difference between Brissett and Hoyer’s results—even as Hoyer faced 2-7 Miami—underscores how Brissett is maximizing his team’s talent.
Mike Jones
I’d have to say Mike Tomlin. This year was going to be challenging because the Steelers lost a lot of offensive firepower over the offseason, and because they retooled their defense and those young pieces needed to grow into their roles. But then throw the loss of Big Ben into that mix and it really looked like the Steelers’ season would go south. But here we are with the Steelers still very much alive at 5-5. The Mason Rudolph concussion also could have further derailed this team, but Pittsburgh managed to win that game as well. I asked around, picking the brains of guys that have worked with Tomlin, about the key to their success and they credit Tomlin's constant message of the importance of mental toughness. "He preaches it and he lives it," one former assistant told me. He and the Steelers draft and sign players known for mental fortitude so they can weather storms just like this. The message and approach are paying off.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
Time to give Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills some recognition, though the nod here might seem like a backhanded compliment. But in a quarterback-driven league, McDermott has managed to lead his team to a 6-3 start despite Josh Allen ranking 29th in passer rating at 81.6. And despite lacking the star power and high-end investments of other top units, the defense ranks third in both yards (304.2) and points (16.7) allowed per game. Yes, Buffalo has take advantage of a forgiving schedule, and the team's true potency might be revealed in a four-game stretch that features games against the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. But the Bills deserve credit for getting this far, particularly given the flat-lining deep passing game.
Lorenzo Reyes
Honorable mention goes to Frank Reich, for keeping the Colts competitive after their franchise quarterback abruptly retired right before the season. I’m also tempted to nominate Brian Flores, for getting that Dolphins roster to even win two games. But I’m going to go with Mike Tomlin and the job he has done in Pittsburgh. When you consider that Tomlin is coaching without his franchise quarterback, and was leading a team that lost its top receiving weapon from last season and its top rushing weapon from two years ago – both of whom were mainstays in the offense for years – it’s remarkable that he has this team in playoff contention. Some weaker opponents have certainly helped, but the Steelers have toppled some competitive teams, like the Colts, Rams, and a talented (if underachieving) Chargers squad. I hate to pump up losses, but the Steelers also had narrow defeats to the Ravens, Seahawks, and 49ers by a combined nine points.
Tomlin has relied on his defense and has smartly given new acquisition Minkah Fitzpatrick the freedom to roam the field and aggressively attack the ball. He has gotten young pass rushers like T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree to take the next step. But more importantly, the Steelers are forcing turnovers – their 26 ranks second in the NFL – and protecting the ball enough for the league’s second-best turnover differential of +13 prior to Mason Rudolph's four-interception performance in Thursday's loss to the Browns.
Tom Schad
You've got to tip your cap to Mike Tomlin. His Pittsburgh Steelers were all but forgotten after losing Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2; At one point in mid-October, they were 1-4 and starting rookie Devlin Hodges at quarterback. Now, they're 5-5, with a manageable schedule and a very viable path to the playoffs ahead of them.
Tomlin deserves tons of credit here not because of some genius personnel move or motivational tactic this year, but because he's played a huge role in shaping the culture in Pittsburgh -- the kind of thing that takes years, not weeks. Players know what the expectations are in that locker room, and they know what to expect from Tomlin. There's a calm consistency there that lends itself to turnarounds such as the one the Steelers are experiencing now, and you've got to give Tomlin kudos for instilling that.
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