The Atlanta Falcons have made some massive moves this offseason as they prepare to take over the NFC South. With a new president of football, head coach, and soon-to-be general manager, the Falcons are almost finished replenishing their revamped leadership team.
Now that it's nearly fully assembled, we can glance up from the dust of a hectic coaching cycle and say the Falcons stand alone atop the NFC South. New head coach Kevin Stefanski will overtake the division as the best head coach, and it's not close.
The biggest contender, Buccaneers' head coach Todd Bowles, has led Tampa Bay to three playoff appearances since 2022, but has never capitalized on that success. Bowles has yet to prove he can turn good into elite, and it's shown.
The Bucs won the NFC South three straight seasons under Bowles' leadership until a rough second half of 2025 ended the streak. Over the three playoff seasons, the Bucs went 27-24, and 1-3 in the playoffs, and he's entering 2026 on the hot seat.
Kevin Stefanski is instantly the best head coach in the NFC South and it isn't close
The 2024 Buccaneers were the best of the trio, with Baker Mayfield throwing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and Mike Evans notching his 11th straight 1,000-yard receiving season. Despite regular season success, the team stumbled and fell in the playoffs.
Stefanski also only has one playoff victory through two appearances, but with a much worse roster. The 2023 Cleveland Browns finished the season 11-6 off the back of an elite defense led by Myles Garrett's 14 sacks.
Despite Joe Flacco, Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson each starting multiple games at quarterback, the Browns finished 10th in scoring offense and 16th in total offense.
2023 proved Stefanski can do more with less, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Fans in Cleveland may have been calling for Stefanski's job, but not as much as fans in Tampa Bay. After the midseason collapse, Bucs' fans were impatiently awaiting news of Tampa Bay to follow Atlanta's lead.
The other two NFC South coaches have just three years combined as head coaches, and haven't proved much. Dave Canales led the Panthers to an NFC South title despite just an 8-9 record. The trip to the playoffs didn't last long, but 2025 was a massive improvement from a 5-12 campaign in 2024.
Kellen Moore was an elite OC in Philadelphia before becoming the Saints' head coach in 2025. His first season in New Orleans didn't go well, but there are some strong takeaways from the 6-11 opening season, especially at the quarterback position.
Out of the three rival head coaches, Moore definitely has the highest ceiling, but hasn't gotten a chance to prove it.
Thanks to Matt Ryan, the Falcons now boast the best head coach in the division. If a couple of key offseason moves are made, the Falcons will become real contenders immediately. The four-game win streak to cap the 2025 season was exciting, but there's more to come in Atlanta if Stefanski brings in the right staff.
Regardless, Falcons' fans can rest easy knowing the right guys are at the helm.