Two Titans coaching candidates make strongest case of the year in Rams-Seahawks duel

Chris Shula and Klint Kubiak just put the league on notice

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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Did we just watch the future coach of the Tennessee Titans put on a clinic on Thursday Night Football?

Maybe!

It’s rare for a game with “game of the year” expectations to actually live up to them. It’s a magical moment when it does, and that’s exactly what we got to kick off Week 16. Division rivals—and for my money, the two best teams in the NFC—the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks took their second meeting all the way to the end of overtime.

Seattle won by 1 on a two point conversion, and QB Sam Darnold slayed his demons on national television. The 38-37 contest was riveting from start to finish. And a big part of the story here is a pair of coordinators who are both firmly in the running to earn a head coach job this winter.

Chris Shula and Klint Kubiak shine in NFL game of the year

If Rams DC Chris Shula and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak weren’t already on your radar of potential Titans coaching hires, they should be after last night. Both are rising names in the upcoming coaching cycle, and will certainly get interviews with at least a team or two. I’d bet big money today that the Titans express initial interest in both.

It’s widely understood at this point that Tennessee’s preference headed into finding their “pivot” from Brian Callahan is somebody with prior head coaching experience and/or extensive play-calling experience as a coordinator. That’s what makes these two candidates interesting, because neither fits that bill. On paper, Shula and Kubiak are a whole lot closer to a Brian Callahan than they are to a Mike McCarthy or even a Robert Saleh. They even have the NFL nepo-baby thing going on! Do the names Shula and Kubiak ring any bells?

But while the Titans are likely to favor experience this time around, their search won’t be closed off to candidates who have fewer pelts on the wall. And with something in the neighborhood of 6-8 jobs expected to be open, they may very well miss out on their top choice too. There are only so many quality, experienced candidates out there to choose from.

If Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi go in a less-experienced direction once again, Shula and Kubiak are likely to be high on that list. Shula is in his second year as the Rams’ DC, and Kubiak was the 2024 OC of the Saints before this season coordinating for the Seahawks.

On Thursday night during their matchup, the internet was buzzing about the punches each was throwing. Early on, Shula’s defense picked up right where they left off with Sam Darnold from their last meeting: in his own personal hell. Shula’s disguised coverages paired perfectly with his rush packages to trick Darnold into two back-breaking interceptions, leading to a 30-14 lead in the fourth quarter for the Rams.

The Seahawks fought back, though. And Kubiak’s ability to dial up big plays shone through a couple of times in this one. A throwback screen to RB Kenneth Walker was a huge explosive that got them on the board early. And in crunch time at the end of the game, he dialed up a beautiful shot play to TE AJ Barner on a play action boot. His offense also (technically!) converted a perfect 3/3 two-point attempts down the stretch!

This is how coaching cycles go. Just like college prospects in big national spotlight moments in the winter, coordinators of great units get a legitimate boost from primetime showings like this. Don’t be surprised to see either of these guys announced as a part of the Titans’ initial interview process.

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