Five weirdest coaching moves of 2017 NFL season: No surprise, Ben McAdoo figures prominently

Jim Reineking, USA TODAY Sports Published 8:53 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017 | Updated 12:33 p.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017

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Sometimes, NFL coaches make decisions that make fans scratch their heads. In some cases, those calls can end up defining a season.

These are the most puzzling coaching moves of the 2017 NFL season:

5. Chargers keep untested kicker

Coming out of training camp, the newly relocated Los Angeles Chargers under first-year coach Anthony Lynn kept untested rookie kicker YoungHoe Koo rather than incumbent Josh Lambo (who went on to beat his former team later in the season). In Week 1, Koo lined up for a potentially game-tying 44-yard field goal at the end of regulation. That was blocked and the Chargers lost. A week later, Koo missed two of three field goal attempts and the Chargers lost 19-17 to the Dolphins. Koo eventually was released and veteran kicker Nick Novak was brought in (Travis Coons was later signed when Novak went on IR).

The Chargers got off to a slow start (0-4 before tearing off three straight wins in October), and that stumble out of the gate likely could cost this team a playoff berth. Kicking issues would continue to haunt Los Angeles, as four different players would go on to miss a field goal in 2017.

4. Carroll calls for fake FG vs. Falcons

Trailing 24-17 with seven seconds remaining in the first half of a Monday Night Football showdown against the Falcons, the Seahawks lined up for a 34-yard field goal attempt. Rather than trim Atlanta's lead, coach Pete Carroll called for a fake field goal. It didn't work, and — somewhat fittingly — the Seahawks lost by three points, 34-31. After the game, Carroll stuck by his decision, saying, "It would have been a really good call if we would have made it." That loss could prove lethal, as Seattle finds itself with the same record as Atlanta in a fight for the final wild-card spot.

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3. Pagano's dismal season

This is more of a season-long achievement award than recognition of any single questionable coaching move. Chuck Pagano was dealt a devastating blow with the ongoing injury situation surrounding franchise QB Andrew Luck, who hasn't played a down this season. What has resulted is one of the worst seasons in Colts history. Granted, the Colts have won three games, but those came against the Cleveland Browns (who still haven't won yet), San Francisco 49ers (who were winless at the time) and the Houston Texans (who were within 72 hours of having lost Deshaun Watson for the season). From costly late-game decisions to players apparently giving up to the bizarre situation the result in the release of a Pro Bowl cornerback to questionable Thanksgiving dinner choices, it's been an adventurous season for Pagano.

2. Bills bench Taylor

The Bills have been in the AFC playoff chase the entire season, which makes first-year head coach Sean McDermott's decision to bench of starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor for untested rookie Nathan Peterman for a Week 11 game in L.A. so puzzling. The results were predictably bad. Peterman threw five interceptions in his first 14 attempts before being benched at halftime, and Buffalo was on the wrong end of a 54-24 smackdown. A week later, Taylor was back as the starter and the Bills pulled off a win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

1. McAdoo benches Eli

The Giants entered the 2017 season with Super Bowl aspirations and will exit it after having experienced the most losses of any season in franchise history. The most regrettable moment of the season came when then-head coach Ben McAdoo benched Eli Manning, who had been the team's starter since his rookie season of 2004 and had the second-longest starting streak in NFL history. It wasn't as if McAdoo had the second coming of Aaron Rodgers sitting behind Manning on the depth chart, as Geno Smith was the man to take over for Manning. The Giants lost, and McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese were promptly fired. Manning then was reinserted as the starting QB by interim coach Steve Spagnuolo.

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