Panthers' Rob Chudzinski could be next in line for head gig

One of the things you get from re-watching games is an idea of who has the good offensive schemes.

Most of them are -- as expected -- the top offenses in the league, with most of those offenses run by the head coach of the team. So for teams that might be looking for a head coach next January from the coordinators who actually run an offense, the pool will be limited.

Take a look at the top-10 offensive teams based on the rankings this week. They are in order: New Orleans, New England, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Dallas, Carolina, San Diego, Houston, Oakland and Pittsburgh. Of those teams, the only two where the head coach isn't involved in the offense is Carolina and Pittsburgh.

That's it. Some will say that isn't the case in New England, but we know better with Bill Belichick. He's as involved with that offense as any coach. Bill O'Brien is the coordinator, but Belichick and Brady have a lot of say in what happens on offense.

In Philadelphia, former Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg is the coordinator, and he does call the plays, but Andy Reid is an offensive coach who is heavily involved.

In Carolina, Rob Chudzinski runs the offense. In Pittsburgh, it's Bruce Arians. Those two have control of the play calling and the implementation of the offense. They are the only two in the top 10.

So both could be considered head-coaching candidates next spring, although there was once a movement in Pittsburgh to get Arians fired.

That leaves Chudzinski. He is in his first year running the Carolina offense and has it ranked fifth with a rookie quarterback in Cam Newton. Chudzinski's play calling is innovative and creative. He isn't afraid to take chances. This is his second stint as a coordinator after serving in that capacity in Cleveland from 2007-2008.

At 43, his time might be coming. What's even better for him is that it's coming at a time when the head coaches are running the good offenses in the league right now.

With so many head coaches handling their offenses, guys like Mike McCarthy (Green Bay), Sean Payton (New Orleans) and Jason Garrett (Dallas), Chudzinski might be one of the few choices for teams looking to liven up the offensive side of the ball.

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(cbssports.com)