Horse Tracks: What grade would you give Gary Kubiak?

ESPN's John Clayton ranked all of the first-year NFL Head Coaches at the halfway mark on the season. Not surprisingly, Denver Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak is atop that list.

.@ESPN's @ClaytonESPN ranked the @NFL's first-year head coaches. Coach Kubiak is up there https://t.co/WZHkAOtcRG #TheSqueeze

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 7, 2015

Here's what Clayton had to say about the Broncos Head Coach.

1. Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos, 7-0:

Even though he was the only offensive coach hired during the offseason, Kubiak's biggest success has been on defense. He hired Wade Phillips to coach the defense, and Phillips has unleashed a one-gap, 3-4 defense that has more speed than any group he has had in any other stop. The Broncos rank first in seven defensive categories. They have 29 sacks and have forced 15 turnovers. They are the only team that hasn't allowed a point in the first quarter.

Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano compared the Broncos to the dominating 2000 Baltimore Ravens, which won a Super Bowl. Interesting comparison. That Ravens team asked little of starting quarterback Trent Dilfer. The Broncos have future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Because the defense only allows 16 points a game, less is asked of Manning than any team on which he has played. That's a good thing. Manning's age and diminishing arm strength has been an issue Kubiak has been dealing with all season. His biggest challenge in the second half of the season is fixing the offensive line and making it easier for Manning to succeed in the cold-weather games.'

This ranking makes sense.

The Broncos are currently undefeated(7-0), they have one of the best(the best actually) defenses in the league, and a improving offense which gives them one of the best teams in the league.

Also on this list is a former Denver Broncos Head Coach, and a former Broncos defensive coordinator.

Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders is ranked third on this list. He has the Raiders in second-place in the AFC West, and currently a winning record. Things might be looking up for the Raiders.

Former Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox is near the bottom of this list. He's ranked seven out of eight coaches on this list. He's only ahead of San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim Tomsula.

Here's what Clayton has to say about the Broncos former Head Coach.

7. John Fox, Chicago Bears, 3-4

Of all the new coaches, Fox took on the biggest challenge. The Bears lacked talent on defense. Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio have done good work. They switched to a 3-4 even though the roster lacked 3-4 personnel. The Bears are giving up 342.3 yards a game, around 25 less than last year. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase seems to be working with quarterback Jay Cutler so well that odds favor the organization staying with Cutler next year instead of unloading him in a trade.

What will be tough is doing better than a 6-10 or 5-11 season. Matt Forte is hurt. The already thin defensive line can't take one more injury. What Fox has to do in the second half of the season is how to add to the roster next year.

John Fox sure doesn't have the Bears "Kicking and screaming".

Horse Tracks:

Photos of Hardy domestic violence incident published - NFL.com
Deadspin.com released photo evidence Friday of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder that were taken within a day of when she said Hardy attacked her in 2014.

16 things we learned about the Week 9 injury report - NFL.com
Kiko Alonso is set to make his return after injuring his knee in Week 2. The Eagles listed running back Ryan Mathews questionable with a groin injury. Read the rest of Friday's injury report news.

Report: Chuck Pagano forced into lineup decisions - NFL.com
The Colts fired offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton a week ago. Indianapolis is still facing turmoil, as a report came out that coach Chuck Pagano doesn't have full authority over his own lineup.

Does Andrew Luck believe he got Pep Hamilton fired? - NFL.com
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has struggled this season. Pep Hamilton got fired. Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyle asked Luck if he thinks he's to blame for his OC getting canned.

Niners QB Colin Kaepernick: 'I'm not out of breath' - NFL.com
49ers coach Jim Tomsula told reporters this week he hoped the benching of Colin Kaepernick would give him a chance to breathe. Kaepernick doesn't agree with the thought.

Hilton (foot) will be a game-time decision vs. Broncos - NFL.com
T.Y. Hilton will be a game-time decision as he deals with a foot sprain. If the receiver can't go, Andrew Luck and the Colts' offense will be even more restricted against the Denver Broncos No. 1 pass D.

Bills GM: Percy Harvin (knee) could be headed to IR - NFL.com
The Buffalo Bills could shelve Percy Harvin for the season. General manager Doug Whaley told the Buffalo News the team could put the receiver on IR with a knee injury.

AFC exec: Leonard Fournette compares to Todd Gurley - NFL.com
LSU running back Leonard Fournette looks a lot like former Georgia star Todd Gurley as a pro prospect, an AFC executive told NFL Media's Albert Breer.

Marcus Mariota will start for Titans against Saints - NFL.com
Interim coach Mike Mularkey announced Friday that Marcus Mariota will be on the field when the 1-6 Titans meet the Saints on Sunday. Mariota missed two games with a sprained MCL.

Dwayne Bowe caught a pass for the Cleveland Browns - NFL.com
We ask you, dear reader: Where were you when Dwayne Bowe caught his first pass with the Cleveland Browns?

Cleveland Browns' struggles mean it's time to see more Manziel - NFL.com
At 2-7, the Cleveland Browns' season is all but over. Does that mean it's time to finally give Johnny Manziel a fair shot at the starting job? NFL Media's Jeffri Chadiha thinks so.

Jason Pierre-Paul of New York Giants will go through Saturday workout before status is determined
Tom Coughlin said the New York Giants will wait until after Saturday morning's practice to determine whether Jason Pierre-Paul is ready to return to action against Tampa Bay.

Jeff Heath of Dallas Cowboys not fined for hit on Seattle Seahawks' Ricardo Lockette
The NFL did not fine Cowboys safety Jeff Heath for his hit on Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, who needed surgery to stabilize ligaments in his neck.

Nick Mangold of New York Jets practices fully
Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold practiced fully on Friday and is listed as probable for the New York Jets' home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Donovan McNabb sentenced to 18 days in jail for DUI
Donovan McNabb, scheduled to report to jail Nov. 30, was stopped by police in a Phoenix suburb in June while driving impaired.

Week Nine injury report roundup | ProFootballTalk
Over the course of the week, there are a lot of posts about the most prominent injured players but we know that you might not see all of them and that some others may fall through the cracks.

Hit that injured Lockette was illegal, but NFL didn’t fine Heath | ProFootballTalk
The NFL has confirmed that Cowboys safety Jeff Heath committed an illegal blindside block when he inflicted a season-ending neck injury on Seahawks receiver Ricardo Lockette on Sunday. But in a surprising decision, the NFL did not fine Heath for the hit.

Chris Harris: Broncos’ defense has no weaknesses | ProFootballTalk
After dominating the Packers on Sunday, the Broncos are feeling pretty good about their defense. In fact, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris says the Broncos are so good that there's not a single area where opposing offenses can attack them. "We really have no weaknesses.

Peyton Manning quietly landed on injury report this week | ProFootballTalk
At a time when the focus was on whether Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has an undisclosed rib injury, not much attention was paid to the other quarterback who'll play in Sunday's game at Indianapolis. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has a right shoulder injury.

Johnathan Hankins fined for sideline shot on Mark Ingram | ProFootballTalk
During one of the brief moments in last Sunday's Giants-Saints game when one of the two quarterbacks wasn't throwing one of their 13 combined touchdown passes, Saints running back Mark Ingram took a shot from Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins after he went out of bounds with the football.