The architect of a Super Bowl trick play who finished last
In short: Dowell Loggains is the offensive mind behind one of football's most famous maneuvers. While he designed a play that eventually won a Super Bowl, his own tenure as an NFL coordinator saw him ranked dead last among all 32 playcallers in the league.
Loggains’ career is defined by a paradox of creative ingenuity and statistical struggle. In 2016, he devised a trick play for the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings—a sequence involving a running back snap, a handoff to a receiver, and a touchdown pass to the quarterback. This specific maneuver was later adopted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the "Philly Special," which they used to score in Super Bowl LII.
Loggains even adapted another trick play he learned during his playing days at Arkansas, naming it "Heisman."
However, these creative highlights often sat in contrast with his broader performance metrics. When promoted to offensive coordinator for the Bears in 2016, the offense struggled significantly. By November 2017, ESPN ranked Loggains dead last among all 32 NFL playcallers.
During that same season, the Bears' offense averaged just 16.5 points per game, placing them 29th in the league. Loggains’ path through the NFL involved frequent reunions and transitions. He served as a quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2014—where he notably advocated for drafting Johnny Manziel—before moving to the Bears. He later reunited with Adam Gase twice, first at the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and again at the New York Jets in 2019. At the Jets, Gase briefly handed Loggains play-calling duties in October 2020 before both were fired in early 2021. After a stint back at his alma mater, Arkansas, and a period with South Carolina, he was hired as Appalachian State's 23rd head coach in December 2024.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Dowell Loggains
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