NFL: Top 5 Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

Nobody faces the excrutiating job insecurity of an NFL Head Coach. Faced with short seasons and high expectations, some of these men inevitably disappoint their Franchise each and every year. This year, the Miami Dolphins struck first, dismissing third year head man Joe Philbin after a terrible loss at Wembley in week 4. With week 7 in the books, I take a look at who could be next to face the axe as mid-season approaches. Because in the NFL, no coach is safe...Honourable Mentions:Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs – My instincts say Reid gets a bye this season. He’s had a winning record in each of his first two seasons, three of the Chiefs five losses to date have come against teams that are still unbeaten (Bengals, Packers, Broncos) and he’s just beaten the Steelers despite having lost Jamaal Charles for the season. However, the Chiefs have an impatient ownership. The last head coach to survive more than two years before Reid was Dick Vermeil (2001-2005). Reid will have at least this season to sort things out, but if Kansas City winds up with a 5-11 record or thereabouts in December, don’t be shocked to see his name come up on Black Monday.John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens – Am I really serious about this? A Super Bowl winning head coach getting fired a year after a 10-6 season? Well, let’s look at history. The Ravens fired Brian Billick, another Super Bowl winning head coach, after a 5-11 season in 2007. The Ravens are sitting at 1-6 and they’ve lost both of their home games. Personally, I think this would be unfair. There is very little talent on this roster and yet Harbaugh has coached them up to play every game close. If anybody is to blame for this season, it’s general manager Ozzie Newsome. But saying that is sacrilege in Baltimore.I can’t see this team finishing up with anything worse than a 6-10 record, which will be enough to avoid asking the uncomfortable question. But let’s just say they finish at 3-13. Does owner Steve Bisciotti accept that, or does he send Harbaugh to the street? It’s not out of the realms of possibility.Ken Whisenhunt, Tennessee Titans – Whisenhunt went 2-14 in his first season in Tennessee. He’s 1-5 to start season number 2 and his side just lost four straight games at home. The quality play of rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota might save him in the long run, but if he doesn’t start picking up wins soon he’s going to be on a very, very short leash.

#5 Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles

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Over the last couple of years, Chip Kelly has very carefully maneuvered within the Eagles’ organisation to make sure of one thing; win or lose, this is going to be Chip Kelly’s team. While most head coaches have their rosters dictated to them by General Managers and personnel departments, Chip made sure that personnel decisions we going to be his and his alone. He wasn’t messing around. With the power to choose his players, the trailblazing coach stamped his authority on the team, letting go of stars such as DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Evan Mathis and LeSean McCoy whilst bringing in Nick Foles, Kiko Alonso and DeMarco Murray.

Win or lose, this is Chip Kelly’s team. When they win, it’s because of Chip. When they lose, it’s Chip’s fault. That is the position he has crafted for himself in the city of brotherly love.

Well, right now the Eagles are losing. Their 3-4 record has them sitting at third in the NFC East. While that may only be one game out of the lead in a close division, the point is that this is so far removed from the early expectations Kelly placed on himself and his team with his off-season moves. The supposed offensive juggernaut that inspired Super Bowl aspirations before the season began ranks 15th or lower in every major category. Sam Bradford leads the NFL in interceptions with 10 in 7 games. This team looks like it is regressing. They don’t have the weapons on the perimeter to move the ball because Coach Kelly let Maclin and Jackson go. DeMarco Murray can’t get things going because Coach Kelly’s system has him running out of shotgun far too often. Ryan Mathews is a much better fit for the system but isn’t getting the carries he deserves. And instead of taking the blame for that, he quickly and subtly threw it off to his positional coach.

The house isn’t falling in Philadelphia just yet. But if it does in the weeks ahead, it’s going to come down right on top of Chip Kelly.

#4 Jim Tomsula, San Francisco 49ers

Tomsula likely gets a pass this year because this is his first year as head coach and the franchise just endured an unbelievable depletion of talent in the off-season. Punter Andy Lee, cornerback Chris Culliver, linebacker Chris Borland, defensive end Ray McDonald, defensive end Justin Smith, offensive tackle Anthony Davis, offensive guard Mike Iupati, running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Michael Crabtree and linebacker Patrick Willis all left via free agency or retirement. That’s 10 starters if you’re counting. On top of that, safety Antoine Bethea, one of the few over-performing players on the Niners defence, has just been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the year. That’s half of last year’s offensive and defensive starters not on the field for one reason or another. And they were only an 8-8 team last year.

However, regardless of the talent vacuum out in California, nothing can excuse this club’s performances to date. Tomsula has overseen the league’s bottom ranked offence both in yards and scoring, and its 31st ranked defence. Away from their home stadium, they are conceding an average of 40 points per game. They are horrible to watch, and it’s tough to see where their next win is going to come from. Whichever way you look at it, this is a bad football team. They may very well be 2-9 by the end of November, and as harsh as it might be on the rookie HC, people have been fired for a lot less…

#3 Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers

Here’s the big problem in San Diego: Phillip Rivers is playing at a hall-of-fame level, and the Chargers are still at the bottom of the AFC West. Lumbered with very little roster talent outside Rivers, Keenen Allen, Antonio Gates and Danny Woodhead, the Chargers have just lost their third straight game and five of their last six. Safety Eric Weddle has been a no-sjhow, making ‘business decisions’ not to get hit each and every week because he’s looking for his last big contract. The offensive line can’t open holes in the run game, rookie running back Melvin Gordon can’t get going and the receiving corps is so distrusted by Rivers that Allen has more catches than any wide receiver in NFL history through seven weeks (62).

The worst part, if you’re a Chargers fan, is that the latest loss came courtesy of Derek Carr. That’s right, folks. The Oakland Raiders just rolled into San Diego and steamrolled the Chargers. It wasn’t even close; 30-6 at the half and a 37-29 final. This isn’t the way the Chargers envisioned this season going. Despite Rivers’ play, the team is spiralling towards a second straight season without a playoff berthand are on pace for their first double-digit loss season since 2003. With news now confirmed that the team is pushing for a relocation to Los Angeles, owners Alex and Dean Spanos may be heading towards a fresh city, fresh start way of thinking. If that is the case, it could well spell the end for Mike McCoy.

#2 Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions

The Lions are 1-6. They’ve lost 3 home games, they can’t score (19.9 pts per game) and they have given up more points than anyone else in the league bar Jacksonville. They are failing on both sides of the ball, on the ground and in the air, and they are doing it each and every week. Their only win came in overtime at home against the equally hapless Chicago Bears. They have failed to get the best out of rookie running back Ameer Abdullah. They can’t get anyone except Calvin Johnson open downfield. They can’t protect Matthew Stafford and they have the third worst turnover differential in the NFL.

The alarm bells were going off long before last Sunday’s defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. However, it wasn’t until Monday that anybody in the Lions building seemed to take notice. One day following yet another defeat to the Vikings, the team fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi as well as offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan. If things don’t improve rapidly, Caldwell will be next. Regardless of the schedule or any superficial coaching changes, this team is only capable of winning another three or four games all season; easily a bad enough record to get its head coach shopping for another job. I feel confident that come January, and maybe even sooner, that is exactly what Caldwell will be doing.

#1 Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts

It really isn’t a good time to be Chuck Pagano. His team has a losing record, courtesy of a wimpish performance against an underperforming New Orleans Saints squad. He has a reportedly unhealthy relationship with his General Manager, Ryan Grigson. His quarterback, Andrew Luck, has regressed under his leadership to the point where he is unrecognisable from a year ago. The only wins his team has have been unconvincing wins within the division against bad teams. His playing calling has been suspect at best, terrible at worst. We’ll all remember the horrific special teams play called against the Patriots for a very long time.

That play has “bad coaching job” written all over it. The defence is supposed to be Pagano’s strength, and the unit ranks 32nd in the NFL in yards allowed. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer and Marcus Mariota have all had big days against the Colts defence.

Internal fighting. Ugly losses. Coaching meltdowns on primetime TV. A regressing quarterback. A losing record. This ship is well and truly lost at sea. Pagano has been given until the end of the season to sort things out, but things are always fluid in the NFL and if the Colts don’t turn things around soon, owner Jim Irsay may quickly run out of patience.

Edited by Staff Editor