{"id":695,"date":"2015-08-07T15:57:03","date_gmt":"2015-08-07T19:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=695"},"modified":"2019-06-26T16:52:12","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T20:52:12","slug":"the-top-five-nfl-coaches-on-the-hot-seat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=695","title":{"rendered":"The Top Five NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It’s that time of year again! \u00a0NFL training camp has fully begun for all 32 NFL teams, the first preseason game kicks off on Sunday night,\u00a0Hard Knocks\u00a0<\/em>starts on Tuesday, and every fantasy football team in America is undefeated. \u00a0In other words, all the signs are there to indicate that football season is around the corner. \u00a0And what better way to kick off said football season than to talk about coaches who need to be taking looks over their shoulders for their replacement?<\/p>\n

My word of warning with this: I am\u00a0not\u00a0<\/em>doing this to celebrate the chance of a coach getting fired. \u00a0And I’m not jumping for joy over a coach, or coaches, doing poor jobs. \u00a0As Donald Trump said last night, “I would say he’s incompetent, but I don’t want to do that because that’s not nice.” \u00a0The Donald aside, let’s get down to business; here are top five coaches on the hot seat this season.<\/p>\n

5. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts<\/p>\n

This is probably a surprise for you. \u00a0It was for me, too.<\/p>\n

To most observers, this would seem like the year for the Colts to put it all together. \u00a0They signed Andre Johnson and Frank Gore in free agency. \u00a0They bring back the third leading passer in total yards last season and the best young quarterback in football. \u00a0And best of all? No more Trent Richardson! \u00a0They’re going to win the Super Bowl, right?<\/p>\n

Maybe. \u00a0But for coach Chuck Pagano, he has no other choice. \u00a0And while this is a surprise, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio covered it in March<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The problem may be that owner Jim Irsay wants more success before making a fresh commitment to Pagano. \u00a0Ditto, possibly, for G.M. Ryan Grigson, who also is entering the final year of his contract<\/a>,\u00a0who traded a first-round draft pick for Trent Richardson<\/a>, and who possibly\u00a0won\u2019t be getting an extension, either.<\/p>\n

Irsay had no qualms about firing Jim Mora after the 2001 season, after a 6-10 season followed a pair of playoff appearances with Peyton Manning<\/a>. \u00a0Perhaps Irsay believes that, unless Grigson and Pagano can get more out of franchise quarterbackAndrew Luck<\/a>, Irsay will find someone who will.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s his right, but it also will be Grigson\u2019s and Pagano\u2019s right to accept employment elsewhere, if they take the Colts to or close to the top of the NFL and attract interest elsewhere.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Unfair? \u00a0Very. \u00a0Ridiculous? \u00a0Even more so. \u00a0But it’s just the way the NFL works. \u00a0The “What have you done for me lately” industry may be claiming another victim next offseason.<\/p>\n

4. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints<\/p>\n

Little-known fact: Drew Brees was tied for the NFL lead in passing yards last season. \u00a0Very well-known fact: Drew Brees is 36 years old.<\/p>\n

Drew Brees is the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, who were triumphant in Super Bowl XLIV, after the 2009 season. \u00a0The greatest hits of coach Sean Payton’s team since then? \u00a0Among others, the Earthquake\u00a0Run, the Catch III, Bountygate, losing a quite winnable NFC South last season, and, most importantly, no trips to the conference title game since their ’09 title.<\/p>\n

And if you don’t think think the pressure is squarely on Sean Payton this season, listen to what he said after last season, per\u00a0Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Honestly, and I say this in a very humble way, I hope that none of us feel like the \u201813 season was one where we were ready to have a second Mardi<\/span><\/span><\/span> Gras<\/span><\/span><\/span> parade. Look, we made the postseason, we had a chance to win the division and we couldn<\/span><\/span>\u2019t finish at the end at Carolina. And we got a playoff win, I recognize that was a big deal. But our aspirations are higher than that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Payton has set himself up for failure. \u00a0Anything less than his own expectations may very well get him fired.<\/p>\n

3. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals<\/p>\n

This is a complicated one. \u00a0Some say Lewis has never been on the hot seat, others say he has been on it since 2005. \u00a0Confused yet?<\/p>\n

The big knock against Lewis with the Bengals is that he has actually\u00a0never<\/em> won a playoff game. \u00a0He’s been in January games the last four years, and before that, in 2005 and 2009. \u00a0However, the amount of time Lewis has in the Queen City is probably tied to quarterback Andy Dalton. \u00a0Dalton was tied for third in the league in interceptions last season and has a 3-2 touchdown to interception ratio for his career (that’s not very good).<\/p>\n

Dalton’s playoff TD-INT ratio? 1-6. \u00a0That’s worse. \u00a0And it will have to get better if Lewis wants to keep his job past this season.<\/p>\n

2. Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins<\/p>\n

Unlike the situation in Cincinnati, this one seems fairly obvious. Philbin (and quarterback Ryan Tannehill) are in their fourth season together and the first three have been… eh.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the Fish were 7-9. \u00a0The last two years, they’ve been 8-8. \u00a0But their schedule this season provides the best chance yet to make the playoffs. \u00a0Their first six opponents (Redskins, Jaguars, Bills, Jets, Titans, Texans) all give the Fins opportunities for early wins. \u00a0The schedule gets tougher after that, but the Dolphins have a chance to be a playoff team this year.<\/p>\n

Unless they do what they have done every year under Philbin’s reign. Here’s what ESPN’s Rich Cimini\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0about Philbin’s future, or lack thereof, on South Beach:<\/p>\n

It has to be Philbin. All the warning signs are there: He has a mediocre record (23-25) and no playoff appearances in three years, a new boss (Tannenbaum) in charge of the football operation and an owner (Ross) who spent major bucks in the offseason and wants results now. It’s hard to imagine Philbin surviving another playoff-less season. Tannenbaum made a lot of changes to the roster in his first season, and he will bring in his own coach if Philbin stumbles again. How do you think Tannenbaum-Eric Mangini 2.0 will play in South Beach? Don’t laugh: It could happen if Philbin goes 0-for-4. It’s unusual in the NFL for a coach to get a fifth crack at the postseason. Philbin has a $96 million quarterback (Ryan Tannehill<\/a>), a revamped receiving corps and Ndamukong Suh<\/a> on defense. Get it done, Joe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No playoffs, no Philbin. \u00a0It’s very cut and dry.<\/p>\n

1. Chip Kelly<\/p>\n

It seems like Kelly has all the power in Philly. \u00a0He made all the moves this offseason (I mean,\u00a0all the moves<\/a><\/em>) and the team now looks like maybe, possibly, a reflection of him. \u00a0So how could someone with all the power be deposed?<\/p>\n

With a bad season, that is. This is what Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation had to say about this subject:<\/p>\n

After being on the hot seat every year since he took over, I think it\u2019s fair to say it\u2019s not Jason Garrett. (And I do think we all overstated how hot his seat actually was.) It\u2019s easy to say Tom Coughlin or Jerry Reese with the Giants, too. But I\u2019m going with Chip Kelly. The Eagles’ moves this offseason have been all about Kelly. The trade of LeSean McCoy was at first called a salary-cap move, but then the Eagles put big money into DeMarco Murray and solid money into Ryan Mathews. I\u2019m not ready to say Kiko Alonso will be a star the way McCoy is a star. The trade for Sam Bradford is a huge risk considering the quarterback\u2019s injury history. They have taken an interesting route with their receivers. If this doesn\u2019t work out for the Eagles, then Kelly will have nobody to blame but himself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yeah, no one else is left to blame here. \u00a0It’s Kelly, himself, and him. \u00a0If this fails, we can’t look to blame anyone else.<\/p>\n

If Kelly fails, he can easily go back to college. \u00a0It’s not as crazy as it sounds: if Jim Harbaugh could do it, why can’t he?<\/p>\n

Agree or no? \u00a0Leave an opinion in the comments section.<\/p>\n

(c) 2015<\/p>\n