NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat

It’s only Week 9 and already we have had one NFL coach – the Raiders Jon Gruden – removed from his position. There are a handful more who are sitting squarely on the proverbial hot seat. There’s even one on the seat with one foot out the door and the other on a banana peel. Welcome to the NFL coaching carousel where guys that don’t win end up staying “Not For Long” and searching for a new job.

Gruden was actually on a preseason list of coaches that may be in danger of losing their job, but his Raiders were off to a good start. Then, someone started going through a bunch of old emails. So, who’s next out the door?

Another Belichick Flop

Remember when Detroit Lions fans got all hot and lathered up because Matt Patricia was taking over as head coach? Yeah, then he went 6-10, 3-12-1, and 4-7 before – BAM! – fired! 

Just because one coaches under arguably the greatest coach in the history of the game does not mean that one will be a great head coach. In fact, most Belichick disciples do not do well as head coaches, but that’s another story.

Brian Flores coached under Belichick from 2008 until 2018. He’s a defensive guy but was never a coordinator for the Patriots. That didn’t seem to bother Miami which hired him in 2019. The Dolphins struggled in Flores’s first year finishing 5-11. They got off to another rough start in 2020 but turned the tide and went 10-6. Miami didn’t make the playoffs though. Now, the Dolphins are 1-7 having lost seven straight since winning their opener 17-16. 

If Flores doesn’t win some games soon, he’s probably catching a flight back to Boston after he gets the axe.

One-and-Done?

Typically, a first-year NFL head coach is immune to getting fired. He needs time to build a roster, institute his culture, etc. If you’re Urban Meyer though, you might want to win some games and fast. As it is widely known now, Meyer was caught on tape in a bar in Ohio after his team lost the Bengals. Just being in the bar probably wasn’t that big of a deal, but who he was with has landed him in hot water. 

His Jags team is 1-6 and they will come back after their bye last week to face Buffalo, Indy, and San Francisco in consecutive weeks. Ouch! Will he make it that long?

Dan Campbell is not having a great time as head coach of the Lions.

The same could be said for new Lions head coach – that’s something that typically is said every two to four years – Dan Campbell. If one thing is clear in the NFL this season, it is that the Detroit Lions are the worst team in football. 

Detroit is 0-8 and ranks dead last in scoring defense allowing opponents to score 30.5 points per game. The offense is equally as bad averaging just 16.8 points a game. The roster is garbage and Campbell just doesn’t have much to work with. 

The Lions play the Steelers and Browns back-to-back after their bye week. They still have to face Arizona, Seattle, and each of their NFC North opponents again. If Campbell goes 0-17, he’ll be hightailing it out of the Motor City.

Surprise, Surprise

There always seems to be that one surprise. It would be akin to what happened in college football this week. TCU and Gary Patterson decided to part ways after 20 years. The same might happen in Minnesota in the NFL.

The Vikings haven’t really competed for Super Bowls in the Mike Zimmer era. In eight seasons in Minnesota, Zimmer is a respectable 67-50-1. His teams have won two NFC North titles and earned a wild card in 2019 after a second-place finish. The Vikings made it to the NFC title game in 2017, but that’s as far as they have gone under Zimmer. 

After a 7-9 season in 2020, the Vikings are off to a 3-4 start. If Minnesota fails to make the postseason again, will the Vikings make a change? It’s possible, but for now Zimmer’s seat is getting warmer.