NFL Head Coach Hot Seat: Leslie Frazier In Trouble
By Erik Lambert
Oct 21, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier looks on during the final moments of his NFL week
The good and bad teams have really begun to separate this 2013 NFL season. With that comes identifying which head coaches are safe and which ones might be looking for new jobs next year.
Greg Schiano – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Seat: Hot
Nobody is closer to getting fired than Greg Schiano. His Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-7 after going 7-9 his first year. He’s been involved in several controversies surrounding former quarterback Josh Freeman and has never endeared himself to the media or many of his players. Unless he starts winning immediately there is no way Buccaneers ownership will keep him around beyond 2013.
Jason Garrett – Dallas Cowboys – Seat: Warm
How people can be surprised that the Dallas Cowboys are 4-4 after eight weeks is stunning. That is the trademark of the Jason Garrett era as head coach. Twice in a row his teams have finished 8-8. They simply cannot string wins together and too often seem to cough them up late. It happened against Denver when Tony Romo threw a costly interception that the Broncos used to escape and it happened again in Detroit when the defense allowed the Lions to drive 80 yards in just over a minute to score a winning touchdown. Good head coaches don’t let things like that happen.
Rex Ryan – New York Jets – Seat: Warm
Many must be growing tired of the inconsistency around Rex Ryan and his New York Jets. After a stunning upset of the New England Patriots in week seven, the team once against showed their inability to string wins together by getting pounded 49-9 in Cincinnati. Ryan’s defense was hampered again by the rollercoaster ride that is rookie quarterback Geno Smith who threw two more interceptions including a pick six. If Ryan has any hope of catching the Patriots in the division he has to find a way to get his team ready beyond once every two weeks. Otherwise the front office may look for somebody who can.
Mike Tomlin – Pittsburgh Steelers – Seat: Warm
It’s really hard to tell what the problem is with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most would say it’s the offense not scoring enough points which is true but at the end of the day the struggles need to get laid at the foot of the head coach. Mike Tomlin has an excellent track record since taking over the team in 2007 but after missing the playoffs last year his team looks like a shoe-in for a top ten draft choice. His job security will depend heavily on how the Steelers finish. If they win a couple games he should be safe for 2014, but if they falter he might very well be on his way out.
Leslie Frazier – Minnesota Vikings – Seat: Hot
Using the quarterback dilemma as a crutch worked for awhile but it’s clear now the Minnesota Vikings are being severely hampered by a very bad defense. The unit has not allowed fewer than 27 points this season. Week eight seemed like their low, allowing 44 points to a Green Bay Packers offense playing without three of its top starting receivers. Considering Leslie Frazier was defensive coordinator before becoming head coach, one must wonder how the unit has fallen on such hard times, especially after adding two first round picks to its depth chart back in April. Something has to change soon or his future as an NFL head coach is in doubt.