NFL Hot Seat: Marc Trestman Entering the Furnace
By Erik Lambert
Oct 26, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman looks on from the side line during the third quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 51-23. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
After his success up in Canada, Marc Trestman probably thought it wouldn’t be a big jump to the NFL with the Chicago Bears. He was wrong. What does his job status look like and who else leads the list of coaches on the hot seat?
Rex Ryan – New York Jets
His win over the Pittsburgh Steelers may have kept the wild fire from spreading but Rex Ryan won’t save his job with the New York Jets with one win. The team is still 2-8 and out of the playoff picture. Even if they ran the table, which is unlikely they’d still just finish with the same record they did last season. Ryan has put up a fight, and that is admirable, but his team may be responding too late.
Seat: Hot
Marc Trestman – Chicago Bears
Nobody is saying Canadian fans aren’t demanding, but it’s fair to assume that Montreal is nowhere near the pressure cooker that Chicago is, especially when it comes to the Bears. Marc Trestman is learning that with each passing week as his team disintegrates around him. His defense gave up 50+ points for the second consecutive week and Jay Cutler is in his usual form. The 58-year old may have the backing of the organization for the moment, but the fans are already turning against him. Can he survive 2014 to get one more chance?
Seat: Warm
Tom Coughlin – New York Giants
It seems like such a long time ago when the New York Giants rode a late-season hot streak to their second Super Bowl title under Tom Coughlin. They haven’t reached the NFL playoffs since and have looked progressively worse with each year. The defense isn’t close to the great unit eight or nine years ago and not even the ones three years ago. Eli Manning has regressed as well. Coughlin has had a good run but he may not be equal to the task anymore.
Seat: Hot
Mike Smith – Atlanta Falcons
There probably wasn’t a happier person to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10 than Mike Smith. He needed a win so badly with the Atlanta Falcons and he got it. Granted, the team is still 3-6 but in an underachieving NFC South there is still hope for them to make a late run to not only make the playoffs but save his job in the process. Smith is by no means out of the woods. Without at least making an honest run down the stretch the Falcons still may decide to move on from him.
Seat: Warm