NFL Coaching Hot Seat: Browns Hemorrhage Set to Go Off

The NFL coaching hot seat is becoming clearer at the halfway point of the season with a number of notable names stepping to the forefront.

Normally situations like this are tied to the win-loss record but there are many other factors that go into why certain coaches are in danger and not others. Length of tenure is a big part as is dysfunction on and off the field. Coaches can often prevent their demise if the team is playing hard and just can’t bring out close games. That being said there are a number of names who must be sweating it out with two more months to go. Here are the ones who need to get cracking soon.

Hot

Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns)

One win. That’s how many the Browns have since the start of the 2016 season. It’s incredible how dysfunction this organization continues to be. The botched trade for A.J. McCarron was merely the latest in a string of misfortunes. Though the front office is at the heart of matters thanks to a series of awful roster decisions, their sheer number of blunders could lead to collateral damage for Hue Jackson who can’t expect to keep his job if he’s not winning any football games.

Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts)

He went on the hot seat the moment the Colts hired Chris Ballard as GM. Most believe that Ballard is fulfilling a request by ownership to keep Pagano for the year to see how he does but has every intention of making a change in 2018. With Andrew Luck out of the picture and the roster depleted, it feels like there is nowhere left to turn for the embattled head coach. At 2-6 this year could be his first losing season, and his last running the team.

Warming Up

Ben McAdoo (New York Giants)

Things started souring for McAdoo back in January when he failed to keep his team under control prior to their playoff game against Green Bay. The Giants were blasted at Lambeau following the infamous boat trip and have one win since then. McAdoo’s vaunted offense is a shell of itself and the team just isn’t performing like they did in 2016. Some are starting to think he may not be the leader they’d hoped for when replacing Tom Coughlin.

Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Much the same situation as McAdoo. An excellent offensive coordinator who was promoted because he had a strong relationship with the quarterback. Since then the Buccaneers have really underachieved. At the start of this season they were the hot pick to make the playoffs and instead have stumbled to a 2-5 record. Though the offense is doing well enough despite an injured Jameis Winston, he’s paid to coach the entire team and it’s not working.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: #1 Pick Creates All Sorts of Controversy

Not Safe Yet

John Fox (Chicago Bears)

The back-to-back victories against Baltimore and Carolina were timely for Fox who looked like he might not survive the bye week. His seat has cooled somewhat for the time being but at 3-5 he is by no means out of the wood. The development of rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky is key for him and thus far that hasn’t gone well. Part of it is lacking personnel but also a lack of imagination on his part. If the Bears feel he’s out of his depth, they have every reason to make a chance.