NFL Hot Seat: John Harbaugh and others reach safety

The NFL hot seat has grown a bit erratic of late. What looked like a clear picture of which coaches are safe has suddenly undergone a drastic change.

It would appear that coaches who were safe a couple of weeks ago are now in danger while those considered gone have suddenly found new life. Two names on the downside of that list are Steve Wilks and Vance Joseph. Wilks was in his first year running the Arizona Cardinals and had a few highlight moments but has otherwise had a rough year. That plus his defensive background have many believing the team will seek an offensive mind to team with Josh Rosen.

As for Joseph, he had the Denver Broncos making a strong run but that has since fallen apart. Combined with his inability to elevate the roster as many had hoped means John Elway will likely make his fourth coaching higher going into next season. The more interesting story centers around the guys who have saved their jobs. Just how did it happen and how might it impact the way things break in the coming month?

John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens)

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It really felt like Harbaugh was on the cusp of being kicked out of town as his Ravens plummeted towards rock bottom after a strong start. He had to do something to give them a jolt and save his job. It actually came by necessity when Joe Flacco went down with an injury. This necessitated the insertion of rookie Lamar Jackson at quarterback. His ability to open up the running game has saved the day as the team is now firmly in the playoff picture and a win away from stealing the AFC North.

Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers)

A lot of people thought that Rivera was absolutely on his way out after watching a 6-2 start to the season collapse into chaos with Cam Newton floundering and the defense losing steam. However, it appears even a change in ownership along with that wasn’t enough to crack the credibility Rivera has built up over the years. He’s shown an ability to bounce back from difficult seasons before. It appears the team is willing to give him a chance to do it again in 2019.

Doug Marrone (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Easily the most disappointing team of 2018. Everybody expected the Jaguars to at least reach the playoffs this year. So for them to finish with such an awful record and bench the quarterback they’d expressed so much confidence in along the way? That’s bad. Doug Marrone though seems to hold the confidence of ownership and the front office. The prevailing belief is likely that they need to move on from the Blake Bortles era and get him a quarterback who can actually help elevate the offense.

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