Under Fire: Five NFL Coaches

(Photo by Mark Lyons/Getty Images)

Under Fire is a series that I will continue to do all season long. This series will place a variety of players, coaches, and teams under severe scrutiny for their inability to prove their worth in the league and will suggest that changes should be made.

The idea of this series is to provide great debates and insight on the wrong doings in the NFL. So, without further delay, I bring this article's topic.

What coaches are under fire with questionable job security leading into this season?

Coaching in the NFL is one of the most stressful jobs. Whether this country has a good or bad economy, head coaching jobs are always at risk for layoffs.

It's all about what have you done for me lately in this league, as was proven this past off season when Mike Shanahan was fired from the Denver Broncos. Shanahan won two Super Bowls for the Broncos, but it was not recent enough for management to keep him around.

I will give you my list of the coaching jobs that should be under fire this season.

1. Marvin Lewis—Cincinnati Bengals

I expected this guy to be fired last year or even the year before for that matter. Then I took a step back and realized what franchise I was talking about here. 

In the texting world, the Bengals are the lmao (laugh my a** off) team of the NFL. This was shortly forgotten since the Lions did them one better by having a goose egg in the win column. As bad as the Bengals have been in their franchise history over the past two decades, they have still managed to win a game or two.

Still, in Marvin Lewis' reign with the Bengals, which was more like falling pieces of ruble, Lewis is 46-49-1 in six years with a 0-1 playoff record to boot.

Any other franchise would have fired Lewis after six years and one dismal playoff appearance. This is an example of the Bengals' stupidity and the lack of desire to do whatever it takes to win.

Heck, even Al Davis, who manages his team as if he was playing Madden, would have had enough sense to give Lewis the boot.

In Lewis' defense, it was not completely his fault for the lack of talent the Bengals have had even with so many top draft picks. Top to bottom, the Bengals organization needs to be washed out like a biblical flood.

Though, not many of those draft picks flourished through good coaching either.

The lackluster commitment to competing in the NFL is disgusting and needs to be changed. A good starting point would be firing Lewis and then work their way up.

2. Wade Phillips—Dallas Cowboys

Having Jerry Jones as a boss is like that die-hard fan who always thinks he knows best but doesn't really have a clue.

Wade Phillips, in retrospect, has had control of a decently talented team, who extremely underachieved last season. Phillips is 22-10 in his two years with the Cowboys.

Those numbers are not bad, but because of the failure to meet expectations last season, this season becomes critical. The trigger-happy Jerry Jones will not hesitate to fire him if the team fails to meet expectations again.

The Cowboys's biggest problem last season was their chemistry.

I'm not just talking about TO and his mission to have the spotlight at all times. Everyone from both sides of the ball seemed to quit on each other at times when the games weren't going the way the Cowgirls wanted.

For me, this is direct reflection on the leadership qualities of Phillips. The locker room is to be controlled by the coach, not the players. If the players can dictate the morale of the locker room, then the coach cannot lead his team and, therefore, needs to be shown the door.

The way Phillips handled his locker room last year would leave me safe to say a pee wee coach has more leadership ability than Phillips, and they are constantly reminding their players to tie their shoes.

I don't want to hear that TO's personality can't be tamed or controlled. A great coach with great leadership abilities would never allow the theatrics of TO to take place on their team.

For example, Randy Moss became a Patriot with Bill Belichick as the head coach. Now, all of a sudden, the always-disgruntled receiver, who usually gave lackadaisical effort, is all about the team and its ultimate goal.

Is TO mentally insane? Probably. Still, I have lost respect for those teams who rid themselves of TO with an excuse of him being a distraction off the field.

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