Firing Line? A Breakdown of the Impending NFL Coaching Shuffle

have toiled in mediocrity. Granted, mediocrity is a huge step up for where this franchise once was, but with some of the talent on this roster, you'd expect more.

The offense isn't the problem in Cincinnati—not the big problem at least, though it has struggled at times. It's the defense, or lack thereof. Therein lies the real reason Lewis' job should be in jeopardy. He's regarded as a defensive coach; a defensive mastermind. Yet his defenses routinely stink. You can blame some of that on talent, but Lewis has had enough time to amass some decent players on that side of the ball to at least make them respectable on defense. The loss of former University of Georgia stars and first day draft picks Odell Thurman (discipline) and David Pollack (injury) have been crippling, as big things were expected from both. Even so, the performance of the defenses in Cincinnati are as offensive as some of their uniform combinations. Some have compared these Bengals teams to some of the Colts teams earlier this decade. That comparison is unfair. Those Colts teams won more than they lost, and were routinely in the playoffs. These Bengals teams aren't. You throw in the numerous off the field incidents that this Bengals franchise has endured during Lewis' tenure, and there are plenty of reasons for him to get the pink slip.

Brian Billick was given the dreaded vote of confidence by the higher ups in Baltimore, and all indications are that this vote of confidence is legit and that he will be back on the sidelines in 2008. You have to wonder a little about that. Sure, this will likely only be Billick's second double digit loss season in his nine years in Baltimore. The problem however is that it will be his second in three years.

Much like Lewis with defense in Cincinnati, it's the struggles of Billick's supposed calling card offense that makes you wonder if he's the right man for the job. Yes, he has a Super Bowl ring, and that alone makes it tough to fire him. Of course, Joe Torre got fired, and no coach in the NFL outside of New England has had any kind of success that can be compared to that. Then again, no NFL owner can be compared to The Boss either... Billick's offenses have ranked higher than 12th just once during his tenure. This year's woes can be attributed directly to the quarterback position. Steve McNair showed his age and Kyle Boller was Kyle Boller. The Ravens need to try again and develop a young quarterback, and to that extent, you can see why one would want Billick to undertake that task. Of course, when you look at how the Ravens attempts at developing young quarterbacks over the years have turned out, it's easy to argue that Billick is not the guy you want taking on that task. Chris Redman and Kyle Boller both were the supposed quarterbacks of the future, and neither amounted to much of anything.

Age is catching up with the Baltimore defense as well—it's not championship caliber anymore and guys like Ray Lewis, Chris McCallister, and Samari Rolle aren't getting any younger. It's probably time for a complete house cleaning in Baltimore, and it probably should start up top. As mentioned though, all indications are that Billick will be invited to stick around and do the cleaning himself.

Tom Coughlin and Jack Del Rio each entered this season on the hot seat, and Del Rio's had the heat turned up with his decision to cut Byron Leftwich at the start of the year. Coughlin's Giants look like they are headed back to the playoffs, as they are avoiding their annual second half collapse. However, fans probably expect more than just a first round exit. Would a one and done be enough to cost him his job? That might be one of the more interesting stories to follow this winter. As for Del Rio, not much can be criticized when it comes to his handling of this year's Jaguars. They've established themselves as a real threat in the AFC, and his decision to go with David Garrard seems to be one of pure genius.

It looks like most of the intrigue revolving around coaching changes will be limited to the college game. Most NFL coaches seem to actually be pretty secure in their positions, at least for this season. However, the winter of 2008 and 2009 might turn out to be Doomsday for a lot of coaches around the league, as there are many who will likely get repreives this season but will face do or die situations in 2008.

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