NFL Coach Hot Seat Rankings: Week 8: Oh Boys! Wade Phillips Is Sweating
Everyone has played at least six games. Gradually, Pittsburgh, the New York Jets, the New England Patriots, and the Atlanta Falcons have distinguished themselves as the class of the league this year. They are all forces to be reckoned with.
A host of other teams are making less popular names for themselves. Dallas, San Diego, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Denver were all expected to make a playoff push this season.
Instead, they are all dwelling in the cellars of their respective divisions.
Are their coaches in trouble? Read ahead for the Week 8 Hot Seat Rankings!
5. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals, 2-4
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What Went Wrong?
When the season was young, it looked like this was going to be a team to be reckoned with. Carson Palmer was healthy and now had both Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens to throw to (in addition to some nice, younger receivers). Cedric Benson would be around for a full season. The defense had improved greatly in the previous season.
They were also defending a division crown, having stopped both Baltimore and Pittsburgh from reigning over the division.
And then the wheels came off.
Owens and Ochocinco are having okay statistical seasons, but they aren't breaking games open. That's not due to either one of them having lost a step. I actually think they make each other better. The problem is that Carson Palmer has fallen apart. Cedric Benson has taken a step back in production as well.
On defense, this team can't stop the pass and also struggles against the run. They're wildly inconsistent and they seem to be getting worse each week.
How Hot is the Seat?
I would say Lewis is in some trouble. He's a good coach, but this isn't the first time this team has flopped after making the playoffs. With Pittsburgh looking locked in and Baltimore hot on their heels, being 2-4 could be a death sentence.
Lewis has been on the seat before after better seasons than this one. Mike Brown may decide that he's seen enough and wants a coach who can continually compete, not just once every two or three years.
4. Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos, 2-5
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What Went Wrong?
Denver was 8-8 last year after starting 6-0. Down the stretch, they faded badly. This year would be different. They shored up their defense and would be getting Kyle Orton another offseason of preparation in this offense.
The defense would have a new coordinator as well, curing the most likely issue from their 2-8 finish.
Josh McDaniels had also drafted some new talent in Tim Tebow, bringing a multi-threat player to the fold. Tebow wouldn't be a franchise passer yet, but he would certainly be able to run the wildcat that has become popular throughout the league.
And then nothing went right.
If you want any further evidence that Denver is in trouble than their 59-14 shellacking at the hands of the usually lowly Raiders, consider that they're 1-3 at home and also 1-5 in the AFC. For a team expected to be in the playoff hunt, that's bad news.
The offense can't bail out the defense. The offense is also inconsistent. Beyond Orton, who's been steady all season, no one has contributed on a regular basis. The running game is iffy.
The defense, as the Oakland results show, is a disaster. They've allowed 199 points, which is good for second-worst in the NFL.
McDaniels has shown zero ability to dig this team out of holes. They've crumbled in two seasons when the going got tough. If you can't guide your team through adversity, then you can't coach in the NFL.
How Hot is the Seat?
I'm not sure that Pat Bowlen is ready to throw in the towel on McDaniels, but he didn't inherit a bad team to begin with. He's made no friends with his Jay Cutler feud and his self-centered approach to coaching. He fired a defensive coordinator (Mike Nolan) after one year and found out that it could be worse.
I've always thought McDaniels was a little bit young to be a head coach. He didn't have nearly enough previous experience. Now it's showing badly. If a couple more losses mount, it might be time to move on.
3. Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers, 2-5
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What Went Wrong?
This team was supposed to be the class of the AFC West. They have a Pro Bowl quarterback (Philip Rivers), a hard-running rookie (Ryan Mathews), and some great receivers (Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates). They also have a tough, talented defense. They have one of the league's most electrifying players in runner/returner Darren Sproles.
Norv Turner had miraculously worked out of two consecutive poor starts and made the playoffs. What could go wrong this year? This was going to be the year it finally all came together.
Then it didn't. In fact, it got worse.
Jackson held out for a new contract (he will finally report this week). Mathews and Sproles haven't been able to generate the rushing yards to take the heat off of Philip Rivers, who's become a bit quixotic. He has good moments and bad ones.
Their special teams are awful. They've changed kickers (Nate Kaeding gave way to Kris Brown this week), but it hasn't made an appreciable difference.
Oh, and the defense has been mediocre at best. They certainly haven't lived up to the hype.
How Hot is the Seat?
They've recovered from consecutive 2-3 starts, but now they're 2-5 including 0-2 in the division and 0-4 on the road.
They've currently lost three in a row and have blown chances to win each one. Norv Turner doesn't look like a man who has answers for what ails them.
They're bad in every phase and they aren't using one of their most explosive players (Sproles) effectively. He is only getting a handful of touches each game. For a guy who can run as fast as Sproles can, that's insane.
It might be time for a change if they Chargers continue to free fall.
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2. Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers, 1-6
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What Went Wrong?
Mike Singletary seemed to have this team ready to compete. He'd found a spark at quarterback in the much-maligned Alex Smith. His defense was stellar and looked to be getting better every week. Frank Gore would be healthy and ready to contribute in a diverse offense featuring him and young receivers Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis.
It all seemed perfect. The 49ers were widely predicted to run away with the weak NFC West.
And then, they found more ways to lose than you can count.
They've been in every game. The defense has made sure of that. They've only managed to win one in seven tries. For a team trying to make the playoffs, even in the weak NFC, a 1-6 record will not do. They're 0-4 on the road.
Oh, and they've only scored 113 points in seven games. That's a sure way to waste a good defensive effort.
Hitching his wagon to Alex Smith, who's continued to prove he's not able to compete at this level, was Singletary's worst mistake. I said in the offseason that doing so was a potential death sentence.
Smith has only responded when basically accosted late in games. That's not a good sign for any quarterback. David Carr is behind him, but that doesn't scare many people either.
How Hot is the Seat?
He's got to be in trouble. Jed York said he wouldn't dismiss his coach in-season, but also said he felt the team would still win the division and make the playoffs.
Ignore how delusional that was at 0-5. They're 1-6 now, meaning they are about one or two losses from being out of the picture entirely. They'd almost have to run the table at this point. That doesn't seem like a likely prospect with Seattle playing well and St. Louis and Arizona showing flashes.
Smith is hurt now, so maybe we will finally be forced to see David Carr. If Carr rallies the team, that's a different story, but he's never been effective either.
If this team falls further, you have to imagine that York will make some kind of change.
One thing is for sure, Singletary won't be wearing the headset next year if this team doesn't make it to the postseason.
1. Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys, 1-5
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What Went Wrong?
Phillips' team was supposed to go all the way this year. They'd finally made a deeper playoff run last year. year stronger and better, they were widely thought to be the first team to have a shot at playing the Super Bowl in their own stadium.
Tony Romo seemed to find himself down the stretch last year. He looked poised to finally silence the critics with an MVP-type season. He had a new weapon in Dez Bryant. Running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones would carry the load. Roy Williams looked like he was going to rebound.
The defense looked shored up finally. The special teams even looked ready to compete.
It all fell apart quickly.
Romo is having anything but an MVP-type year. Now he's out for 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone. Barber and Jones have been missing in action. Bryant and Williams haven't been getting open the way they were supposed to.
The defense and special teams have been awful. Teams are still torching the Dallas secondary.
Oh, and they may not want to play that Super Bowl at home. They're 0-3 there already. They have two division losses too.
How Hot is the Seat?
Jerry Jones is fuming. This was not the way the season was supposed to go. He's pledged not to fire a coach during the season. I can believe that only because he's never done it before.
But Phillips is gone. It's beyond clear that he's lost this team. Even if they rebound and get to 9-7 or 8-8, he won't likely make the playoffs in the NFC East, where things are already tight. No playoffs means no Wade in 2011.
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