NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat: 4 Men Who Should Already Be Feeling the Heat

With the first four weeks of the NFL season all but concluded, a quartet of head coaches should be feeling the heat after poor starts. Three of these coaches operate in the AFC, while an NFC resident is losing some of his lustre after a 1-3 start.

Romeo Crennel, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs were considered a contender in the AFC West, but that now appears more than fanciful after a 1-3 start. Romeo Crennel filled in well for Todd Haley last season, but has struggled to match that success after being awarded the full-time gig.

Crennel's top draft pick, nose tackle Dontari Poe, has struggled to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, his defense as a whole has floundered. Defense is Crennel's area of expertise, but his unit has been dominated in every game.

Injuries have played their part, but that doesn't excuse heavy defeats against the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers. Two of the losses came at home. Expecting Matt Cassel to keep pace with opposing offenses is not the kind of formula the Chiefs could have envisaged when they hired Crennel.

Mike Munchak, Tennessee Titans

Seen by some as a sleeper candidate in the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans have been a disaster this season. Mike Munchak's team have leaked points at an alarming rate, enduring heavy defeats against the New England Patriots and Houston Texans.

Being dominated so easily by two prime AFC contenders is hardly a sign of progress for a team that finished 9-7 in 2011. They also yielded 38 points to the Chargers and 41 in their win over the disappointing Detroit Lions.

As bad as things are on defense, the offense is not without its share of problems. Running back Chris Johnson has sulked his way through the start of the season, but showed signs of life against the Texans.

With that being said, the Titans will need more than a return to form from their discontented rusher to rescue their season.

Rex Ryan, New York Jets

A record of 2-2 after four weeks is not the worst position to be in. However, that isn't enough to spare Rex Ryan pressure and criticism for the performances of the New York Jets.

Gang Green are wildly inconsistent and a quarterback controversy gathering steam between Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow is the last thing the AFC East club needs. The Jets still seem always a whisker away from mass in-fighting and Ryan has not been able to improve the offense.

That's a problem, because his defense is not what it was. The Jets' long-standing solidity against the run has been consigned to memory by the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.

The Jets ended last season amid a storm of controversy and dissent. Expect that to return in full force if Ryan can't engineer a quick recovery from Week 4's embarrassing home shutout to the Niners.

Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions

After emerging as a promising young head coach by turning the Detroit Lions into a playoff team in just three seasons, Jim Schwartz could fall from grace just as quickly.

The Lions entered the 2012 season with major expectations, thanks to a dominating front four and the combination of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

A 1-3 start is not the way to begin a season that is supposed to see a young team join the ranks of the elite. The Lions haven't really looked impressive in any game.

They narrowly squeaked by the rebuilding St. Louis Rams at home in Week 1. They were then dominated by the 49ers in San Francisco before being outscored by the struggling Titans.

However, the low point has to be Week 4's home defeat against division rival the Minnesota Vikings. With their next two games on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, Detroit's anticipated breakout season could turn into a nightmare campaign.

Schwartz could pay the price for that failure after a series of player scandals and disciplinary issues. Those issues are often conveniently ignored when a team is winning. However, if defeats pile up, Schwartz will look like a man who has lost control of his team.