NFL Hot Seat Update: Gauging Every Head Coach After Week 7

When you consider the average tenure of an NFL head coach is only about 3.25 years, it's clear that things change fast in this league. That is why this Hot Seat needs to be updated every week.

This week, that seat got hotter for several head coaches and cooler for others. About a quarter of the league's head coaches saw a change in their status.

Here's a temperature reading, from hot to warm to room temperature to cool to cozy, for every head coach in the NFL.

Chan Gailey

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

Fourth-quarter losses always hurt the most, and that’s exactly the type of pain head coach Chan Gailey must deal with as he attempts to get the all-too-familiar taste out of his mouth. Even though the Bills barely lost, falling 35-34 to the Titans, they still have to deal with another defeat.

Gailey was Hot last week despite coming off an upset victory against the Cardinals because of his team's propensity for embarrassing blowout losses. Coach Gailey's revamped defense has been a glaring disappointment; so much so that it’s likely to cost him his job by season’s end.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear likely that he will escape the Hot Seat from here on out, but miracles do happen.

Buffalo fans won't tolerate these performances for long, considering the higher-than-normal expectations heading into the 2012 season. Gailey and the Bills defense will need to turn things around quickly, and Sunday's loss was another step in the wrong direction.

Jason Garrett

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

A nice effort in the second half against the 1-5 Carolina Panthers was enough to put the Cowboys at .500, but it was not nearly enough to take Jason Garrett off anyone’s Hot Seat in Dallas.

Garrett seems to be lacking certain leadership qualities and doesn’t appear suited to manage or control his highly paid athletes, who are fully equipped with high expectations and temperamental dispositions. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has made it clear what the expectations are for the Cowboys this season, and, frankly, a 3-3 record just won’t cut it.

Garrett needs to string together a nice run of disciplined, dominant football, but in the meantime, there won’t be many changes to speak of in terms of his Hot Seat status—unless the change is his departure.

Jones summed up his thoughts after the Cowboys' 34-18 loss to the Bears on Monday night two weeks ago (h/t Tim MacMahon of ESPN): "I am sick about losing this game!"

At the moment, Garrett is the skipper of a sinking ship, and Jones will need to find someone to blame, considering he won't fire himself.

Garrett does deserve a great deal of responsibility for the poor play in Big D, and he may not make it to the end of the season. Perhaps it's time to leave the head-coaching duties to a guy who can stand up to Jones.

Joe Philbin

Last Week: Room Temperature

After Week 7: Room Temperature

Not much changed in Week 7 for Joe Philbin, as his rebuilding Dolphins are coming off a bye. But most people agree that Philbin has done a much better job than most people expected. For that, he should get some credit.

Miami can make a legitimate argument that it could have won its last four games. Instead, it dropped two  in overtime in Weeks 3 and 4. Now, the Dolphins are finding ways to win the close ones, and Philbin has his first winning streak as head coach.

Even with some growing pains from rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Fins have managed to go 3-3. Patience may not be a luxury Philbin can afford when you consider the tension building since Bill Parcells took a less active role as a consultant and general manager Jeff Ireland assumed full command in September 2010.

Lack of success on the field and an inability to recruit key free agents have put Ireland on a short leash. This will likely limit the time given to Philbin, even though Ireland handpicked him. But for now, Coach Philbin should have some comfort in his room-temperature status.

But things in Miami could change quickly.

Tom Coughlin

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool

The Giants improved to 5-2 Sunday while showing signs of being one of perhaps the most complete teams in the NFL. Coughlin’s mantra to his players heading into the season was “build a bridge”—that is, take the momentum and lessons learned from last year’s Super Bowl run and carry them over into 2012.

So far, the Giants have done a great job embracing his message as they continue to separate from the rest of the NFC East.

Tom Coughlin and the Giants are looking more and more like a complete football team as the season unfolds.

Given his age (66) and questionable history with player relations, don't expect his seat to get too cozy at any time during the regular season. At the least, he will need to go deep into the playoffs for that status to be warranted.

Bill Belichick

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

It took a field goal in overtime to overcome the injury-plagued Jets. Let's hope for Belichick that these close wins can build resolve in his players as they continue to search for consistency.

New England is 4-3 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC East, and my words from Week 1 are just as applicable today, so I'll post them again: No coach in the NFL has more job security than Belichick.

He likely will coach the Patriots for as long as he wishes, which at this point could be for a long time. The man we often see tucked away in his hoodie on the sidelines has complete control over the football operations in New England and sets the bar for all other active coaches in the NFL.

Belichick is one of the most successful and influential football minds in the history of the league and likely is the most coveted individual—player or coach—in the NFL.

He could go for it on every single fourth down while wearing a dress and smoking a Cutler-brand cigarette on the sideline, and he still wouldn't get fired.

I think it's safe to say he'll be around for a while.

Andy Reid

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

Even though this was a bye week for the Eagles, Reid still shook things up in Philly with the firing of second-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo.

The pressure is clearly on for Andy Reid and company from here on out. Reid understands the sense of urgency to not just win, but win now. Don’t be surprised if we see a few personnel and/or lineup changes as they return from their Week 7 bye.

Back-to-back losses for a coach already on the Hot Seat could spell big trouble for Reid. In all honesty, though, little of what Reid does in the regular season this year will affect his job security.

If Reid fails to win some playoff games, his days in Philadelphia are all but over.

Some may choose to blame Michael Vick or the underperforming defense. However, Reid has been the mastermind behind just about all the key decisions, including a pass-happy offense that puts Vick at risk of both injury and turnovers. He also made the odd decision to make Castillo, his offensive line coach, the defensive coordinator, even though he had no previous NFL experience on the defensive side of the ball.

Rex Ryan

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Warm

Should Rex Ryan go from Warm to Hot this week after falling to the Patriots in a close overtime loss despite being decimated by injuries?

Ryan should get credit for his preparation and coaching these last few weeks, even though he did tell the media he expected to beat New England on Sunday. Failed predictions are becoming all too familiar in New York, and they really don’t help Ryan’s cause.

Considering the competitive, hard-fought nature of the game against their AFC East rivals, it seems reasonable that Ryan should remain Warm, for now.

It's highly questionable whether the Jets will be able to fully compete with the injuries they have incurred over the last two weeks and the subpar play of Mark Sanchez. If they make a habit of losing, it's not out of the question for Jets owner Woody Johnson to clean house, from the GM to the quarterback.

Mike Shanahan

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool

Mike Shanahan and the Skins are a few pieces away from taking over the NFC East. This likely isn’t the year for that sort of dominance, but don’t expect owner Dan Snyder to ruin a good thing in Washington by starting over with a new coach.

There should be no shame in their hard-fought loss against the defending Super Bowl champs on Sunday. Given the competitive nature of the team, Shanahan is almost guaranteed to return as head coach next year.

Most of their success this season can be directly linked to the chemistry between Shanahan and rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. The former has done a fantastic job creating an offense tailored specifically to the unique abilities of RG3.

It would take a pretty poor season to get Shanahan on the Hot Seat, and I don't see that as a likely scenario. If the Redskins are scraping the bottom of the division with some ugly losses by Week 12, though, expect him to be there.

John Harbaugh

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

A true test of John Harbaugh’s coaching worth is officially underway, as the Ravens must overcome the loss of both their passionate team leader and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

If Harbaugh can find a way to win games and get into the playoffs, he should get consideration for Coach of the Year.

Clearly, his team's 43-13 butt-spanking by the Texans proves how difficult it’s going to be for Baltimore to continue its early-season success.

Harbaugh has done a great job winning the games he's supposed to win. The most encouraging thing about the Ravens' early wins was that they came without reigning defensive MVP Terrell Suggs, who returned Sunday and had a sack.

After winning nearly 69 percent of his regular-season games over four years, Harbaugh’s job status is stable and will be unaffected by the outcome of any one game this season. But a loss in two weeks at Cleveland will strip Harbaugh of his Cozy status.

Lovie Smith

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool, regardless of Monday night's outcome

Lovie Smith has done a nice job with the Bears, winning 56 percent of his games (75-58) in eight-plus seasons as head coach. But considering there's a new general manager in Chicago with a green light to clean house should he choose to, there's added pressure to perform this year.

For this reason, it would be tough for Smith's status to advance to Cozy for at least a while.

For the time being, Smith has done everything right and put the brakes on panic talk after some sideline drama caught on prime-time television involving QB Jay Cutler. Smith has managed to field a consistently competitive team and is not in any immediate danger of feeling warmth.

However, should signs emerge that his locker room is out of control, that could change quickly.

Marvin Lewis

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Warm

Marvin Lewis and the Bengals have now fallen below .500, at 3-4, following a close loss to divisional rival Pittsburgh. Instead of taking an important step toward AFC North supremacy on Sunday, they failed to perform in the fourth quarter.

Should Lewis lose his third straight game next week, he is most certainly going to find himself on the Hot Seat.

Only Andy Reid and Bill Belichick have coached their teams longer than Lewis has coached his 72-76 Bengals.

Lewis has been given a lot of time to create a champion; owner Mike Brown has even given Lewis a lot of control over personnel decisions. But if the the Bengals fail to build on last year's success, his window of opportunity is closing.

Jim Schwartz

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Warm with a win Monday night, Hot if they lose.

In 52 games as the Detroit Lions head coach, Jim Schwartz has gone 19-33. This is a pretty substandard winning percentage of only 36 percent. Schwartz's saving grace has been his ability to improve each year.

But has he done enough, thus far, to survive a setback season, despite making the playoffs the year before?

Thanks to a big Week 6 win against the Eagles, Schwartz and the Lions improved to 2-3. However, that is not exactly how the Lions envisioned starting the 2012 season.

He may want to do himself a favor and replace defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Defensive play has been a major reason for the team's struggles. The Lions are giving up over 27 points per game.

Pat Shurmur

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Hot

Failing to pull off a much-needed victory against the very beatable Colts was not a good sign for Pat Shurmur’s job security.

Last week Shurmur managed to fight his way off the Hot Seat by beating the Bengals. But this week the Browns have regressed to the anemic offense from weeks prior and given me little choice but to put Shurmer right back there. Let's hope his his status as Warm was nice while it lasted.

The Browns are steadily improving as a team and Shurmur does have nice tools with which to build. But one thing that must pan out for his regime to continue is the positive development of Brandon Weeden. Twenty-eight-year-old rookie quarterbacks are not afforded the same patience as the more common 22-year-old variety.

Mike McCarthy

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

Mike McCarthy led his Packers to another impressive victory Sunday, this time against an improved Rams squad.

All of those panic-prone fans who knocked Aaron Rodgers and company need worry no more. The Packers are in full-throttle mode and appear to be back to last year’s dominating form. 

Most expected the 2012 version of Green Bay to be even more dangerous and complete, but to disappointing result until this most recent performance.

McCarthy is still a good coach, and Rodgers is still the best quarterback in the NFL, so expect the Packers to be major players once again in the postseason. Don't expect McCarthy's seat to get hot this year.

Mike Tomlin

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool

Let’s call this victory over the Bengals for what it is: an enormously important AFC North win that may have saved their season and division title hopes alive.

This win is equally important for Mike Tomlin, who must maintain the high standard of success fans have grown accustomed to in the “Steel City.” Not to say Tomlin is in any immediate danger of losing his job, but a loss to the Bengals in prime time would definitely have resulted in a demotion from his recently acquired Cozy status.

One thing the great teams are able to do is find a way to win. The Steelers have been one of those teams for a long time.

But this may be the year they find themselves without a playoff spot.

Either way, Tomlin is almost guaranteed to return as head coach, since the Steelers are only a few pieces away from contention once again. This should minimize the fact that Tomlin was the first coach to fall from his Cozy status a few weeks back, and his status has gone back and forth from Cozy to Cool ever since.

There's plenty of time for Tomlin to sit pretty again, but the question remains whether the Steelers' 3-3 start is a temporary hiccup or the beginning of a downward trend toward mediocrity.

Leslie Frazier

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool

Frazier is doing a fantastic job in Minnesota, and the Vikings continued to play sound, effective football Sunday as they edged out the other overachieving team in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals.

But Frazier has likely topped out with a Cool status until he can make the playoffs. Still, Frazier is by far the most improved head coach in terms of his Hot Seat status.

After the Week 2 loss to the Colts, I had Frazier on the Hot Seat. These days, he has moved all the way up to Cool. He may end up proving he can be the Vikings coach for the long haul.

In Christian Ponder, Frazier seems to have found the guy who can not only save his job but also be built around.

The question still remains, though: Are these Vikings for real?

Gary Kubiak

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

Gary Kubiak and the Texans are truly an NFL juggernaut. When Houston hosted a decimated Ravens squad Sunday, they definitely smelled blood in the water and went for the kill.

Now standing atop the AFC at 6-1, Kubiak can take pride in seeing years of hard work finally starting to pay off over the last two years. Kubiak has slowly built a Super Bowl-caliber team in Houston.

Kubiak's system and coaching style have been integral to the Texans' success, so don't expect a noticeable change on the Houston sidelines in the foreseeable future.

Given the team’s consistent improvement through the years, Kubiak has bought himself a lot of leeway. His seat is Cozy and should remain that way for quite some time.

Mike Smith

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

At 6-0, the Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated team in the NFL. Mike Smith and his "Dirty Bird" entourage have consistently found a way to win, making the Oakland Raiders their latest victim in a hard-fought 23-20 victory at home two weeks ago.

The Falcons were off this past week, so nothing changed for Smith or his job status.

Smith has never had a losing season during his tenure in Atlanta, but what he still needs to prove is that he can win in the postseason.

In four years of calling the shots, he has won 67 percent of his games and brought a level of consistenty that the Falcons organization has never had. Smith's job security is stable and should remain that way for at least the next few weeks.

Chuck Pagano

Last Week: Room Temperature

After Week 6: Room Temperature

Chuck Pagano has been dealing with life-threatening issues far more serious than the outcome of any football game. He was diagnosed with leukemia and has now been forced to take a leave of absence.

Pagano, who was/is just getting started in Indy, should remain in the room-temperature range for the duration of his inaugural season as head coach.

However, if the team racks up a ton of victories without him in what's supposed to be a rebuilding year, we may have to question his true value to the team aside from being a rallying cry. Or, we may have to get Bruce Arians a head-coaching job in 2013.

Ron Rivera

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

The Carolina Pathers had high expectations entering the season, hoping to glide to victory on the wings of their young star quarterback. Unfortunately, the team that won six games last year happens to be doing much worse this go-around with a 1-5 record.

The Panthers fell yet again on Sunday, losing 19-14 to the Dallas Cowboys.

To Rivera's credit, he was a few inches away from pulling out a victory against the undefeated Falcons earlier this season, but a Cam Newton fumble put an end to those hopes.

Rivera's biggest disappointment this year has been the team's struggles on defense. Considering he's a defensive-minded coach, the confusion on that side of the ball is becoming disturbing, to say the least.

Recent update: The Panthers have fired GM Marty Hurney and head coach Ron Rivera is now on watch.

Mike Mularkey

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Hot

Mike Mularkey has now fallen into the lowly seat known as Hot. After losing the Sunday battle of two 1-4 teams, apparently Jacksonville can't even beat the Raiders. That can't bode well for the first-year head coach.

We also need to consider how many of the franchise's problems stem from its personnel.

One thing appears clear in Jacksonville: The Jags are not a good team. In Week 5, the Bears embarrassed them in a 41-3 win that had many believing the team had already thrown in the towel.

To say the least, the Jags don't appear to be fielding a legitimate contender this season. And if Mularkey fails to field a competitive team, he is almost guaranteed to be out of a job.

Sean Payton

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

Sean Payton's importance to the Saints is becoming more and more evident with each passing week. Even though the Saints got their first win in Week 5, the team is clearly missing its mastermind. The team is running around like an unpolished version of themselves.

This is the irony of Payton's Hot Seat update. He is best served by a poor display by the Saints—exactly the type of play we have seen even as they have won their last two games after an 0-4 start.

Considering Payton may be the second-most important person in the franchise behind only Drew Brees, the Saints may want to begin negotiating a contract extension for him as soon as possible.

Mike Munchak

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Room Temperature

With the Titans' 35-34  win over the Buffalo Bills, Mike Munchak was able to bounce back from his demotion last week into the warmer regions of the status-update scale.

It seems Munchak has some ability as a coach, considering that he has fielded a competitive team almost every week despite the minimal talent.

Munchak's future is tied to the fate of the offense. If coordinator Chris Palmer's unit fails to produce,  Munchak could end up on the Hot Seat sooner than many expected.

The 3-4 Titans need to hope and pray Chris Johnson's most recent performance wasn't a fluke.

Greg Schiano

Last Week: Room Temperature

After Week 6: Room Temperature

Despite going 2-4, Greg Schiano's group of hard-fighting Buccaneers have outscored their opponents 148-136. That is the sign of a talented team on the verge of turning it around. The wins should come eventually.

This is not a team generally looked at as one that needs a lot of time to rebuild. The Buccaneers may be one of the younger squads in the league, but they also are extremely talented, with three promising rookies in Mark Barron, Doug Martin and Lavonte David. They also brought in high-profile, free-agent wideout Vincent Jackson to be the go-to receiver.

John Fox

Last Week: Cool

After Week 6: Cool

With the addition of Peyton Manning, come-from-behind victories like the one against the Chargers on Monday night are always going to be possible. That's why expectations are extremely high in Denver.

John Fox’s squad would have to implode for him to be in trouble. Unfortunately, a 3-4 record could be the beginning of at least a mini-implosion. Fox hasn’t proven nearly enough in Denver to allow this hole to get much deeper.

The Week 7 bye, however, means Fox can breath a bit easier while his seat remains cool.

Ken Whisenhunt

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Room Temperature

After a 4-0 start, the Cardinals have dropped three games in a row.

Whisenhunt has done his best with what's available. However, let us not forget the role he played in creating this lackluster quarterback situation by releasing Matt Leinart, bringing in Kevin Kolb with a big free-agent contract, and failing to add any help on the offensive line.

The Cardinals may have a solid defense, but they have one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Still, they started the season by beating three teams they had no business competing against, and that is a sign of solid coaching.

Last week, I said if Whisenhunt were to lose his third straight, his status would be downgraded. Well, that time has come.

Jeff Fisher

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Room Temperature

Although we can't bash the Rams too hard for losing to the red-hot Packers, we can drop Jeff Fisher's status to Room Temperature considering this loss makes two in a row and drops St. Louis to 3-4 on the season.

Fisher has the Rams headed in the right direction in his first year as head coach. Luckily, the Rams have their franchise QB in Sam Bradford and can build around him for the next 10 years.

All indications seem to point toward Fisher being a big part of that process, so his coaching status should remain relatively safe.

Romeo Crennel

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

If "Red Hot" was an option, Romeo Crennel would qualify. The Chiefs had a bye this past week, but did lose another non-competitive game against Tampa Bay two weeks ago.

Things are getting pretty ugly in Kansas City, and Matt Cassel's absence proved that the problem is much bigger than the quarterback position.

Scott Pioli and the Chiefs organization expected immediate success this season, given the obvious talent on the roster. Unfortunately, starting the season with a 1-5 record that consists mostly of blowout losses already has Crennel under fire.

It seems that finishing with a winning record is the only outcome that can save Crennel's job for 2013. As of right now, his seat is very hot, and he's in immediate danger of not finishing the season.

As for GM Scott Pioli, this is likely the last head coach he will hire in Kansas City.

Jim Harbaugh

Last Week: Cozy

After Week 7: Cozy

In an NFC Championship Game rematch against the Giants two weeks ago, the 49ers came out flat and were outcoached and outplayed by Tom Coughlin's G-Men. Fortunately, San Francisco was able to rebound by winning a defensive battle against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Alex Smith had one of his worst games two weeks ago versus New York, throwing for three interceptions and no touchdowns. He'll definitely need to avoid games like that moving forward.

Regardless, Harbaugh's job status remains unchanged. Getting the 49ers to the NFC title game last year in his first year and creating a distinct identity for his team as a tough group with an old-school mentality has him completely safe.

Harbaugh’s turnaround and general leadership are hard to ignore. He will have to endure a series of terrible losses for anything to change his status this year.

Dennis Allen

Last Week: Warm

After Week 7: Room Temperature

The last thing Raiders fans want to endure is another season as the most dysfunctional team in the NFL.

The good news is the Raiders look like they're playing smart, disciplined football, fighting all the way to the end (at least, most of the time).

The Raiders are 2-4. Regardless of the record, Allen will be judged on his ability to make the team competitive in every game while showing improvement as the season progresses.

Pete Carroll

Last Week: Cool

After Week 7: Cool

The Seahawks finally failed to pull off a late-game miracle, falling to the 49ers in a hard-fought battle for first place in the NFC West.

The Seahawks seem ready to contend for the playoffs, and Pete Carroll is proving more than willing to do what it takes to get them there, even if it means benching Matt Flynn, the big free-agent QB acquisition in favor of Russell Wilson, the shrimpy third-round rookie.

Carroll has also built perhaps the league's most feared secondary.

As long as Seattle wins more than it loses, Carroll should be fairly safe. After seven games, Seattle is at that level with a 4-3 record.

Carroll's seat is cool now, but this needs to be a playoff year if he wants job security for the 2013 season.

Norv Turner

Last Week: Hot

After Week 7: Hot

Norv Turner's job is all but lost, despite his Chargers getting off to a 2-0 start.

The only way he can keep his job is if he gets San Diego to the AFC Championship Game. Anything less, and it’s "Adios, Mr. Turner." But if the Chargers can keep winning games, there is a good chance his seat could cool down before long.

As of right now, the seat doesn’t get much hotter for a head coach sitting at 3-3. Turner has nearly worn out his welcome in San Diego and was only retained after last season because of desperate pleas by Philip Rivers, who lobbied heavily to give the coach one last chance.

The organization has completely lost its patience and is all but set for a complete overhaul from the top down. This means that, even if the Chargers make the playoffs, Turner's status will likely be either Hot or Warm heading into that game.

Should he fail to win, we should assume there will be a head-coaching vacancy in San Diego days after the season's end.

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