NFL Coach Power Rankings, Week Two: Cable, Fox Do Nothing To Help Themselves

After what can only be described as an intense first week of football, it's time to take a look at our NFL coach rankings as we get ready for some intriguing Week 2 matchups.

Several of our endangered coaches helped themselves with big games on Sunday. A few, however, did absolutely nothing to help themselves. In fact, at least one coach hurt his job security with his team's Week 1 performance.

Who is it? Let's have a look.

Week in Review

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CHARLOTTE, NC - AUGUST 21: John Fox of the Carolina Panthers throws out his arms to the officials during their preseason game against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mary Ann Chasta

Here's a look at how our top five most endangered coaches did in their first regular season games:

5. John Fox, Carolina Panthers

Fox's Panthers were competitive for a good portion of the game against the Giants, a team they destroyed at the end of last season. However, poor blocking for new quarterback Matt Moore and a late game defensive collapse made sure that the Panthers lost big on Sunday afternoon. Fox has the shortest leash of the five coaches on the hot seat since he is not under contract for 2011, and this performance certainly did nothing to inspire faith in his ability.

4. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

Smith was one of only two embattled coaches to win his first game, but the dubious circumstances surrounding the victory give it a bad taste. To make it worse, his team had an incredibly difficult time putting away the lowly Detroit Lions even though they were playing most of the game without starting quarterback Matt Stafford. Smith likely needs to make the playoffs to have a chance at staying, especially with three former head coaches on the staff. They didn't look like they'd made any progress this week, doing just enough to survive.

3. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Morris is the only other member of our top five to claim victory on opening day. He may have done the most to help his job security by winning a tight game at home against a team they should beat if they really are to be considered improved. They have a huge test coming in two weeks when Pittsburgh pays a visit. For now, Morris' team looks like it may be on the rise again, although it's unlikely they have playoff potential in 2010. Morris doesn't need to make the postseason to keep his job, he just needs to show his team has improved. He did that in Week 1, with second year quarterback Josh Freeman looking more comfortable and the transitioning defense holding the Browns to two scores.

2. Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders

If anyone was on more tenuous ground going into the season than our inaugural most endangered coach (Eric Mangini), it was runner up Tom Cable. Anyone who works for Al Davis spends their career looking over their shoulder. Cable is a Davis guy, but performances like the one the supposedly revamped Raiders put up Sunday won't be tolerated by their wayward owner. Cable's team was just plain awful as Tennessee mopped the floor with them. Another game or two of that, and Davis might break out the overhead projector and call another press conference.

1. Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns

In a way, I feel sorry for Mangini. He has the least amount of talent of any coach in the league. He's got a former head coach in Mike Holmgren staring down at him from the president's office. He's despised by his own players. In a way, however, the last part at least is his fault. Not much went right for the Browns in Week 1, with Jake Delhomme still looking lost and mistake-prone. If anything, the defense looked like it might have improved, but Tampa Bay is not exactly a tough test. Losing a close game on the road doesn't qualify as improvement, but in these rankings, it makes him safer than some of the others below him.

Understudies to The Big Men

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CHICAGO - AUGUST 21: Offensive line coach Mike Tice of the Chicago Bears talks to players on the sidelines during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field on August 21, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Raiders defeated the Bears 32-17.

This is going to become a weekly feature on the coach rankings. Here, we'll take a look at some of the assistants on the top five teams (or bottom five, if you prefer) who could step in and either fill in for part of a season or seize a top job somewhere if and when it becomes available.

Mike Tice, Chicago Bears

Tice wasn't awful in his time as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He grades out as mediocre. He seems very comfortable with the Bears as their offensive line coach. Of the three former head coaches on Chicago's staff, he likely would be a comfortable choice to take over if Lovie Smith finds himself on the street. He's a steady, no-nonsense guy who knows how to motivate a team.

Mike Martz, Chicago Bears

What ever happened to this guy? Martz used to be the talk of the league. He masterminded the "Greatest Show on Turf" with the St. Louis Rams in the early 2000s. Now, he's a journeyman offensive coordinator with some personality issues that are still not full defined. This is a big year for him. If he can revive the Bears offense and make Jay Cutler into something less than a turnover machine, he could vault himself into a top job again. 

Rod Marinelli, Chicago Bears

Marinelli will forever be connected with the fateful 0-16 season of the 2008 Detroit Lions. That doesn't mean he's a lousy coach. He coached a bad team. He's revamping his resume in Chicago where he's coordinating what is shaping up to be a staunch defense. Marinelli won't be the first name on head coaching lists, but he could be a dark horse if Chicago continues to improve. He's probably most likely to take over the Bears if Smith gets axed since he's already the assistant head coach.

Rob Ryan, Cleveland Browns

The feeling has always been that Ryan could be an effective head coach in the NFL. He's just never gotten a chance to fully prove that. If Eric Mangini is fired, Ryan should be the in-house candidate to take over for him and could be a candidate elsewhere if the Browns' defense continues to look staunch when the schedule gets tougher. He's a bit of a maverick, but he's worked more wonders with less talent than most men could have done.

Hue Jackson, Oakland Raiders

Jackson was hired this season as the offensive coordinator, but the Raiders made little secret of the fact that he could easily be moved into the top spot if Al Davis so desires. His unit's first performance was awful, but the spotlight falls on Tom Cable for now. If Davis axes Cable, it's a safe bet that Jackson, who's been a respected offensive coach at both the college and professional levels, gets a shot to keep the top job in the same fashion as Cable did two years ago.

Sliding Downward

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 15: Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 15, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Here's a look at some coaches on the warm seat who are turning the temperature up with dud performances in the first week.

Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers

Don't get me wrong, I love the way Singletary coaches his team. I also think he's a good coach. Hitching his wagon to Alex Smith could prove fatal. More performances like the one against the Seattle Seahawks (easily the worst performance by any team last week) could push him onto thin ice. Right now, he's still relatively safe, but Smith hasn't done him any favors.

Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

Lewis could have shut up a lot of critics by beating the Patriots in New England. Instead, his team was manhandled for virtually all of the game by a Patriots team viewed by many as aging. The comeback effort at the end saved it from being a complete disaster, but Lewis and his team of aging superstars need to bounce back quickly to keep him from once again hearing whispers.

Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys, predicted by many and decreed by their owner to be a Super Bowl team, looked disorganized and out of sync against the Washington Redskins. Any coach on a team owned by Jerry Jones is on a short leash. Phillips was on the bubble for two years and seems to be heading back toward that designation again. If the Cowboys look listless and mistake-prone again this week, he'll find himself on a scalding-hot seat.

The Hottest Seats

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CHICAGO - AUGUST 21: Head coach Tom Cable of the Oakland Raiders watches as his team takes on the Chicago Bears during a preseason game at Soldier Field on August 21, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Raiders defeated the Bears 32-17. (Photo by Jonathan Dani

And here are your Week 2 top five most endangered and embattled coaches.

5. Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys

Phillips' team was penalty-prone and listless against the Redskins. Another performance like that and he'll definitely be in hot water. Jerry Jones expects his team to play a home game in the Super Bowl. A bad season is not even an option for Jones, who believes this to be the best Dallas team in about a decade. The talent is there, but these guys aren't playing as a team yet.

4. John Fox, Carolina Panthers

Fox's team couldn't keep it close and couldn't finish. Matt Moore looked battered after the game. The running game couldn't muster a big effort. The defense fell apart late and looked old. Fox must clean things up. He might not be fired, but he's unquestionably on the hot seat after his team fell to pieces in the second half of Sunday's game.

3. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

They might have won, but they won ugly. Winning ugly isn't always bad. Winning ugly against a bad team and because of a controversial call is almost as bad as losing. A win is a win, but Smith has to show a lot more improvement with his team. The same mistakes are being made. Jay Cutler is still throwing bad passes to defenders, Matt Forte still can't run. They've changed coordinators with no change in results. That's a recipe for disaster if you're a head coach.

2. Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns

It wasn't much, but he gets some credit for getting this team close to a win on the road against a possibly improved Tampa Bay team. The Browns still don't have the talent to compete in what's shaping up to be a very tough AFC North race, but Mangini has to make do and make the best of what he's got. His seat gets marginally cooler since his team didn't fall apart when it easily could have. There's the ghost of a competitive team there, which gives fans reason to hope and Mike Holmgren reason to stick with Mangini.

1. Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders

He turned up the heat on himself. His offense, supposedly better without JaMarcus Russell, was just as shaky with Jason Campbell leading them. His defense fell apart, allowing Chris Johnson and the Titans to thrash them on the ground. He's got an owner who seems to enjoy firing coaches on a whim. He's not the most popular coach in the league either. Throw in that he was lucky to keep his job after last season anyway and you've got the makings of a hot seat that is about the temperature of napalm.

Downgraded to Warm: Raheem Morris

Morris' team won a home game that it should have and won it on the level (as opposed to Chicago's controversial finish). His players look improved and he seems to be growing into a job that was likely over his head last year. Time will tell, but he seems safe for the moment.