NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Ranking All 32 Head Coaches

Two weeks into the 2011 NFL campaign, and there is still time for a 0-2 team to turn it around and vice versa.

Headed into this season, there were a handful of coaches who were feeling the hot seat in regards to their jobs.

After two weeks in, some have cooled a bit while others have become scalding.

It's still early, but here is the outlook of where every coach in the NFL stands from endangered to safest.

No. 32: Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

When David Garrard was released just days before the start of the season, it added up to Del Rio being a lame duck. 

Management couldn't seriously expect him to succeed with Luke McCown and a rookie running the offense.

After the drubbing Jacksonville got by the Jets, he's bringing up the rear of this list.

Seat Temperature: Surface of the Sun

No. 31: Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

Sparano was already on the hot seat before the season began, and it will probably stay that way unless things turn around.

This week against Houston, the Dolphins were in the game early into the fourth quarter before the Texans put it away.

The defense looked better in Week 2, but the offense looked way more average.

Seat Temperature: Boiling

No. 30: Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

When you're fielding the team many are calling the worst in football, you're going to be pretty low on this list.

After almost squeaking out one against the Niners, Seattle looked like they couldn't have scored in 16 quarters against the Steelers' defense in Week 2.

Still, Carroll is a year removed from going to the conference semifinals. He shouldn't be going anywhere.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 29: Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Before fans of teams with a new rookie head coach start jumping on me for this list, realize they are this low only because they are rookies—they've got to earn it.

Two close losses against two good ball clubs is nothing to get down about. Hell, there are some seasoned coaches who still haven't discovered how to win the close games yet.

In an obvious rebuilding effort, Frazier will be around for at least a couple more years.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 28: Hue Jackson, Oakland Raiders

Another rookie head coach who hasn't had a bad start.

The Raiders won on the road against Denver and lost a nail-biter in the final seconds against the Bills. 

The offense looks miles better under Jackson, and unless Al Davis cracks, he should be around for a while.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 27: Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers

The prized rookie head coach acquisition of the offseason.

After some special teams magic in Week 1 preserved Harbaugh's first NFL victory, a late collapse against an injured Tony Romo cost him his first winning streak.

With what they're paying Harbaugh, results will be expected—but not this year.

Seat Temperature: Icy

No. 26: Pat Shurmur, Cleveland Browns

Following the failed Mangini experiment, the shoes aren't that big for Shurmur to fill.

After a disappointing loss to intrastate rival Cincinnati in Week 1, the Browns took care of business for their first win over Indianapolis since 1994.

Ownership is tired of losing, and with Mike Holmgren running the show, Shurmur won't have too long of a leash after key additions are made to the roster.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 25: Mike Munchak, Tennessee Titans

Only the second head coach to don the Titan blue in history (The Titans, not the Oilers), Munchak comes after a legend in the Tennessee area in Jeff Fisher.

After an ugly performance against a weaker opponent in the season-opener, the Titans dominated both sides of the ball in an impressive victory over the Ravens in Week 2.

One of the more impressive rookie head coaches thus far, Munchak appears to not be a stop-gap coach, as many had suggested.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 24: Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Haley impressed in Kansas City in his second season last year that saw him take the Chiefs from worst to first in the AFC West.

It couldn't have started more disastrous for the Chiefs, who have had a plethora of injuries to cornerstone players that has seen them fall to a painful 0-2 start and give up a league-worst 89 points to the opposition.

Sure, it's not quite what Haley had expected, but the ownership is content with him and won't blame him for losing so many key players to injury.

His job is still quite secure, regardless of this season's outcome.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 23: Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

Lewis has now been the head coach in Cincinnati for so long that it's hard to imagine him elsewhere.

A big win against the Browns in Week 1 had the team feeling better about themselves than many had predicted, and a tough loss to Denver this week shouldn't have them hanging their heads. This is a young team in a rebuild that appears to have a strong nucleus with Dalton, Benson and Green, as well as some playmakers on defense.

It's hard to question Lewis' stature within the organization since he basically said he wold resign if the team didn't make upgrades in talent this past January.

However, ownership is quite unpredictable there (see: Carson Palmer situation), so I'll stick with this rating.

Seat Temperature: Warm

No. 22: Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts

Being hand-picked to be Tony Dungy's successor is no small honor—especially when you flirt with an undefeated season and go to the Super Bowl in your rookie year.

By now, anyone who doesn't live off the grid knows about the Peyton Manning situation. The picture attached here tells you all you need to know about how this season has started for Indy. We knew the offense would be bunk without Manning, but did anyone expect their defense to look so tired and beaten down?

Still, no owner is going to come down on his coach in a season where arguably the best quarterback in the game hasn't played a snap. Caldwell's job is secure.

Seat Temperature: Icy

No. 21: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

Having the interim tag removed from your title of head coach makes it real.

In that role, Garrett appears to be up to the challenge.

The best thing the Cowboys could have done is have an impressive victory in Week 2 after the choke job in their opener.

The worst thing that could happen is having their starting quarterback suffer a broken rib and punctured lung.

It's no big secret that Jerry Jones demands excellence of his football team, regardless of injuries or strength of schedule.

However, if Romo misses extended time, it will matter little. Even Jones won't fire a rookie head coach after just one year unless he went all Josh McDaniels.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 20: Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams

Going from just a single victory in 2009 to seven in 2010 did two things for Spagnuolo: It kept his job, and it heightened expectations in 2011.

Losing to the "Dream Team" in Week 1 shouldn't have the young Rams team pressing the panic button.

And believe it or not, neither should the loss on Monday night to the Giants.

St. Louis still plays in a pretty weak division, and a 0-2 start doesn't necessarily bury the current campaign. 

A tough schedule can't be an excuse for a coach in his third season. This is usually the make-or-break season, and the playoffs are expected from Spagnuolo this season. Their early schedule is tough, but the Rams need to fight through it to keep him around for a fourth year.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 19: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers

Rivera inherited a mountain of problems when he took his first head coaching position with the Panthers this year.

What many expected at this point in the season is that Carolina would be 0-2.

What not many expected is that Cam Newton would look this good this soon. Pushing the defending Super Bowl champs to the brink after a 2-14 season in 2010 has raised many an eyebrow.

Rivera has to receive some credit for Newton's play up to this point, and with one break in each game, the Panthers would be sitting at 2-0.

This is why Rivera is the highest-ranked rookie coach on this list, regardless of the 0-2 record.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 18: Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals

The last time Ken Whisenhunt had a good quarterback, he went to the Super Bowl.

That might not be the expectation this year, but bettering the 2010 season is.

After hanging on for a win against Carolina in Week 1, Arizona dropped a tough one to the Redskins when the defense was unable to hold the lead.

After three consecutive years of leading the Cardinals to an improved record—and even a Super Bowl thrown in there—things fell off a bit last year. Mostly, this was blamed on the poor backup plan the team had when Kurt Warner retired.

But with a competent quarterback this season, an improvement is expected.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 17: John Fox, Denver Broncos

Fox seemed like the perfect guy to come in and clean up the wasteland Josh McDaniels left behind in just two seasons as Broncos head coach.

After struggling to get the running game working at all against the Raiders in the season-opener, they rebounded nicely against a hungry, young Bengals team in Week 2.

It wouldn't be possible for Fox to clean this mess up in one offseason, and he surely isn't expected to. I see him with at least a three-year plan to get the team back to what the owner expects of them.

Seat Temperature: Cool

No. 16: Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers

Norv Turner just might be the most critiqued head coach in the entire league. No matter what he does, he gets no credit for a victory, and all the blame for a loss.

With a tougher than expected Week 1 win against the Vikings, San Diego followed it up by hanging tough against the high-powered Patriots as long as possible before running out of gas in the fourth.

I don't think Turner is as awful as everyone else, but I do think he underachieves based off the roster he has. I don't believe he is on the hot seat this year unless the team completely bottoms out.

But with ownership that fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season, anything can happen.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 15: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

When you win a Super Bowl in a city like New York, you're given a mulligan for quite a while—and Coughlin is no exception.

After an atrocious debut against division rival Washington, the Giants rebounded against the young Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

It seems like Tom is on the hot seat every year, and the fact is that it just isn't true.

However, after missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons, that could change if that drought reaches a third year.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 14: Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raheem Morris is coming off of a brilliant season that saw his team win 10 games, but miss the playoffs.

After coming up short on their Week 1 comeback against the Lions, the Bucs finished the second-half turnaround against the Vikings to even up their record in Week 2.

Morris is unlucky in that his team is in the stacked NFC South, but that can't be an excuse for not continuing to improve.

However, management is said to be very happy with him.

Seat Temperature: Icy

No. 13: Chan Gailey, Buffalo Bills

It's been a rough start in Buffalo for Gailey, going 4-12 last season.

However, an impressive and thorough domination of the Chiefs in Week 1 was followed up with a thriller of a win against the Raiders this past Sunday.

Gailey has the offense clicking in Buffalo, and he has Ryan Fitzpatrick on the brink of becoming one of the better quarterbacks in the game. This being Year 3 means Gailey must get results this year, and things appear to be going in his favor thus far.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 12: Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

Smith is entering his eighth season as Bears head coach, which has seen him lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance and three division titles.

Chicago decimated the Falcons at home in Week 1 before looking a little more human against the Saints in a Week 2 lopsided loss.

This one doesn't even need a debate; Lovie isn't going anywhere.

Seat Temperature: Icy

No. 11: Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins

Talk about a turnaround. In his two years in Washington, six victories and a handful of media controversies were all there was to show.

But in 2011 the Redskins are off to a 2-0 start after beating on division rival New York and having a big comeback against Arizona in Week 2.

The players look to finally be buying into his offensive scheme, and he has had a huge hand in the Rex Grossman revival. It needs to continue for his seat to keep cooling off.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 10: Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

Kubiak has had the longest tenure of any coach in history to never make the playoffs.

That, in itself, is both impressive and pathetic.

With high expectations for the team, this is the first year they've been favorites and have gotten off to an impressive 2-0 start that sees them leading the league in total defense.

I said when Wade Phillips was hired that it was going to make Gary Kubiak a better coach, and I'm sticking to that. This is a different team this year, but Kubiak's job is still dependent on Houston making the playoffs in 2011.

Seat Temperature: Lukewarm

No. 9: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

Harbaugh has been nothing but consistent since taking the reins in 2008 and making the playoffs each season.

After a complete beatdown of the nemesis Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, the Ravens followed it up with a real stinker against the Titans that saw them handled on both sides of the ball.

No need to worry too much about the Week 2 defeat though, as every good team has a game or two like that every year. Harbaugh's job security has never been higher.

Seat Temperature: Icy

No. 8: Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions

Taking over a franchise that had just completed the first 0-16 season in league history probably wasn't the ideal situation Schwartz would have preferred.

But in two seasons, he has improved with each one.

After earning a tough win on the road against a good Tampa Bay team, the Lions picked apart the hapless Chiefs in Week 2.

What Schwartz has been able to put this team in position to do in just two seasons is nothing short of remarkable.

(Not having Matt Millen as his general manager should help him continue to improve, too.)

Seat Temperature: Cold as Ice

No. 7: Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons

Mike Smith has achieved something no other coach in team history has been able to do, and that is lead the Falcons to consecutive winning seasons.

After being embarrassed in Week 1 against the tough Chicago defense, Matt Ryan was able to pick apart the highly-touted Eagles defense in a remarkable come-from-behind win on Sunday Night Football.

Winning 68 percent of your games to start your head coaching career deserves the extension Arthur Blank gave Smith over the offseason. He'll be in the ATL for a while. 

Seat Temperature: Subarctic 

No. 6: Rex Ryan, New York Jets

Love him or hate him, it's hard to deny the results that Rex Ryan has had his first two years as the Jets' head coach.

After being gifted a Week 1 win by the Cowboys, the Jets' defense looked in midseason form against the lowly Jags in a comfortable win this past Sunday.

Back-to-back AFC title game appearances is going to earn you some job security. I hope you love him, New York—he's here to stay.

Seat Temperature: Ice Cream

No. 5: Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

Whenever you hear people talk about the best coaches in the league, for some silly reason no one ever mentions Andy Reid.

With all the hype the Eagles got in the preseason, you knew they were going to have targets on their backs. They'll beat some teams off talent alone, but if Michael Vick can't stay in the game every week, they will be beaten the way Atlanta beat them in Week 2.

In his 13th season as Eagles head coach, Reid has posted a winning percentage of almost 62 percent, and five current NFL head coaches have all learned under Reid.

If that doesn't get you in the conversation as a top five coach, I'm not sure what will.

Seat Temperature: Freezing

No. 4: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Entering his fifth year as Steelers head coach, Tomlin has little left to prove, but you know he's still hungry after coming up just short in the Super Bowl last year.

After getting tortured by the Ravens in Week 1, Pittsburgh rebounded nicely by pounding on a team that they should have beaten easily in Week 2.

I remember thinking the Steelers could have done better when they replaced the legend Bill Cowher with Mike Tomlin back in 2007. After a 44-22 record that includes a couple of Super Bowl appearances, it is quite clear I couldn't have been more wrong.

Seat Temperature: Liquid Nitrogen 

No. 3: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers

Many criticized the McCarthy hiring back in 2006, saying it was a Brett Favre hire.

After last season, those people are no longer talking.

The Pack began its Super Bowl defense by putting up points like it was Tecmo Super Bowl in Week 1 before hanging on to beat the upstart Panthers this past Sunday.

After winning the Super Bowl last season, you couldn't really have a more secure job.

Seat Temperature: Frigid as Neptune

No. 2: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Payton has been nothing short of stellar since taking the headset to begin the 2006 season.

After a tough loss in Week 1 that nearly saw the Saints pull off an impressive comeback, they got back to their winning ways by handling the Bears at home to even their record.

To tell you how deserving of his contract extension Payton was—as a Falcons fan, I hate it. The guy is a master game-planner, and he will be in New Orleans for quite some time.

Seat Temperature: Canada in January

No. 1: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Was there ever any doubt?

The Patriots started off the season as Super Bowl favorites, and after two dominant offensive performances by Tom Brady, they still are.

I don't think I really need to justify this with an explanation.

I know his critics keep saying that he hasn't won a Super Bowl in seven years, but if you really think he isn't the best coach in the NFL, then you are either crazy or a Jets fan.

The job in New England is his until he decides he doesn't want to do it anymore.

Seat Temperature: Colder than Antarctica