NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat, Week 4 Edition

It may still be early in the 2011 season, but an NFL head coach with a losing record is never in good spirits. Neither are the people paying his salary. 

So while that first midseason firing may still be a few weeks away, a handful of head coaches have to be feeling the pressure already.

For some it's because the expectations were so high. Others find themselves on the hot seat because of bad decisions and squandering big leads. Still others have just been at the helm of a bad football team.

As always, the "hot seat" doesn't necessarily mean a pink slip is going to be dealt out anytime soon. But each of these head coaches have a lot of work to do. 

No. 8: Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Week 3: 20-17 loss at San Diego

Record: 0-3

No team has fallen faster or harder than the Kansas City Chiefs. And, coincidence or not, no team has run into a string of bad luck like the Chiefs have.

Tight end Tony Moeaki, then safety Eric Berry, then star-in-the-making Jamaal Charles all went out with season-ending injuries.

But from division champion to 0-3 is such a disastrous turn of events that Todd Haley is worth a spot on this list. 

More than anything, it's how bad the Chiefs (especially the offense) have been at the start of games: 12 of their 17 first-half possessions have ended in a punt or turnover. 

No. 7: Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts

Week 3: 23-20 loss vs. Pittsburgh

Record: 0-3

Like Todd Haley, Jim Caldwell gets a pass on the Colts' winless start because of injuries, specifically to Peyton Manning. 

But that doesn't excuse everything and the Colts coaching staff has done a fairly poor job this year.

Neither Kerry Collins nor Curtis Painter have looked ready to play and the special teams have not played well at all. That's coaching. 

No. 6: Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons

Week 3: 16-13 loss at Tampa Bay

Record: 1-2

The Eagles were the poster boys for going all-in this offseason in the hopes of winning a title, but the Falcons weren't far behind. 

And since Mike Smith doesn't have nearly the career resume that Andy Reid does, their 1-2 record has to be a cause for concern. They partially mortgaged the future to acquire Julio Jones, yet the offense—for all the yards Jones has put up—has done almost nothing except for that second half against Philadelphia. 

Sure, they've played three pretty good defenses, but a Super Bowl contender should have fared better. 

Furthermore, they spent a bunch of money on providing John Abraham with a bookend rusher in Ray Edwards, but the entire team hasn't recorded a single sack in the past two games. 

No. 5: Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams

Week 3: 37-7 vs. Baltimore

Record: 0-3

The Rams may have been one win away from winning the NFC West last year, but they still were not a very good football team.

And that showed again yesterday.  

Spagnuolo's team was beaten handily in Week 1, made mistake after mistake in Week 2 and lost by double digits, then were embarrassed at home by the Ravens in Week 3. 

I don't think Rams management is going to fire him anytime soon, especially since they did make great strides last year. But keep in mind that his overall record is now 8-27, with a 5-13 record at home. 

No. 4: Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

Week 3: 27-17 loss vs. Green Bay

Record: 1-2

No team has had a rougher schedule—the NFC's top seed last year followed by the previous two Super Bowl champions—to begin the season, but that's not an excuse for Lovie Smith's Bears. 

The running game has been atrocious, they can't protect Jay Cutler and they've been carved up in the passing game the past two weeks.

Maybe Lovie would have been better off losing that Week 1 game to the Falcons so he didn't provide Chicago fans with hopes of another division title—something that seems to be way out of the realm of possibility at this point. 

 

No. 3: Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Week 3: 26-23 (OT) loss vs. Detroit

Record: 0-3

The fact that Frazier is in his first (full) season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings means absolutely nothing given the three collapses he's presided over.

They were ahead by 10 points at the half in Week 1 and lost. They were ahead by 17 points at the half in Week 2 and lost. And yesterday they were ahead by 20 points at the half and lost.

That's an embarrassment—especially since the last two were at home. 

And as good as the Chargers, Buccaneers and Lions are or can be, not one of those clubs was a playoff team in 2010. 

Frazier has to start winning (and finishing) games to prove he was the right choice to replace Brad Childress—otherwise everyone will think they should have cleaned house and started from scratch. 

No. 2: Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

Week 3: 29-16 loss vs. New York Giants

Record: 1-2

Andy Reid isn't going to be fired, at least not any time soon. But there isn't a team in the NFL that's underwhelming more than the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Part of that is because of all the money they spent on free agents, re-signing Michael Vick and trading away Kevin Kolb—all moves intended to upgrade the team.

But more so, it is because this team seems to have taken a step backwards from a year ago. They aren't any better on defense, can't protect the passer and seem to be completely reliant on Michael Vick to score points. 

Sure, Vick is a unique and therefore irreplaceable talent at the quarterback position, but they still have two excellent wide receivers, an extremely talented running back and a pretty solid tight end.

So, why could they only score three points in the second half yesterday at home?

No. 1: Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

Week 3: 17-16 loss at Cleveland 

Record: 0-3

If it hadn't already started (say, for example, back in January when management began courting Jim Harbaugh), then the Tony Sparano Firing Watch certainly began last week when the Dolphins lost yet another home game. 

And yesterday, dropping to 0-3 with a trip west to San Diego on the horizon—followed with a bye, then a Monday night visit to New York to play the Jets—it only seems a matter of time before he's given the pink slip. 

That's not to say he can't turn it around, but it will take something extraordinary for him to survive this season.