10 NFL Players and Coaches Held Least Accountable by Their Franchises

Fans and the media rarely pull any punches when it comes to clubs that are down on their luck; even clubs that are succeeding don't always skate past criticism.

And with so much riding on the line each week in the NFL, few front offices are willing to put loyalty or personal preference above victory. The NFL is the epitome of a "what have you done for me lately?" business.

Still, there are a few cases out there where you almost get the feeling that a player or coach can do no wrong. Here are 10 examples. 

No. 10: Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts

On some fronts, Caldwell certainly deserves a pass for what has happened to his club over the last year or so. 

Obviously, losing Peyton Manning for (likely) an entire season is a fairly traumatic blow, too. And don't discount the the release of Bob Sanders, either. He may not have played much the previous two seasons, but he was probably a very prominent voice and face around the locker room and training facility. 

Nevertheless, it seems like for the Colts organization, 100 percent of the blame is falling on Manning's neck and no one else, when Caldwell deserves to share plenty of it.

Not only has his staff been completely incapable of getting Curtis Painter ready to play—despite being in the system for three years—but that defense is no better than it was a year ago, currently ranking 31st against the run, 22nd against the pass. 

Caldwell doesn't deserve to be fired, or probably even land on the proverbial hot seat, but how many people are pointing the finger at him? 

No. 9: Kevin Kolb, QB, Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals certainly have their share of other problems. Losing Ryan Williams before the season started was a terrible blow, and I think seeing Steve Breaston leave via free agency was a bigger loss than they anticipated. Furthermore, given his lack of experience and learning a new system so quickly, Kolb wasn't going to be a quick fix.

But they had to be expecting more out of him than they've gotten in 2011, right?

Arizona has lost six straight games, Kolb's turned the ball over in bunches and his completion percentage has basically decreased every week.

The excuse that "he's new" and "give him time" might have worked a few years ago, but if rookies like Cam Newton and Andy Dalton can play so well right out of the gate, so should a guy that costs a second round pick and a starting cornerback. 

No. 8: Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

As is the case with Kevin Kolb, in light of the play of Cam Newton and Andy Dalton, it's tough to look at what Sam Bradford has done this season and dismiss it with "well, he's learning a new system."

Let's be honest, Bradford had a very good rookie season a year ago, but not a dominating one, so expecting him to at least match last season's figures wasn't asking too much. 

But there's almost no way he does so now, especially since he's injured right now. 

The Rams may be winless because they have other huge gaps—like a decent corps of receivers or a run defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed—but Bradford has at best held still, and at worst, have taken a step backwards. Yet his youth and what he achieved last season seems to be letting him off the hook. 

No. 7: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit Lions

We all stand on a pretty slippery slope when the term "dirty player" is thrown around. Much of that is open to interpretation, and much of that is also open to what is caught on film.

So I'm not necessarily going to jump on the bandwagon castigating Suh. 

But by having Jim Schwartz accompany him to the meeting with Roger Goodell, you get the sense that the Lions are standing behind Suh at all costs; after all, he seems to be the franchise player, even more important to their future than a fragile Matthew Stafford.

Maybe that's the right thing to do from a club morale and faith-in-the-front-office standpoint. But Suh's play has brought attention to himself, and the referees and Commissioner Goodell will be watching him much closer. That could lead to more penalties, and eventually, a suspension.

No. 6: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

As the only head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a span of four years, Belichick has probably earned a lifetime appointment like a Supreme Court justice. Especially since unlike Mike Shanahan, who won a pair of Super Bowls in Denver only to be ultimately fired, he's followed up that success with a handful of playoff berths and division titles.

But the Patriots defense is fairly atrocious and has been for the better part of two seasons, so Belichick, easily one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, being incapable of correcting those flaws week after week is a major curiosity.

And since Belichick opted to bring in Albert Haynesworth, who has yet to make an impact—forget about Chad Ochocinco for a secondhe's plenty culpable. 

No. 5: DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton's brilliant NFL start has countless people in Charlotte, North and South Carolina and the Panthers front office thrilled, but none should be more so than the franchise's running back.

Williams signed an enormous five-year, $43 million deal this offseason, but has produced very little since inking the deal. If you take away that 69-yard touchdown run against the Saints, he's been below average all season. 

The emergence of Newton as both an outstanding and exciting player has distracted the franchise (and the fans too) from assigning blame to Williams for seemingly coasting after earning a huge contract. 

No. 4: Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

Maybe it's been a conscious effort, maybe subconscious, but ever since taking over in Seattle last year, Carroll seems determined to prove that this Seahawks team is completely different from the one Mike Holmgren built. 

And since he won the division and a playoff game against the defending Super Bowl champions last year, Carroll seemed to be on pace to a great career. 

Now after jettisoning a handful of Holmgren's players (Aaron Curry, Matt Hasselbeck, Lofa Tatupu, for example) and making strange draft and free agent choices (Tarvaris Jackson,  Sidney Rice, Robert Gallery), the Seahawks find themselves at the bottom of the NFL food chain at 2-5. 

Still, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who considers him on the hot seat. 

No. 3: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears

Forget for a moment that the franchise is paying him oodles of money over the next three seasons. And forget the fact that he's been average (at best) for most of this season. 

The franchise not holding Cutler accountable for that disappointment can be excused, or at least understood. But for the quarterback and offensive coordinator to be "feuding" the way that Cutler and Mike Martz were a few weeks back proves that the Bears tend to put Cutler first and everyone else second. 

Maybe the whole situation was blown out of proportion, but for Cutler to openly refuse to apologize to his superior, it's pretty clear that the Bears let him do whatever he wants....including throw interceptions. 

No. 2: Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers

A.J. Smith probably deserves this spot—he took Turner over Marty Schottenheimer and Philip Rivers over Drew Brees—but since this list is limited to coaches and players, the burden falls on the head coach.

As bad as things have been for Tony Sparano in Miami, at least he can point to a total lack of talent and the fact that he plays in a supremely tough division with two clubs that are desperate to win and aren't shy about bringing in new talent. 

Turner's Chargers have played in a division that has never had a a true powerhouse, yet they are repeatedly one of the most disappointing clubs from start to finish. And this year is another prime example, yet the franchise seems content to stick with him, at the very east through the rest of the regular season.  

He may be a great play-caller, but as a head coach, his teams have not lived up to their potential year after year. 

No. 1: Rex Ryan, New York Jets

Ryan has walked a fine line at times with a few "scandals" in his short tenure. There was that Ines Sainz thing, the backlash from his attitude during Hardknocks and Sal Alosi's tripping of Nolan Carroll last winter.

None of those were terribly bad, but they didn't exactly shine a positive light on the Jets franchise, so he doesn't earn the top spot on this list for those reasons. 

Instead, it's the boasting that has become his trademark, which suggests the franchise doesn't hold him accountable for much.

He's essentially guaranteed a Super Bowl win, and although he came close to a berth in the big game in 2009 and 2010, he didn't get there. And in 2011, he once again seems to be behind the eight-ball in achieving that goal.