The 2018 NFL season is almost here and I couldn’t be more excited. One of the biggest things to watch (or that I’m always watching) is how the coaching carousel turns out. Coaching matters but the typical fan just doesn’t understand how much. For example, people think Andrew Luck is overrated but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Those people are just dumb. Then there are people out there who are still convinced Jared Goff can actually play but that’s very far from the truth. Goff’s success and downfalls from the Jeff Fisher era and Sean McVay era tell you all you need to know. Projecting the coaches that get the ax or that could get the ax is always a fun conversation. Which coaches are set to get fired during or after the 2018 season?
The meter will go from 1-10. Ten being destined to be fired. 1 is safe no matter how the season goes.
1. Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns)
Hue Jackson has +350 odds to be the first head coach fired. If you have tuned into Hard Knocks, it’s not hard to figure out that Hue Jackson doesn’t have a damn clue what he’s doing. It won’t be too long until another person is sitting in his seat and he’s sitting in a similar chair that I’m sitting in. The Browns actually have players and the pressure is on to win now. Jackson’s record in Cleveland is 1-31. I mean…C’mon. At some point, he has to get the boot. Tyrod Taylor took the bad roster Bills to the playoffs so there’s really no excuse. Anything short of 8 wins and I can’t see how Jackson returns as the coach.
Hot seat meter: 10
2. Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Does anyone realize how bad Dirk Koetter is? Here’s another example of a head coach that should have been left for dead last year. Koetter proved just how incompetent he was in last year’s hard knocks. Plus he also is on record for saying that analytics are garbage so there’s that too. This team just flat out underachievers and it’s clear he has no leadership qualities because Jameis Winston still does whatever he wants. Tampa Bay doesn’t have a bad roster but they are thought of as a total mess and that’s a clear indication that it’s time to make a change.
Hot seat meter: 10
3. Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos)
John Elway called the Broncos soft this year. I feel like that’s not a great sign for Vance Joseph. The Broncos head coach couldn’t even organize Senior Bowl practices so it’s not hard to figure out why Denver’s a trainwreck. Then again, I’m not sure why anyone is surprised because I tried to tell you the Vance Joseph thing was never going to work. Denver’s defense was scary when Wade Phillips was in charge. Denver’s defense is now thought of as just okay. Now you tell me what the issue is?
Hot seat meter: 8
4. Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers)
Do I really need to even explain what’s going on with the Chargers? A running back coach is the head coach! The Chargers have a top 5 roster in the league but couldn’t make the playoffs? Really? In a bad AFC where the Bills made the playoffs and tried to tank? C’mon… No excuse. Things aren’t going to be any different. LA will underachieve again and we will continue to watch Philip Rivers lose his mind dealing with a dysfunctional coaching staff.
Hot seat meter: 7
5. Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals)
Can we just end the Marvin Lewis thing now? Marvin Lewis has been the head coach of the Bengals since 2003. He has a total of zero playoff wins. I repeat, Marvin Lewis has zero playoff wins. What more is there to say? A 0-7 playoff record and is known as one of the most undisciplined teams in the league should get a coach fired. The real question is what Cincinnati is waiting for.
Hot seat meter: 6
6. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks)
How about a darkhorse; shouldn’t Pete Carroll worry about getting fired. He has one-year left on his contract. Carroll is 69 years old. The Seahawks are truly starting to feel like Pete’s final days at USC. Seattle feels like a ticking tomb bomb ready to explode. The offensive line is beyond bad. The offseason was filled with roster defections like Jimmy Graham, Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril, and Richard Sherman. It’s possible this is a last place team and the front office starts to considering finding an offensive coach for Russell Wilson.
Hot seat meter: 4
