It’s that time of year again.
Around Thanksgiving in the NFL this rite of passage takes place: head coaches on the hot seat.
In the recent two weeks, two offensive coordinators have been fired — Pittsburgh’s Matt Canada this past week and Buffalo’s Ken Dorsey the week before. Interestingly, those two moves were made by perennial-winner head coaches with strong job security — the Bills’ Sean McDermott and Steelers’ Mike Tomlin.
As this season nears its final seven weeks, though, some head coaches figure to be on the firing line, beginning with Brandon Staley with the Chargers and Ron Rivera with the Commanders.
Both coaches had a difficult Week 11.
Rivera’s Commanders turned the ball over six times and lost to the Giants with Tommy DeVito, undrafted rookie free-agent quarterback who began the season on the practice squad. Thursday got no better for Rivera, with the Commanders blown out, 45-10, by the Cowboys.
Rivera is in his fourth season in Washington and has yet to lead the team to a winning record, making the playoffs once. He, too, must deal with a new owner in Josh Harris, who’s been mum on the coaching topic.
Under Staley, the Chargers have had an alarming propensity to lose close games. Since the beginning of 2021, in games that have been decided by three points or fewer, they’re 6-12, including the playoffs. At the top of that list is the 27-point first-half lead they squandered in a 31-30 wild-card loss to the Jaguars last season.
Staley had a public meltdown of sorts after Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Packers, which dropped the talented Chargers to 4-6 and on the outside of the AFC playoff chase. He became combative with reporters who criticized his defense as the culprit for the team’s failures in close games. The Chargers are ranked 31st in total defense and last against the pass.
“I have full confidence in our way of playing, full confidence in myself as the play-caller and the way that we teach and the way that we scheme, full confidence in that,” Staley said.
When he was asked for the third time in five weeks if he has considered giving up play-calling duties on defense, Staley said, “I’m going to be calling the defenses, so we’re clear … so, you don’t have to ask that again.”
Staley then went to a bad place when he continued: “I’m not here to talk to the fan base. I’m here to talk to my players, the locker room. I know that we give ourselves a chance to win every single week with the game plans that we have.’’
The problem, of course, is that despite being in position to win those games, they haven’t won those games. Staley has been a coach who seemingly hasn’t gotten the best out of a talented team — which has a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and has brought in the likes of pass rusher Khalil Mack to play alongside Joey Bosa.
The Chargers on Sunday night play the Ravens, against whom they’ve lost four of their past five regular-season meetings.
Outside chances of having employment issues include Mike Vrabel, who’s in his sixth season with the Titans, and Frank Reich, who’s in his first season with the 1-9 Panthers.
After leading Tennessee to winning seasons in his first four years and making the playoffs three times in that span, Vrabel’s Titans missed the postseason last year (7-10), and they’re currently 3-7 and in last place in the AFC South.
Vrabel this past week told reporters, “I don’t try to concern myself with’’ his job security, adding, “My focus is on coaching this team, on trying to get these guys to understand that there’s a fine line in this league of winning and losing. Finding ways to in. That’s what I’m focused on. I’ll let you [media] fire me each week or not fire me.’’
Reich’s situation in Carolina is interesting because he’s in only his first season there and is starting rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1-overall pick in the draft. But Panthers owner David Tepper watching the immediate success Houston has had with its rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, the No. 2-overall pick behind Young, cannot be sitting well.
Another fascinating head coach potentially on the outs is New England’s Bill Belichick, who despite having delivered six Super Bowls to the Patriots has been rumored to be falling out of favor with owner Robert Kraft and the fans, with the team currently 2-8 with the second-worst record in the league.
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