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5 Head Coaches on Hot Seat Heading Into NFL Week 4
National Football League

5 Head Coaches on Hot Seat Heading Into NFL Week 4

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

With three games already in the books, here’s a look at five head coaches already on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 4.

The 2016 is only three weeks old, but there’s already five head coaches that should begin to panic for being on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 4.

From Carson Wentz emerging as a rookie superstar for the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots starting off the season 3-0 without Tom Brady, there’s already been plenty of excitement over the first three weeks of the 2016 season. However, where there is excitement, there is also disappointment as there have been numerous teams that have seen their year get off to a slow start by going winless, putting them in a tough situation moving forward.

Three weeks is still very early when it comes to playing in the NFL when considering there are still 13 games for some of the disappointing teams to turn their season around. But it’s certainly not going to be easy. When things like this go bad, the first person of blame is going to be the head coach, and as bad as it sounds, it’s never too early for an organization to start considering the firing process.

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Without wasting any more time, here’s a look at five head coaches that are already on the hot seat heading into Week 4 of the NFL season.

Sep 18, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis looks on against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

5. Marvin Lewis

The situation with Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals may be one of the most frustrating ones in the league due to the head coach’s inability to win a playoff game.

Not only have the Bengals reached the playoffs in each of the last five seasons, but Lewis has taken this team to the post season seven times since coming on board as head coach in 2003. For whatever reason, Lewis just can’t get Cincinnati over the hump once the playoffs come around, and most coaches in this situation would have been fired years ago, yet the organization still keeps him around.

    Once again, the Bengals entered the 2016 season as one of the favorites in the AFC. And after opening up the season on a positive note with a win against the New York Jets, Andy Dalton and company struggled over the following two games. While the argument can be made that Cincinnati deserves a little slack for losing to two of the top teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos, these are the teams that could be standing in their way to make a Super Bowl run.

    If the Bengals can’t manage to win against playoff-caliber teams in the regular season, they may not even have the opportunity to come up short in the playoffs again, simply because they may not even make it. Lewis still having a job with this team is one of the biggest jokes in the world as Cincinnati’s 1-2 start has put the team in a tough spot early on.

    Sep 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton during the first quarter of a game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

    4. Sean Payton

    Everybody knew the defense of the New Orleans Saints was a mess, but nobody could have predicted the rushing defense to look as bad as they did against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

    New Orleans allowed Atlanta to rush for more than 200 yards on Monday. After already losing for the second time at home, it’s time for this team to realize Sean Payton is no longer an effective head coach. A few years ago, the Saints were considered a lock to win every home game as they were arguably unstoppable while playing in front of their fans at the Superdome.

    The fact that New Orleans has scored 32 points or more in two contests this season while still coming up on the losing end shows just how terrible this defense is. The offense may be loaded with talent between Drew Brees under center and Brandin Cooks at wide receiver, but it’s not going to mean anything in 2016 if the defense is incapable of doing their job.

    Allowing Atlanta to score 45 points while playing on the road is completely unacceptable. Even though it’s only been three games, New Orleans appears to be heading towards their third-straight losing season with Payton as head coach.

    Sep 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy reacts after a score during the second half of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Qualcomm Stadium. San Diego won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

    3. Mike McCoy

    In his first season as head coach back in 2013, Mike McCoy led the San Diego Chargers to the playoffs after finishing with a 9-7 record. That was the last time the Chargers reached the playoffs. After finishing 4-12 in 2015 while dealing with numerous injuries, McCoy’s team seems to be taking a similar path once again this season.

    They may be heading into Week 4 with a 1-2 record, but San Diego could easily be one of the undefeated teams at this point in the season if they just learned how to hold onto leads late in games. After blowing a 17-point lead opening weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers missed out on a big opportunity to pull off a road win against the Indianapolis Colts by giving up a 63-yard touchdown to T.Y. Hilton in the final two minutes of regulation.

    San Diego is the first head-coaching gig McCoy has landed in the NFL, and with the way things have looked over the last two seasons, the argument can be made he would be better off as a coordinator. If the Chargers can’t figure out a way to close out games, McCoy’s seat is only going to get hotter by the week.

    Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

    2. John Fox

    It’s been a rough two years for John Fox when considering the Denver Broncos went on to win the Super Bowl during the first season following the head coach’s firing. Now, Fox is the head coach of a Chicago Bears team that is quickly becoming one of the most disappointing teams of the 2016 season.

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      Even if the Bears have only played one home game so far, their inability to win at home under Fox is a huge reason for concern, and it doesn’t look like things are going to get easier anytime soon. At this point, Chicago just needs to clean house when it comes to their coaching staff and some of their players as Fox just doesn’t seem to be a good fit with the organization. After finishing 6-10 last season, it doesn’t look like Fox and the Bears are going to top that win total with the way they’ve looked in September.

      Sep 11, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA;Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley pumps his fist against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

      1. Gus Bradley

      At the beginning of the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were considered one of the teams to keep an eye on in the AFC when it comes to emerging as playoff contenders. Instead, the Jaguars have been one of the biggest disappointments from the first month of the season. With things looking this bad, Gus Bradley deserves the blame.

      Other than their 38-14 loss to San Diego in Week 2, Jacksonville was in position to win both of their games against the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens, only to blow their chances in the fourth quarter. At 0-3, it’s frustrating to see with a high-powered offense like the Jaguars sitting on the bottom of the AFC South heading into Week 4.

      Most coaches would kill to have a passing unit consisting of Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Julius Thomas—so to see Jacksonville struggle to put up points is beyond frustrating. The fact that Bradley is currently in his fourth season with the Jaguars without recording more than five wins proves he may not be the right fit for this team as a head coach.

      It was easy to let the first couple of years slide, but Jacksonville is running out of excuses to keep Bradley around.

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