Los Angeles Rams

NFL Week 12: 5 Coaches On Hot Seat

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

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Nov 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher during a NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time to take a look at the latest list of head coaches on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 12.

From Jeff Fisher losing for the fifth time in six games to Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers continuing to struggle, there’s plenty to breakdown in this week’s edition of head coaches on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 12.

After a 3-1 start, many believed the Los Angeles Rams were capable of being a sleeper team in the NFC, but the offense has fallen apart over their last six games. Not only has Fisher been under the microscope more than usual over the last three weeks, but the Rams have hit a new low by only scoring 39 points over the last four games.

For a team with one of the league’s top defenses, Los Angeles has every reason in the world to be frustrated over their head coach’s inability to get the offense to reach the next level.

As for McCarthy, his offense may be one of the most disappointing from the 2016 season as the Packers continue to find new ways of digging deeper holes after losing to the Washington Redskins, 42-24. With seven-straight playoff appearances under McCarthy’s belt, it’s hard to believe the head coach even finds himself in this position with Green Bay sitting at 4-6 heading into their Week 12 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Along with Lewis and Fisher, here’s a look at the rest of the head coaches on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 12.

Oct 16, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Tennessee won 28-26. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mention: Hue Jackson (Not On Last Week’s List)

For most of the season, Hue Jackson has received the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the struggles surrounding the Cleveland Browns in 2016, especially when looking at all of the issues at quarterback. The argument can be made the Browns would have picked up a few wins by now if it wasn’t for Robert Griffin III‘s injury at the beginning of the season, but the pressure is starting to catch up with Jackson even more heading into Week 12.

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Not only is Cleveland on the verge of making the wrong side of history by being five losses away from going the whole season winless, but their remaining schedule makes this seem even more likely to happen. On top of having two more AFC North games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns face the red-hot New York Giants on Sunday as the defense will need to be on top of their game in order to contain Eli Manning and the rest of the offense.

Sadly, it’s tough to see someone like Jackson struggle so much in his first year as head coach of this team when considering how long it took him to receive another shot at a head coaching job. Obviously, Cleveland will take all of their injuries into consideration when determining his fate, but Jackson failing to record his first win this late into the season is concerning.

Oct 16, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field. Dallas won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

5. Mike McCarthy (Last Week’s Honorable Mention)

It’s impossible to defend the Green Bay Packers any more as the team is coming off another disappointing loss on the road to the Washington Redskins while playing in the national spotlight. If Mike McCarthy‘s seat wasn’t hot before, just imagine the amount of heat the head coach is receiving with the Packers on a four game losing streak heading into Week 12.

Unfortunately, the injury bug hasn’t been too kind to Green Bay as Aaron Rodgers has been forced to carry the load in the running game, which is part of the reason why this team has been such a mess. There’s only so much Rodgers can do on his own on a weekly basis as the quarterback’s struggles are beginning to catch up to McCarthy’s job security.

When looking at the talent level surrounding the Packers each year, it’s hard to believe McCarthy even finds himself in the position as this is the last person anyone would have expected to see on the hot seat in 2016. Green Bay has seen their fair share of struggles over the years during the McCarthy era, but nothing compares to what this team has been dealing with over their last six games.

Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox looks on during the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

4. John Fox (Last Week No. 4)

Remember when the Chicago Bears pulled off that impressive win against the Minnesota Vikings a few weeks ago and it looked like this team wasn’t so bad after all? Well, it’s amazing how quickly things can change as the Bears let another one slip away from them after falling to the New York Giants in Week 11.

The sad thing is Chicago seemed to be in position to possibly pull off the upset on the road when considering they held on to a 16-6 lead at one point in the second quarter before falling apart in the second half. John Fox has now watched his team come up on the losing end four times by single digits. And if that wasn’t already frustrating enough, it should also be noted the head coach has only recorded eight wins dating back to last season.

To go from a team with the talent level of the Denver Broncos to coaching the Bears was a step back for Fox as he just doesn’t seem to be a good fit for the organization. Between Fox’s inability to win games and all of the drama surrounding Jay Cutler at quarterback, it’s no wonder Chicago fans have become so frustrated with watching their team over the last two seasons.

Nov 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

3. Gus Bradley (Last Week No. 2)

At this point, nobody really expects much from Gus Bradley and the Jacksonville Jaguars as it only seems like a matter of time before the head coach is sent packing. The sad thing is Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions marked the third loss in a row by single digits for the Jaguars as the team enters Week 12 with a 2-8 record.

Jacksonville was considered a team to keep an eye on at the beginning of the season when looking at all of the dangerous weapons Blake Bortles had to work with. But for whatever reason, the offense just hasn’t been able to live up to the hype. In fact, Bortles has unfortunately earned the title of being the king of garbage time—which is the last nickname any player in the NFL wants to be.

When stuff like this goes wrong, the head coach is the first to receive the blame as Bradley was already feeling the pressure at the beginning of the season for his inability to win more than five games in a single season. Unless the Jaguars put together some sort of miracle and win out the rest of the season, Bradley will most likely fail to record more than five wins for the fourth season in a row.

Oct 30, 2016; London, United Kingdom; Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis reacts in the second quarter against the Washington Redskins during game 17 of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2. Marvin Lewis (Last Week No. 1)

The good news for the Cincinnati Bengals is A.J. Green‘s hamstring injury doesn’t appear to be season-ending as the wideout received quite the scare against the Buffalo Bills. The bad news for the Bengals is, even with Green in the lineup, it doesn’t really seem like it would matter as their season is all but over after failing to record a win for the fifth time in six games following Sunday’s loss to the Bills.

To say this year has been a disappointment for Cincinnati would be a major understatement as Marvin Lewis‘ squad is on the verge of missing out on the postseason for the first time since 2010. From an 0-7 record in the playoffs to receiving numerous contract extensions he didn’t deserve, Bengals fans have every reason in the world to be frustrated over their head coach letting them down.

Most coaches in the league with this type of track record would have been fired a long time ago, but now Lewis. For reasons that can’t be explained, Lewis has received numerous opportunities he didn’t deserve, but it will be interesting to see if this season will turn out to be the final straw for the Bengals head coach.

Sep 25, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher looks on during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jeff Fisher (Last Week No. 3)

Could Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints end up deciding Jeff Fisher‘s fate as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams? Keep in mind, reports surfaced back in October that Fisher was receiving a four-game audition to determine his future with the organization. And based off the last three games, it doesn’t look good for the head coach.

The fact that Los Angeles was even considering an extension for Fisher at the beginning of the season is an absolute joke as he’s in the middle of his fifth year as head coach, and has yet to put together a winning record. Week after week, the Rams seem to put together the same disappointing story where a stellar performance by the defense goes to waste due to the team’s inability to put up any points on offense.

In fact, Los Angeles ranks at the bottom of the league by only averaging 14.9 points per game, as Fisher was even desperate enough to make the switch at quarterback from Case Keenum to Jared Goff last weekend against the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, not even a switch this late in the season seems good enough to keep Fisher’s job safe as the frustration has already lasted long enough.

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