National Football League

NFL Hot Seat: 5 coaches who must win in Week 1

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

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FOXBORO, MA – JANUARY 16: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on in the game against the New England Patriots during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The 2016 NFL regular season has already begun, but there are still a few head coaches who need to avoid being put on the hot seat with a Week 1 win.

The NFL is an unforgiving league for head coaches. The “what have you done for me lately?” mentality has led to even some of the most successful coaches in the league getting kicked to the curb.

Even with Week 1 upon us, there are a few head coaches around the NFL that could find themselves in hot water with a loss to start the 2016 season. They won’t be fired after just one game, but these few coaches need to get off to a strong start before their respective front offices start putting them under the microscope.

5. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

The Andy Reid era in Kansas City has been relatively successful. The Chiefs have developed into a consistent playoff-caliber team with a 31-17 record in Reid’s first three seasons with the team.

However, the expectations are at an all-time high for Reid’s Chiefs this season. Jamaal Charles is nearly back from a torn ACL, while the defense features a number of playmakers from Marcus Peters and Eric Berry in the secondary to Dontari Poe and Tamba Hali in the front seven.

Kansas City takes on the Chargers on Sunday, and a loss to a talent-deprived San Diego squad would be a real gut-punch for Reid.

The Chiefs were able to recover from a 1-5 start last season before rattling off 10 straight wins, but an early loss to San Diego would put a lot of pressure on Reid to get some wins heading into a tough stretch of games against the Texans, Jets and Steelers.

GREEN BAY, WI – AUGUST 18: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders argues a call in the third quarter of a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on August 18, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

4. Jack Del Rio – Oakland Raiders

Remember when everyone expected the Oakland Raiders to be a flaming pile of hot garbage? Well, fans and writers everywhere are expecting big things from Raider Nation this season, which means that Jack Del Rio will need to have his guys ready for Week 1.

Thanks to the young talent like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Khalil Mack along with newly-acquired veterans in Bruce Irvin and Kelechi Osemele, there are some who think that the Raiders could win the AFC West. Even first-round pick in safety Karl Joseph could wind up having a serious impact in the secondary.

All of that talent will be put to the test in a potential shootout against the New Orleans Saints in the season opener.

Del Rio helped the Raiders go 7-9 in his first season in Oakland. Now, the expectation is for Oakland to win early and often, so a win against the Saints could go a long way in helping Del Rio’s job security.

Heck, maybe a Week 1 win could be the start of everyone taking the Raiders seriously for a change.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – DECEMBER 20: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons looks on against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of the game at EverBank Field on December 20, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Falcons defeated the Jaguars 23-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

3. Dan Quinn – Atlanta Falcons

Outside of the Carolina Panthers, the NFC South looks like a crapshoot. The New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons all have the potential to be playoff teams or complete disasters, which is why this second season in Atlanta is so important for Dan Quinn.

The Falcons went 8-8 in Quinn’s first season in Atlanta, but the team is still searching for its first winning season since going 13-3 and falling in the NFC Championship in 2012.

Quinn is a defensive-minded guy as the former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Fans are hoping that means he’ll help develop their bright young stars in Desmond Trufant, Ricardo Allen and Vic Beasley while building a legitimate defense around them.

Atlanta will open the season against NFC South rival Tampa Bay, which the Falcons lost to in both meetings last year. If Quinn wants to prove that his methods are starting to pay off, the Falcons need to grab a win over the Bucs, or else the seat will start to heat up for the second-year head coach.

SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 03: Head coach Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams looks on during warm ups prior to playing the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

2. Jeff Fisher – Los Angeles Rams

No coach has represented mediocrity quite as well as Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. Over the course of his career, Fisher has posted a winning percentage of .520 (169-156-1) while struggling with the Rams, going 27-36-1 in four seasons.

Now, the Rams are already being questioned since No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff is expected to be a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, Case “Why Am I Still in the Game” Keenum will be taking the starting reps under center.

The last time a No. 1 overall pick was inactive for his first game was Carson Palmer back in 2003. If Keenum can’t produce against a thin 49ers defense on Sunday, then fans are immediately going to be questioning Fisher’s decision to keep Goff off of the field.

Fisher has made it clear he doesn’t want any “7-9 bulls**t“, and I’m guessing the Rams aren’t going to put up with their head coach if he can’t deliver a winning record, either.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 27: Head coach Chuck Pagano of the Indianapolis Colts looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during a preseason NFL game at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 27, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

1. Chuck Pagano – Indianapolis Colts

What’s the meaning of life? Who shot Kennedy? How the hell are Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson still in Indy? These are some of the life’s biggest mysteries.

It was an absolute nightmare of a season for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. Andrew Luck going down and a reported rift between the head coach and general manager led to plenty of frustration during an 8-8 season. Despite all of the “f****d up s**t” that happened, Jim Irsay thought it would be a good idea to keep the dysfunctional combination of Pagano and Grigson together for another season.

The Colts are already hurting and the season has yet to start, but Luck is back and expectations are still high in Indianapolis. They’ll kick the season off against the Detroit Lions sans-Megatron, which means that the Colts better get a win in Week 1.

If they don’t, then fans are going to start calling for Pagano’s head pretty quickly.

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