Cincinnati Bengals

NFL Week 13: 5 Coaches on Hot Seat

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:22 p.m. ET

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Nov 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on the sideline prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s a look at the latest list of head coaches feeling even more pressure for being on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 13.

Between Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals failing to win for the sixth time in seven games to Jeff Fisher‘s Los Angeles Rams suffering an embarrassing road loss to the New Orleans Saints, there’s plenty to discuss when it comes to the latest list of head coaches on the hot seat for NFL Week 13.

When looking at their impressive streak of consecutive playoff appearances, the Bengals were supposed to be one of the top contenders in the AFC once again for the 2016 season. Instead, Lewis has watched his team take a major step back as Cincinnati ranks near the top of the list when it comes to the most disappointing teams this year.

Fisher on the other hand seems to have lost control of his team as the Rams continue to lose games they’re capable of winning after falling to the Saints 49-21. For a head coach that was being considered for an extension at the beginning of the year, it would be a shock to see Fisher receive an extension at this point when seeing how this season has been for Los Angeles.

So where do Lewis and Fisher rank on this week’s list? Well, take a look where they stand with the rest of the head coaches on this week’s hot seat for Week 13.

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

Honorable Mention: John Fox (Last Week No. 4)

The home losses continue for John Fox as the Chicago Bears are coming off another disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans. In defense of the Bears, expectations weren’t really that high for Matt Barkley as the quarterback was playing for the injured Jay Cutler, even if he did almost rally the team in the fourth quarter for a victory.

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Still, Barkley played well enough where Chicago should have been able to pull off a win in this one after completing 28 of 54 passes for 316 yards with three touchdowns, although his two interceptions did end up being costly. With another loss, the Bears dropped to 2-9 on the season as the pressure continues to build up for Fox at head coach.

The fact that Fox only has three wins at home over the last two years with the Bears is the perfect example of what kind of awful team he inherited when taking over the duties of head coach. As if the drama with Cutler at quarterback weren’t already frustrating enough, the organization needs to strongly consider cleaning house on the coaching staff when seeing how this season turned out.

Who knows, maybe a fresh start with a different team is just what Fox needs as well.

Nov 27, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly walks the sideline during the second half against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

5. Chip Kelly (Not On Last Week’s List)

Make that 10 losses in a row for the San Francisco 49ers as Chip Kelly‘s squad came up just short against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 as the hot seat continues to heat up for the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach. With three of their final four games being on the road, it’s safe to say the 49ers could end up finishing 1-15 on the season with the way this team has played during their losing streak.

Maybe if San Francisco didn’t dig themselves into such a deep hole against Miami in the second half, they could have finally won their game since opening weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. Instead, a solid performance by Colin Kaepernick went to waste as the quarterback arguably had his best game of the season after he nearly threw for 300 yards to go along with three touchdowns and 113 rushing yards.

Everyone was anxious to see if Kelly’s offense would be successful now that he finally had a running quarterback in Kaepernick, but there’s clearly more issues with this team. Lack of talent or not, it’s becoming clearer that Kelly doesn’t seem made for being a head coach at the NFL level.

Oct 30, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson watches warmups before a game against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

4. Hue Jackson (Last Week Honorable Mention)

What does Kelly have in common with Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns? Just like Kelly, Jackson should be concerned about losing his coaching job after only one season, as uncommon as that may be in the NFL.

Normally, most teams expect new head coaches to take a year or two before things finally begin to turn around, but Jackson is experiencing a first season unlike any other with the Browns. Not only has Cleveland been the unfortunate victims of numerous injuries at the quarterback position, but they happen to be flirting on the wrong side of history by being four losses away from officially going winless in 2016.

Obviously, finishing his entire first season as head coach in Cleveland without a single win would be the low point of Jackson’s coaching career. Just look at how difficult it was for Jackson to hold back the tears during last weekend’s press conference as it’s becoming clearer the pressure is getting to the head coach.

When looking at the remaining four games for the Browns, two of which are against the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, it doesn’t look good when it comes to how year one is going to end for Jackson.

Nov 27, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley discusses a call with line judge Mike Spanier (90) during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Gus Bradley (Last Week No. 3)

What’s the most frustrating part about the Jacksonville Jaguars losing six games in a row? How about each of their last four losses having come by single digits, with the latest coming last weekend against the Buffalo Bills in which the Jaguars fell just short 28-21.

Over the last couple of weeks, Gus Bradley has become quite comfortable on this list as it seems like only a matter of time before the Jaguars head coach receives the boot. When looking at the progress made by the team in 2015, Jacksonville was supposed to be a potential sleeper team to keep an eye on for making a playoff run in the AFC, but that obviously hasn’t been the case.

Instead, all signs point to the Jaguars parting ways with Bradley either before season’s end or at some point in the offseason. When considering Bradley is in the middle of his fourth season as head coach and has yet to win more than five games, it’s clear that he’s not the right man for the job. If anything, Bradley should consider himself lucky for lasting this long when looking at how many chances the Jaguars have given him over the years.

Oct 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on the side line during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

2. Marvin Lewis (Last Week No. 2)

For a head coach with a career playoff record of 0-7, how on earth does Marvin Lewis still have a job with the Cincinnati Bengals? With the way this season has turned out, let’s hope the Bengals finally realize it’s time to move on from Lewis as the head coach continues to be nothing but a disappointment to the fan base.

This season has been nothing short of a trainwreck for the Bengals as this team has only won once over their last seven games, including a key divisional loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. Over the last couple of seasons, Cincinnati has established a reputation for being one of the best overall teams in the NFL by ranking near the top for both offense and defense.

Unless some sort of miracle happens over the remaining four weeks, the Bengals are going to watch their playoff streak of five years in a row come to an end thanks to their 3-7-1 record heading into their Week 13 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Even if Cincinnati did find a way to win against Philadelphia on Sunday, it still doesn’t build a strong enough case to keep Lewis on board beyond the 2016 season.

Nov 27, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher talks to officials in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jeff Fisher (Last Week No. 1)

Between all of the drama surrounding Eric Dickerson and the team’s inability to win games, the frustration surrounding Jeff Fisher has hit an all-time high heading into Week 13 from the fanbase of the Los Angeles Rams. There may have been talks for a possible extension at the beginning of the season, but any sort of deal for Fisher in the future would most likely turn out to be a decision they would later on regret.

Not only has Los Angeles lost six of their last seven games, but the argument can be made that Fisher’s offense has taken a step back after ranking near the bottom of the league in 2015, which didn’t seem possible. To think there was actually excitement surrounding the Rams after a 3-1 start to the season seems like a joke at this point as this team has become painful to watch on a weekly basis.

The fact that Fisher is a few wins away from setting the all-time coaching losses record shows hiring him as a head coach back in 2012 was a mistake from the beginning. Rewarding Fisher with an extension despite not being able to record a single winning season in his five-year tenure would only make this fan base even more furious than it already has been as of late.

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