Cincinnati Bengals

NFL Week 9: 5 Head Coaches on Hot Seat

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:42 p.m. ET

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Sep 30, 2016; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley at press conference during practice at Allianz Park in preparation for the NFL International Series game against the Indianapolis Colts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

At the halfway point of the 2016 season, here’s a look at the latest list of head coaches on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 9.

From the Jacksonville Jaguars suffering another embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans to the Cincinnati Bengals recording a tie against the Washington Redskins in London, there’s plenty to discuss when it comes to the list of head coaches on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 9.

For weeks, Gus Bradley has been one of the most popular candidates to lose his job, and he didn’t help his case in Week 9 after the Jaguars displayed one of their worst performances of the season against their division rivals in the Titans. If Bradley’s squad is incapable of winning games against teams like Tennessee with the amount of talent they have on offense, how on earth is Jacksonville supposed to feel confident about their head coach moving forward?

As far as the Bengals are concerned, Marvin Lewis continues to disappoint after the team ruined numerous opportunities to take down the Redskins. When considering how much Cincinnati has struggled to record wins against playoff contenders, this was the perfect chance to make a statement about being part of the conversation.

Along with Bradley and Lewis, here’s a look at the rest of the head coaches feeling the pressure on the hot seat heading into NFL Week 9.

Oct 30, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy before the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 27-19. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mention: Mike McCoy (Last Week No. 5)

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A few weeks ago, the San Diego Chargers handed the Denver Broncos their first loss of the season before defeating the Atlanta Falcons on the road the following week, which was amazing when looking at the team’s 1-4 start. While the Chargers came up short of sweeping the defending Super Bowl champions on the season, it’s safe to say Mike McCoy‘s job is safer than it was at the beginning of October.

With upcoming games at home against the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins, the Chargers have the perfect opportunity to get back on the winning track, and they certainly will need it with the way the AFC West is shaping out. The fact that San Diego is the only team in the division with more than two losses shows why the AFC West is considered the best division in football.

In other words, McCoy and the Chargers will need all of the help they can get in the second half if they’re going to have any shot at making a playoff run.

McCoy’s hot seat may have cooled down over the last three weeks, but that could quickly change if San Diego doesn’t come through over the next two games.

Oct 31, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

5. John Fox (Last Week No. 3)

Who would have thought after all of the struggles the Chicago Bears have experienced this season, they would have come through with one of the most impressive performances of Week 8 against the Chicago Bears?

For a head coach that has struggled to win at home over the last two seasons, this was the type of win John Fox desperately needed as it proved the Bears may actually be better than their 2-6 record indicates. Even if they were dealing with a few injuries, no team has seen the type of success against Minnesota’s defense as Chicago’s offense did in Week 8. And the best part is they managed to do so while playing in front of a national audience.

Not only was this a big win for Fox as head coach, but it also helped put an end to all of the controversy surrounding the relationship between the head coach and Jay Cutler as the quarterback returned to the field for the first time since Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. After a week filled with stories about how Fox didn’t want Cutler running the offense, it was good to see the quarterback help take some of the pressure off his head coach.

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

4. Marvin Lewis (Last Week No. 4)

How does a team in desperate need of a win hit a new low? They travel to London and miss out on the perfect opportunity to come through with a win, only to settle for a tie against the Washington Redskins; that’s how.

Between Mike Nugent missing two kicks (one extra point) to Andy Dalton fumbling towards the end of overtime when the team was on the verge of entering Redskins territory, the Bengals just keep finding new ways of disappointing this season. And when this happens, the head coach is the first one to blame as Cincinnati now sits at 3-4-1 on the season.

What’s even more frustrating is a win over the Redskins would have given the Bengals the same record as the Pittsburgh Steelers, even though they did lose the first head-to-head matchup. So will Cincinnati finally cave and part ways with Marvin Lewis if the team continues to struggle? As bad as it sounds, the Bengals most likely will keep Lewis around even if they do end up missing out on the playoffs this year.

If Lewis can last 13 years without a single playoff win despite seven postseason appearances, why wouldn’t he be off the hook if Cincinnati continues to struggle?

Oct 30, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano looks at the replay during their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

3. Chuck Pagano (Seat Cooled Last Week)

The Indianapolis Colts may be the most inconsistent team in football. Subsequently, Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs certainly didn’t help Chuck Pagano‘s case when it comes to the organization feeling confident about their head coach.

What’s frustrating about the Colts is this team was in position to be in first place in the AFC South before allowing the Houston Texans to score two touchdowns in the final minutes of their Week 6 matchup. Even though Indianapolis bounce back the following week against the Tennessee Titans, losing at home to the Chiefs the way they did just dug a deeper hole for Pagano’s squad in the division.

When considering how close the Colts were to parting ways with Pagano after missing out on the playoffs last year, one can only imagine the frustration the organization is feeling with the way this team has looked over their first eight games in 2016. Indianapolis didn’t invest all of that money in Andrew Luck to see this team sit two games below .500 heading into Week 9. If the quarterback doesn’t find a way to help this team rally soon, his beloved head coach could be out of a job soon.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher looks on against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jeff Fisher (Last Week No. 2)

What’s the toughest part about finding out the next four games will most likely determine your fate as a head coach? Realizing that first game is against the defending NFC Champions in the Carolina Panthers.

Despite talks of a possible contract extension at the beginning of the season, Jeff Fisher was already feeling plenty of pressure entering his fifth year with the Los Angeles Rams since he’s yet to record a winning season as head coach. Even after starting off the season with a 3-1 record, the Rams turned into one of the most frustrating teams to watch after losing each of their next three games.

So what’s the reasoning behind the recent struggles of a team like Los Angeles with wins against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals? Injuries can certainly be part of the reason for blame, but it also doesn’t help the Rams offense is run by Case Keenum.

Clearly, Keenum is far from the answer for this team at quarterback, and as much as fans want to see Jared Goff at quarterback, Fisher simply can’t afford to take a risk on the rookie at this point in the season with his job on the line.

Oct 27, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Tennessee won 36-22. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

1. Gus Bradley (Last Week No. 1)

Isn’t it ironic how Gus Bradley has been featured on this list of coaches on the hot seat so many times over the last couple of weeks, yet the Jacksonville Jaguars end up firing offensive coordinator Greg Olson after their latest loss?

Don’t be fooled by the final score of the 36-22 loss by the Jaguars to the Tennessee Titans last week as this game was well over when they were trailing 27-0 at halftime. Even Blake Bortles has been under the spotlight over the last couple of days for being the most productive quarterback in garbage time, which is something no player ever wants to be known for.

Just because firing the offensive coordinator helped the Buffalo Bills turn things around earlier in the season doesn’t mean it’s going to help the Jaguars as Bradley seems to be the main issue for this squad. For a head coach in the middle of his fourth season that has never recorded more than five wins, one can only imagine how much longer Jacksonville is going to put up with Bradley.

Plus, it doesn’t help Bradley the next two games for the Jaguars are against the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, who happen to be two of the best teams in the AFC.

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