kelly Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Rex Ryan, Jason Garrett among coaches under intense pressure At the midway point, things are heating up in this amazing and wacky 2014 season. We have overachievement and misery. We have desperation and desire. Soon, we will separate the contenders from the pretenders. Long story short, the pressure is mounting -- especially for the men in charge. Some head coaches will earn their walking papers. Some need to hit the playoffs to survive. Some need more than just a playoff berth. Others need a miracle. Here are the coaches facing the most pressure in the second half of the season, presented in countdown style : 9) Jeff Fisher, St. Louis Rams There is no chance Fisher gets fired at the end of the year. And he shouldn't -- this is a really good coach. That said, Fisher is sub-.500 (16-22-1) in two and a half years with St. Louis. While you can say he's had bad luck with injuries, Fisher's decision to bank on Sam Bradford was a mistake. And the head coach has major influence on general manager Les Snead in terms of picking players, so the roster comes back to Fisher. Even with Austin Davis at quarterback and left tackle Jake Long out for the year, it would be nice to see some progress in the second half, something to build on for 2015. 8) Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears I picked Trestman to win Coach of the Year back in August. That wasn't my best call. Many things are alarming with Chicago this year, including the defense and the stunning inability to win at home. But one thing is especially troublesome for Trestman: Jay Cutler's regression. The Bears gave Cutler "elite quarterback" money back in January, figuring he'd fully blossom under Trestman's watchful eye. But the mistakes are still there -- as is the inconsistency. Cutler's maddening turnovers are omnipresent. The constant finger-pointing and locker room eruptions from guys like Brandon Marshall are a bad look for Trestman. Where is the leadership? I still believe in Trestman. But his seat could get warm for 2015 if the Bears tank and don't show any signs of improvement and togetherness. 7) Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals Let me grab my calculator and add up the playoff wins ... Zero! Still zero. OK, so the fact that Cincinnati somehow finds itself in first place, despite injuries to key players like A.J. Green, is a credit to Lewis. (Even though Cincy benefited from, in my opinion, a push into the end zone and a flop in the crucial final minutes against the Ravens.) But the heat is still on. With the overall talent on this roster, the Bengals need to not just make the playoffs, but do some damage once they get there. We've always put the pressure on Andy Dalton, but here's a simple question: Is Marvin Lewis a big-time coach? Do you trust his game management in the playoffs, based upon precedent? I'm going with no on both queries. At what point is Lewis held accountable? 6) Doug Marrone, Buffalo Bills I'm on record how much I respect Marrone. I think he's a very good coach and the 5-3 Bills are right in AFC East contention. The Bills went for it in the offseason, dealing away their 2015 first-round pick to get Sammy Watkins. I loved the move. So far, it has worked out just fine. Then Marrone made the risky decision to bench his first ever draft pick, EJ Manuel, for Kyle Orton -- and that has paid off brilliantly, with Orton posting a 3-1 record and 104.0 quarterback rating in four starts. But the Bills must continue to win games, especially with a new owner in Terry Pegula. That alone puts pressure on Marrone. Buffalo's remaining schedule is no cake walk, either, with road games at Denver and New England, as well as home contests against the Chiefs and Packers. Here's hoping Pegula keeps Marrone. The coach deserves it. 5) Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins It was kind of surprising that Philbin even made it to this season, after the Richie Incognito situation and the Dolphins' late-season meltdown to miss the playoffs. But Miami has looked like a functional NFL team in the first half. And ever since Philbin foolishly refused to name a starting quarterback prior to the game against the Raiders in London, Ryan Tannehill has been a solid and reliable signal-caller. Still, it's not at all hard to imagine owner Stephen Ross making a change if Miami misses the playoffs for the sixth straight season. And with the omnipresent rumors that Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers are headed for a divorce, remember that Ross chased his fellow Michigan man -- even while he was still employing Tony Sparano. 4) John Fox, Denver Broncos Schein: The team to beat in 2014 Adam Schein explains why the Broncos are clearly the cream of the NFL crop -- and will deliver on the game's biggest stage. READ Fair? Unfair? Here's the truth: Denver is the best team in the NFL. And with that being the case, there's one simple expectation in the Mile High City: a Super Bowl title. And the Broncos have the players to get it done -- just like they had the players to get it done when Joe Flacco and the Ravens shocked the world in Denver two Januarys ago. There is mounting pressure on Fox, who didn't exactly dazzle with in-game strategy in Super Bowl XLVIII. 3) Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys eradicated a lot of the good vibes established in the first two months of the season when they foolishly -- and irresponsibly -- reinserted their franchise quarterback into Monday's loss to the Redskins. Tony Romo, of course, was taken to the locker room after getting drilled in the back. You know, the same Tony Romo who's undergone two back surgeries in the last two years. A quarter later, the Cowboys inexplicably put him back in the game. Judging by how the decision process apparently played out, I put this is on Jerry Jones, not Jason Garrett. But, if things go south, Garrett's the No. 1 scapegoat candidate. There's always pressure on Garrett anyway. Now, after Monday's home defeat, and with Romo's health and availability in doubt for the Cardinals game, the pressure ratchets up even more. The second half of Dallas' schedule isn't easy. And if Romo isn't healthy, that's a gigantic problem. Ten wins doesn't clinch anything in the NFC this fall. Simple math says at least two of these teams will miss the playoffs: Dallas, Philadelphia, Detroit, Green Bay, Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle. Can you imagine Jerry's rage if the Cowboys are one of them? 2) Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons Did you see poor Mike Smith's face when Matt Prater's second field-goal attempt went through the uprights, giving the Lions an unthinkable win over Atlanta in London? I wrote a column two Mondays ago explaining why Atlanta needs to go in a different direction. That was before Smith's Falcons surrendered a 21-point lead in unfathomable fashion! 1) Rex Ryan, New York Jets Rex Ryan should have been fired after the 2012 campaign. He was attached at the hip with general manager Mike Tannenbaum, so when the Jets canned the latter, they should've done the same with the former. The Jets missed the playoffs last season, but they were better than most anticipated. Consequently, the players dumped Gatorade on Rex after a Week 17 win gave them an 8-8 record -- the single goofiest and least-worthy Gatorade bath ever. Now, the Jets are 1-7. They are embarrassing. It's not all Rex's fault. General manager John Idzik, from the draft to free agency to his babbling news conference on Monday, has been horrendous at his job. Next up for a coaching job Conor Orr takes a look at five assistants -- like Rob Ryan -- waiting in the wings to get a head coaching gig next offseason. READ But Rex is a defensive coordinator. He's not a head coach. He isn't a manager. The same mistakes are made over and over again. Rex can't figure out the quarterback position and seemingly ignores the offensive side of the ball. He's whiffed on game-day rosters, from having an injured Tim Tebow as Mark Sanchez's backup in the Buttfumble game to playing -- and setting back -- a hobbled Eric Decker this year. Credit Rex for his two AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two years on the job, but this tenure has run its course. It's over, Rex. > http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...tense-pressure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Next up for a coaching job Conor Orr takes a look at five assistants -- like Rob Ryan -- waiting in the wings to get a head coaching gig next offseason. READ Hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor99 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 There is absolutely no pressure on Rex, he's going to be fired no matter what happens He knows it, we know it, Woody knows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 There is absolutely no pressure on Rex, he's going to be fired no matter what happens He knows it, we know it, Woody knows it. I think you're underestimating Woody here. He's more likely to throw Rex a fundraiser on The Intrepid in a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourceworx Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hahaha Question: what would you do if Woody fired Rex, and replaced him with Rob? I want to know, because I honestly wouldn't put it past him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 General manager John Idzik, from the draft to free agency to his babbling news conference on Monday, has been horrendous at his job. But really, we should let him hire his own head coach and give them another couple years. Just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Question: what would you do if Woody fired Rex, and replaced him with Rob? I want to know, because I honestly wouldn't put it past him. I'd start doing black tar heroin and flood this board with death-themed sonnets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 But really, we should let him hire his own head coach and give them another couple years. Just in case. ^^^Quoting Adam Schein^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbatesman Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 ^^^Quoting Adam Schein^^^ We should totes listen to the media now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I think Rich Kotite got a raw deal, fired after only two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gen X Jet Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Adam Schein is such a tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetsFanInDenver Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I hate to break everybody's bubble. But i won't be surprised if both Rex and Idzik come back. Atleast before any one of them is fired i do expect a rumor to do the rounds to the effect of what if Rex/Idzik come back ? React to it very very strongly. That's what got Tanny off this team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T0mShane Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 We should totes listen to the media now! Brian Costello is my thought leader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodyJ Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Rex has no place on such a list, there is no chance he gets fired. The guy is a great coach. Would you rather see Eric Mangini out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Question: what would you do if Woody fired Rex, and replaced him with Rob? I want to know, because I honestly wouldn't put it past him. That would be great. For the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powpow Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 But really, we should let him hire his own head coach and give them another couple years. Just in case. God I pray you're kidding and I rarely pray, though I should more. leave it to the Jets to bring me to my knees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slats Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 God I pray you're kidding and I rarely pray, though I should more. leave it to the Jets to bring me to my knees. Is this why I upset you so, powpow? Is it because you can't tell when I'm being sarcastic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sourceworx Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 That would be great. For the site. You'd have to upgrade your server to handle the traffic. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section314 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 We should be so lucky to have Jeff Fisher available. Also, how is Marone on that list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 I think Rich Kotite got a raw deal, fired after only two years. the " i-man " should give him a call & see if he'd come back as our head coach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPBanBadPosters Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 We should be so lucky to have Jeff Fisher available. Also, how is Marone on that list? As much as I'd prefer to have our next HC come from the offensive side of the ball, I wouldn't hate that hire. Fisher's a damn good HC, IMO. Plus it would mean a return to the 4-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powpow Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 Is this why I upset you so, powpow? Is it because you can't tell when I'm being sarcastic? No I'm not upset at any of you really. We all want the same thing: to be proud of our team and have a Super Bowl championship team. Undoubtedly I get a bit sensitive when others get personal and then claim otherwise. Regardless, thanks for your concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayNoToDMC Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 You'd have to upgrade your server to handle the traffic. LOL So would the suicide hotline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 As much as I'd prefer to have our next HC come from the offensive side of the ball, I wouldn't hate that hire. Fisher's a damn good HC, IMO. Plus it would mean a return to the 4-3 fisher would be my first pick as our hc... cheers ~ ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latinlawyer Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Jeff Fisher would be a good hire. However, given the Rams latest games, there is no way he gets fired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Jeff Fisher has not had a winning record since 2008 and has not won a playoff game since 2003. He got his start as DC in Philly under Buddy. He's perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.