Hot Seat: First Installment (Week Four)

Welcome to the first installment of “The Hot Seat”, a blog I will write weekly after each basket of National Football League games throughout the remainder of the season. Why did I pick week four, you ask? Well, for the lay National Football League fan, the beautiful bastion of the BYE begins in Week Five. What better time to start keying in on the “First Coach to be Fired” sweepstakes. So hop on the bus, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride…

#5) Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Leslie Frazier took over a mess from Brad Childress in Minnesota. Little has been done to rectify this situation. Donovan McNabb has looked completely washed up this year. Not much has been heard from Adrian Peterson this year because of the impossible situation up in Minnesota. That team has gone from one Brett Favre interception from going to a Super Bowl two years ago, to being the laughing stock of the NFC North. I feel bad for Frazier, but at the same time, he needs to bolt McNabb to the bench and start Christian Ponder next week. Something has to get the wheels in motion. Not all is lost, however, as the Vikes have lost by seven points or less in each game this season.

Next Four Weeks: Home v Arizona, @ Chicago, Home v Green Bay, @ Carolina

#4) Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams

Spagnuolo has guided the lowly Rams to an 8-28 record in his two plus seasons in St. Louis. The team is 0-4 and going nowhere fast. Now, while 0-4 is definitely still in the race in the NFC West, it is not gonna cut it all year. Spagnuolo could very well be done at the end of the year if not sooner. Steven Jackson needs to get healthy. Sam Bradford needs to be more consistent. The team needs a defense and a receiving core. Pretty much, the team needs everything except a quarterback and a running back.

Next Four Weeks: BYE, @ Green Bay, @ Dallas, Home v New Orleans

#3) Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

This has been a long time coming down in Jacksonville. Del Rio was told before the season that if the Jaguars did not make the playoffs, he would be standing in line down at the local soup kitchen. Del Rio proceeded to cut David Garrard and hand the reigns over to Luke McCown, effectively tendering his resignation. Two weeks and an embarrassing loss to the Jets later, first-round pick Blaine Gabbert was handed the keys. This team is going to be awful, as they are dead last in points scored per game (9.8) and pass yards per game (137.5), and Jack Del Rio will no doubt be looking for employment elsewhere next season. The question is not how or why, but more so when. One more thought: How much longer is this Jacksonville Experiment going to wear on? They have to blackout more than half of their home games and they can barely fill most of their stadium for home games. Whenever Los Angeles builds that new stadium (lord knows it will probably never happen), look for the Jags to jump ship before you can say Jim Dandy.

Next Four Weeks: Home v Cincinnati, @ Pittsburgh, Home v Baltimore, @ Houston

#2) Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Prior to last week’s victory over the Donny Mac and the Vikes, Todd Haley had a very firm chokehold on the “First Coach to be Fired” Award for the 2011 season. Jamal Charles, their biggest offensive threat, is out for the year with a Torn ACL. Eric Berry, their best defensive player, is out for the year with a Torn ACL. Their quarterback is Matt Cassel (yes, I realize he quarterbacked the Pats to an 11-5 record with Tom Brady out for the year, but let’s get real here). This team is 30^th in points scored per game (12.2), and 30^th in pass yards per game (159.8). Matt Cassel is a “game manager” at best, and the Chiefs should look to get back into that Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

Next Four Weeks: @ Indianapolis, @ Oakland, Home v San Diego, Home v Miami (The Futility Bowl!)

#1) Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

When news reports surface saying “The Dolphins have stated that they will be sticking with Tony Sparano at least through the Bye Week…” you know your job is in jeopardy. The Fish are 0-4.  People will say “Wait, what about in 2008 when the Dolphins won the AFC East?”. Well, first things first: Tom Brady was out for the year after game one with a Torn ACL. Number two: Miami, by virtue of finishing DEAD LAST at 1-15 the year before. The team was saved from 0-16 by a Cleo Lemon (yes that is a guy’s name) to Greg Camarillo overtime touchdown pass in Week 15. Sparano’s record benefitted from four games against the NFC West (3-1), two games against Buffalo (2-0), four games against the AFC West (4-0), and three games against the three other worst teams in the AFC from the year before:

Combined record of NFC West in 2008: 22-42 (Cardinals won the division at 9-7)

Combined record of AFC West in 2008: 23-41 (Chargers won the division at 8-8)

Combined 2008 record of other two awful AFC teams from 2007 (Texans, Ravens): 19-13 (Ravens 11-5; Texans 8-8). **Note: The Raiders were the third team, but everyone in the AFC East played them.

Buffalo Bills in 2008: 7-9

So there you go. The Dolphins squeaked through the AFC that year with a pretty easy schedule, as compared to that of the Patriots, who also finished 11-5 against the AFC West (3-1) and NFC West (4-0). But the Patriots finished the regular season at 16-0 the year before, winning the AFC East, therefore having to play the Colts and Steelers, who had a combined record of 24-8. As with the Raiders, the Chargers won the AFC West the year before, but everyone played them as well

Good luck Tony Sparano, you have the hottest of hot seats.

Next Four Weeks: BYE, @ New York Jets, Home v Denver, @ New York Giants

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Well there you have my top five coaches on the hot seat after Week Four of the National Football League season. I will be back with this next Tuesday, after another round of games, to give you my updated list. Who knows … a coach may even get canned! We’ll see you next week.

-JLang