NFL Week 17 - The Hot Seat

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Tomorrow, as Week 17 gets underway, we will watch a few Head Coaches take the field one last time for the franchise that hired them to lead their team to the promised land of a Super Bowl victory.  Yes, Black Monday looms large over the NFL and those coaches who were unable to bring together a winning squad will find themselves without a job. It's a tough day to say the least since these men had high hopes of doing something special, but sometimes it simply does not work out. We took a look last week at some of the football minds that may be looking for work come Monday and here are a few more coaches that are sitting on the hot seat, and could be working for new teams come next year. 

1. San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. There's been talk for a long time about Coach Harbaugh not quite getting along with the top brass in San Francisco and it would seem the two are ready to part ways. On the field the 49ers have been in decline for some time. QB Colin Kaepernick seems to be moving in the wrong direction development wise and they have lost some key games under Harbaugh's watch.  In fact, the tension has built to the point where there has been talk of the franchise trading their Head Coach to another squad and the University of Michigan has even put a pretty lucrative offer on the table for Harbaugh to coach their squad. Lucrative enough that Harbaugh is reportedly meeting with the school this weekend. I'd say of all the coaches on the hot seat, it seems like a forgone conclusion that Jim is done in San Francisco. 

2. Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. Under Smith's watch the Falcons have flirted with excellence, but they cannot quite seem to get over the playoff hump and make it into the Super Bowl.  They have a franchise quarterback in place. They have given him weapons to play with on the field and the defense can be stout from time to time, yet the result is still the same, no Lombardi Trophy or early exits in the playoffs. It's left Owner Arthur Blank unhappy, because if a solid quarterback has a cast around him and they still can't win...the man that will be held responsible, is the head coach.  If Atlanta fails to make the playoffs this year, or makes another early exit if they do, there's a good chance a change will come in Atlanta. 

3. Miami Dolphins Head Coach Joe Philbin.  Under Philbin's watch, the Dolphins have been a source of scandal with the bullying incident last year that grabbed many a headline.  Not to mention, during his tenure the Dolphins have simply been a mediocre team. Sure they've shown flashes of brilliance but all too often they have lost games they should have won. Ryan Tannehill has yet to develop into the franchise quarterback they had hoped for and all of those things fall on the head coach's shoulders. While Philbin has received a "vote of confidence" from ownership, that means nothing really. That's often talk to quiet the discussions of terminating their contract. This one could go either way, but don't be surprised to see a change here. 

4. Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett. When it comes to this season, the Cowboys are enjoying their best year under Garrett's tutelage. Tony Romo is playing the best ball of his career, the defense is playing lights out and the Cowboys are headed to the post season. Yet we cannot forget the years of 8-8 finishes this squad pulled out under his watch and that may or may not explain why Garrett does not have a contract extension in place.  Yes, once the post season ends, Jason is a head coaching free agent and well, I'm not quite sure what will happen here.  Jerry Jones is a wildcard to say the least. He could sign Jason to a big extension just like that, or choose to move on.  Either way, there should be concern over the lack of extending Garrett sooner.  

5. Buffalo Bills Head Coach Doug Marrone. New ownership for the Buffalo Bills means safety for no one, including the head coach who injected a little fight into the team by making a change at quarterback only to get mixed results.  It's that mixed result that may cost Marrone his job. While the Bills have been thrilling to watch at times, they have also been the losing team of yesteryear.  While a current record of 8-7 is big improvement, the new owners may choose to make a splash in free agency and bring in some big players and potentially a big name coaching wise.  Or, they could keep Marrone as well, but seeing as how the trend in the NFL when you bring in new owners or general managers is to have your guy on the field, the future looks extremely uncertain for Doug Marrone.  

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