NFL players, coaches and GMs on the hot seat

On Nov. 13 , New York Jets owner Christopher Johnson informed reporters that head coach Adam Gase was safe and would keep his position through the start of the 2020 campaign. That’s a lovely thought before Thanksgiving, but you Jets fans who supported the “ Fire Adam Gase” banner flown over the New York City area earlier this month should remember that Ben McAdoo needed less than two full months to allegedly lose the New York Giants locker room back in 2017 . If the Jets drop games to the woeful Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins en route to a 3-13 finish, fans and radio personalities such as  Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno could run Gase out of town. 

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may not view head coach Jason Garrett as a “ yes man,” but the relationship between the two can be worth only so much assuming the franchise suffers another early postseason defeat if the team makes the playoffs, at all. It’s been over two decades since the Cowboys enjoyed a deep January run, and big names such as Lincoln Riley and Urban Meyer have been linked with the club this fall. The Cowboys can use the franchise tag to retain the rights  to quarterback Dak Prescott for another season. Perhaps a new coach could get the best out of Prescott and lead to the Cowboys committing their long-term future to the signal-caller drafted in 2016. 

On Jan. 1, 2019, Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Bay Times  asked why Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was still employed by the organization. The one-year anniversary of that column is fast approaching, and Licht looks no better a leader or more capable of guiding the Bucs back to the Super Bowl. As ESPN’s Jenna Laine  wrote, the November release of 2016 first-round pick cornerback Vernon Hargreaves left only one player from that draft class on the Tampa Bay roster. Neither Licht nor anybody else working for the club can definitively proclaim the team has a franchise QB this fall (more on that later). The Bucs started the season 3-6 and seem well on their way to missing the playoffs  for the 12th consecutive year. Bruce Arians is a tremendous head coach, but he’s no miracle worker. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t trust Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay would’ve paid the 2015 first overall draft pick by now if that wasn’t the case. Observers know what Winston is and isn’t 4.5 seasons into his career. The 25-year-old is the occasional top-tier fantasy football quarterback, but he continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. Winston led the NFL in interceptions (14) heading into Week 11, which was particularly damning since the Bucs were off in Week 7. None of Winston’s numbers account for his multiple off-the-field incidents that led to analysts such as ESPN’s Damien Woody saying the Bucs should cut the QB. 

Last summer, Washington Redskins assistant Bill Callahan probably didn’t imagine he’d be given the keys to the team’s roster as interim head coach before the middle of October. Ahead of Week 11, Callahan hitched his wagon to rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Haskins dramatically improving and winning multiple games for the Redskins may be the only way Callahan remains with the franchise past 2019. 

As Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated wrote in late September, the Washington Redskins forced rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins into the lineup before the 22-year-old was ready to face live defenses. Three of Haskins’ 17 attempts were intercepted by the New York Giants in his official debut, and he tossed four picks and zero touchdowns over his first 44 career passes. Nevertheless, Haskins will be the team's starter for the rest of the season. Washington is headed toward owning a top-five draft pick. Can Haskins do enough to prevent the club from taking a flier on a first-year signal-caller next spring? 

New York Giants fans have stopped caring about how Pat Shurmur helped develop Case Keenum and Nick Foles into conference championship-caliber quarterbacks. In 59 games as a head coach, Shurmur accumulated an overall record of 17-42. He went 7-19 in his first 26 games in charge of the G-Men.  New York’s roster is lousy. Shurmur is starting Daniel Jones, a rookie quarterback who has Rookie of the Year touchdown numbers but who also puts the ball on the ground at least once per game. Running back Saquon Barkley isn’t 100 percent coming off an ankle injury. Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t walking through the gates. Still, Shurmur’s record isn’t good enough, and it’s wishful thinking to believe the Giants can win more than three games, at most, following their Week 11 bye. 

Blame starts at the top, and New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has assembled a losing roster during the team’s post-Eli Manning and post-Odell Beckham Jr. rebuild. Gettleman drafted Saquon Barkley over Sam Darnold in 2018, a call that is questionable this fall. New York’s offensive line remains  sieve-like  despite Gettleman’s many attempts to bolster it. Gettleman let Landon Collins leave for nothing instead of trading him last fall, and he jettisoned Beckham to the Cleveland Browns. Worst of all, the Giants won only seven of the first 29 games with Gettleman serving as GM. 

The first sign that the Atlanta Falcons will let head coach Dan Quinn fight for his job was that the team didn’t fire him after it entered the 2019 bye week with a 1-7 record. Atlanta players responded by notching a shocking 26-9 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. One result, however, won’t be enough to save Quinn past Dec. 30 and “Black Monday.”  For a piece published on Nov. 13, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution criticized Quinn and also wondered if the win over the Saints was only a temporary recovery — a “dead-cat bounce.” Even if that result means more to the club’s short-term future, the Falcons missing the playoffs a second straight year could seal Quinn’s fate. 

The Atlanta Falcons hired Thomas Dimitroff as GM in  2008 , so Dimitroff deserves credit for drafting Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Desmond Trufant, Austin Hooper and others who helped the Falcons book a trip to Super Bowl LI. Atlanta infamously blew a 28-3 lead in that game, though, and the Falcons will miss the postseason a second consecutive year.  Dimitroff’s front office hired Quinn, but that doesn’t mean the two are a package deal. Quinn could convince the Falcons to let him work with a GM of his choosing, or Dimitroff could sell ownership on the idea that Quinn lost the plot and that a coaching change will return Atlanta to the postseason before the team can realistically explore distancing itself from Ryan’s expensive contract. 

Franchises hate to fire first-year coaches. It’s an immediate admission of defeat. After the Cincinnati Bengals suffered a humiliating 49-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens following Cincy’s off week, though, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor deservedly came under fire. The winless Bengals put up little fight and were outscored 21-0 in the third quarter of that blowout. Where’s the passion? Where’s the desire to play for a leader?  As Chris Roling of Bengals Wire  pointed out, Taylor has been up against it since Week 1. Injury woes cost him multiple starters. Andy Dalton’s days with the Bengals are numbered. Even the Miami Dolphins won two of their first nine contests, though, and Miami is (allegedly) tanking. Taylor’s job should be in jeopardy if the Bengals end the campaign with the league’s worst record. 

Duke Tobin serves as Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel, so he’s credited and blamed for the roster’s state this fall. Last February, Anthony Cosenza of Cincy Jungle  wrote Tobin put “his reputation on the line with the Zac Taylor hire.” Tobin had better hope that’s not true because his recent draft history that includes whiffs like Cedric Ogbuehi, John Ross, Billy Price and others won’t do his resume any favors.  “The Bengals need to fire Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor and start fresh next year,” wrote Jay Brinker in the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this month. He — not to mention many within the Cincinnati fan base — doesn’t trust Tobin to locate Andy Dalton’s long-term replacement. 

The Buffalo Bills don’t want to end up like the Chicago Bears (more on them later), a team ready to contend today that would probably own better than a 6-3 mark with an upgrade at quarterback. Josh Allen can make plays with his arm and legs, and he’s  tallied 34 total touchdowns — 20 passing and 14 rushing — in 21 appearances. Despite having a cannon for an arm, though, Allen’s deep ball inaccuracies and lack of touch remain issues. Per the Associated Press (h/t Fox Sports), Allen failed to complete a single pass of 30 yards or longer in four of Buffalo’s first nine games of the 2019 season. That’s not ideal for a thrower with his physical gifts. Cam Newton, among others, may become available next March. The Bills are ready to win now. Allen needs to show he’s up to the task from mid-November through the club’s final contest of the campaign, whenever that is. 

Imagine telling an Aug. 1, 2018 version of yourself that Ryan Tannehill would replace Marcus Mariota as Tennessee Titans starting quarterback for reasons that have nothing to do with injury. Not only did that occur this fall, but Tannehill also rewarded coach Mike Vrabel with victories in three of four outings since Mariota’s demotion.  This is one of the season’s most fascinating developments. Tennessee began Week 11 at 5-5 and in the playoff hunt. Tannehill is responsible for three of those victories. He’s also out of contract following the season, meaning he’s auditioning for the Titans and every other organization in need of a QB when the new NFL year begins next March. 

The Detroit Lions hired Bob Quinn as general manager and executive vice president in January 2016. Since then the Lions have regressed under his care. The Seattle Seahawks blew the Lions out in a wild-card game the subsequent January, and Detroit missed the playoffs the following season. To get back in contention this fall, the 3-5-1 Lions must beat opponents such as the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers. Plenty ails the Lions over the final six weeks of 2019. Matthew Stafford is slowed and currently sidelined because of a back injury. Kerryon Johnson is on injured reserve. Detroit’s roster lacks depth and playmakers on both sides of the ball, and the GM eventually must answer for those deficiencies. 

Matt Patricia earned the reputation of a defensive guru during his time with the New England Patriots. It’s the biggest reason he won the opportunity to coach the Detroit Lions. One wouldn’t know that by watching Detroit’s defense, particularly its secondary, become the best friend of opposing QBs from Week 6 through Week 11.  Kirk Cousins torched the Lions for four touchdowns and 338 passing yards. Rookie Daniel Jones found the end zone on four occasions. Mitchell Trubisky finished with a trio of touchdown throws vs. Detroit in Week 10. Fantasy football players eventually learned to stream the QB facing the Lions when their first-choice starter was unavailable. 

Josh Gordon’s tumultuous history, from his collegiate career up through his landing with the Seattle Seahawks in November, is well documented. The wide receiver seemed to find new life with the New England Patriots, but they released the 28-year-old who once possessed Hall-of-Fame talent in late October even though Gordon insisted he was healthy and able to play. The Seattle Seahawks grabbed Gordon on the cheap, and he was in Seattle’s lineup for the team’s memorable "Monday Night Football" win over the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 11. Nobody knows more about Gordon’s standing than the wideout. One more failed drug test or off-the-field matter will likely result in his termination from the Seahawks and the league in general. He’s on a hot seat every day until further notice. 

Head coach Doug Marrone and internet meme phenom Gardner Minshew did well to keep the Jacksonville Jaguars afloat after Nick Foles suffered a  broken clavicle only eight passes into his stint with the club. Foles is back for Week 11, though, and the Jags end the season  with winnable games against the Indianapolis Colts (twice), the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. Marrone’s seat will remain hot each week Jacksonville is at or below .500. 

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explained, ESPN and New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell confirmed Gang Green attempted to shop the ball-carrier ahead of this season’s trade deadline. Bell’s contract, an albatross for a player at his position through the conclusion of the 2020 season, likely prevented that transaction this fall. That could change next March, though, especially if a contender that has a quarterback on a relatively inexpensive deal feels Bell is worth a one-year rental. A parting of the ways could benefit all parties in this scenario. 

The Arizona Cardinals happily replaced Josh Rosen with Kyler Murray, and the Miami Dolphins twice relegated Rosen behind journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick since the beginning of the 2019 season. It’s assumed the Dolphins will acquire a rookie quarterback if the team possesses a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. An organization more interested in the future than in stockpiling wins this fall viewed Rosen as an on-the-field hindrance. That's quite a blow to Rosen's stock. Even the woeful Washington Redskins are letting Dwayne Haskins sink or swim. The Dolphins should shop Rosen next fall. The question, though, is: Who would want him?

As of the first kick of Super Bowl LIII , Los Angeles Rams quarterback  Jared Goff threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing under 60 percent of his attempts across 10 consecutive games. On Nov. 14, NFL.com  dropped Goff to 24th on the site’s QB power rankings, below struggling young QB’s such as Kyle Allen, Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen.  Field Gulls’ Kenneth Arthur added the following on Nov. 14: “Per Pro-Football-Reference’s advanced stats, Goff does lead the NFL in one category at least: bad throw percentage. Goff has 76 bad throws on 355 attempts, meaning that more than 1 in 5 of his throws are off-target.”Goff’s contract  will keep him with the Rams for the 2020 campaign. That doesn’t mean head coach Sean McVay has to play the first overall pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. 

Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens ordered a player to commit a false start penalty on a fourth-and-11 so he didn’t have to use a timeout before sending Baker Mayfield and Co. back onto the field to attempt to obtain a first down. The jokes write themselves. Cleveland, a sexy preseason pick to finish the season with double-digit victories and a division crown, is the league’s biggest disappointment, and the previously mentioned Mayfield regressed following a Rookie of the Year campaign. Now they are in the headlines for a nasty brawl with the Steelers that potentially ended Myles Garrett's career for his role in it. Kitchens and his staff deserve blame for the Browns' lack of discipline, composure and maturity. 

Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey convinced ownership to pay questionable characters such as special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, Odell Beckham Jr. and running back Kareem Hunt. The New York Giants are winners of the OBJ trade as of Nov. 15. Dorsey selected Freddie Kitchens and built an immature roster that counted wins before it played a down of meaningful football. Dorsey set Mayfield back a year. The concern now is that he and his coaching staff have ruined a potential franchise savior. 

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is in the middle of his worst pro season, and Baker Mayfield played and looked better without OBJ in the lineup last year. These are irrefutable statements. If it’s true the Browns aren’t as talented as many believed on the afternoon of Sept. 8, then roster restructuring is in order. As of the typing of this sentence, Beckham carries more value for the Browns on the trade market than on the field.

Mitchell Trubisky probably wishes he and the Chicago Bears could face the Detroit Lions every Sunday. Remove Chicago’s Week 10 win over Detroit from Trubisky’s  stats, and he has five passing scores in seven games this season. Per ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson, the third-year pro threw two passing TDs over 134 attempts before he scored against the Lions. It’s not Trubisky’s fault Chicago drafted him when Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were still on the board. Comparing Trubisky to either is an unfair exercise. It is, however, within reason to point out the Bears can’t wait for the 25-year-old to develop beyond what the team sees through the last Sunday of December. Chicago must enter September 2020 with a winning quarterback atop the depth chart, whether that person is Trubisky or someone else.