Five NFL coaches who will be under the most pressure with a Week 2 loss

After many teams disappointed in Week 1, several head coaches are already feeling the pressure to get their respective seasons on track.

While a loss in Week 2 won't lead to any firings, these five coaches will be under the most pressure if their teams continue to struggle: 

Robert Saleh, New York Jets 

Despite posting an 18-33 record as Jets head coach over the last three seasons, Saleh didn't enter 2024 on as hot of a seat as expected. New York's dismal quarterback play and the stellar performance of its dominant defense contributed to that. Still, the team's Week 1 showing has raised even more doubts about Saleh's coaching abilities.

In a Week 1 blowout loss to San Francisco, the Jets' defense was shredded by the Christian McCaffrey-less 49ers, allowing 32 points and 401 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, the Aaron Rodgers-led offense mustered just 12 points in the four-time MVP's return from his 2023 season-ending Achilles injury.

Considering all the talent on New York’s defense and the fact that he finally has a healthy Rodgers, Saleh is out of excuses. If his defense, in particular, can't turn things around against a Tennessee offense that turned the ball over three times and allowed three sacks last week, Saleh's seat will undoubtedly be scorching.

Brian Daboll, New York Giants 

Before last season, Giants co-owner John Mara warned Daboll, who led the Giants to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2022, that "in this business, it doesn’t take long to go from Bono to Bozo.”

While Daboll could survive another year in New York, considering QB Daniel Jones will likely be the Giants' fall guy if the season unravels, Mara's message has become eerily prophetic. 

After posting a disappointing 6-11 record in 2023, the Giants kicked off their 100th season as a franchise in humiliating fashion, suffering a 28-6 loss to the Vikings at MetLife Stadium. The loss to Minnesota marked the second time in as many years that New York began its season with an embarrassing showing at home, which has called Daboll's ability to prepare his team into question. 

Even so, as bad as the Giants have been with Jones at the helm, they've had their Week 2 opponent Washington's number, posting a 5-1-1 record with the Duke product in the lineup. Additionally, Daboll is 3-0-1 against the Commanders since being hired in 2022. Jones' fate is all but sealed, but if New York can't beat Washington on Sunday, there will be plenty of pressure on the Giants brass to consider finding a replacement for Daboll. 

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals 

Another coach who has had trouble preparing his team for the season, Taylor is just 1-5 in season openers as Cincinnati's head coach following last week's loss to the Patriots. The Bengals have had worse results in Week 2 under Taylor, as the team is 0-5 in such matchups during his tenure.

With a road clash against the Chiefs on deck, Cincinnati's Week 2 struggles could easily continue, raising questions about whether Taylor can lead the team back to the Super Bowl. As long as QB Joe Burrow is healthy and under contract, it's championship or bust for the Bengals every season. The Bengals didn't look like a contender in Week 1, and if they lose embarrassingly in Kansas City, Taylor could find himself coaching for his job going forward. 

Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers 

The Canales era couldn't have started better for the Panthers, who fell 47-10 on the road against New Orleans in the 43-year-old's head-coaching debut. The 37-point blowout marked the fourth-worst loss in Panthers history, according to StatMuse.

It's unrealistic to have many expectations for Canales and the Panthers heading into Week 2 and over the entire season, especially considering star DT Derrick Brown (knee) is out for the year. However, the Carolina offense and Bryce Young must show signs of improvement, as Canales' track record of turning quarterbacks' careers around was a key reason he was hired.

The Panthers owner, David Tepper, proved last season that he's willing to move on from a coach quickly, so if the Panthers offense continues to look like the worst in the NFL, Canales could be one and done in Carolina. 

Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars 

A Super Bowl winner with Philadelphia, Pederson is just 19-18, including the playoffs, as Jacksonville's head coach after last week's second-half collapse against Miami. In that contest, the Jaguars blew a 14-point lead en route to a 20-17 loss, with the team's overly conservative offensive play-calling a contributing factor.

Considering how disastrous the Browns offense looked in the team's Week 1 33-17 loss to Dallas, Sunday's home matchup against Cleveland could be regarded as a must-win game for Jacksonville. Now that the Jaguars are paying QB Trevor Lawrence $55 million annually, the pressure is mounting for the team to ensure it doesn't waste his career. If the Jaguars continue to fold in pivotal moments, they might have no choice but to move on from Pederson this offseason.