NFL news: Around the league in 32 plays

1 of 4

Happy Red Friday Addicts! As we get ready for Round 2 with the Chargers, here is a recap on all the news and rumors from the past week. It was an interesting week of headlines, though not as busy as recent weeks have been. We did, however, get a quick cameo from the No Fun League, and concussions remained a top talking point.

More from Kansas City Chiefs Free Agency

But the Lead Story this week comes in the form of an annual topic for this time of year. With teams now clinching playoff spots or being eliminated from contention, the coaching hot seats start coming into play. And that’s where we get started this week…

Lead Story: The coaching seats are starting to heat up

It’s that time of the year. Teams are starting to see their postseason dreams either realized or crushed. And for those on the crushed end of things, that means it’s time to answer to the man. NFL owners don’t like to lose, and that means somebody has got to pay. Most of the time, the guy who pays isn’t the one in the suit sitting with the owner in the luxury suite every Sunday…it’s the guy down on the field and in front of the cameras. 2015 is starting to produce a number of coaches on the hot seat, and some of them are pretty surprising.

Mike Pettine has been all about doing things his way…but that might not be the way the ownership wants to see them done. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Pettine – Browns: Yikes…this thing got ugly in a hurry. Pettine has taken to the media recently and leveled some not so subtle clues that he thinks that the problems lie elsewhere. However, his handling of Johnny Manziel…rather his refusal to play a 1st round draft pick for more than a couple games…is probably going to come back and bite him. Somebody in that organization wants JFF to play, and I’m guessing that somebody has an awful lot of pull.

Jeff Fisher – Rams: Fisher has always been a defense-first guy. However, in the past he has at least realized that he needs some semblance of an offense. That hasn’t been the case in St Louis though, and it’s catching up to him. That defense has been loaded with talent while the offense has sputtered for the last several years. And with the Rams being a front-runner in the race to LA, one would have to think that a total makeover of the leadership is coming with that.

Jack Del Rio – Raiders: This is an odd one in that there is really no reason for Del Rio to be fired. Nor is there really any substantial proof that he is on the hot seat. However, it has been verified that USC made an offer to him, and that is not a move that college teams make unless they believe a coach is on his way out the door. However, one thing that does stand out is that the Raiders finish the season with games against the Broncos, Packers, and Chiefs which makes a 10-loss season a distinct possibility. If that happens, Del Rio is definitely in trouble with the not-so-patient Mark Davis. So watch this one closely over the next couple of weeks.

Absolutely nothing has gone right for Chip Kelly this year, and he only has himself to blame. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Chip Kelly – Eagles: Honestly, at this point it just seems like there is no way the Eagles can keep Chip Kelly on board. Owner Jeff Lurie invested fully into Kelly by giving him full control over the team. The result? An offseason of highly questionable personnel moves, a ton of negative headlines (mostly involving current and former running backs), and what looks to be a failure of a season. Philly’s best hope might be if the Titans want Kelly badly enough to make a trade.

Tom Coughlin – Giants: Of course, the most Coughlin thing ever right here would be for the Giants to make the playoffs and eventually win the Super Bowl against the Patriots…I mean, that’s just what happens whenever Coughlin gets on the hot seat in New York. But if it doesn’t play out that way, don’t be surprised when the Giants decide to get some fresh blood in there.

Mike McCoy – Chargers: A few weeks ago, this seemed much more certain. However, there are now reports that the Chargers are looking at making changes to the staff rather than blowing things up to start all over again. That makes some sense as the team has been hit hard by injuries, yet remains an explosive offense. McCoy does deserve some credit for that. If the Chargers do move to LA, McCoy’s high-flying offense, led by Phillip Rivers, could certainly attract some attention.

There is no doubt that the Colts have failed to meet expectations this year. Pagano shoulders a lot of that blame. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Chuck Pagano – Colts: There’s really no excuse here. The Colts were in the AFC Championship game last year, and have followed up with this? Coach Pagano and General Manager Ryan Grigson are both on the hot seat here, and they should be. Grigson for not bringing in ANY help for either the offensive line or the defense, and Pagano for trying to blame that on Andrew Luck. There is a lot of dysfunction in Indy, and both guys should probably be going.

Jim Caldwell – Lions: Detroit was supposed to be a contender this year. This was supposed to be the season that things really started clicking. Instead, the Lions started the season looking like one of the worst teams ever. A recent flurry of wins may end up saving Caldwell this year, but he’s definitely not safe at this point.

Next: Did the Ravens really follow protocol?

Home/Kansas City Chiefs Free Agency