8 NFL Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 8

The first two months of the 2024 NFL season are officially in the books, and at this point, time is running out for the teams that have failed to get things firing on all cylinders.

There is still time for some of the NFL head coaches on the hot seat to cool things off by turning things around in the second half of the year, but it’s a bit hard to imagine most of them are going to be able to do so based on how their teams have looked so far.

Brian Daboll—Giants

There’s only so much Brian Daboll can do to win games with a team led by Daniel Jones, who somehow managed to convince the front office he has what it takes to be a franchise QB despite a mountain of evidence suggesting otherwise.

However, there’s also only so much Daboll can do to deflect the blame with the Giants sitting at 2-6, and all signs point to the current three-game losing streak being extended to four when they face off against the Commanders on Sunday.

Daboll has posted a 17-24-1 record midway through his third season, and if the Giants keep trending in the same direction, he may not return for a fourth.

Doug Pederson—Jaguars

Doug Pederson bought himself a little bit of time after beating the Patriots in London, and the Jaguars did manage to give the Packers a run for their money before losing thanks to the field goal Green Bay kicked as time expired.

Jacksonville is sitting a 2-6 and has a very unfavorable schedule that’s set to unfold over the course of November. If the Jaguars have stuck with Pederson through this point in the season, they may end up letting him finish it out, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see someone with the interim label roaming the sidelines by the time December rolls around.

Dennis Allen—Saints

The Saints have firmly squandered their 2-0 start by losing six games in a row, and while there’s plenty of blame to go around, most of it rests on the shoulders of Dennis Allen.

New Orleans has obviously suffered from the injury that sidelined Derek Carr for three games, but his return may not be enough to cancel out an abysmal defense that was supposed to be Allen’s specialty.

The skipper has posted an 18-24 record midway through his third year in New Orleans and has gone 26-52 as a head coach in the NFL, and the Saints may need to acknowledge he just doesn’t have what it takes to lead a team in the league.

Mike McCarthy—Cowboys

The Cowboys got a much-needed by after getting rocked by the Lions midway through October, but they dropped their second game in a row and fell to 3-4 with a 30-24 loss to the 49ers on Sunday.

There’s a very real chance Dallas could lose its next four games based on the strength of those opponents, as the Cowboys have once again struggled to get their act together.

Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract with the team, and all signs point to his tenure coming to an end after five seasons based on the current state of affairs.

Zac Taylor—Bengals

The Bengals fell to 3-5 with a loss to the Eagles, and it’s hard to ignore the fact that all three of those victories have come against some of the worst teams in the NFL.

Cincinnati has simply not lived up to expectations and continues to squander the talents of Joe Burrow thanks in no small part to some questionable play calls that Taylor is ultimately responsible for.

The Bengals need to get their act together as soon as possible if they want to salvage the season, and their head coach will be facing plenty of scrutiny if they miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Kevin Stefanski—Browns

The Browns were able to snap a five-game skid with a win over the Ravens after Jameis Winston stepped up in a big way in the wake of Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury.

That loss is probably a blessing in disguise for Stefanski, although the coach deserves plenty of criticism for refusing to move on from the QB before he went down.

I find it a bit hard to imagine Winston is going to be able to pull a Joe Flacco and lead the 2-6 Browns to the playoffs, but I do think Stefanski’s job will be safe if Cleveland can keep the positive momentum going.

However, this will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on as the second half of the season unfolds.

David Canales—Panthers

Most first-year coaches are immune from the hot seat, but there’s a very notable exception when it comes to the Carolina Panthers.

I want to believe David Tepper has realized it might finally be time to give his head coaches a little bit of leeway before kicking them to the curb, but it would be foolish to try to read the mind of the billionaire owner who’s had little patience for guys who’s failed to produce.

Canales has not inspired much confidence after leading the Panthers to a 1-7 start, and even though he should get another year on principle, recent history suggests he could end up befalling the same fate as Frank Reich.

Antonio Pierce—Raiders

Antonio Pierce technically meets the definition of “first-year head coach,” although he got the full-time gig after going 5-4 with the Raiders after they parted ways with Josh McDaniels midway through last season.

Las Vegas has gone 2-6 this year, and while their QB situation has been a big factor in that lackluster showing, Pierce has also attracted plenty of criticism due to his inability to adjust to in-game adversity, plenty of questionable play calls, and some blunt comments targeted at his own players.

The Raiders also have a pretty brutal schedule ahead of them in November, and if Pierce can’t turn things around, Mark Davis may find himself reconsidering the decision to hire him.