NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat
Marvin Lewis
Lewis is in his 16th season as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, and during that time he won 130 games and lost 119. He also coached seven playoff games, but did not win a single one. In his past two seasons, Lewis went a combined 13-18-1 and did not make the playoffs. This year, the Bengals are on the same track. They started the season strong, going 4-1 in their first five games, but since then have gone a dreary 1-6. Things don’t seem to be getting much better as starting quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a season-ending thumb injury in week 12 against the Browns. Now, as Jeff Driskel starts at quarterback, playoff hopes are slim and Bengals fans everywhere are wondering if it’s time for change.
Todd Bowles
Bowles is perhaps on the hottest seat of them all. His first season proved to be his best, winning ten games and falling one win short of a spot in the Wild Card game. Since then, Bowles posted a record of 5-11 for two consecutive seasons and is now 3-9 after coaching 12 games this season.
The Jets have lost six straight, and the most embarrasing of them all comes from a week 10 loss to the struggling Bills with Matt Barkley at quarterback. It was Barkley’s first start in nearly two years after he was signed by the Bills less than two weeks before game day. Barkley threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns and led the Bills to a 31 point beatdown on the Jets. Many thought that would be Bowles' last game as the head coach of the Jets, but it’s week 14 and Bowles will be on the sideline this Sunday at Buffalo. It seems inevitable that this will be Bowles final season with the Jets.
Dirk Koetter
The past three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been under the leadership of Dirk Koetter. Koetter has gone a combined 18-25 over that span and is yet to make the playoffs. This year, the Buccaneers sit at 5-7 after a skid in which they lost seven of their eight games. Now, Jameis Winston is back at quarterback after a brief stint by Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Tampa Bay is winners of two straight heading into a matchup with the 10-2 Saints. Koetter and the Buccaneers already account for one of the two losses on the Saints record after their victory against them week 1. Koetter may be able to save his job if he can pick up a few wins to close out the season.
John Harbaugh
Harbaugh may be the second Super Bowl winning coach to be canned by the time the offseason rolls around. Mike McCarthy is no longer the coach of the Packers and Harbaugh could be out as well. Harbaugh made the Playoffs his first five seasons with the Ravens. He would make the playoffs just once in the following five seasons. Currently, the Ravens are 7-5 and holding a spot in one of the Wild Card games. They’re 3-0 since rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over for the injured Joe Flacco and have to face the AFC leading Chiefs in week 14. Even if the Ravens find themselves in a playoff game this year, Harbaugh is only signed through the end of this year. Baltimore’s owner Steve Bisciotti did attest to parting ways with Harbaugh this past offseason so it very well could the end of Harbaugh’s tenure with the Ravens.
Joseph Muscente is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jjm6725@psu.edu.
About the Contributors
Joseph Muscente
Freshmen / Broadcast Journalism
