5 NFL coaches on the hot seat: Does that include Browns Kevin Stefanski?

The season is just half over and already head coaches are close to getting the ax

The 2024 NFL season is at the midway point, and already there have been two coaches fired. The league is full of bad teams that just aren’t living up to expectations including the Cleveland Browns.

Robert Saleh of the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen have already been relieved of their team’s futures.

This means quite a few head coaches could be given the pink slip once the season ends—that is, if they last that long.

One thing we know is that billionaire owners are used to getting things done and hiring the correct people to accomplish tasks which in turn make them money. The head coach of their football team is just one of many task achievers on that list. And when things go south, when the franchise drops the ability to make money with corporate sponsors with a losing team, when the fanbase quits coming to games, changes are in store.

Who is on the hot seat this year?

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Antonio Pierce – Las Vegas Raiders

The 2-7-0 Raiders feature one of the best defensive lines in the league but have issues all across the roster. On the field, the performance is poor for a club that has good attendance. Like most teams, the injury bug has affected them, especially some of the best players. The offensive line is a sieve playing inconsistent at best and has allowed the fourth most sacks.

The offense has yet to settle on a quarterback jumping from veteran Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell. Turnovers from both players have been a huge issue. The Raiders have a problem sustaining drives and are mistake-prone which results in crippling the team.

Although the head coaching position is fine for this month, there have already been several assistant coaches who have been fired. OC Luke Getsy, QB coach Rich Scangarello, and O-Line coach James Cregg were all told the team was moving on from their services providing instability.

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Brian Daboll – New York Football Giants

The loss of RB Saquan Barkley has been more consequential than expected. The 2-8-0 team has used a committee but none possess that wow factor. The offensive line has been musical chairs of guys who play out of position and haven’t been able to get any sort of chemistry going.

The biggest issue is that QB Daniel Jones has not developed in a decent timeline and at times has regressed playing at a rate that dubs him a superstar. Daboll is an offensive mind yet he hasn’t brought along Jones whatsoever. Obviously, this has affected the offense which looks like it is on life support each game. Jones is also turnover prone. The talent level is being questioned with a defense that needs major help in the defensive backfield.

Sunday’s loss to the two-win Carolina Panthers cemented the Giants as one of the worst teams in the league with a non-existent run defense as their offense was shut out by the league’s 32nd-ranked defense in the opening half. The Panthers have allowed the most points in the league (310).

Certainly, Bill Belichick is monitoring this situation and would love nothing better than to return to where he had his first success.

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Mike McCarthy – Dallas Cowboys

You would think a coach with three consecutive 12-game win seasons would not have to worry about his job security. But there are issues.

This year has been a disaster so far which has garnered a 3-6-0 record. This should give McCarthy a hall pass considering the success he has had in the regular season. But the problem is that each year, the Cowboys have been dominant in the front portion of the schedule and then have completely failed in the playoffs. Three years in a row. So, now that his team is struggling, the leash owner/GM Jerry Jones has issued him is getting shorter by the week. What did not help was the anemic output the team put on the field in their ugly 34-6 loss against division rival Philadelphia Eagles with just 66 total passing yards and 97 rushing yards. McCarthy is an offensive coach.

It is undoubtful that Jones will ax McCarthy during the season, but Black Monday could be his final day if he doesn’t turn this season around quickly. And even then, unless the franchise can move further in the playoffs, all the disappointments for having a very good roster and the failures that have come afterward just may be wearing on Jones.

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Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns

The fact that Stefanski has been the head coach for five years is like 50 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is an air of stability for certain, but there also has to be consistency across the entire roster.

Despite being named NFL Coach of the Year two of his five seasons in Cleveland, the main issue with Stefanski has been the regression of their most expensive commodity in QB Deshaun Watson. Although his injuries are not anybody’s fault, the fact that Watson has not gotten back to the elite status he maintained while a member of the Houston Texans is a huge concern.

Because Stefanski is an offensive mind, the Browns’ offense is a dumpster fire this year which has resulted in a 2-7-0 record. Nothing the offense does has worked despite getting back RB Nick Chubb and TE David Njoku’s ascent with him getting his first Pro Bowl. The offensive line used to be premier and is now one of the worst in the league allowing the most sacks with 43. An offensive coach whose offense is one of the worst in the league.

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Doug Pederson – Jacksonville Jaguars

Despite being an offensive coach, the Jags own a horrible attack on that side of the ball. The team has one of the worst third-down efficiencies in the league with low time of possession. Their punter is considered one of their best offensive weapons while their receivers are at the top of the league in dropped passes. The Sunday 12-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings came as the passing game had just 111 yards with a sloppy running attack to the tune of 56 yards.

The word is Pederson has lost the locker room. Jacksonville sports a horrible pass defense with just two interceptions and has allowed the second most passing yards this year.

Nothing on this team exudes explosiveness. QB Trevor Lawrence looks like a franchise QB one week and out of rhythm in others. So far, there has been little improvement in Pederson’s offensive approach and Lawrence’s improvement. The offense has zero run game and sub-par receiver output. The 2-8-0 record fits what is going on in the field of play.

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Which coaches do you think get fired off this list? Do you think Browns Kevin Stefanski deserves to be on the hot seat?