Which NFL Coach Is On the Hot Seat With A Poor Playoff Performance
Congratulations to the 14 NFL playoff teams and coaches who have made the postseason. For the majority of them, they have accomplished their team’s goal by this point. However, there are two coaches that need to do far more than just reaching the playoffs. These two coaches are likely to be on the hot seat if their team comes out flat this postseason.
Mike McCarthy: Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys brought in Mike McCarthy for one reason, to win a Super Bowl. He had already won a Super Bowl in Green Bay and needs to get Dallas their first championship since the 1995 season. Owner Jerry Jones is now 80 years old, so his patience is running out.
After leading the Cowboys to a 6-10 record in his first season, McCarthy has gotten Dallas to two straight 12-win seasons. Helping him is quarterback Dak Prescott who played at an MVP-level in 2021 before regressing a bit this year. In 2022, McCarthy managed Prescott’s six-game absence exceptionally well as backup Cooper Rush went 5-1 as a starter. As a result, the Cowboys are once again 12-5 and their wildcard matchup is against the only NFL playoff team with a losing record, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mike McCarthy would be on the hot seat because winning championships means everything to this franchise. The Cowboys lead the NFC with five Super Bowls in their history but none in over 25 years. NFC East rivals, the New York Giants have two since 2007 and the Philadelphia Eagles won a Super Bowl five years ago with a second-year head coach. In 2021, the Cowboys found themselves in a 23-7 deficit in the wildcard game at home against the 49ers in which they were not able to overcome. It was yet another missed opportunity for Dallas.
The Cowboys came into this season defending their division crown only to see the rest of the NFC East catch up. Philadelphia has leap frogged them with QB Jalen Hurts. The Giants made the postseason with a new GM and head coach and the Commanders ended the year with a .500 record. If McCarthy is not able to get it done, the Cowboys will likely make a change if they want to keep up.
Brandon Staley: Los Angeles Chargers
Brandon Staley has a winning record in his two years coaching the Chargers, but he has underperformed given the team’s strong roster and Justin Herbert at quarterback. A report earlier this season linked former Saints coach Sean Payton to the Chargers job if available. If LA’s ownership is already considering other options, Staley needs to at least win the wildcard playoff game in Jacksonville to remain the head coach in 2023.
Staley came under fire last season as his Chargers squandered away a playoff spot against the Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale. He called a timeout at the end of overtime, which aided the Raiders in their game winning field goal drive. LA finished 2021 with a 9-8 record and third in the AFC West.
The Chargers in 2022 were mostly a middle of the road team starting off 1-2 and hovered around .500 for most of the season. There were numerous disappointing and close losses as Staley was outcoached several times. The Chargers had a late season four game winning streak to end the year 10-7 and clinch a wildcard spot.
Brandon Staley faced criticism once again in the season finale as the Chargers lost to the Denver Broncos. The game had no impact on playoff seeding but Staley played his starters the entire game resulting in several key injuries. Wide receiver Mike Williams and linebacker Joey Bosa went down in the game and have been limited at practice this week. To see several starters injured in a meaningless game and lose to a five-win team is not a good look. Staley needs at least a playoff win and maybe more to keep his job.
In Conclusion
The NFL is a results-oriented business. Team owners, with a few exceptions, are quick to make changes if their coaches do not have their franchises on the way to Super Bowls. It will be interesting to see how things pan out if these two coaches have a disappointing postseason.
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