A large number of NFL coaches seem to be on the hotseat right now. Here’s my take on what to do about them:
• Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans: For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve rooted for Kubiak since he served as John Elway’s excellent backup in Denver. But this season has been an utter disaster, and his four-year record is extremely blah. Time for a change.
• Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals: I believe the franchise will fire Lewis, but I wouldn’t. The guy’s a good coach, and his players go hard for him. But Carson Palmer took a huge backward step this year, and the chemistry seemed terrible. Plus—and this is on Lewis—they went away from the run. Big mistake.
• Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers: Turner is a brilliant offensive coordinator, but a dreadful head coach. Consistently makes teams worse. Needs to go.
• Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers: Here’s the guy to point to when fans start bellowing about, “We need someone with heart and soul who did it on the field.” Singletary has heart and soul, but no apparent clue how to run a team. It’s too bad, because I was rooting for him. But how many players can you scream at before it runs its course?
• Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys: I don’t know if he’ll be a great coach, but he’s earned a shot.
• Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings: I wanna see him coach without having Favre f-ing things up. Like Garrett, deserves the gig.
• Tom Coughlin, New York Giants: This is one of those things where the New York media stirs up a story, and it becomes one. This guy’s job is safe, as it should be.
• Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns: I never thought I’d say this, but Cleveland should keep the guy. Not an especially talented team, starting a rookie QB—and they played hard throughout. Enough said.
• Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins: Man, that whole Wildcat thing seems like 1,000 years ago. I think he’s a goner, and I agree with the decision.
• Eric Studesville, Denver Broncos: I just don’t know.
