Sean Higgs

Coaches on the hot seat.

These guys need to produce or they will be out.

Wade Phillips – Cowboys - Expectations are off the charts for the 2009 Dallas Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones has spent a fortune to open his new billion dollar Cowboys Stadium and the camera-seeking man in charge wants a winner on the field. Amidst whispers that Phillips could not control the Cowboys in 2008, the team badly underachieved including being embarrassed with the playoffs on the in Philly – lost to the Eagles 44-6 and allegedly there were a couple of players fighting on the flight back to Dallas. After a 12-year playoff winning drought, it is now or never for the Phillips led Cowboys or changes are definitely coming. Jones removed lockeroom problem players Tank Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Adam Pacman Jones, so there are no more excuses and the bull’s eye is firmly on the backs of Phillips and quarterback Tony Romo. The duo on the hot seat better get off to a quick start in 2009 (at TB, NYG, Carolina, at Denver, and at KC) or Jones could quickly make a move by Dallas’ Week 6 bye. Everyone around the NFL likes old Wade, but he might be a better coordinator than head coach. Cowboys Record under Phillips: 27-10 in regular season and 0-1 in playoffs.

Jack Del Rio – Jaguars - Even though Del Rio has had only two losing seasons during his six year tenure with the Jags, owner Wayne Weaver maybe losing patience. Weaver cleaned house after the team posted a 5-10 record in 2008 season, removing player personnel head James Harris and several players that he brought in (WR Reggie Williams, LB Mike Peterson, WR Jerry Porter, DB Drayton Florence and others) thus leaving Del Rio to pick-up the pieces. With all eyes on the head coach, it is now or never for a team looking for a new stadium deal in the near future. The Jags had a nice run in 2007 winning a playoff game in Pittsburgh, but it is what-have-you done-for-me-lately time for quarterback David Garrard and Del Rio. Hopefully the Jags will have good health in 2009 as last year they lost six O-linemen to injury for the season. Del Rio will also need to show that he doesn’t panic or meltdown in big games as some people around the NFL have accused him of doing. In a very tough division, the Jags will need to show that they are either re-tooling while looking to win the division or rebuilding for the future. Del Rio’s record stands at 50-46 in the regular season and 1-2 in the playoffs.

Dick Jauron – Bills - At age 90, Buffalo Bills owner and 2009 hall of famer Ralph Wilson wants a winner now. Over the last three NFL seasons, Wilson has been very patient with Jauron. But three consecutive 7-9 season and no playoff appearances have turned up the heat in Buffalo like a plate of hot wings. You can tell that Wilson has gone-all-in for the 2009 season by signing NFL bad boy receiver Terrell Owens and giving defensive tackle Marcus Stroud a healthy extension. The Bills even had a pretty good draft bringing in Penn State DE Aaron Maybin and Louisville C/G Eric Wood, but Jauron needs to get his team all on the right page since the AFC East is loaded from top to bottom. For the sake of quarterback Trent Edwards and Jauron hopefully good T.O will be shuffling his way to Buffalo or it will be over Niagara Falls in a barrel for the beleaguered head coach.

Brad Childress – Vikings- Entering his fourth season as a head coach in the NFL, much like a high draft pick it is time for Childress to deliver or be cut in 2009. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf is looking for a new stadium deal and he needs his team to produce to sway local politicians and fans. Childress came to the Vikings from the Andy Reid coaching tree, but he has failed to live-up to his mentor’s winning ways producing a middle-of-the-road 24-24 record in the regular season. It is not like Childress does not have any weapons on his team with All-World running back Adrian Peterson and the NFL’s best run defense led by the Williams Wall. But some would say it has been Childress’ loyalty to developing quarterback Tarvaris Jackson that has been his downfall. Jackson can make plays, but like any young passer he makes some poor decisions at times. Even though Vikings GM Rick Spielman made the move to bring in quarterback Sage Rosenfels from the Texans this offseason to compete with Jackson, Childress on the suggestion of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevel will apparently somewhere around training camp hitch his future to former Packers great Brett Favre. For Childress’ sake he better hope Favre plays more like he did in ’07 while leading the Packers to the NFC Championship Game than in ’08 as he looked every bit his age (almost 40) in quarterbacking the Jets to a 1-4 non-playoff finish and throwing an NFL-high 22 INTs. Childress may also need to watch-out for young up-and-coming defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who is waiting in the coaches’ booth.

NFL Head Coaching ATS trends for pre-seaon

NFC WEST Ken Wisenhunt ARZ 3-3 Steve Spagnuaol STL 1st pre-season Mike Singletary SF 1st pre-season Jim Mora SEA 1st pre-season

NFC EAST Jim Zorn WASH 3-2 Tom Coughlin NYG 28-24-1 Andy Reid PHI 19-21 Wade Phillips DAL 16-13

NFC NORTH Brad Childress MIN 6-6 Lovie Smith CHI 8-11-2 Jim Schwartz DET 1st pre-season Mike McCarthy GB 4-8

NFC SOUTH Sean Payton NO 6-7 John Fox CAR 16-11-1 Raheem Morris TB 1st pre-season Mike Smith ATL 2-2

AFC EAST Dick Jauron BUFF 14-17-1 Bill Bellicheck NE 31-23-2 Rex Ryan NYJ 1st pre-season Tony Sparano MIA 3-1

AFC WEST Norv Turner SD 20-22-1 Tom Cable OAK 1st pre-season Todd Haley KC 1st pre-season Josh McDaniels DEN 1st pre-season

AFC NORTH Marvin Lewis CIN 13-11 Mike Tomlin PITT 6-3 Eric Mangini CLEV 7-5 w NYJ John Harbaugh BLT 1-3

AFC SOUTH Gary Kuiak HOU 8-4-1 J Del Rio JAX 16-8 Jeff Fisher TEN 30-23-2 Jim Caldwell IND 1st pre-season

Click here to view all of Sean Higgs's premium picks.

Social Bookmarking