NFL Power Rankings: Ranking head coaches on the hot seat approaching Week 8
We're somehow approaching Week 8 of the 2024 NFL Season, so let's roll out our power rankings for head coaches on the hot seat. We are inching closer to teams perhaps making the tough decisions to part ways with their head coaches. In-season coaching firings happen, and that's just a part of the NFL.
There seem to be a handful of coaches on the hot seat at this point, and in the coming weeks, teams could bottom out and see their head coach get shown door. We're now in Week 8 of the 2024 NFL Season already, and have our weekly power rankings of head coaches on the hot seat.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking head coaches on the hot seat approaching Week 8
4. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
With games coming up against Green Bay and Philadelphia, it may be hard for Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach Doug Pederson to survive if his team drops to 2-7. That feels like the nail in the coffin for me. The Jags did beat the New England Patriots in Week 7, but that isn't saying much. The Jags are a perfect example of just how important coaching is, as this roster has a ton of talent on both sides of the ball.
Why can't they win? Simple: coaching.
Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl back in 2017 when he was with the Eagles but has not done much since. The game may have passed him by, and unless the Jags can go on an unexpected run here, I would not be shocked to see the team making an in-season coaching change.
3. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
I don't blame Brian Daboll for this mess that the New York Giants are; General Manager Joe Schoen made the horrid decision to extend Daniel Jones two offseasons ago, and it's turned out to be, as expected, one of the worst decisions in the NFL in recent memory. The G-Men won't go anywhere until the QB position is solved, but in this league, the head coach is usually first to go.
While I would personally disagree with this move, as I believe Schoen is a horrible GM, Daboll may end up getting canned first. Honestly, since Daboll and Schoen came over in the same season, I could see the Giants parting with both men and again resetting.
2. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders
This was a disastrous move from the beginning, and the Las Vegas Raiders making Antonio Pierce their permanent head coach after going 5-4 as the interim is proving to be a huge mistake, and it's actually impressive that Pierce is turning out to be a worse head coach than Josh McDaniels, who he replaced.
The 2023 Raiders under Antonio Pierce seemed to be riding that interim head coach momentum that teams often grab when the previous head coach is fired. Pierce is a defensive guy, but the Raiders have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and just cannot run the ball well.
The Raiders are a dysfunctional franchise with little talent outside of guys like Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby. If Vegas wants to get back to being a competent franchise, a head coaching change might be the move. They're 2-5 and don't have many wins remaining on their schedule.
1. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
I mean, what are we doing here? I understand just how injured the New Orleans Saints are, but give me a break. I'm not sure Dennis Allen should have been hired as the team's head coach to begin with, as it's clear that he's just never been HC material in the NFL. The Saints are limp and just don't have any sort of team identity.
The team is way overdue for a massive rebuild, so GM Mickey Loomis needs to make the tough decision to not only part ways with Dennis Allen, but to also be huge sellers at the NFL Trade Deadline. This team is not going anywhere until there are sweeping changes. And Dennis Allen is not fooling anyone; this man is simply not an NFL-caliber head coach.