Jackson, McAdoo feeling the heat most among coaches
HUE JACKSON BROWNS (0-9)
This one is most obvious, although to his credit Jackson doesn’t seem to have lost the faith of his players. Upper management is another story. Jackson appears to be at odds with Cleveland’s analyticsreliant front office. He can only coach the “talent” he is given, and the skill level in Cleveland might not win in the Big Ten. Give him credit for this: Despite only John McKay, who went 0-25 with a ragtag bunch of expansion Buccaneers in the 1970s, Jackson has the worst 25-game span in NFL history at 1-24. But he consistently takes the blame for what goes wrong in Cleveland. And plenty does go wrong.
BEN MCADOO, GIANTS (1-8)
This one is confounding. New York didn’t make the playoffs in each of the four seasons Tom Coughlin coached after winning his second NFL title by beating the Patriots in the 2012 Super Bowl. When Coughlin was forced out, the Giants elevated offensive coordinator McAdoo, who also was coveted by other clubs. He guided the Giants to an 11-5record and playoff berth in 2016 with a big-play defense. That defense has crumbled, the offense has been inept — it’s fair to blame injuries to three key receivers, including Odell Beckham Jr. — and the locker room is a mess. McAdoo has suspended both starting cornerbacks, and what some characterize as rumblings are more like earthquakes. Do you think there are some Giants fans clamoring for Coughlin nowadays?
CHUCK PAGANO COLTS (3-7)
When you lose your outstanding quarterback to lengthy injury, as Pagano has with Andrew Luck, you probably are doomed. That Luck’s surgery was at the start of 2017 and he never got onto the field this season is beyond Pagano’s control, but the coach’s Plan B has been a bust. Lowlights this season have included continual late-game collapses and some mind-boggling plays by the opposition. The Colts haven’t been the same since losing the AFC title game in the 2014 season. Yeah, the “Deflategate” game. Owner Jim Irsay also is seeing empty seats in Indy. Pagano’s seat is on fire.