Week 1 didn’t take long to start squeezing NFL coaches.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut put together a list of six head coaches already feeling the pressure, and while nobody is getting fired this week, the early results were rough enough to make the picture look messy fast. Todd Bowles came out at No. 1 after Tampa Bay fell behind 21-3 against Cincinnati and was still trailing 27-10 in the third quarter before a late push turned into a six-point loss. The bigger problem is the recent trend line: Bowles is 2-8 since last year’s Week 9 bye.
Todd Monken checked in next after Cleveland’s 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Deshaun Watson was sacked five times and threw an interception, and Monken didn’t exactly calm things down afterward.
After watching the film, he said there were “really good things on film.” When asked whether the players still back Watson, he answered, “they don’t have a choice.
This isn’t a debate.” That quote is going to hang around.
Tank chatter was already circling Cleveland after one Sunday.
Dan Quinn landed third after Washington’s 24-22 loss to Philadelphia. His record is 2-11 since week 6 of last season, and the defense still looks stuck. Every loss only pushes him closer to the door.
Shane Steichen sits fourth after Indianapolis got blown out at home by the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts converted just 30 percent on third down, finished with 251 yards and committed two turnovers on 12 drives. Chris Ballard’s contract runs through 2026, but four years without a playoff berth leaves little cushion.
Aaron Glenn is fifth even though the Jets beat Tennessee 23-10. Players supported him in the locker room, but the heat didn’t vanish. The schedule still has Browns, Dolphins, Raiders and Cardinals games ahead, so the pressure is only paused, not gone.
Matt LaFleur rounds out the six after Green Bay blew another late lead against Minnesota. The Packers have now lost four double-digit leads in the last 12 months.
LaFleur took three points off the board in the fourth quarter, the fourth-and-1 failed, Minnesota scored, and Green Bay folded. A January extension gives him more protection than most on this list, but the collapses still put his name in the conversation.
Some of these coaches were already on a 2026 firing watch earlier this year, and Week 1 simply sped up the timeline. Baker Mayfield now hosts Cleveland in Week 2 and already warned his former team.
That matchup will put two of these coaches under the spotlight right away. Bowles, Monken, Quinn, Steichen, Glenn and LaFleur all head into Week 2 with less breathing room than they had a week ago.
In Other News...
Browns Just Sent A Clear Week 2 Message After That Week 1 Letdown
Tuesday brought a busy roster shuffle for Cleveland, with eight moves that included placing Dylan Sampson on injured reserve and tweaking the practice squad. It was the kind of housekeeping that usually gets buried under game-week prep, but for a team still trying to steady itself after a rough Week 1, every transaction feels like part of a larger reset.
The Browns also used the day to keep the football picture moving, with head coach Todd Monken weighing in, the Week 2 unofficial depth chart being released and the organization staying active in the community with a pair of events. None of it erases how low Cleveland sits in the NFL pecking order after the opener, but it does show a team trying to answer a letdown with urgency rather than excuses. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Just Reignited The Browns' Biggest Accountability Debate
Deshaun Watsons latest comments landed at a familiar intersection for the Browns: production, perception and the pressure that comes with a quarterback contract that has been under a microscope since day one. After a recent game in which he went 16-for-22 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception, Watson pushed back on the idea that he should be delivering video-game numbers every week, pointing out that the standard being set for him is unrealistically high.
The timing only sharpened the debate because much of that production came late, after Cleveland had already fallen behind. Watson has now played in 20 games for the Browns, and the body of work remains middling while injuries have taken away significant time. For a team still trying to figure out whether the evaluation should focus on health, efficiency or expectations, his remarks only reopened a question the Browns have never really answered. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans May Hate Where The Week 1 Sack Blame Lands
The Browns came out of Week 1 with a familiar frustration on offense, but the blocking story may not be as simple as the sack total suggested. Cleveland was hit with five sacks against Jacksonville, yet Pro Football Focus pinned all of them on Deshaun Watson rather than spreading the blame to the offensive line or other blockers. For a unit that has spent plenty of time under the microscope, that kind of grading at least gives the front five something to point to beyond the final result.
There were signs of progress up front, too, with rookies Spencer Fano and Austin Barber both drawing better marks in pass protection and run blocking. For a Browns team trying to stabilize an offense that struggled overall, those improvements matter because they hint at a line that may be finding some footing even if the night ended with plenty left to clean up. The bigger question now is whether that trend holds once the pressure ramps up again. [Read more 🡒]