Week 1 barely got going before the pressure started building on six NFL head coaches.
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut put Todd Bowles at the top of the list after Tampa Bay’s rough opening day. The Buccaneers fell behind 21-3 against Cincinnati and were still trailing 27-10 in the third quarter before a late push cut the final margin to six points. Even with the rally, the loss left Bowles sitting at 2-8 since last year’s Week 9 bye.
Todd Monken checks in next after Cleveland’s 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Deshaun Watson was sacked five times and threw an interception, and Monken’s postgame comments did him no favors.
After reviewing the film, he said there were “really good things on film.” When asked whether players still support Watson, Monken answered, “they don’t have a choice.
This isn’t a debate.” That line is going to hang around him, especially with tank talk already surfacing in Cleveland after one Sunday.
Dan Quinn lands third after Washington’s 24-22 loss to Philadelphia. His record sits at 2-11 since Week 6 of last season, and the defense still looks stuck. Every loss makes the situation around Quinn tighter.
Shane Steichen is next after Indianapolis was blown out at home by the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts converted just 30 percent on third down, finished with 251 yards and turned it over twice on 12 drives. With Chris Ballard’s contract running through 2026 and no playoff berth in four years, there’s not much protection there.
Aaron Glenn is fifth even though the Jets beat Tennessee 23-10. Players backed him in the locker room, which helped soften the blow. But the schedule still has Cleveland, Miami, Las Vegas and Arizona ahead, so the heat only cooled a little.
Matt LaFleur rounds out the six after Green Bay let another late lead slip away against Minnesota. The Packers have now blown four double-digit leads in the last 12 months.
LaFleur took three points off the board in the fourth quarter, then watched a failed fourth-and-1 turn into a Minnesota score and a Packers collapse. A January extension gives him more breathing room than most of the others, but the repeated meltdowns still put his name in the conversation.
Some of these coaches were already on a 2026 firing watch earlier this year, and Week 1 only sped up the timeline. Baker Mayfield now gets Cleveland in Week 2 and has already warned his former team, setting up a matchup that will put two of these coaches under the microscope at once. Bowles, Monken, Quinn, Steichen, Glenn and LaFleur all head into Week 2 with less margin than they had seven days ago.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Just Got An Early Read On Quincy Williams Exit
Quincy Williams first game after leaving the Jets did not offer much encouragement for his new team. The linebacker, who signed with the Browns, was tagged with a low Pro Football Focus grade after Clevelands loss to the Jaguars, a rough debut that only sharpened the focus on how differently the Jets handled the spot he left behind.
New York answered Williams departure by bringing in Demario Davis, and the early returns have pointed the other way. Davis has already given the Jets linebacker room a steadier presence, while Williams fit in Cleveland is already being questioned in the wake of both his own performance and the Browns defensive troubles. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Home Opener Suddenly Comes With One Big Availability Concern
The Jets home opener against the Packers already had the feel of an early-season measuring stick, and Wednesdays injury reports added another layer of uncertainty. New York and Green Bay each released their Week 2 availability updates on Sept. 16, giving a first look at which players were able to practice and which ones spent the day limited or sidelined as the teams worked through the week.
For the Jets, the concern centers on several players listed as week-to-week, including Joseph Ossai, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Omar Cooper Jr., a reminder that the margin for error can shrink quickly in September. The Packers also had players limited or not practicing because of injuries, so the picture is still fluid as both sides move toward kickoff and try to sort out who will actually be ready for Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Jets May Have Found An Unexpected Edge Answer In Week 1
Braiden McGregors place on the Jets final roster already looked like a win for a young edge defender trying to carve out a role, and Week 1 only strengthened that case. In the victory over the Tennessee Titans, McGregor was on the field more than expected and made the most of the opportunity, giving New York a useful piece at a position group that needed help.
Pro Football Focus rewarded the performance with a 75.1 overall grade and a 77.2 run defense grade, both among the best single-game marks of his NFL career. The timing matters for the Jets, too, because the extra snaps came with Joseph Ossai still working his way back from injury, leaving McGregor with a chance to show he can be part of the solution if the rotation remains thin. [Read more 🡒]