Niner Noise
FanSided

5 NFL coaches on the hot seat down the stretch of 2017 season

By Peter Panacy

GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 12: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns looks to the scoreboard in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on August 12, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 12: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns looks to the scoreboard in the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on August 12, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders watches from the sidelines as his team plays the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 1, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Oakland Raiders watches from the sidelines as his team plays the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 1, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders

2017 Record: 3-5, Fourth in AFC West

Like the Giants, the Oakland Raiders have turned into one of the biggest disappointments this season.

Granted, their 2017 schedule wasn’t going to be easy. And playing in the tough AFC West doesn’t help matters much. But Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio can’t be sleeping too easily after a 3-5 start to the season after such lofty expectations entering the year.

The thing here is Del Rio is a defensive-minded head coach. Oakland’s defense, even after spending its first three NFL Draft picks in back-to-back years on defensive players, ranks 23rd in points allowed (190) and 26th in yards against (2,855).

After a 12-4 finish last year and quick playoff exit, thanks largely due to the season-ending leg break suffered by quarterback Derek Carr, 2017 was supposed to mark the time where Del Rio’s Raiders turned the tide within the division and stormed deep into the postseason.

As things go right now, they’ll be lucky to even get in.

I heard grumblings from Raiders fans saying Del Rio is the NFL’s equivalent to the NBA’s Mark Jackson with the Golden State Warriors — a good head coach, capable of turning a program around, but not able to take the next step towards a championship.

The Warriors replaced Jackson with Steve Kerr in 2014, and that worked out well. Perhaps Oakland winds up doing the same in 2018.