Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL hot seat: 5 coaches likely to get fired by the end of 2018

By Peter Panacy

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns looks on in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns looks on in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos reacts in the first half of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens won 27-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos reacts in the first half of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens won 27-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

. . . Denver Broncos Vance Joseph. 2. team. 45

It was a bit shocking to see the Denver Broncos tab former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to be head coach in 2017. After all, Joseph’s defense in Miami the year before was atrocious despite having more than enough talent on that side of the ball.

Whatever you say, John Elway.

Elway stood by Joseph despite the rookie coach’s 5-11 inaugural season, and it’s never a terrible idea to display some sort of continuity. Heck, the Broncos likely wanted to avoid the same kind of situation the 49ers put themselves in between 2014 and 2017, having four different head coaches over that four-year stretch.

Last year certainly was a disappointment for Joseph and the Broncos. But so many of Denver’s problems stemmed from inadequate quarterbacking — something Elway and Co. hoped to resolve by signing former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Case Keenum in free agency.

Has it helped?

Well, the Broncos have the 26th-best scoring offense on the season, and their defense ranks 22nd in that same category. So, perhaps not.

The Joseph experiment might be coming to an end after this season, especially if Denver can’t find a way to contend in what is no longer considered to be a vaunted AFC West.