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

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CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 10: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns is seen in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 10, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

. . . Cleveland Browns Hue Jackson. 1. team. 53

And the No. 1 head coach on our list of coaches on the NFL hot seat this season? None other than the Cleveland Browns’ Hue Jackson.

Let’s be fair to Jackson for a second here. He inherited a dumpster fire of a team in 2016 and didn’t do much better with it the following season, going a mere 1-31 over that two-year stretch. And with the 2-2-1 record to start 2018, it’s crazy to think how Jackson is now having his best campaign during his Cleveland tenure.

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CBS Sports’ Sean Wagner-McGough explained why Jackson still winds up on the hot seat:

"Even when they find ways to win, it looks like they’re trying to lose. The game-winning field goal, which came at the very end of overtime, barely fluttered over the crossbar [in Week 5 versus the Baltimore Ravens]. On the sideline, it legitimately looked like Jackson wasn’t aware the game was over. His win-loss record speaks for itself. Keep in mind, general manager John Dorsey inherited Jackson. He didn’t hire him."

If anything is going to save Jackson’s job beyond 2018, it’s going to be the play of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has already provided a much-needed spark to what was otherwise an inept Browns offense.

Even if Mayfield finishes strong, however, Dorsey and Co. may still be inclined to admit Jackson isn’t the right coach for the job.

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And if things continue to falter, Jackson may wind up being on the outs before Week 17.