Week 12 of the season has arrived, getting an early start to the week with three games on Thanksgiving Day, and a Black Friday game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Even so, there were still plenty of games to be watched on Sunday. Teams are looking to climb up the playoff standings, while others are waiting for free agency and the NFL Draft.
When it comes to the teams that lost, you can't help but look at the head coaches. After Week 12, here are three coaches who can be considered to be on the hot seat.
Bill Belichick and Patriots lose to Giants and third-string QB Tommy DeVito
How the might have fallen. The New England Patriots went from the most dominant organization this century with six Super Bowl titles to show for it. But in the post-Tom Brady era, the Patriots have struggled to find that previous success. It's hard to look past the horrendous quarterback situation the team is in, but things fall at the feet of head coach Bill Belichick.
There have been reports suggesting that Patriots owner Robert Kraft could choose to move on from Belichick if the season continues to spiral out of control. Well, losing to the New York Giants in Week 12 can certainly considered extending said fall from grace.
The Patriots offense was held to just seven points by the Giants defense, who secured three interceptions total from quarterbacks Mac Jones (twice) and Bailey Zappe (once). But that doesn't mean the Patriots weren't completely out of it. They nearly forced overtime, but needed Chad Ryland to make a 35-yard field goal. Instead, Ryland shanked the kick wide left and secured the 10-7 loss.
New England is now in a prime position to potentially select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. But will Belichick be there to take one of them? If the team continues to lose, all eyes will be on the offseason to see if Kraft tells Belichick that he's moving on.
Ron Rivera's seat is hot after Thanksgiving loss to Cowboys
The Washington Commanders have not taken that leap in 2023 like many had anticipated they would. Since arriving in the D.C. area, head coach Ron Rivera has not led the team to a winning season. The chances of finishing above .500 in 2023 looks very slim following Thanksgiving Day.
Washington took on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday afternoon, looking to pull off an upset. They had given teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks a fight this season, maybe they could do so against the Cowboys. Yeah, no.
The Commanders were embarrassed, losing 45-10. It was so bad, that the Cowboys were literally eating Thanksgiving turkey on the sidelines before the game was even over. The offense couldn't capitalize on opportunities, as they failed to successfully convert all three of their fourth-down attempts. In fact, the offense dominated the time of possession, having the football for over 36 minutes. And they had 10 points to show for it.
The following day, the Commanders announced they fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer. After firing assistant coaches, especially a coordinator, the onus will be on the head coach for how the team performs the rest of the way. Not to mention the Commanders have a new owner in Josh Harris, who would seemingly like to hire his own head coach.
Either way, the seat is hot for Rivera.
Frank Reich is looking like he's one-and-done with Panthers after loss to Titans
There could be a one-and-done situation with the Carolina Panthers. The team hired Frank Reich this offseason to be their head coach and help turn the franchise around and develop their franchise quarterback. It certainly made sense, considering how much success Reich had at working with quarterbacks during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Through 12 weeks, it's not working out.
The offense is struggling, as they don't have a top wide receiver, their offensive line can't adequately handle defensive pressure, and first-overall pick Bryce Young hasn't been able to catch on thus far. Ahead of Week 12, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that Reich's job will be evaluated in the offseason.
In Week 12, the Panthers faced off against the Tennessee Titans and Will Levis, a quarterback the Panthers passed on in the NFL Draft. The Titans would secure the 17-10 win after the Panthers failed to convert on a fourth-and-six after Young's pass short of the sticks to wide receiver D.J. Chark resulted in no gain.
Overall, the Panthers picked up just 258 yards of offense on 67 plays. Young threw for just 194 yards while completing 18-of-31 pass attempts.
In case you were curious what Panthers owner David Tepper thought of the team's 10th loss of the season, here you have it, courtesy of Sheena Quick of FOX Sports Radio 1340.
The season has been a nightmare for the Panthers. They have the worst record in the NFL and have no first-round pick to show for it, as they traded it to the Chicago Bears last year to move up to the No. 1 pick to select Young. Maybe an increase in production from Young and the offense as a whole could help save Reich's job. Now, it's looking bleak for the former Indianapolis Colts sideline boss.
