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NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat and About to be Fired

By Bryce Olin

Nov 3, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton shake hands after the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets won the game 26-20. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton shake hands after the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets won the game 26-20. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh looks towards the scoreboard during a break in the action against the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh looks towards the scoreboard during a break in the action against the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the 49ers 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers

By all indications, Jim Harbaugh will not be returning as the coach of the San Francisco 49ers next season, and it honestly doesn’t make any sense to me.

I get that Harbaugh rubs guys the wrong way with his weirdo, blunt, always-mad, khaki-pants-wearing attitude, but he led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons with the team. This will be the only season the 49ers miss the playoffs under Harbaugh, and that’s because of injuries and off-the-field stuff than anything else.

Sure, Colin Kaepernick has looked awful this season and has only got worse as the season has gone on. Consider the circumstances, though. I found three:

  1. The offensive line is not playing half as well as they have in recent years and they haven’t had a center all season. Jonathon Goodwin, who had played center for the past three seasons, signed with New Orleans in free agency. Dan Kilgore, the replacement for Goodwin, broke his ankle early in the season.
  2. Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde haven’t been as effective as everyone thought they would. Call it the offensive line, or whatever, but San Francisco can’t run the ball with consistency.
  3. The 49ers really missed Aldon Smith, and they still miss Navarro Bowman, who hasn’t played this season after the gruesome knee injury he suffered last season.

Those three things are enough to derail your team and get the people talking about what the problems are.

As far as I’m concerned, Harabaugh is not the problem, but that doesn’t mean his job is safe.

Next: 1. Rex Ryan

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