5 NFL head coaches on the hot seat after Week 16

Will the Vikings rip the Mike Zimmer band-aid off if they miss the NFC playoffs?

The Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a relatively similar situation with their head coach Mike Zimmer as the Broncos do with Fangio. Interestingly enough, Minnesota is where Paton came from before taking over the Denver front office. Though the Vikings had great success with Zimmer, it might be time for a change of Minnesota fails to get in as a NFC Wild Card team.

The biggest difference between Minnesota and Denver is the Vikings have a proven commodity at quarterback, albeit a limited one in Kirk Cousins. Minnesota has more on-field talent than Denver, but the results have been similar. A change at the helm might help close the gap on the Green Bay Packers, while the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions are clearly in rebuilding modes in-division.

Doubt has to have entered David Tepper’s mind about Matt Rhule as head coach

While it usually takes two or three years for Matt Rhule to get a team right, we have to wonder if Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has the patience to give his head coach a third year on the job. After a promising 3-0 start, the Panthers have lost 10 of their last 12 games. The quarterback play has been horrendous and wunderkind offensive coordinator Joe Brady has already been fired.

Though the Panthers play in the same division as the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it is not like the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints have been world beaters. Even if Atlanta and New Orleans do not reach the playoffs, they are still alive entering Week 17, something the 5-10 Panthers cannot claim. Is Rhule’s reign in the Queen City coming to an end?

Though Zimmer and Rhule might be looking for new jobs, they have a better chance at retaining their posts than these two other head coaches.