Five NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Leslie Frazier (pictured above) is one of many coaches entering the 2012 season on the hot seat.

By Wesley Kaminsky

Every year in the NFL, coaches get fired. There’s no way around it. When a team is struggling, the blame falls to the head coach.

Last season, Steve Spagnuolo, Tony Sparano, Raheem Morris, Tony Haley, Jack Del Rio, Hue Jackson, and Jim Caldwell were among those who were given the boot. No surprise, none of those teams made the playoffs.

Which coaches have a lot of pressure on them this year? Here is my two cents.

No.5: Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Since taking over as interim coach in 2010 for Brad Childress, the Vikings haven’t seen much improvement from Leslie Frazier. After going 3-3 in 2010, Frazier got his interim tag removed, becoming the head coach of the Vikings.

In his first full season in Minnesota, the Vikings had their worst season since 1984, going 3-13. After starting the season with Donovan McNabb at quarterback, the Vikings quickly fell to 1-5. Needing a spark, Frazier turned to rookie Christian Ponder. Ponder managed to go just 2-8 in his rookie season and will be the starting quarterback in 2012.

If Ponder isn’t the answer for the Vikings, that could also very well mean the end for Frazier. With Adrian Peterson coming off of a torn ACL and MCL, you have to wonder if he’ll be the same. If the Vikings start this season slow again, don’t be surprised if he gets fired. Be careful, Leslie.

Final Verdict: Leslie Frazier gets fired halfway through the season.

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Caldwell’s Time To Shine

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. All eyes are focused on Jim Caldwell (right) and the Indianapolis Colts as they head into the opener without their franchise player, Peyton Manning (left).

By Andrew McNeil

Who has had the sweetest gig in the NFL since 2009? Most people would say Jim Caldwell. He inherited a former Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts team with its core still intact, more importantly the team had Peyton Manning as their quarterback. Manning is frequently referred to as the teams “coach on the field” or it’s Offensive Coordinator due to his in-depth knowledge of the playbook and his infamous routine at the line of scrimmage where he chooses a play to call from a set of three. This relieved an immense amount of pressure off of Caldwell and allowed him to not become overwhelmed with the pressure of being a NFL head coach.