The word is out: If you are an offensive coordinator, your job is not safe. In the weeks prior to the start of the 2009 regular season, three separate teams fired their offensive coordinators. With the first three games of the year now in the books, Todd Haley, Dick Jauron and Raheem Morris might be rethinking their preseason decisions.
Haley, the first-year head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey after just three preseason games, with Haley taking over control of his team's offense. At first glance, the move might have made sense: Gailey was a vestige of Herm Edwards' old regime, and Haley has had considerable experience calling plays, serving as the coordinator for the high-octane Arizona Cardinals' offense last season. In his two years with the team, Haley capitalized on Arizona's talented passing game, and as a result wideouts Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald all recorded over 1,000 yards receiving for the NFC champion Cardinals.
So far, however, Haley has not replicated his success in Kansas City. The Chiefs have started off 0-3, and their offense currently ranks 30th in yards per game and 24th in points per game.
Then there is Morris, the first-year head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During the offseason, Morris made the decision to hire former Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski as his offensive coordinator. But Jagodzinski was abruptly let go just 10 days before the start of the season, and the offense has subsequently sputtered. Though the Buccaneers managed to post at least 20 points in the first two weeks of the season, they turned in an abysmal performance against the New York Giants on Sunday, getting thoroughly dominated in a 24-0 rout. Tampa Bay was held without a first down until late in the third quarter and managed only 86 total yards on 36 plays from scrimmage — or about 2.4 yards per play.
Starting quarterback Byron Leftwich finished the game with putrid numbers — 7-of-16 for 22 yards and one interception — and was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of second-year pro Josh Johnson. The next day, Morris decided he had seen enough of Leftwich and promoted Johnson to the starting quarterback spot. Leftwich is not the only one to blame for the Bucs' offensive ineptitude against the G-Men, though, as Tampa Bays' running attack could only muster 2.8 yards per carry against New York — perhaps a sign of more significant offensive issues.
Heading north, the Buffalo Bills were the last team that made a rather stunning personnel change on offense prior to the start of the season, canning offensive coordinator Turk Schonert one day after their final preseason game. The 1-2 Bills would have a winning record right now had they not collapsed down the stretch in their season opener against the New England Patriots, so they are perhaps in better shape than the Chiefs or Bucs.
But on Sunday, the unthinkable happened: Newly acquired receiver Terrell Owens, whom Buffalo signed to a one-year contract this past offseason, was held without a catch for the first time in 185 games in the team's 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Buffalo has been the best of the three teams that decided to prematurely fire their offensive coordinators, but when Lee Evans and Owens combine for a mere four receptions and 31 yards against a mediocre Saints defense, something is clearly not clicking.
These three teams have combined for an aggregate record of 1-8 through the first three weeks of the regular season, making it easy to second-guess the decisions they made regarding their offensive coordinators. Apparently, there is not much that can be gained by firing an important member of a coaching staff early on in the season.
And that brings us to Daniel Snyder and his Washington Redskins.
The Redskins are currently 1-2 and are coming off a miserable 19-14 loss to the Detroit Lions, a team that had not won a game since the 2007 season. Even Washington's lone win this year was unimpressive, as it could only manage a 9-7 victory over the 0-3 St. Louis Rams.
The Redskins' lackluster start to the season has sparked rumors around the NFL that Snyder, the team's owner, is getting fed up with second-year head coach Jim Zorn. It is clear that Zorn is already on the hot seat, and there is speculation that the often impatient and irrational Snyder may give him the boot sooner rather than later and bring in one of the many big names waiting in the wings, such as Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden or Mike Shanahan.
Firing Zorn before season's end would be yet another puzzling move in the NFL coaching carousel. But if coaches around the league have learned anything so far in 2009, they should be looking over their shoulders week in and week out.
