NFL Hot Seat: Week 8

With another week of the NFL in the books, some seats continue to get hotter. Some would say they’re even burning. However, as more games are played, new problems reveal themselves for certain teams.

This week, three new faces have seen their seats heat up if you will. Here are our picks after Week 8.

Dom’s Pick: Jerod Mayo, HC, New England Patriots

Jerod Mayo was hired just this offseason to be the head coach of the lowly New England Patriots. They’ve accrued a combined record of 31-44 since the departure of Tom Brady.

Mayo had some big shoes to fill after six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick left the team in the offseason.

He has far from righted the ship. New England currently sports a 2-6 record after squeaking out a victory against the Jets on Sunday.

The Patriots have struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. Their offense, which had low expectations entering the year, has somehow played worse than expected, putting 124 points on the board (29th in the NFL).

The defense was supposed to be the bright spot for New England but has allowed 24.6 points per game.

The team was never expected to contend this season. But, Mayo has not given fans any hope for optimism.

Following a recent loss to the Jaguars, he referred to the team as being “soft.” As a 38-year-old head coach addressing the media after just his seventh game, he’s not going to win over his players or the fanbase by speaking like that.

Being in just his first year at the helm, Mayo will have a longer leash than other head coaches on the hot seat. But, if he plans on finding any semblance of long-term success in New England, something is going to need to change, and fast.

Alex’s Pick: Anthony Richardson, QB, Colts

After an impressive rookie season, expectations were high for Anthony Richardson heading into his sophomore season. Many thought with Richardson back and healthy, he would be able to take the next big step.

Even though the Colts are 4-4, which is nothing to be ashamed of, Richardson’s recent performances have raised concern. So far this season, the Colts quarterback has thrown for 200 yards in a game just once.

On the year, Richardson also has more interceptions than touchdowns thrown. In his most recent game, against the Houston Texans, Richardson had a rating under 50 for the third time this season.

This showing was a contributing factor to the Colts 23-20 loss over the weekend versus the Texans. After the game, Richardson even admitted to feeling tired during the game.

These comments were not taken by the media lightly, as Richardson has faced harsh criticism because of them. To make matters worse, the Colts announced earlier this week that Richardson would be benched for their next game against the Minnesota Vikings in favor of veteran Joe Flacco.

On the year, Flacco is 2-1 in three starts with Indianapolis. After a successful return to the NFL last season, the now 39-year-old Flacco will get another shot to perform.

Owen’s Pick: Kyle Shanahan, HC, 49ers

This 49ers team can’t hold a lead. It’s either a stressful win or it’s an utter collapse, and as a 49ers fan, the first man you have to point to is head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Every time the 49ers blow a lead, I would think Shanahan would learn, but he never does. He hasn’t taken accountability for anything in his coaching career.

This season against the Cardinals, he laid a goose egg in the second half. Against the Rams, he allowed Sean McVay to get the best of him again.

He lacks the ability to make halftime adjustments. They finally made great adjustments when faced with the six-man pressure against the Cowboys this past week, allowing Brock Purdy to feel more comfortable as the game progressed.

However, on the final important drive of the game, he calls a pass play on second and short, where Cowboys linebacker DeMarion Overshown blasted Purdy in the backfield for a sack.

Shanahan loves running the ball effectively until it gets to the fourth quarter when he decides to not run the ball in blatant running situations.

The start of the season was looked at to be the easier half of the 49ers schedule, but they barely came out alive. Realistically, they should be 6-2 yet they are 4-4 heading into their bye as they await the toughest stretch of their season.

They play the Packers and the Bills back-to-back weeks in the ice cold and the Lions in their home finale in Week 17.

Even after a win, and even though the NFC West has weakened over recent years, this isn’t a team that is looking to just win the division, this is a team fighting to become Super Bowl champions.

The 49ers offense has become CMC dependent and it scares me. There's no saying if they can turn the season around.

This second half of the season is where Shanahan will need to prove he is up to the challenge and capable of moving on from past failures.

Dominick Pizzelanti is a second-year dual majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email dqp5565@psu.edu.

Alex Harkins is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arh6278@psu.edu.

Owen Daszko is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email opd5073@psu.edu.