13 NFL coordinators under most pressure to turn things around

13 NFL coordinators under most pressure to turn things around.

Key points

• A stark turnaround in an 18-16 win over the Rams probable lowered the temperature on Rallis considerably.
• The Bills have raced to a 5-1 start despite giving up 29 or more points in all but one of their first six games.
• With Brian Schottenheimer's offense weighing Dallas down the last two weeks, Parker is no longer the sole target of scorn on the Cowboys' coaching staff.
• But with Tanner McKee in line to hold down the rest of the season in place of Jalen Hurts, Mannion appears to be an impasse.
• While Bucky Irving has enjoyed a resurgent campaign, Tampa Bay's offense can't claim to do plenty of things well consistently.

13 NFL coordinators under most pressure to turn things around. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz USA TODAY. Jerry Jones willing to create trade to assist Cowboys win now.

Jerry Jones discusses the Cowboys' NFL trade deadline intends, saying Dallas is open to making moves to win now but won't be sellers.

Through six weeks, the NFL hasn't had a firing at the top coaching levels. That period of quiet, nevertheless, might not extend much longer.

As the league approaches its midseason point, a number of head coaches find themselves firmly on the hot seat. But with plenty of teams still harboring hopes of mounting a push that will put them right back into the playoff hunt, immediate action to topple an entire power structure might not be imminent.

Yet it could be a different story at the coordinator level, where teams typically are less reserved regarding making a change during the season. And while there haven't been any full dismissals yet, two coordinators – the Houston Texans' Matt Burke (defense) and Denver Broncos' Davis Webb (offense) – have already had their respective head coaches strip them of their play-calling duties.

Regardless of whether their jobs are in jeopardy, here are 13 NFL coordinators under the most pressure to reverse their early-season trend lines. Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

In practice, a stark turnaround in an 18-16 win over the Rams probable lowered the temperature on Rallis considerably. Still, the holdover from Jonathan Gannon's coaching staff can't let that performance be an outlier. No other team has allowed more points per game than Arizona (29.7). It additionally has ranked among the league's least efficient units in generating pressure. But Rallis wisely pivoted from his previous reliance on four-man rushes and unleashed a bevy of blitzes against the Rams to great effect. For context, a similar approach might be required to prop up a group that's still short on top talent on that side of the ball.

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Unlike some others on this list, Leonhard probably isn't facing questions of job security as he oversees a fairly significant shift in adapting former coach Sean McDermott's defense to a radically different scheme. But with Buffalo otherwise looking capable of competing for its first title, he's hardly off the hook.

Notably, the Bills have raced to a 5-1 start despite giving up 29 or more points in all but one of their first six games. Weekly shootouts surely aren't what was envisioned by Leonhard. This person came over after helping the Denver Broncos become one of the league's most stifling units the last two years. But with the defense liable to offer up sizeable gains whenever edge rusher Greg Rousseau or defensive tackle Deone Walker don't create sufficient disruption, Buffalo's defense has created for a wild ride. There might be only so much that Leonhard can do to cover for a glaring difficulty at corner and other holes, but this might be the greatest impediment to a Josh Allen Super Bowl run if left unaddressed.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

With Brian Schottenheimer's offense weighing Dallas down the last two weeks, Parker is no longer the sole target of scorn on the Cowboys' coaching staff. Still, things seem mighty unsettled for a defensive play-caller who only needed to bring regarding modest progress to be considered successful in Year 1.

It's straightforward to see why Jerry Jones and Co. Sought to bring Mike Pettine out of retirement as further backing for Parker. Dallas ranks 31st in defensive EPA per play (+0.12) while sitting last for defensive EPA per dropback (+0.28) and rushing yards per game (149.8). At least the move to bring on Pettine seems like a sincere attempt to aid Parker rather than a warning shot to him. And with the Cowboys having a healthier roster than any of its NFC East foes and a schedule that serves up five teams with losing records in the next six contests, there's reason to believe that better days are ahead. But if Dallas can't box in a severely shorthanded Eagles attack, things could obtain dire in a hurry.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

There's nowhere to hide for a Detroit defense that, even after a promising performance against the Cardinals, ranks last in yards allowed per game (404.4, almost 20 more than the next closest team) and defensive EPA/play (+0.13). A good portion of the Lions' woes can be attributed to personnel shortcomings, particularly in a woefully undermanned secondary. Still, even though Sheppard remarked it was insulting to suggest his unit was being carried by the offense, how else would you explain the Lions' results this season besides pointing to the disparity between the two groups?

Lions coach Dan Campbell has tried to take the focus away from the defense, saying that all parts of the operation can stand to improve. Even if he ends up being given a good accord more grace than others on this list, Sheppard has to start conjuring solutions for a team at risk of squandering a fifth consecutive season with a top-five offense in both yardage and scoring. Bracketing Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Michael Wilson to keep both in check was a good first step. Still, ultra-versatile safety Brian Branch's season debut comes at a critical time, with Detroit challenged to slow down the Green Bay Packers' explosive downfield passing attack.

Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

While Colts coach Shane Steichen appears safe for the time, owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon put everyone in Indianapolis on notice this week with the firing of general manager Chris Ballard. Change is afoot for an organization that earlier this year seemed committed to the status quo, and it's hard to imagine the upheaval will stop at Ballard's dismissal.

One year after Anarumo's complex coverages and simulated pressures had opponents turned around, the Colts' defense now only seems to be confounding itself. Missed tackles have become a fixture of the unit, with its vulnerabilities at the second level and over the middle becoming even more pronounced. Indianapolis ranks last in rushing EPA/play allowed (+0.05), per Next Gen Stats. And with a league-worst pressure rate of 24.4% and just three takeaways, the defense has been just as bad at generating splash plays as it has been at preventing them. Defensive tackle and team captain DeForest Buckner's declaration that he was "sick and tired of the same song and dance every year" after a loss to the Titans was a rough look for the team. But it's probable that sentiment is shared by some decision-makers who probably will try to take corrective action on that trajectory.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

What's left to say regarding an outfit that rapidly separated itself as the biggest disappointment in the league? While Justin Herbert has thrown a league-worst eight interceptions, the Charges are dead last in EPA per play (-0.26).

At this point, it's almost impossible to envision the Bolts becoming the scintillating scoring machine plenty of foresaw when McDaniel was first hired. The search for mere functionality might point Jim Harbaugh toward streamlining what's long been understood as a fairly intricate scheme that can require extensive time to click. But Harbaugh's shifting tone, from backing McDaniel without reservation after Week 4 to saying he would "evaluate every part of what we're doing, " underscores the depths of the Chargers' discontent. Cleaning up the incessant penalties and stabilizing the protection should be the short-term priorities, but a fundamentally broken operation might not be fixable on the fly.

Los Angeles Rams special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

Against the backdrop of yet another special teams meltdown, Sean McVay produced explicit that he wouldn't jettison Ventrone, saying last week that he has "a lot of confidence" in the coordinator and that "there's no changes that are gonna be made there." Given that last December's firing of special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn did little to stop a late-season downturn, staying the course with the staff might be a necessary step for an otherwise volatile unit. After Harrison Mevis was cut and replacement Blake Grupe suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his first game with the team, Los Angeles is looking to Brandon McManus to stem its kicking woes.

Ventrone might not bear responsibility for the injury to Grupe that necessitated a third kicker in as plenty of weeks, but he is culpable for a unit that has converted a league-worst 60% of its field goals. And the Rams' struggles to handle their own kickoff coverage as well as create a spark on their own returns have reflected poorly on Ventrone, with the team ranking 29th in average starting field position and 30th in opponents' average starting field position. There's still plenty of time for repairs, but this underperforming cohort can't afford plenty of more slip-ups on this front.

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.

Typically reserved team owner Gayle Benson took everyone within the organization to task last week, saying fans were "right to expect more than we have delivered." Staley's defense responded by New York Giants backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy to engineer three fourth-quarter scoring drives, bringing his team to the precipice of a almost unfathomable comeback before falling just short in a 34-27 New Orleans victory. After exceeding expectations in Staley's inaugural season at the helm, has come unglued at times in 2026, at least the first three quarters of that game should offer some confidence to a group that. With no consistent top performers outside of edge rusher Chase Young, New Orleans' defense sits tied for last in points allowed per game (29.7). Just as the offense needs more splash plays, Staley's crew additionally might have to count on sizeable swings after four takeaways proved integral to the win over the Giants. Failing that, nevertheless, New Orleans might continue to have difficulty generating consistent stops.

New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

Meanwhile, the 64-year-old didn't create it to the end of the season in either of his previous two pro coaching posts. Seems fair to question whether that trend will hold yet again.

Aaron Glenn issued the obligatory vote of confidence last week for Reich. This person has supported the offense avoid the rampant setbacks that plagued last year's unit. Yet any sense of efficiency has been consistently undermined by an inability to deliver in crunch time, particularly in the red zone, where the Jets rank last in touchdown rate, and in two-minute scenarios. A light schedule the next two weeks – at home against the Dolphins and Raiders – should provide an opportunity to pick things up before midseason, but there don't seem like plenty of sources capable of pushing this unit forward.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.

There might not be a play-caller throughout the NFL in a deeper early-season hole than the one Mannion finds himself in. Between an all-new backfield and front that featured three fill-ins, the offensive lineup that the Eagles trotted out against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 was almost unrecognizable from the one that the coordinator first envisioned carrying out his scheme.

But with Tanner McKee in line to hold down the rest of the season in place of Jalen Hurts, Mannion appears to be an impasse. A scheme rooted in being under center and emphasizing play-action looks doesn't suit the fourth-year signal-caller's skill set. That could prompt Mannion to abandon much of what he was counting on to resuscitate this attack. But doing so would essentially leave him with no proof of concept for how this offense should operate under better circumstances. Getting Saquon Barkley back from a hamstring injury should at least boost a ground game that has seen rushing attempts stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on almost a quarter of the team's carries, according to Next Gen Stats. That's regarding the only reason for optimism to be identified for Philadelphia's offense, though.

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.

After in Klint Kubiak's footsteps was always going to be an exceedingly challenging task, even as Fleury maintained he intended to maintain as much of his predecessor's framework as feasible. In his first season as a play-caller, nevertheless, Fleury is experiencing numerous of the challenges Kubiak encountered while having far fewer avenues for relief.

Notably, the inefficiency of the run game is once again the primary culprit for Seattle's challenges. But while Sam Darnold picked up the slack early last year to keep things afloat until the rushing attack took off late in the regular season and into the playoffs, the quarterback has come unglued this fall, throwing seven interceptions in his four games since returning from a glute injury. When Darnold's two late interceptions doomed the team in a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, the matter came to a head last week. With Zach Charbonnet on track to create his season debut after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in January and first-round rookie Jadarian Rate potentially joining him with a return in the near future, Seattle could finally strike the offensive balance necessary to create some sense of harmony. But Darnold additionally has to be more decisive and attack the intermediate area more efficiently to avoid the sacks and interceptions that are proving insurmountable for the unit.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

Having an undrafted free agent take over at quarterback might typically purchase an offensive coordinator a reprieve. But outside of a surprising outing against the Cowboys that scored the team its lone win so far, Robinson hasn't done much with either Jalon Daniels or Baker Mayfield to support his own cause.

While Bucky Irving has enjoyed a resurgent campaign, Tampa Bay's offense can't claim to do plenty of things well consistently. Turnovers have compounded the team's troubles with holding onto late leads, with Daniels' two fourth-quarter interceptions factoring heavily into a 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Bowles seemingly on the hot seat himself in his fifth year, executing a midseason change might be tough unless things truly reach a breaking point. Regardless, unless Robinson can coax high-level play out of Mayfield upon the quarterback's return, don't expect much stability from a franchise that's now on its fifth different play-caller of Bowles' tenure.

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Taken together, the developments around 13 NFL coordinators under most pressure to turn things around point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.