We're already almost a third of the way through the 2023 NFL season, which means coaches can't really explain away losses with "Well it's early" for much longer.
The sample size is large enough to truly take stock of which teams just started slow and which teams actually have major issues to sort out. And since a lot of that rides on the head coach, there's enough information to say which coaches deserve to be under a microscope.
So which seats are heating up in the NFL after Week 5? Let's take a look.
3. Bill Belichick, Patriots
Who would have thought Bill Belichick would end up here? To be clear, the New England Patriots actually firing Belichick is unthinkable. But that doesn't mean he's free from the heat that has to be building up under his chair.
Belichick and the Patriots have missed the playoffs two of the last three seasons and haven't won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII with Tom Brady at the helm. The likelihood of this team making the playoffs is extremely low given the 1-4 start.
To be fair, New England has faced a tough slate. Most teams wouldn't make it through the Eagles, Dolphins, Jets, Cowboys and Saints with a winning record. Having said that, the record is one thing. The level of performance is the bigger issue.
The Patriots have been outscored 72-3 in their last two games. Sunday's loss to the Saints was the second shutout in Belichick's tenure. It was the second-worse loss in his New England career to only the week before against Dallas.
Things have deteriorated rapidly for Belichick and company on both sides of the ball. They're devoid of confidence.
2. Mike Vrabel, Titans
Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans are a season removed from a 12-5 season, so the warming of his seat isn't a dire situation yet. Still, the current trajectory of Tennessee under Vrabel is worth discussing.
This season, the Titans are 2-3. They're sitting in last place in the AFC South. The Jaguars look like they're on the rise. The Colts' prospects are growing with Jonathan Taylor locked into a new contract and Anthony Richardson looking promising. The Texans may have hit the jackpot with CJ Stroud.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is sticking with Ryan Tannehill, who has the second-worst QBR in the league this year, despite using a third-round pick on Malik Willis and a second-rounder on Will Levis in the last two drafts.
The Titans are an inconsistent squad. They struggle in the red zone. Their run defense is suspect. Vrabel is missing the mark in too many areas to feel comfortable right now.
As one Twitter user said, Vrabel may just be Jeff Fisher with good marketing.
1. Brian Daboll, Giants
Brian Daboll is the reigning AP NFL Coach of the Year. He shouldn't be on the hot seat. But where else could he be after a 1-4 start in 2023?
It's not just that the New York Giants have lost four games already. The losses themselves have been embarrassing. They're averaging a deficit of 23.5 points in their losses. Even if you take out the 40-point drubbing at the hands of the Cowboys to open the season, each of New York's losses has been by at least two touchdowns.
In Week 5, the Giants were 12.5-point underdogs to the Dolphins. Miami is having an outstanding season, but being a double-digit underdog in the NFL is far from the norm. It had as much to do with New York's deficiencies as Miami's strengths.
And Daboll's team was certainly deficient in that game. Up 14-0 early, the Dolphins essentially played with their food the rest of the way. A 102-yard pick-six made the 31-16 result look closer than it was.
Right now, Daboll is living on that playoff win over a Vikings team that we can all acknowledge was incredibly flawed.
Since starting last season 6-1, the Giants are 4-10-1 in their last 15 regular season games.
