Lynn, Shurmur & Kitchens Favored to Be Fired Before 2020, Quinn Safe
- Books are offering odds that three current head coaches will be fired prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season
- Anthony Lynn (-150) of the Los Angeles Chargers, Pat Shurmur (-175) of the New York Giants and Freddie Kitchens (-150) of the Cleveland Browns are all favored to be fired
- Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons, expected to be dismissed for much of the season, is now given -300 odds not to be fired
Is Anthony Lynn about to get the ziggy from the Los Angeles Chargers? Will the New York Giants opt not to stand with Pat Shurmur? Is the heat on Cleveland’s Freddie Kitchens?
It’s that time of the year when the elite NFL teams are prepping for postseason play. Meanwhile, the league’s weaker squads and licking their wounds and seeking to turn it around.
Some will opt to hit the reset button as part of their rebuild, and that could mean some coaches will be out of work.
Oddsmakers consider there to be three NFL head coaches that are definitely in dire straits. They’re offering -150 odds that the Chargers will jettison Lynn and the Browns will clean out Kitchens. The line is -175 that the Giants will shed themselves of Shurmur.
Odds Which NFL Coaches Will Be Fired Before Week 1 of 2020 Season
| Coach (Team) | Yes Odds | No Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Shurmur (Giants) | -175 | +135 |
| Anthony Lynn (Chargers) | -150 | +110 |
| Freddie Kitchens (Browns) | -150 | +110 |
| Dan Quinn (Falcons) | +200 | -300 |
Odds taken on Dec. 24th
Meanwhile, a 5-2 second half of the season appears to have saved Dan Quinn’s job with the 6-9 Atlanta Falcons.
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett also continues to be in hot water and it’s speculated that he’ll be fired at season’s end.
Shurmur’s Shelf Life Up?
Last season, his first in charge of the Giants, Shurmur opened 1-7. But a 4-4 second half was good enough to earn him a second season in charge.
The faith of the Giants was not rewarded. This season, New York has endured a franchise record-tying nine-game losing streak. The Giants are 4-11.
Watching Pat Shurmur coach is much more fun when you are rooting against his team
— Clem (@TheClemReport) December 22, 2019
Late-season wins over the dismal Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins should prove immaterial. The Giants lost to the Cardinals, Lions, Jets and Bears. None will finish with a winning record.
In Shurmur’s second season, the Giants got worse. That should be all for him.
Pick: Yes (-175)
Lynn Listing in the Wind
Much was expected of the Chargers. They were 12-4 last season and won a playoff game. But this season, they started badly, kept losing and never recovered.
It wasn’t just that they lost. It was how ineptly they lost. The Chargers made mental mistakes and looked unprepared. They resembled a poorly-coached team.
Anthony Lynn: "I don't believe in doing the same thing and getting the same results. I can tell you that. There will be some adjustments. We'll see how many. But yeah, it sucks. My first losing season as a head coach. Very frustrating for me, and I don't plan on doing it again."
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) December 24, 2019
On the one hand, it’s Lynn’s first losing season. But as the franchise moves into the new SoFi Stadium in LA, the Chargers will want something to hype entering the season. A new coach, perhaps even a new quarterback, would deliver that excitement needed to sell tickets.
Lynn is a good coach who’s in a bad spot.
Pick: Yes (-150)
Kitchens Browns Out
Speaking of expectations, there are the Browns. In the late winter, Cleveland, a team one season removed from one win over two seasons, was given the seventh-best odds to win the Super Bowl.
Kitchens took care of that in a hurry. A season-opening 43-13 setback at home to Tennessee set the tone. Kitchens had never previously been a head coach at any level, and it showed.
Freddie Kitchens has got to go. There's no way around it. #Browns pic.twitter.com/cCJ3E11cDC
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 22, 2019
He looked overwhelmed by the responsibility of being an NFL head coach. His play-calling, decision-making and game-management skills were at times baffling.
Cleveland can’t afford to give him a second chance to prove he now knows what he’s doing.
Pick: Yes (-150).
Is Quinn Truly Safe?
The thinking is that a 5-2 second half has assured Quinn of another season in Atlanta. However, Falcons owner Arthur Blank went on the record this week insisting he’s undecided about Quinn’s future.
If Dan Quinn gets credit for team being 5-2 in second half, he needs to get blame for going 1-7 in first half with similar roster. https://t.co/x0jxkcS2ii
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) December 23, 2019
Atlanta is 24-25 since blowing a 25-point lead to New England in the Super Bowl. The last two seasons, the Falcons started 1-4 and 1-7.
Closing the barn door after the cows get out isn’t an effective method of job security.
Pick: Yes (+200)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
