Steve Wilks Favored to be Next Coach Fired After Week 14
- Odds now say Steve Wilks is the strongest candidate to be fired
- Plenty of coaches recently fired one year after drafting first-round QB
- The best bet on who will be given a pink slip first
Despite holding the job for less than a year, Arizona’s Steve Wilks is the favorite to be the next NFL head coach fired.
This is a change from their projections last week when it looked like Todd Bowles was next to be canned; a victory in Buffalo silenced the critics – for now.
Is Wilks really in that much danger in his first season at the helm?
Odds on Next NFL Head Coach to be Fired
| Head Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Steve Wilks | +200 |
| Marvin Lewis | +300 |
| Todd Bowles | +350 |
| Dirk Koetter | +400 |
| Ron Rivera | +500 |
| Vance Joseph | +1000 |
| Adam Gase | +2000 |
Steve Wilks Having Ghastly First Year with Cardinals
To say Arizona has had a rough first year under Wilks would be an understatement – they’re tied with San Francisco and Oakland for worst record in the NFL.
Two of their three wins have come at the expense of the hapless 49ers, and the other was a shocking win over Green Bay that ran Mike McCarthy out of town.
#Lions Darius Slay with a pick-six of #Cardinals rookie Josh Rosenpic.twitter.com/GaSGHDdusl
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 9, 2018
The Cardinals are dead last in total yards, and it’s not even close!
They’re a full 645 yards behind the second worst team – Buffalo. They fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy with the development of rookie first-rounder Josh Rosen moving at a glacial pace (10 TD, 12 INT), and 2016 First-Team All-Pro Running back David Johnson has just one 100-yard rushing game all season.
Josh Rosen seen yawning on the sidelines as the Cardinals offense looks inept. Down 27-0 late 3rd quarter at the Rams. pic.twitter.com/Dpzuq06ykn
— Jason Barr KGUN (@JasonBarrTV) September 16, 2018
What’s also brutal is Steve Wilks’ expertise is on the defensive side of the ball, and the Cards are just a league-average D as well.
Coaches Fired in First Year with 1st-Round Rookie QB’s
The NFL moves fast and in the last four years there have been plenty of coaches axed within the first season of drafting a first round quarterback – a stat Wilks is obviously hoping to not add to.
Recent Coaches Fired with Rookie 1st-Round QB’s
| Year | Coach |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Lovie Smith (Buccaneers – Winston) |
| 2015 | Ken Whisenhunt (Titans – Mariota) |
| 2016 | Jeff Fisher (Rams – Goff) |
| 2016 | Gary Kubiak (Broncos – Lynch)* |
| 2017 | John Fox (Bears – Trubisky) |
| 2018 | Hue Jackson (Browns – Mayfield) |
*Kubiak resigned after winning Super Bowl
That’s an extensive list and that doesn’t even include other coaches who could be let go soon with first year signal callers in tow, like Todd Bowles, Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, potentially Sean McDermott in Buffalo, and of course Wilks in Arizona.
The coach most likely to be fired first
Considering there’s two coaches favored over him to be fired first, the best value is still on Todd Bowles with the Jets.
One meaningless victory against the Bills won’t change a whole lot in the long-term. Expect him to get his pink slip soon, perhaps as early as this Saturday after the Texans will surely lambaste New York.
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
