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Hot Seat Index: New York's Todd Bowles is already on shaky ground, but should he be?

As Monday night games go, the game between the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets didn’t hold much appeal: the Colts have lost a lot of their luster since appearing in the AFC title game after the 2014 season, and the Jets came into the night at 3-8.

And then the game started, and most Jets players looked like they didn’t want to be playing any more than some people wanted to be watching an uninspired matchup. They were down 14-0 after the first quarter, 24-3 at the half, 34-3 after three quarters and lost 41-10.

Head coach Todd Bowles pulled quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second half and inserted second-year QB Bryce Petty. And after the game he announced that Petty, who made his first start three weeks ago against the Los Angeles Rams, will start the final four games of the season.

Trying times: Some reporters are already calling for Todd Bowles to lose his job as head coach of the Jets. (Getty Images)
Trying times: Some reporters are already calling for Todd Bowles to lose his job as head coach of the Jets. (Getty Images)

Somewhat predictably, the New York Daily News and New York Post were calling for Bowles to be fired after the Monday night debacle. This is Bowles’ second season as head coach, and the Jets are 13-15 in that time. Team owner Woody Johnson fired general manager John Idzik after just two seasons, and as noted by Newsday beat reporter Kimberley Martin, Johnson can be heavily influenced by fans and media, and if the chorus of voices calling for Bowles’ job gets louder over the next few weeks, Johnson could pull the plug after only 32 games.

Should Bowles be fired so quickly?

The Jets are 3-9 at this point and insured of a sub-.500 season. Fitzpatrick, who was mostly serviceable last season, has been mostly terrible this season, with just 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Jets’ defense, which has been a strength in recent years, has struggled; already New York has given up 307 points, and last year it gave up 314 all season. While the Jets are doing well against the run, they aren’t faring as well against the pass.

The Jets were 10-6 last year, losing out on a playoff spot on the final day of the season when Fitzpatrick imploded against the Buffalo Bills.

When teams draft players, it’s best to wait three years before declaring them a bust. Head coaches should get the same amount of time.

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On the Hot Seat

Gus Bradley, Jacksonville: Another week, another loss, this time to the visiting Denver Broncos, the seventh straight defeat for the Jaguars. Jacksonville is 14-46 with Bradley as head coach.

GM Dave Caldwell, Jacksonville: He hired Bradley, he drafted Blake Bortles. At this point, it seems safe to say he’s 0-for-2.

GM Trent Baalke, San Francisco: The 49ers have lost 11 straight games after a poor performance in the Chicago snow on Sunday, against Bears third-string quarterback Matt Barkley, no less.

Seat’s Getting Warm

Todd Bowles, New York Jets: Bowles at least knew what he’d gotten himself into when he accepted his first NFL head coaching job, telling reporters after the loss to the Colts, “You know your job is in jeopardy when you take one of these jobs.”

Texans general manager Rick Smith might be regretting his big quarterback signing. (Getty Images)
Texans general manager Rick Smith might be regretting his big quarterback signing. (Getty Images)

GM Rick Smith, Houston: Texans owner Bob McNair wants critics to leave quarterback Brock Osweiler alone. Assuming we’ll go along with that, can we criticize Smith, who opted to sign Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract without meeting him in person? The Texans have lost three straight, falling to 6-6 in a bad division.

Seat Should be Scalding but Somehow it’s Not

Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles: They. Gave. Him. An. Extension. An extension! Eric Dickerson wonders who Fisher has pictures of, but having an agent who is the father of one of your bosses probably can’t hurt either.

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