The NFL is a tough business, especially for head coaches.
Whenever certain teams have bad starts to the season, their fans are ready to get rid of their head coach.
Heading into this season there are a few names that could be on the hot seat.
Some of these coaches have teams will high expectations and some have not won many games in their tenures.
Here are the three coaches that need to get off to a fast start in 2022 or they could be on their way out.
3. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
This is the most unlikely of the three coaches because McCarthy is coming off of a season where his team won 12 games.
But, the poor performance in their first playoff game makes this season a big one for McCarthy.
The Cowboys have struggled with making the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
Dallas has not appeared in the playoffs in back-to-back years since the ’06-’07 playoffs.
Now, McCarthy is tasked with completing that same goal.
Making the playoffs consistently is nothing new to McCarthy.
When he was in Green Bay he made the playoffs for eight consecutive years.
Dallas is hoping for similar success.
McCarthy’s Cowboys struggled with penalties all of last season and that is something they need to clean up.
But, it has not been a great start in the preseason.
Mike McCarthy has said many times that the Dallas Cowboys were going to work on penalties ahead of the 2022 season.
The Dallas Cowboys have been penalized five times against the Denver Broncos.
We are not even a minute into the second quarter yet.
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) August 14, 2022
The first six weeks of the Cowboys season will tell you a lot about their team.
Facing the likes of the Buccaneers, Bengals, Rams, and three division opponents gives off a sense of urgency.
McCarthy must have his team ready to go to start the season or the noise will only get louder about a coaching change in Dallas.
2. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
The newly named Washington Commanders need a winning season under head coach Ron Rivera.
Or this could be his last year in Washington.
Rivera is entering his third season with the team and his first two seasons finished with seven wins each.
The biggest concern for Washington’s defense was the poor play of their defense.
Rivera is a defensive-minded coach and that side of the ball was the Commanders’ downfall.
They ranked 22nd in yards allowed, 25th in points allowed, and last in touchdown passes allowed.
The #Commanders' starting defense (mostly intact and healthy) has been on the field for a quarter so far against the Chiefs.
Drive 1: 12 plays, 87 yds, TD.
Drive 2: 12 plays, 82 yds, TD.
0-for-5 on third down stops.— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) August 20, 2022
This preseason game against the high-powered Chiefs does not look promising for Washington.
Some injuries suffered by the defense, including Chase Young, clearly affected their results.
But, that is not an excuse to be as bad as Washington was.
Now, Rivera must correct the defensive issues all while having a new quarterback in the fold in Carson Wentz.
The Commanders start with the Jaguars, Lions, Eagles, and Cowboys.
At worst they should be 2-2 or we could see a coaching change in Washington.
1. Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
This is the one that seems obvious.
Matt Rhule has not had much success in Carolina and this year is more than likely his final chance to win.
In two seasons with the Panthers, Rhule has a 10-23 record.
Part of that is because the Panthers cannot find a decent quarterback.
Some of the names that started at QB in Carolina are Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, Kyle Allen, and Cam Newton.
None of those players are good enough to win a significant amount of games.
But, now Rhule gets what could be the best QB option during his tenure.
Baker Mayfield will lead the Panthers’ offense into 2022 with an enormous amount of pressure to produce.
The Carolina defense was good last season, but their offense has not found the right QB.
For Rhule’s sake, it better be Mayfield.
The Panthers start the first month with the Browns, Giants, Saints, and Cardinals.
Carolina has to make a push for the playoffs this year or Rhule will be on his way out.
NEXT: Matt Corral Has A Full Season To Learn From The Sidelines