Week 2 preview: Getting hot in here

[stevo]

Week 2 preview: Getting hot in here
by Kevin Hench

Kevin Hench is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.

Even in the ultimate what-have-you-done-for-me-lately profession, the 2009 NFL season is shaping up as particularly brutal on head coaches.

If an owner has high expectations, his coach has little margin for error. If expectations are low and the coach is not in his first year with that team, he's probably being blamed for those low expectations.

We're just one week in and it's clear that a whole slew of coaches will be simmering on the hot seat this year.

I caught a spirited debate on sports talk radio about Lovie Smith's job security. Lovie Smith? The savior?

While Super Bowl XLI might be a distant memory for Bears fans frustrated by back-to-back disappointing seasons and a grim 2009 opener that included losing Brian Urlacher for the season, it's hard to imagine Chicago canning its coach. Unless, of course, it goes 6-10.

So, heading into Week 2, what NFL coach's seat is the warmest?

Wade Phillips may be under more pressure than any other coach this season, but his hot seat cooled a little with the Cowboys' intermittently impressive win at Tampa Bay in Week 1.

Thanks to Jake Delhomme's prodigious capacity to spread the ball around to the other team, Carolina coach John Fox may have found his way onto the hot seat faster than any previous coach of a defending division champ. Delhomme has thrown nine interceptions in the Panthers' last two games: a 20-point home loss to the Cardinals in the divisional round last year and a 28-point home loss to the Eagles in Week 1.

Dick Jauron came within one brain cramp by a return man of moving off the hot seat entirely with a win over the Patriots, but that's why they're the Bills. Still, Jauron's butt is not as warm as this week's leader in the clubhouse.

Poor Marvin Lewis.

Just when it looked like he was about to pull off a 7-6 victory reminiscent of his days as the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, his Bungles found a spectacular way to lose. Mustering one score against the Broncos' defense (ranked 29th overall last year) doesn't bode well for a trip to Green Bay, where the Packers' defense dismantled Jay Cutler and the Bears last week. The flame gets turned up under Lewis this week as the Bengals open 0-2 with the Steelers looming in Week 3.

Lewis' swipe card not working at the gate of Bengals Stadium during an episode of Hard Knocks was surely an omen.

Worst Week of Sleep Leading up to Kickoff
I can't imagine Leodis McKelvin has been peacefully sawing logs this week after A) making the gaffe heard 'round the NFL on Monday night, B) saying he'd do it again, and C) having his lawn vandalized.

But the explosive McKelvin surely isn't questioning his own abilities and place in the league.

Not so Nathan Vasher.

Vasher, an All-Pro after the 2005 season when he had eight picks, had already been demoted into a cornerback rotation with Zack Bowman when he was beaten for the game-losing touchdown by Greg Jennings on Sunday night.

So now when Vasher's head hits the pillow he hears Jennings' footsteps running past him and Bowman's coming up from behind. Next up for Vasher: Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes.


Raider Melodrama of the Week
The Raiders were annihilated for their selection of Darrius Heyward-Bey with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 draft. To most observers, it was a reach that made no sense. At the very least, if they had their hearts set on Heyward-Bey, they could have traded down, added a late-round pick or two and been on the hook for less money to the speedster out of Maryland. (When No. 6 pick Andre Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, was using Heyward-Bey's deal as leverage with Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn on Hard Knocks, you could almost see Blackburn biting her tongue so she wouldn't say on camera, "You can't use the Raiders' idiocy against us.")

Week 1 gave the Raiders an opportunity for vindication. Or, as it turned out, even deeper humiliation. Heyward-Bey dropped the first ball that hit him in the numbers and failed to make a single catch the six times he was targeted by JaMarcus Russell. Goose egg.

To make matters worse, Heyward-Bey didn't even look like the best rookie wide receiver on the team. Louis Murphy, a fourth-round pick, had four catches for 87 yards and a TD.


Where the Bad-Call Bar is Set

Week 1 was absolutely spectacular in terms of NFL officials delivering early and often on even more crappy calls than could normally be expected.

It started in the season opener on Thursday night. Referee Bill Levy — who Seahawks' fans will remember as the Steelers' 12th man in Super Bowl XL — made a terrible holding call against Pittsburgh. But that was nothing compared to the flag the back judge threw for pass interference on Troy Polamalu after the receiver he was covering perfectly jumped on his back. The call left Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels dumbstruck in the booth.

On Sunday night, the Packers' Al Harris was called for illegal contact away from the ball for tapping a Bears receiver perhaps five-and-an-eighth yards downfield. The call kept a Bears' drive alive, led to a score and once again left the (deservedly) ubiquitous Collinsworth incredulous.

On Monday night, New England's Vince Wilfork was flagged for roughing the passer by executing a move that was heretofore known as a "tackle." This time it was Ron Jaworski's turn to express disbelief at the call he just saw, explaining that not only had Wilfork done nothing wrong, he had executed his takedown as expertly as a nose tackle could be expected to.

But the stripes weren't done ruining Week 1. In a merciless letter-of-the-law interpretation — of a rule that should be amended — referee Carl Cheffers got his magnifying glass out and denied the Raiders' Louis Murphy an obvious TD catch, apparently because Murphy did not maintain possession of the ball all the way to his mantle. It was a play that never would have been challenged by a coach outside of two minutes. Replay was not designed to overturn plays that 99.9 of all observers believe was made correctly on the field. In the final game of Week 1 it was analyst Steve Young left bewildered by this picayune, hair-and-fiber call.

It's tough to choose a winner from this batch. But in terms of setting the bar for Week 2, I'd say the worst call of the season so far was the illegal contact on Al Harris.


Distraction of the Week
Three days after being part of a secondary that got picked apart by Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez, Texans CB Dunta Robinson was fined $25K by the front office for wearing shoes that said, "Pay me, Rick" in the embarrassing defeat.

Texans GM Rick Smith told the Houston Chronicle that he specifically told Robinson not to let his lack of a contract extension be a distraction to his job on the field, a message the corner clearly missed.

Everyone's trendy sleeper pick to make noise in the AFC South, Houston is now facing an 0-2 start with a trip to Tennessee this weekend.


The Week in Favre
Chris Myers was interviewing Fran Tarkenton on FOXSports radio earlier this week and asked Tarkenton if he thought Brett Favre could carry Fran the Man's beloved Vikings to a title.

"I think Adrian Peterson can carry them to a title," said Tarkenton, pointedly avoiding praising Favre.

When Myers laughed and said, "Wow, not a lot of love for Brett Favre," Tarkenton took the candor a step further.

"Not a fan," he said tersely before going back to Peterson and the Vikings' stout D. Wow.


Injury Roulette Wheel of the Week

Lost perhaps in the all-around-awful start to the Cardinals' season was the ominous sight of Kurt Warner clutching his thumb as he ran to the sideline after another stalled drive. Nobody thought Warner would hold up last year, but he was a rock. He had lost weight and looked more athletic and sturdy as he led the Cards to the Super Bowl.

Can he do it again? At 38, with his injury history, is there really any chance that he can survive back-to-back seasons without a significant injury? Highly doubtful.

Arizona's Super Bowl hangover already looks pretty bad. And it seems like it's only a matter of time before it includes Matt Leinart starting at QB.


Victory that Will Spark the Biggest Overreaction
The Niners will beat the Seahawks to improve to 2-0 and have everybody proclaiming them this year's NFC West sleeper. Yes, some not-very-good team is going to win what might turn out to be the worst division in football history, but it won't be the Niners.

San Francisco gained 21 yards on 25 carries against the Cardinals in Week 1. Quarterback Shaun Hill probably couldn't start for three other teams in the NFL. Leading receiver Isaac Bruce turns 37 in November.

This team is not going to the playoffs.


L.A. Awaits, Franchise Relocation Watch
What franchise moved one step closer to the City of Angels this week? Hate to pick on the Bills, but I'm sure the players would like to move to a sunny city where people care enough about sports to fill the stadium but not enough to vandalize a player's lawn.


Biggest Fantasy Headache
Whither Matt Schaub?

A lot of fantasy owners who thought they were being crafty stockpiled runners and receivers while their opponents were spending early picks on the highly ranked QBs, then took Schaub as the 10th overall quarterback, hoping the 318 yards per game he posted in the final month last season was a harbinger of greatness to come.

Oof. After an abysmal opener (55.9 rating) against the Jets with no offensive touchdowns, and a brutal matchup at Tennessee, Schaub has already found his way to the bench in most leagues.

NFL - - FOX Sports on MSN

[stevo]

Thanks to Jake Delhomme's prodigious capacity to spread the ball around to the other team, Carolina coach John Fox may have found his way onto the hot seat faster than any previous coach of a defending division champ.

I need Panthers today. Hope Fox runs easy stuff to start and get him in rythum.

Although if it lands 7 I'll be happy. +7.5 and - 6 Atl