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Seven NFL teams changed their head coaches last season, and those that survived are under pressure to do well in 2021.
There's always a lot of pressure to perform in the NFL, and a playoff berth is a minimum goal for most teams every season. When teams fail to achieve this objective, they always come under scrutiny.
The NFL is not a league where patience is key anymore. The definition of pressure is always different, based on the goals and expectations of the team. The likes of the Buccaneers and the Chiefs will see 2021 as a disaster if they fail to reach the postseason. Meanwhile, teams like the Jaguars and the Jets know that the most important thing will be to see their rookie quarterbacks develop.
With so much money and stakes involved, it's impossible to feel comfortable in the NFL. On that note, here are the five NFL teams with the most pressure to perform in 2021:
#1 Denver Broncos
There's no way the Broncos can miss the playoffs again with such a talented roster. Vic Fangio still hasn't proved he's more than a (great) defensive coordinator even though he has everything a coach could ask for: a young quarterback, a solid defense to build around and job stability.
The results? Only 12 wins in two years, not even a .500 campaign to show for and a team that has missed the playoffs for five straight years. No excuse can be made this year: the Broncos even upgraded their quarterback position through a trade with the Carolina Panthers that landed Teddy Bridgewater, a more consistent option than Drew Lock.
The Broncos need to go to the NFL playoffs this year. Fangio has to prove he can be a good head coach. Otherwise, another overhaul could be coming.
#2 Arizona Cardinals
Even in a tough division, Kliff Kingsbury has to show something this year if he wants to keep his job. The Cardinals had every chance to book a playoff spot last season. But losses to the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams with back-up quarterbacks in the final weeks ended their NFL season on a disappointing note.
Arizona have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot, but the Cardinals need to stop shooting themselves in the foot. Kingsbury abandoned his Air Raid principles last season, as his offense ran the ball in 55,6% of its plays, tenth most in the NFL. It seems his inexperience is still hurting his development as a head coach.
If the Cardinals don't make the NFL playoffs this year, especially after signing JJ Watt and AJ Green, major changes could be forthcoming, most likely starting with Kingsbury getting fired.
#3 Cincinnati Bengals
Two years of Zac Taylor as an NFL head coach and not much to show about. The Bengals are in a tough division. But they still have only six wins since they let Marvin Lewis go and hired Taylor because he's part of Sean McVay's coaching tree.
The scariest thing during Taylor's tenure isn't their NFL record. The Bengals simply don't look like a better team than what they used to during Lewis' final years. Burrow provided some much-needed hope last year, but the rest of the roster looked abysmal.
If the Cincinnati Bengals don't compete inside their division, there's no way Taylor will survive after 2021. They are under pressure to win now.
#4 Chicago Bears
It was really surprising to see the Bears keeping Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace in the organization, even with a playoff appearance.
Chicago have to find a balance between taking the right steps to develop Justin Fields and still compete inside the NFC North. They are not a rebuilding team such as Jacksonville or New York, where the rookie will start from week one and the 2021 NFL record won't matter. The Bears have enough talent to grab an NFL playoff spot.
There's only so much blame Trubisky can get. It's time for Nagy to show he's worth the confidence or he should be out. The same goes for Pace.
#5 New York Giants
Gettleman is known for making some weird decisions based on his outdated positional value concept. But there's no denying he has a good eye for scouting NFL talent.
The Giants' roster isn't loaded, but it's a solid one. There's a lot of talent in offense and some intriguing pieces in defense. The main question is: can Daniel Jones break out this year?
If he doesn't, the Giants could once again fail to grab a playoff berth. If they fail to do so, both Jones and Gettleman will be out of the franchise after three poor years.
