Long Losing Streaks Carry Danger for Coaches
Matt Eberflus enjoyed the honeymoon normally accorded coaches in their first season.
Even losing 10 straight to close 2022 didn't seem to do much damage, as GM Ryan Poles had gutted the roster to correct the old regime's salary cap abuse.
The Bears' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday was 13 straight, tying them for 20th longest losing streak in NFL history at 13 games. There are plenty of coaches in that list of 20 teams with 13 straight losses or more who were not retained after the season, or were let go mid-season.
Losing streaks of great lengths don't say much for the future job security of coaching staffs. In fact, long losing streaks in the great majority of cases involved have led to a head coach being fired.
All seven other coaches with 13-game losing streaks in the Super Bowl era either were let go during the season or after it.
Of the 15 other coaches who lost 13 straight or more, only three were kept for the next season: Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll in 1970, Tampa Bay's John McKay in 1977 and Cleveland's Hue Jackson. Jackson actually did it twice. He coached 14 straight losses in 2016 but was retained, then lost 17 straight in 2016-17 and was retained again before being fired at midseason in 2018.
There have been 27 teams with losing streaks of at least 13 games in the Super Bowl era. Only seven of the 27 teams avoided firing a coach and two of those were the same coach with the same team—Jackson with the Browns in 2016 and 2017.
One of those was McKay, the first Tampa Bay coach. He endured the longest losing streak in history at 26 games while producing the all-time classic line of losing teams everywhere.
When asked after one particularly agonizing loss, "what did you think of your team's execution, coach?" McKay deadpanned, "I'm in favor of it."
McKay, who probably could have been a comedian if he wasn't a coach, wasn't getting fired after beginning the franchise. He lasted through 1984 and eventually built a team that made the NFC championship game after the 1979 season.
In two cases, keeping the coach involved in a losing streak of at least 13 games didn't go so well.
The 1983-84 Buffalo Bills should have fired their coach, Kay Stephenson. They lost the last two in 1983, then 11 straight in 1984 but he was retained as coach. In 1985 the Bills eventually fired him after another four-game losing streak that reached six straight under replacement Hank Bullough. Then they retained Bullough and he struggled over two seasons before being replaced by Marv Levy.
The 2009 Rams kept Jim Haslett as head coach after firing Scott Linehan amid a 17-game losing streak. After retention, Haslett went 1-15, was still retained and wasn't fired until after two more losing seasons.
In two cases, keeping the coach with a long slide worked out just fine.
In 1969, a year before the merger, Chuck Noll's Steelers lost 13 straight. Then they lost three straight after the merger, but he retained his job and built one of the sport's great dynasties.
There was one other exception within this group who did not get fired after the team had a 13-game losing streak, but only part of it was his responsibility. He wasn't very successful for two years, but the team stuck by him and was rewarded. That was Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
Taylor's team lost 11 straight coming out of the gate in 2019 after Marvin Lewis finished his career with consecutive losses in 2018. Taylor, in 2020, won only four games during his second full season and still survived to the 2021 season. Then the Bengals came within four points of winning a Lombardi Trophy.
All of those links seem fairly strong and it's possible a losing streak would need to really reach historic lengths for any change at the top with the Bears. Something akin to losing the locker room might be a prerequisite, as happened with Marc Trestman's 2014 Bears. These Bears appear nowhere near such a situation.
George McCaskey did fire Trestman after only two years in 2014. That definitely was a case of the coach losing control in so many ways.
Then again, McCaskey is no longer the person directly in charge of the Bears head coach and GM.
When the Bears made Kevin Warren their new team president, he took over supervision of all operations. Would Warren take the initiative and put his stamp on the team by firing the coach or both the GM and coach? It's a great unknown and only speculation.
The Bears coaching staff needs to hope the Bengals example is one management/ownership pursues rather than the route taken by the great majority of teams with losing streaks of 13 games or more.
Coaches with 13 Straight Losses or More
Super Bowl Era
26 Games
John McKay 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Retained.
17 Games
Hue Jackson, 2016-17 Cleveland Browns. Retained for 2018 season.
Rod Marinelli, 2007-08 Detroit Lions. Fired after 2008 season.
16 Games
Bill Peterson, 1972-73 Houston Oilers. Fired after starting 1973 out 0-5.
Chuck Noll, 1969-70 Pittsburgh Steelers. Retained.
15 Games
Doug Marrone, 2020 Jacksonville Jaguars. Fired after the season.
George Seifert, 2001 Carolina Panthers. Fired after the season.
14 Games
Hue Jackson, 2016 Cleveland Browns. Retained.
Mike McCormack, 1981 Baltimore Colts. Fired after the season.
13 Games
Matt Eberflus, 2022-23 Chicago Bears. Still coaching the team.
Rod Dowhower, 1986 Indianapolis Colts. Fired during the season.
Rod Rust, 1990 New England Patriots. Fired after the season.
Adam Gase, 2020 New York Jets. Fired after the season.
Kay Stephenson, 1983-84 Buffalo Bills. Fired after 1984 season.
Chip Kelly, 2016 San Francisco 49ers. Fired after season.
Jim Caldwell, 2011 Indianapolis Colts. Fired after season.
Cam Cameron, 2007 Miami Dolphins. Fired after season.
Longest NFL Team Losing Streaks
(Super Bowl Era)
26 Games
- 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Result: Retained John McKay as coach.
20 Games
- 2020-21 Jacksonville Jaguars. Result: Fired Doug Marrone after 2020 and 15 straight. Fired replacement Urban Meyer after five straight losses, then a 2-11 record in 2021. Darrell Bevell finished the season as interim coach.
19 Games
- 2007-09 Detroit Lions. Started in 2007 under Rod Marinelli, who went winless in 2008 and was fired before Jim Schwartz took over in 2009 and ended the streak three games into the season.
18 Games
- 1972-73 Houston Oilers. Fired Bill Peterson five games into 1973 during a 16-game losing streak, made Sid Gillman coach and lost the next two, then fired Gillman after the season and hired Bum Phillips.
17 Games
- 2016-17 Cleveland Browns. Lost final game of 2016 and every game in 2017, retained Hue Jackson as coach.
- 2015-16 Cleveland Browns. Lost 14 consecutive games in 2016 under coach Hue Jackson after losing last three in 2015 under Mike Pettine, who was fired after 2015. Retained Hue Jackson as coach after 2016.
- 1982-83 Houston Oilers. Lost seven straight in 1982, fired Ed Biles in 1983 after six more losses. Chuck Studley replaced him and lost four more straight.
- 2008-09 St. Louis Rams. Jim Haslett replaced Scott Linehan after four straight losses in 2008, won two, then under Steve Spagnulo lost 10 straight and the first seven in 2009. Haslett went 1-15 and was retained, then fired after two more losing seasons.
16 Games
- 2006-07 Miami Dolphins. Lost final three games in 2006 under Nick Saban, he left, then Cam Cameron took over for 13 straight losses, a 1-15 2007 season and was fired.
- 2013-14 Oakland Raiders. Lost six straight under Dennis Allen in 2013, four more in 2014 and he was fired and Tony Sparano replaced him. Then Sparano lost six more in succession and was fired after the season.
- 1969-70 Pittsburgh Steelers. Streak started before the merger and finished after it. Chuck Noll lost 13 straight to finish 1969, then three more in 1970 after the merger before a win but was retained.
15 Games
- 1970-71 Buffalo Bills. Lost last five games under John Rauch in 1970, fired him and lost 10 straight under Harvey Johnson, then fired him and hired Lou Saban.
- 2001 Carolina Panthers. Lost last 15 under George Seifert, fired him and hired John Fox for 2002.
14 games
- 2013 Houston Texans. Lost 11 straight under Gary Kubiak, three straight under replacement Wade Phillips, then two more in 2014 under replacement Bill O'Brien.
- 1990 New England Patriots. Rod Rust lost 14 straight and was fired. Hired Dick McPherson for 1991.
- 1976-77 Buffalo Bills. Fired Lou Saban after three straight losses and 2-3 record in 1976, then lost 13 straight with Jim Ringo as his replacement. Hired Chuck Knox the next year.
- 1981 Baltimore Colts. Lost 14 straight and coach Mike McCormack was fired.
- 1980 New Orleans Saints. Dick Nolan lost 12 straight, was fired, and Dick Stanfel, eventual Bears offensive line coach for the 1985 Super Bowl team, finished as head coach. He lost two more before winning. Stanfel was not retained.
13 Games
- 2022-23 Chicago Bears. Matt Eberflus is still coaching the team and the streak is current.
- 1983-84 Buffalo Bills. Kay Stephenson lost two straight in 1983, then 11 straight to start 1984 and was not fired. Lost four more games in a row to start 1985 and was replaced.
- 2018-19 Cincinnati Bengals. Lost last two before firing Marvin Lewis at season's end, started first 11 under Zac Taylor in 2019 with losses but retained him and he's the current coach.
- 2000-01 Detroit Lions. Lost last game under Gary Moeller after Bobby Ross had been fired earlier in the season; lost first 12 under new coach Marty Mornhinweg in 2001. Retained Mornhinweg and he followed a 2-14 season with a 3-13 season and was fired.
- 2011 Indianapolis Colts. Jim Caldwell lost 13 straight starting the season and was fired after the season.
- 1986 Indianapolis Colts. Rod Dowhower lost 13 straight out of the gates, was fired and the Colts won their last three under Ron Meyer.
- 2012-13 Jacksonville Jaguars. Lost eight straight under Mike Mularkey in 2012, then five straight under in-season replacement Gus Bradley and fired Bradley after 2013.
- 2020 New York Jets. Lost 13 straight and fired Adam Gase after the season.
- 2016 San Francisco 49ers. Lost 13 straight and fired coach Chip Kelly.
Source: Pro Football Reference, NFL Record and Fact Book
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