One the calendar flips to November, excuses more or less go out the window. We're nearly halfway through the 2026 regular season; at this point, you probably are what your record says you are, for better or worse.

And for certain teams, that harsh truth should have them seriously contemplating making a change at head coach come Monday morning. Because several shocking losses across the league in Week 8 make clear that some people simply aren't cut out for this job — starting with the guy who just managed to lose at home to the Arizona Cardinals.

Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys

Seriously, Brian. We were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! Schottenheimer seems like a nice guy and a pretty smart offensive mind, and I understand that his locker room likes him. But what good is all that camaraderie if it doesn't result in, you know, wins? Any good will that Schottenheimer brought himself in Dallas with a win over the Eagles last Monday night was more than undone by a disaster of a loss to Arizona this weekend, in which his team managed to surrendered 20 fourth-quarter points to Gardner Minshew.

Let that sentence wash over you for a moment. This Cowboys defense is long past being a crisis, and Schottenheimer doesn't seem to be the man to get it fixed. Plus, his star-studded offense averaged less than four yards per play on the day against a defense that had been shredded of late. Dallas is still alive in the NFC East, hilariously enough, but at 3-5, it's clear this team's Super Bowl chances are cooked — which is not an acceptable outcome on Nov. 1.

Aaron Glenn, New York Jets

This Jets offense has plenty for fans to get excited about moving forward. But Aaron Glenn's whole deal is on the other side of the ball, and that side doesn't seem anywhere close to contention after giving up 38 points in a fall-from-ahead loss to the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

Kirk Cousins completed 19-of-26 passes for 247 yards and three scores, and only four of those completions even went to wide receivers. What evidence is there that Glenn can field a championship-level defense as Jets head coach? And considering his game management mishaps, how does that not justify his firing midway through year two?

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

I'm sorry, but enough is enough. Yes, the Bengals won on Sunday, but if you're victory-lapping an overtime escape against the Tennessee Titans as a would-be Super Bowl contender, you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase bailed Cincinnati out yet again, as they have so many times before in Taylor's tenure. But what exactly would he say he does here? None of the supposed offensive innovation talked up over the offseason has stuck; this is the same shotgun-heavy, pass-happy attack Burrow has always preferred. And the same sloppiness, the same commitment to playing down to their competition, remains. This team just feels fundamentally unserious, and likely will continue to do so until Taylor gets replaced.

Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

On one hand, it's hard to blame Steichen when his team is actively being sold for scraps, his GM has already been fired and he's stuck with a quarterback who was limited even before he tore his Achilles. Still, you simply cannot get waxed the way the Colts did in a 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and expect to keep your job.

The reality is that Indy has quit on its head coach, or I guess more accurately on its entire leadership structure — not that I blame them. Steichen will probably latch on as an offensive coordinator somewhere, but it's pretty clear that he's out of answers here, and the Colts are in need of a complete reset.

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

I'll just get out ahead of this one. Sirianni's Eagles don't play until Sunday night against the Commanders, but I think we've seen all we need to see here. It's not his fault that more or less Philly's entire offense has gotten hurt this year; it is his fault that he does not seem to add much of anything of value, from schematics to game management to locker room cohesion. And as the Eagles face a looming roster reset, it only makes sense to find a new voice at the top, too. Even if Philly wins on Sunday night, this season is lost, and Howie Roseman needs to bring some new energy in moving forward.