3 embattled head coaches who can still salvage their job

Head coaching seats are heating up around the league with just six weeks remaining in the 2017 regular season.

But, while some head coaches are seemingly barreling toward unemployment - Ben McAdoo, Hue Jackson, and Chuck Pagano - the futures of other embattled coaches are unclear.

Here are three whose teams need to show substantial improvement over the last six weeks in order to keep their job:

Vance Joseph, Broncos

Remaining schedule: at Raiders, at Dolphins, vs. Jets, at Colts, at Redskins, vs. Chiefs

Joseph was an uninspiring hire from Day 1 - especially as the Denver Broncos were clearly in dire need of someone to revamp the offense, as Sean McVay has done with the Los Angeles Rams.

Joseph and the Broncos have fallen far short of the modest expectations most had for the team entering 2017. Denver sits at 3-7, and hasn't won since Oct. 1. Worst of all, the once-dominant defense has looked like a shell of its former self over the past three weeks, allowing a combined 118 points to the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Cincinnati Bengals.

John Elway has continued to support Joseph, but he's still in real danger of being one-and-done as a head coach. How Joseph helps Paxton Lynch traverse his first real extended action as the Broncos' starter could decide his fate.

Marvin Lewis, Bengals

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Steelers, vs. Bears, at Vikings, vs. Lions, at Ravens

Lewis has led the Bengals franchise for 15 years, but his future is in serious doubt as the team looks set to miss the postseason for the second straight campaign.

The head coach is out of a contract after this year, but the owner, the overly frugal Mike Brown, will likely look for any opening to retain Lewis and keep his competent coaching staff in place - though, it's possible Lewis opts for retirement.

If Lewis is to save his job, a drastic improvement will need to be seen on the offensive side of the ball, in particular. The Bengals are simply too talented to be the league's worst unit, averaging just 265.6 yards per game. The bad news for Lewis is that Cincinnati will face three top-tier defenses down the stretch, and even Brown likely won't be able to overlook the potential embarrassing blowout losses.

Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers

Remaining schedule: at Falcons, at Packers, vs. Lions, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, vs. Saints

Koetter's fate appeared to be sealed after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to 2-6 in Week 9 while Jameis Winston was forced to the sidelines to rest his injured shoulder.

But, back-to-back wins under the guidance of Ryan Fitzpatrick has given Koetter a chance at staying in Tampa Bay. While Fitzpatrick has been solid, it's highly unlikely the Bucs will be able to rack up the necessary wins if Winston is unable to return, with four daunting divisional games still to come.

Tampa Bay was an offseason darling, and the weight of those failed expectations might be too much for Koetter to overcome. However, the Bucs went all in on him, ousting Lovie Smith back in 2015 when he was the team's offensive coordinator. It's possible they give him one more shot if they can get close to .500.

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