Ron Rivera knows all about the coaching hot seat.
The Carolina Panthers coach ended 2012 in a precarious position after a 7-9 season, and he began 2013 on a piping-hot seat after his team got off to a 1-3 start.
Riverboat Ron, however, has the Panthers at 8-3 and poised for a playoff berth.
Similarly, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano was left for dead earlier this year when his team was 0-8. Now on a three-game winning streak, those "Fire Schiano" catcalls have become hushed.
In advance of Sunday's Bucs-Panthers matchup, Rivera gave some advice to Schiano during a Wednesday conference call with Tampa reporters.
"Just stay the course," Rivera said, per PewterReport.com. "... Last year, I was in the same situation, and we got on a roll at the end of the year, and now this year we've gotten on a roll again. It's just so hard to win in this league, and you've got to develop your team first. I think people have to be willing to take the lumps and accept it.
"There was a time, back in the day, when guys would be drafted in the first and second round and nobody expected him to play until three-four years down the line. Now you draft a guy, and everybody says why isn't he on the field; he's a bust."
The emergence of rookie quarterback Mike Glennon might be the best argument why the Bucs should keep Schiano steering the ship.
Rivera's turn toward an aggressive style has gotten most of the hype, but Cam Newton's play has been the biggest reason for the Panthers' success. Comparing both Schiano and Rivera's situations, it's quite clear that a coach's seat is much cooler when young quarterbacks play like stars.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" previewed all three of the big Thanksgiving games on the schedule.
