NFL coaches on shaky ground

Though usually we focus on playoff scenarios this time of year, for obvious reasons it's the head coaching carousel we're more interested in this season.

So, how did the most endangered head honchos do in their final games?

San Diego's Norv Turner's got a 24-21 win over the Oakland Raiders - and a lifetime supply of Turtle Wax - as a nice going-away (or just go-away) gift.

Kansas City's Romeo Crennel lost, 38-3, to the Denver Broncos, but his reward for a 2-14 record and first pick in the draft is likely to be a pink slip.

Jacksonville's Mike Mularkey is in his first year, but a 38-20 loss to Tennessee didn't help his cause.

The Titans' Mike Munchak, meanwhile, should be expecting a call from owner Bud Adams soon.

Ken Whisenhunt saw his Arizona Cardinals fall, 27-13, to the San Francisco 49ers in what is probably his final game as coach.

And the Browns dropped their third straight, 24-10, to the Pittsburgh Steelers in what is likely coach Pat Shurmur's final game for Cleveland (current workplace of one Joe Banner . . . hmm.)

Minnesota's Adrian Peterson gave his all, but a shutdown Green Bay defense kept him from breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record in the Vikings' 37-34 win over the Packers.

Barely.

Peterson had 199 yards to finish with 2,097 yards, just eight short of Dickerson's record of 2,105 set in 1984.

Yep, they kept him out by the whole nine yards.

We wonder if Peterson considered trying for a block of teammate Blair Walsh's game-winning, 29-yard field goal as time expired, just to get some extra shots at the Pack 'D'?

Meanwhile, Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson (a.k.a., Only Good Thing About Being a Lions Fan), who broke Jerry Rice's record of 1,848 yards receiving last weekend, finished at 1,964 after catching five passes for 72 yards, missing out on becoming the first with 2,000.

And Washington Redskins kicker Kai Forbath doinked a 37-yard attempt off the right post in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys, ending his NFL-record streak of 17 consecutive field goals to begin a career.

After New York's 28-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., usually loquacious Jets coach Rex Ryan, when asked if he had been reassured about his job security, replied thusly: "Nope, sure haven't. We'll see."

Ryan was more voluble about Tim Tebow, erstwhile Wildcat man, who spent the game crouched next to the sideline heater. (Hey, think it's cold upstate, Tim? Wait 'til you get to Edmonton. You know, the Eskimos.)

"If I thought Tebow would have helped us win the game playing quarterback or defensive tackle, I would have played him," Ryan said. (So long, Tim.)