Russell Wilson's rise has losing, impatient NFL teams in a firing mood

As of 2 p.m. ET on Monday, on what some in the NFL were calling one of the nastiest days in recent league history, 11 coaches and general managers already had already been fired.

And the day was still young.

We have to state the time because so many people were getting fired so quickly, the number was growing almost by the minute. Tick, tick, tick.

Eleven firings by mid-afternoon, affecting some eight teams, is staggering. That means between the time the final game ended in Washington around 11 p.m. ET on Sunday to mid-afternoon the following day, approximately one-quarter of the NFL made a significant change in its coaching and/or general manager staffs. And more firings could come in the days and weeks ahead.

Three long-time team officials on three different teams were asked if they could remember a day during which so many firings happened. None of them could.

Team officials estimated that by the time all of the firings are done, over half of NFL teams could experience turnover. No matter what happens from this point, this will end up being one of the bloodiest days, weeks and months for general managers and coaches in recent league history.

"This is officially watch-your-back week in the NFL," one GM said.

The reasons that some executives gave will sound familiar. The main one: Owners are increasingly impatient.

But the officials are citing a more important factor. Owners are looking around the sport in places like Seattle, San Francisco, Washington and Indianapolis, seeing the success of young throwers and young programs, and asking why in the Hell aren't they having similar success?

The name Russell Wilson was pointed to on Monday as a grand example of why so many people got fired so quickly. Owners in places like Cleveland and Jacksonville might have been asking why didn't their franchises discover Wilson, who was the 12th pick in the third round? And how is it that a franchise like Seattle can develop him so quickly and our franchise cannot?

Andrew Luck is one thing; he was the first overall pick. But when franchises start finding franchise throwers in the third round and the failing teams do not, then someone is getting fired.

Or, during this dangerous period for coaches and general managers, a lot of someones.