Question of the day: Which NFL coaches will be fired before the end of the season?

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Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

Firing a coach before the season ends is a pointless move -– unless your guy has lost the locker room and/or control of the team, or the fans boycott games. This year is unusual for its potential, though. We offer these candidates for the firing line:

Brad Childress, Vikings: It’s not even so much that the players seem to hate him, but that he doesn’t seem to care.

Mike Singletary, 49ers: No love lost here either, and the Niners have vastly underachieved.

John Fox, Panthers: A run of 30-point losses could take him out earlier than expected.

Wade Phillips, Cowboys: He’s the coach most deserving of getting axed, but do you want to saddle overmatched Dave Campo with the head coaching and defensive coordinator jobs? The alternative is having Jerry Jones coach, and wouldn’t that be a lark?

[Updated at 12:43 p.m.: The Cowboys have fired Phillips, NFL.com reported Monday.

Steve Svekis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

With a pulsating overtime win against Arizona, Brett Favre saved Brad Childress in Minnesota for the moment. Still, if the Vikings trip up in Chicago next week before the Packers come to town, the season could come off the rails.

Mike Singletary, with the 2-6 49ers, made it through the bye, so he has cleared a hurdle. Old-guard stalwarts Ralph Wilson and Jerry Richardson won’t cut their coaches (Chan Gailey, John Fox) midseason. Gailey is in his first year with the 0-8 Bills, and Carolina’s Fox, who has never had a double-digit-loss this year, will get the respect of a full season. And Josh McDaniels has dismantled the 2-6 Broncos in record time (tossing aside Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Peyton Hillis).

Still, Childress is the top choice for an in-season departure.]