There was some thought in NFL circles that "Black Monday" would be a little less cruel this time around.

The end-game was still expected to be far worse than usual with as many as 11 coaches eventually looking for work and a host of general mangers joining them in the unemployment line.

But, with "Black Monday" falling on New Year's Eve in 2012, some thought owners would prefer to wait until after the holiday to meet with coaches and executives.

Some will surely take that tact but plenty of lame ducks learned their fate on Sunday night and into Monday morning.

The first official domino fell in Jacksonville when owner Shahid Khan fired his general manager, Gene Smith.

Smith joined the Jaguars' organization in 1994 as a scout and became the team's first general manager in 2008. Jacksonville did not finish a season better than 8-8 in his tenure, however, and had a dismal 27-53 overall during Smith's reign.

"Now it is time for the Jacksonville Jaguars to begin a new chapter. We're not looking back," Khan said. "I've made it clear from day one that we pledge nothing less than to deliver the first Super Bowl championship to Jacksonville."

The Eagles' Andy Reid actually knew his fate last Friday, according to reports coming out of Philadelphia, and the organization made it official on Monday morning.

"Andy Reid won the most games of any head coach in Eagles' history and he is someone I respect greatly and will remain friends with for many years to come," Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie said in a statement. "But, it is time for the Eagles to move in a new direction. Andy leaves us with a winning tradition that we can build upon. And we are very excited about the future."

Reid joined the Eagles in 1999 and turned the fortunes of the franchise around by attracting a strong coaching staff. His first defensive hires included legendary coordinator Jim Johnson and future head coaches Leslie Frazier, Ron Rivera and Steve Spagnuolo.

The Eagles reached the playoffs in 2000, the first of nine postseason trips in Reid's 14 seasons leading the football operations in Philly but the NFL is a vicious cycle.

Most coaches take over bad teams and then leave bad ones in their wake when they're eventually escorted to the city limits. Reid was the very definition of shelf life in City of Brotherly Love, a mentor whose message got stale.

Norv Turner was one of the lucky ones in San Diego, inheriting what was perhaps the most talented team in football when he arrived in "America's Finest City" back in 2007.

Let's just say the next coach in Ron Burgundy's town won't be quite as fortunate.

The 2006 Chargers finished an NFL-best 14-2 under Marty Schottenheimer but the patented Schottenheimer close-to-the-vest playoff coaching style resulted in a 24-21 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round, costing Marty his gig.

Norv took over LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers and Co. and promptly turned them into an 11-5 club, although they did make the AFC Championship Game in '07 before losing to the Pats again. It's been a steady decline since, with the exception of '09 when San Diego finished 13-3 but lost in the Divisional round of the playoffs.

Perhaps it was apropos in a city which enjoys virtually perfect weather year round Turner's final game as head coach was played in muddy conditions.

After all, if Mother Nature is a football fan, she almost has to be a devotee of the Bolts. And perhaps she was saying "Enough is enough."