Throughout the NFL season, the Idaho State Journal will check in with former local players currently in the NFL. Here’s an update after the final week of the regular season.

Marvin Lewis (Idaho State University), Cincinnati Bengals

Dirk Koetter (Idaho State University), Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Idaho State alumni Marvin Lewis and Dirk Koetter were fired from their NFL head coaching jobs after their Week 17 games.

Lewis was fired Monday after spending 16 seasons leading the Cincinnati Bengals, while Koetter was fired from his post with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday after three seasons manning the role.

Lewis, who went 0-7 in the playoffs, was the second-longest actively tenured NFL head coach behind New England’s Bill Belichick.

The Bengals finished 6-10 this season after losing seven of their last eight games, including a 16-13 loss Sunday at Pittsburgh.

“I didn’t deliver what the No. 1 goal is, and that’s to be world champions, and we did not get that done,” Lewis said Monday. “A lot of positives, but that’s the one goal as a coach you look forward to doing. (President) Mike (Brown) and I both decided it’s time. I think it’s a tough moment for both of us, but we both realized.”

Koetter, a Pocatello native, went 5-11 in each of of the last two seasons leading Tampa Bay after going 9-7 in his first season in 2016.

“Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, and that’s just the way this business works,” Koetter said after Tampa Bay’s 34-32 home loss Sunday against Atlanta. “If this is the last one for me, I appreciate the opportunity they gave me. It’s awesome to be a head football coach in the NFL. Coaching in the NFL period is awesome. It’s the best of the best.”

Tampa Bay, powered by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, got off to a 2-0 start this season that included a 48-40 win at New Orleans, which is tied for the best record in the NFL at 13-3. But the Buccaneers lost 11 of their next 14 games to finish the season.

Taysom Hill (Highland HS, BYU), New Orleans Saints

Josh Hill (Blackfoot HS, ISU), New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints teammates Josh Hill and Taysom Hill capped the regular season with a 33-14 home loss Sunday to Carolina. The Saints had already secured the top seed for the NFC playoffs.

Taysom Hill scored the game’s final touchdown, a 9-yard run with 3 minutes, 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He finished with three rushes for 11 yards and one reception for three yards. Josh Hill was not targeted in the loss.

New Orleans (13-3) has a first-round postseason bye and hosts either Dallas, Seattle or Philadelphia the weekend of Jan. 12-13.

Taysom Hill refuses to go down and bounces off defenders for a 9-yard touchdown run!#CARvsNO pic.twitter.com/ek2W9XsiTW

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 30, 2018