The biggest selling point when the Chicago Bears hired John Fox was that this wasn’t his first rodeo. He turned around teams all the time.
The man did it Carolina. He did it in Denver. Why wouldn’t he be able to do it in Chicago? That’s his thing. Fox just knows how turn teams around quickly. Now as the Bears sink to 1-5, facing the real possibility of finishing with the worst record the franchise has had in four decades, it’s time to wonder what in the world happened? How is a Fox-coached team this bad?
Sure injuries have played a part in the disaster, but that’s not what is showing up. Chicago has had a chance to win three of the games they lost, holding leads into the 4th quarter. So far they’ve surrendered all three. That is not the sign of an injured team. It’s the sign of an undisciplined team. These are the same allegations that followed Fox out of Denver when he was fired by John Elway and the Broncos.
Then there is the matter of simple time. This man is 61-years old. People don’t realize how stressful the job of being a head coach actually is. It wears a man down mentally and physically. Fox has been at it for 14 years. It’s not unreasonable to think he may just be running out of gas, losing the edge that made him so effective in years past.
It’s hard not to think so given some of the quotes he’s delivered over the past couple weeks.
When I asked John Fox why he's had such reluctance to be open about the Bears' QB plans, he said "Because we don't have a plan."
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) October 10, 2016
#Bears coach John Fox on his team's 1-5 record: "A team, a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs, started 1-5 and they made the playoffs."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) October 17, 2016
John Fox said it’s not a lack of heart or want-to. “We just don’t play well enough right now.” #Bears
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 16, 2016
It’s comments like these that make one think Fox is grasping at straws. He doesn’t have answers or a direction in mind. He refuses to play younger players if it can be avoided even when certain veterans he favors aren’t doing anything. Accountability should be a cornerstone for a head coach and he’s not living up to that. While guys like Willie Young, Kyle Long, Eddie Royal and Alshon Jeffery gut it out through injuries, he’s keeping a penalty machine like Jacoby Glenn on the field.
Forget about his handling of injuries or the fact the Bears have had serious injury problems since he took over for a moment. Fox is also making a major mistake by getting combative with the media. It’s one thing to avoid questions and give limited answers like Belichick. It’s quite another to basically call these people stupid.
#Bears coach John Fox was asked a couple of questions about the team's final offensive play in the loss to the Colts pic.twitter.com/Ig3XpASFT6
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) October 10, 2016
These men and women get paid money to cover football. They may not have the experience or deep knowledge coaches might, but they understand how the game works. It’s their right to ask questions pertaining to critical moments in a game. A moment that looked like it should’ve gone differently. Instead of offering a calm, honest answer Fox reacted with insult and agitation.
Mike Ditka got away with that because he won football games. John Fox doesn’t have that luxury.
Why should the Chicago Bears put up with his antics of secrecy and false promises if they aren’t winning? Especially when ticket sales and TV ratings have really begun to show how much their credibility with fans has eroded. If he’s not going to deliver what he sold everybody last year, then he’s not the best choice for leading this franchise beyond 2016.