Chicago Bears: Should John Fox Stay or Go In 2017?
By Erik Lambert
Reasons he should go:
Seems to get outcoached often
Often the best way to tell when a head coach is being clearly outmaneuvered during games is what happens in the second half of games. How are they are making adjustments? If this season is any indication, then it’s safe to say Fox has been thoroughly whipped in the chess game. To date the Bears have held a lead in the second half of five games this year. They are 1-4 in those games. Opposing quarterbacks have a 129.2 passer rating in the 4th quarter against them.
Conservative style
One of the trademark knocks on Fox throughout his career is he employs a style typical of a defensive head coach. He wants to minimize mistakes, run the football and play good defense. Most people call that conservative. It explains why he was committed to the idea of keeping Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback given the veteran wasn’t turning it over. At the same time many argue Hoyer won just one game in five starts. Jay Cutler has six in 18.
Old
The saying goes that age is just a state of mind but not in the NFL. Age is a huge part of conversations when assessing players and coaches alike. It takes a certain amount of energy to head coach in pro football. That energy can often be sapped over time. Coaches who were animated in their early years can lose some of the juice as they get up in years. Fox will be 62-years old in 2017. The oldest head coach to ever with a championship in this league was 65. It’s a very rare feat.
Poorly manages injuries
At this point Bears fans can only laugh. The amount of injuries that have occurred during the Fox era in Chicago is incredible. Just this year the team lost their top two QBs, two of three top receivers, their two best offensive linemen, their best defensive linemen, top outside linebacker, and four top corners to injuries. Add in the fact that Fox has not been forthcoming on information regarding these injuries leads one to think he has a serious problem keeping players on the field.
No rings
It’s been hashed and re-hashed multiple times but won’t stop being true. The fact of the matter is Fox had two cracks at the Super Bowl and couldn’t close the deal. That speaks to a man who tends to never put his best foot forward when all the chips are down. Is that the kind of man the Bears really want running their team?