What kind of a record would make Richardson pull the trigger?

[unicar15]

I still think that we can go into Dallas and win, setting up a possible run to the playoffs. But if we don't win and go 0-3 then our playoff hopes are pretty much in the can.

So what kind of a record forces Richardson to make a change? We saw him give Fox and Hurney extra years after consecutive non-playoff seasons where we went 8-8 and 7-9. My feeling was that the major injuries that we had after that second year gave Fox some extra life. Its hard to win with 4different QBs playing at one time or another. But this year...assuming there are no injuries I am going to say anything short of the playoffs gets Fox fired.

When you put together the following factors with a non-playoff year I think it warrants a new coach:

1) Extend Delhomme with no prospect of a younger QB.

2) Have an extremely unhappy franchise caliber player for the 2nd offseason in a row (Jenkins and now Peppers).

3) Trading away a first round draft pick while completely ignoring the fact that we play the toughest schedule in the league.

4) Bill Cowher, Gruden, and Shanahan are all out there to be hired...

What do you think the record would have to be?

[SMACKDAB]

I don't know, but I've been pulling the trigger for 6 straight weeks now in my neck of the woods.

[Squirrel]

6-10 or less.

[Sultan33g]

I have a big feeling that he is gone if we don't make the playoffs...give me rep at the end of the season if Im right....

[panther4life]

well seifert made 15 straight losses before he got canned..cant remeber how many capers had, but i doubt he'd pull the trigger midseason

[Jaxel]

I don't think he goes anywhere... i think he's too good of a coach to let go.

[WilkinsonDonnie]

I think Dallas is hungrier for the win and will pull it out. Unless our team really changes in the next couple weeks we will end up at the end of the year wishing we had kept our 1st for the draft which wouldve allowed us to draft an great qb in this great qb class thats coming out.

[rayzor]

0-8

6-10

bare minimum.

missing out on the playoffs with a (relatively) healthy team should do it, though.

[Khyber53]

Oh, I don't know... 0-16?

Why would the team owner want to ditch the winningest coach in team history? A coach that never posted a record lower than 7-9? One who took the team to the Super Bowl? Or got them to the playoffs three times in six years?

Maybe he would fire him if enough weenies on fan forums gnashed their teeth and typed all in caps? Get real.

Look at it from the business side. Fox brought the team respectability and he did it quick. His record and coaching brought us spots as the featured national game (MNF, SNF, TNF), rather than being the also rans way back in the national coverage.

That respect has put butts in the seats at the stadium, has driven better TV ratings, sold tons of merchandise, extended the season three times (thereby GREATLY increasing team revenues from all sources) and he has been a steady, solid performer that hasn't had any incidents (like punching out an assistant coach, flipping out at a news conference (Playoffs?!!?! Playoffs??!!?? They are who we thought they are!).

He also hasn't courted TOs, Favre's or Plaxicos out of desperation, hasn't had team alcohol problems like the Bengals or Vikings, hasn't had tampering charges leveled against him, courted a college coaching HC job, or just simply given up on the team during a rough spot.

Pull the trigger because he got out coached for the season opener and then lost a nail biter against a strong division rival in their house? After coming off a 12-4 season that ended in a butt whooping from a Super Bowl team on the rise?

Yeah, right. Fox is really about to get fired. Really. Pink slip already warm and in the printer. Stack of empty copier paper boxes right beside his desk. Yep, on his way out. Security is on alert and the doorman is WD-40ing the hinges.

Ain't gonna happen forum dweebs unless they find Foxy with a dead hooker or a live boy, to quote the old political axiom.

[rayzor]

I don't think he goes anywhere... i think he's too good of a coach to let go.

if he allows another losing season i don't think that is true.

it depends on if you want to be great instead of good.

[King Taharqa]

Fox doesnt have what it takes to win a Super Bowl, let alone post back to back winning seasons. For that alone, he should be fired. He's a 7-9 coach. With that said, I dont think wins or losses will determine whether JR pulls the trigger. I think the half empty stadium you'll see here by midseason if we continues losing will convince him enough. I dont know why the owner, the FO, and the Panther propaganda team doesnt think things can turn into 2001 all over again here. Not all of us became fans of this team when we went to Super Bowl, some of us were here before that and remember how off the radar Panthers football was locally in the late 90s-early 2000s.

[Urrymonster]

I agree with you khyber, but sometimes change is a good thing, even if there is nothing wrong.

Do you not just get the sense that the franchise is getting a little stale? We have not seen anything truely ground breaking on either side of the football field for several years, we are fundamentally a slightly worse defensive team than what took us to the superbowl.

I think it is more the recent decisions he has had to make that frustrate the fans. He had the opportunity to bring in a young up and coming DC, who could breathe a breath of fresh air into our defense, but he didn't. He could of used the last two off-seasons to try and find Delhomme's replacement, but he didn't. He could of used the Peppers fiasco to generate some draft picks or at worst let him go for some much needed infusion of hungry players, but he didn't.

It just seems that every single one of his decisions recently, has indicated that he is pretty happy with every aspect of the team and is setting us up for the next several years of the same thing. I know the vast majority of the fans are getting frustrated with seeing the same type of things on the field. I can only assume that much of the defense would love to have the creativity of other teams as well.

Is he a good coach? You better believe it, but I feel he is a coach that is perfect for laying the foundations. Not the one who is going to take us to the next level. If he were, it would have happened already.

[rayzor]

it all depends on if you want to take the team to the next level.

how long do you give a coach before you figure out where his ceiling is. imo, after this year we have had long enough to figure out if he can be a consistent winner.

i'm not content with winning one year and losing the next year....every year.

3 trips to the playoffs. 1st trip to the superbowl. 2nd trip (two years later) to the NFCCG. 3rd trip (three years later) one and done.

i see a pattern and it isn't good.

Oh, I don't know... 0-16?

Why would the team owner want to ditch the winningest coach in team history? A coach that never posted a record lower than 7-9? One who took the team to the Super Bowl? Or got them to the playoffs three times in six years?

Maybe he would fire him if enough weenies on fan forums gnashed their teeth and typed all in caps? Get real.

Look at it from the business side. Fox brought the team respectability and he did it quick. His record and coaching brought us spots as the featured national game (MNF, SNF, TNF), rather than being the also rans way back in the national coverage.

That respect has put butts in the seats at the stadium, has driven better TV ratings, sold tons of merchandise, extended the season three times (thereby GREATLY increasing team revenues from all sources) and he has been a steady, solid performer that hasn't had any incidents (like punching out an assistant coach, flipping out at a news conference (Playoffs?!!?! Playoffs??!!?? They are who we thought they are!).

He also hasn't courted TOs, Favre's or Plaxicos out of desperation, hasn't had team alcohol problems like the Bengals or Vikings, hasn't had tampering charges leveled against him, courted a college coaching HC job, or just simply given up on the team during a rough spot.

Pull the trigger because he got out coached for the season opener and then lost a nail biter against a strong division rival in their house? After coming off a 12-4 season that ended in a butt whooping from a Super Bowl team on the rise?

Yeah, right. Fox is really about to get fired. Really. Pink slip already warm and in the printer. Stack of empty copier paper boxes right beside his desk. Yep, on his way out. Security is on alert and the doorman is WD-40ing the hinges.

Ain't gonna happen forum dweebs unless they find Foxy with a dead hooker or a live boy, to quote the old political axiom.

[Fox007]

Forget record, cut 'em loose after this year period.