Fox Needs To Be Fired after this season. Plain and Simple

[top dawg]

Delhomme did lose the game for us: The Delhomme that apparently was haunting Jon Fox's mind when he fell back into his security blanket of ultra-ultra conservatism. The man was afraid to death to let Jake air the ball out, arguably for good reason, so he lost his will to make what I have always called fundamentally sound football decisions. It is really inexcusable, even with Jake at the helm, to take your foot off the throttle against a team that averages basically 39 points per game. When you have them down---right where you want them---you have to have that killer instinct to drive a stake through their hearts, lest they get back up and turn the tide (doing what they have already shown that they can do). Of course you can call it Monday morning coaching, but that's OK. Even if you rationalize that Fox was playing it safe (which in reality was too damned safe) because of the recent play of Jake Delhomme, then you must ask why he didn't play Moore (or Feeley)? If you say it's because they are worse than Jake, then the next question is "Why don't we have a back-up QB that Fox is comfortable with starting in Jake's place, especially due to Jake's overall work so far in 2009?

It all comes back to Fox (and/or Hurney and/or Davidson).

There is no place for being fearful to make fundamentally sound football calls in the NFL, especially if you have have had the opportunity to draft/develop a suitable QB after several years. Fox has been Jake's main supporter, as well as the person most responsible for Jake's potential replacements. Playing it safe is not the way to go, unless you're John Fox and want to go quietly.

At this point in the game, Fox should want to at least go down fighting, with the soldiers that he has brought to the field, because that is the only way that he is going to save himself. But, we all have seen this act before in 2007, so we know what's going to happen.

[carolinarolls]

I agree he should go. Things are too far gone at this point. I like Fox but some Spring Cleaning needs to be done. The mood is stale and the stars are doing uncharacteristic things. There is a funk in Charlotte.

Rip off the head and start down. Keep ripping and replacing until you feel like everyone is dizzy enough to pay attention. At that point loyalty is set at zero and people have to re-earn their status within the org.

It's sad but I can't name one player on the team that I care to protect. Just get the bad mojo out no matter who or what it costs.

[prowler2k8]

Delhomme did lose the game for us: The Delhomme that apparently was haunting Jon Fox's mind when he fell back into his security blanket of ultra-ultra conservatism. The man was afraid to death to let Jake air the ball out, arguably for good reason, so he lost his will to make what I have always called fundamentally sound football decisions. It is really inexcusable, even with Jake at the helm, to take your foot off the throttle against a team that averages basically 39 points per game. When you have them down---right where you want them---you have to have that killer instinct to drive a stake through their hearts, lest they get back up and turn the tide (doing what they have already shown that they can do). Of course you can call it Monday morning coaching, but that's OK. Even if you rationalize that Fox was playing it safe (which in reality was too damned safe) because of the recent play of Jake Delhomme, then you must ask why he didn't play Moore (or Feeley)? If you say it's because they are worse than Jake, then the next question is "Why don't we have a back-up QB that Fox is comfortable with starting in Jake's place, especially due to Jake's overall work so far in 2009?

It all comes back to Fox (and/or Hurney and/or Davidson).

There is no place for being fearful to make fundamentally sound football calls in the NFL, especially if you have have had the opportunity to draft/develop a suitable QB after several years. Fox has been Jake's main supporter, as well as the person most responsible for Jake's potential replacements. Playing it safe is not the way to go, unless you're John Fox and want to go quietly.

At this point in the game, Fox should want to at least go down fighting, with the soldiers that he has brought to the field, because that is the only way that he is going to save himself. But, we all have seen this act before in 2007, so we know what's going to happen.

If for nothing else, this is the main reason why I would support a coaching change. If you watched the Steelers last night you saw a team that overcame a few turnovers and early pressure on their QB to take control and dominate the game against the Broncos. They just seem to have a never-say-die attitude and the team obviously has the utmost confidence that they can win whenver they step on the field. With Carolina, you just don't know what team will show up game-to-game or half-to-half. I know JR wants to emulate the Steelers' style of football, but sooner or later he's going to have to realize that we will never have the focus or the attitude (that killer instinct) to be a great team as long as Fox is at the helm. /rant

[Huffgolf30]

i like fox, and think he is a top 10 coach in the NFL, who is really one great QB away from being a super bowl winner. however, his philosophy IMO is one that will always leave us just short of where we want to be. you have to take a few risks and draft a good rookie who can become the future. he is not wiling to do that.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

I can't wait to spend the next 10 seasons looking for a replacement coach!

Fun fun fun!

[Pejorative Miscreant]

Somehow I see Fox surviving but with conditions. Big Cat is probably going to put pressure on him specifically:

1. New QB next year. Tavaris Jackson and a few others are available as a RFA/UFA or or up for grabs if no CBA is signed. Not number 1 on anyone's list (especially mine) but he has game experience and is an upgrade.

2. Draft the future of the Franchise QB: It is a deep class and we should be able to get a round 2 or 3 QB (Dan Hiller type who is smart and is willing to learn)

3. New WRs through FA and draft. Moose and Jarrett probably will not be here next year.

4. Resolve the Peppers soap opera quickly. Either work out a deal or let him go.

I know it seems helpless right now but the team is not very far from being playoff bound. I don't think there will be many hasty decisions made by JR. In addition to this, I dont know if he can or wants to invest the time in rebuilding the franchise by dismantling it.

[beastson]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/147057-john-fox-has-never-put-back-to-back-winning-seasons

.....

[MaineManPanther]

How can you quantify killer insticnt? We were up the majority of the game so we ran it down their throats. Similar to the Arizona game. When the Saints started coming back, we opened up the passing game, which because of the run, was pretty decently effective. Sadly turnovers, over thrown balls and dropped passes at the worst times did us in.

Fox gameplan kept us in the game agianst a superior offence, and gave us a chance on the last drive to win/tie the game.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

...gave us a chance on the last drive to win/tie the game.

We were down by 10...

[Jase]

We were down by 10...

Maybe you forgot the first potentially game winning drive that dwill botched.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

Maybe you forgot the first potentially game winning drive that dwill botched.

no, I didn't... I was talking about "the last drive"

[MaineManPanther]

no, I didn't... I was talking about "the last drive"

My fault. I was indeed meaning the 2nd to last drive.

[guyinchesapeake]

I like Fox quite a bit. However, his 'niche' as far as his standing among other coaches past and present is in the Marty Shottenheimer/Jim Mora category. Those two won their share of regular season games, but they never seemed to get their teams over the playoff hump (actually, that does set Fox apart from them, his playoff success).

But Fox has had a long tenure by typical NFL standards, and the team is underperforming, and agin gin key positions at that. While the defense is playing with more intensity and fire, the offense is just too inconsistent (except in their predictability, they remain TOO consistent there), and the special teams are still mediocre. The team still is stuck in "Oh crap" mode, that is, they appear to do alright until they face any adversity, like a turnover, and they seem to take on the "here we go again" mindset. That's on Fox!

Though there was some success with running on third and long against the Saints, that is an approach that will get shut down eventually, even by the worse defensive teams. The Saints did that in the second half. The reason is obvious, they didn't fear (or was it respect?) Jake, and Fox evidently doesn't have any confidence in his passing ability. What makes that doubly bad is that Fox was maintaining that Jake gives us the best chance to win. We're 3-5 with Jake. I think the team deserves a chance to rally around Moore for the second half. Let's see what he can do. He can't do any worse than now.

[Snake]

I have always liked Fox but he become more and more play it safe every year. Its to a point now that nothing is tried because the fear of failure. Im sorry but at this point Fox is the Al Davis of Coaching. Yea he might have been a top 10 coach at some point but it is not this year. He barely is holding this team together and that was one of the things he did best in the past. His contract is up at years end and he will be gone. No need to even fire him just let him walk away like his staff did last year.