John Fox saved his job...

[CRA]

Bottom line is the NFL is an ever changing game.

Look at the record of the top 4 passing teams and the record of the top 4 running teams. The NFL is a QB and passing league now.....Foxball doesn't give the team the best odds to keep your NFL team in the mix.

[DaveThePanther2008]

Yeah, better stand pat. Good enough is good enough.

We have EVERY year except 2007 (even that year we had a chance) been in the hunt for a playoff spot going into the last 2 or 3 games. That in its self is enough to keep Fox around.

Bottom line is the NFL is an ever changing game.

Look at the record of the top 4 passing teams and the record of the top 4 running teams. The NFL is a QB and passing league now.....Foxball doesn't give the team the best odds to keep your NFL team in the mix.

Yeah the #1 passing team in the league last year finished LAST in our division.

Name me one great passing team that won the super bowl that didn't have a good running game and a good defense.

Go Panthers

[carolinanimal]

you guys kill me! " At least were not the browns". What kinda excuse is that? That is what you tell kids in peewee football! yeah ! another 7-9 season! you guys did great! Just have fun out there! Is that alll you guys expect out of this team? We have all the elements to be a very good team but are mediocre.

My question is what happens if john fox just retires and the end of the year? would the panthers just all of a sudden be the worst team in nfl history? That is what some of you guys are suggesting if fox leaves ever! We cant keep him forever. We have to let go of 2003! His philosphy is EXACTLY why we are the team we are! Mediocre! it will make sure we arent horrible, but its conservative approach keeps us from being awesome unless we have a almost perfect game. our team lacks a killer instinct, like it accepts mediocrity, just happy to have a win.

[pantherpain]

you guys kill me! " At least were not the browns". What kinda excuse is that? That is what you tell kids in peewee football! yeah ! another 7-9 season! you guys did great! Just have fun out there! Is that alll you guys expect out of this team? We have all the elements to be a very good team but are mediocre.

My question is what happens if john fox just retires and the end of the year? would the panthers just all of a sudden be the worst team in nfl history? That is what some of you guys are suggesting if fox leaves ever! We cant keep him forever. We have to let go of 2003! His philosphy is EXACTLY why we are the team we are! Mediocre! it will make sure we arent horrible, but its conservative approach keeps us from being awesome unless we have a almost perfect game. our team lacks a killer instinct, like it accepts mediocrity, just happy to have a win.

was about to say the same thing. nice to see other people can take off their

panther blue glasses and look at what we really are.

[PhillyB]

if we make the playoffs, then we'll talk.

[goodoleboy]

Fox has one year left on his contract. That's the main reason he isn't going anywhere. I agree he has probably done enough for one more year in JR's eyes. If this were the contract year he would be gone.

[Snake]

If the team is behind a coach, and playing its heart out, what happens when you fire the coach?

The fact is it was no mystery that Peppers started playing better when Beason talked to him not Fox. Peppers has made it very clear that he dose not like playing for Fox but will perform to help his friends.

You also have Steve Smith calling out people along with Beason's comment and you can bet the house there are other players that are unhappy and just have not spoken up.

Winning one game sands down some rough edges but they come back when we lose the next week. We have been far from consistent this year and we had a Playoff team last year.

It's a valid point. Though in fairness there were players who defended Seifert even after 1-15.

People are not always objective when it comes to the performances of someone they work with and like.

But again, willingness to play for a coach and get behind a QB factors into performance too. It's a tough call.

Valid, but there also comes a 'saturation point' where the guys have heard all your speeches, know all your techniques, etc. When you hit that point you're going through the motions.

Ask yourself this question: Given one more year, would Tony Dungy have taken the Bucs to the Super Bowl? Dungy is, by all accounts, a great coach. He had the Bucs knocking at the door, but could he have taken them the next step? Or, rather, did they need one missing element that Dungy couldn't give them, something Jon Gruden did?

(yes, beyond that one year, Gruden largely stunk, but you see the point)

It is possible that Fox has taken the team as far as he can, and a missing element from someone else is needed to get them over the hump. Likewise it's also possible that what Fox can't quite do here, he could do with a new team, same as Dungy. Both of these are fairly common scenarios.

The Fact is Fox was Grunden coming into 2002 and taking us to a SB in 2003. We just happened to lose. We have never even sniffed the SB since. Thats why its Playoffs or bust for Fox.

[CRA]

We have EVERY year except 2007 (even that year we had a chance) been in the hunt for a playoff spot going into the last 2 or 3 games. That in its self is enough to keep Fox around.

Yeah the #1 passing team in the league last year finished LAST in our division.

Name me one great passing team that won the super bowl that didn't have a good running game and a good defense.

Go Panthers

that is cherry picking.....

look at the top 4 passing teams and top 4 rushing teams. The NFL is changing.....the rules are changing to go in this direction also. I'm not going to dig up old teams b/c there has been a steady progression toward the pass.

[Khyber53]

The Fact is Fox was Grunden coming into 2002 and taking us to a SB in 2003. We just happened to lose. We have never even sniffed the SB since. Thats why its Playoffs or bust for Fox.

Okay, this has got to be the most asinine quote of many today.

Gruden walked in on a team that was already poised for a Super Bowl run. He then rode them there and played against... wait for it... his old team, that was still running his old playbook. From there, Gruden went downhill.

Seifert did not leave a Super Bowl quality team behind (ummm 1-15 the prior year, 15 losses in a row). Fox had to rebuild them team and start pretty much from scratch. The next year, he got us to 7-9, and then the year after, went to the Super Bowl.

Check your history a bit next time.

[solidkjames]

As I have said before and I'll say it again I will not attend another Panthers home football game as long as Jake Delhomme is our starting QB. To hell with Fox or any other coach that can't see how sorry of a job that QB is doing and ruining our season. Fox's biggest fault is he has not evaluation of QB talent.

[ChucktownK]

If by playing "well" you mean didn't give up a pass (since he's not allowed to pass much) and didn't fumble the ball (got lucky a few times) and was actually able to complete the few he was allowed to throw then, sigh....I'll give you that one, reluctantly.

[Mesmer]

if we make the playoffs, then we'll talk.

Pretty much. He's in the process of saving his job. Too early to say for certain one way or the other right now.

[Jackofalltrades]

Fox wasn't getting fired anyway- especially with Mark Richardson out of the picture. Fox is safe through the end of his contract and it wouldn't surprise me to see him extended before that contract expires.

He's here for at least another year, some of you should just come to terms with that reality.

[firstdayfan]

Here's a thought...say we miss the playoffs this year and go 8-8. Richardsen brings back Fox next year and Fox rebounds after a mediocre season as he normally does. Next year we finish 10-6 and make the playoffs losing in the wild card game. What now? Does Fox stay on as head coach? He didn't win a Super Bowl? We lost 6 games probably due to poor QB play or bad game management?

Its one way or the other for this arguement. Either you accept the fact that until we land a superstar QB we won't be a consistently dominant team or you want him out and hope that we hire the right guy for the future. At this point I'd much rather stay with Fox and KNOW what we are getting rather than go through a coach or two before we find the right guy.