Panthers Big Season Sends John Fox Detractors into Hiding
by Jaxon
on Dec 16, 2008 10:48 AM EST
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Prior to the start of this season it was a common assumption that if the Panthers didn't return to the playoffs John Fox would be out of a job. The same could probably be said for GM Marty Hurney. With former Steelers coach Bill Cowher relocating to NC that only added fuel to the fire. I ran a couple polls (here and here) on this topic late last season and as I'm sure you can imagine they were not favorable for Fox or Hurney.
Fast forward to today and the Panthers find themselves playing for the #1 seed in the NFC and John Fox once again is being regarded as one of the best in the NFL. It would appear Pantherinsider.com would agree:
There may have been some question about coach John Fox's future with the Panthers earlier this year, but no more. With Carolina reaching the 10-win plateau, rest assured Fox will be back next year. He's proven his doubters wrong, much the way Tom Coughlin did last year in New York.
That's a good thing for Fox, especially since he just built a big home in South Charlotte.
You have to admire the guys' confidence by building a new house in Charlotte when his job is seemingly on the line. What I admire more was his completely ballzy move in trading away next's years #1 pick for RT Jeff Otah. How does that move look now? Pretty good in my view (but I'm Eagle fans might not agree!). Shoot, let's trade our '10 #1 pick to move up in the '09 draft. I'm no financier but when you borrow future dollars that are worth less and spend them now that's a good move. Okay, maybe that analogy doesn't work.
More after the jump....
Of course no matter how well the Panthers do this year there will still be the idiot on Charlotte.com yelling FIRE FOX, FIRE FOX! Like I said..."idiot". If the Panthers should for whatever reason cut Fox loose (never happen mind you) he would be unemployed about 5 minutes before his phone would start ringing.
I think more than any other year John Fox and Marty Hurney have shown they know how to build and manage a winning franchise. They wanted a power running game and got one. They wanted to get more weapons on offense and they got them. The result is a balanced offense that nobody can stop except the Panthers themselves with turnovers. On defense they wanted to improve the pass rush and they did it. The found a leader for the defense in the form of MLB Jon Beason who should be a Pro Bowler for years to come. They have a defense that is equally good against the run and the pass. Want more evidence of John Fox's job performance? The Steve Smith - Ken Lucas ordeal could have easily shattered this team but instead Fox has turned it into a defining moment that has galvanized this team's purpose. This team is on a mission to go to the Super Bowl and every player on the roster is on board.
Honestly, no matter how the Panthers season turns out from here, even the worst case scenario of losing the final two games and in the first round of the playoffs, I want John Fox to coach this team long term. I think the actual results will be quite different though. let me be the first to say it on this blog:
John Fox - 2008 NFL Coach of the Year
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It think the offseason chaos awakened fox.
people may say they don’t hear the rumors or ignore it but usually they know it is going on and worrying a little. You can’t help to think that john fox was thinking about it. If fox wasn’t worried about his job even a little bit I don’t think he makes that balsy move to sign otah and completley overhaul the line. Fox usually is a more conservative guy in those type of things. (really how many people would have traded a first and couple other picks away for one pick when his job is safe.)
by JStew28 on
Dec 16, 2008 11:25 AM EST
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It is hard to build a winning team
It is hard to build a winning team in a 32 team league, not to mention 2 NFC Championships in 5 years. Cower was in Pittsburgh like 15 years before winning a Superbowl. But we have little patience here.
The better we do, the more that traded 1st round draft pick looks more like a 2nd round pick. Otah as a late 1st round pick is a steal!
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on
Dec 16, 2008 11:50 AM EST
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I think the problem with Fox and Hurney is that they're too conservative.
Which is a shame because Hurney is a genius when he’s pushed to action. I think that their mindset the last few years is that they’re slowly going to build a winning team. They’ve made good decisions, but for whatever reason injuries would happen and everything wouldn’t work out like they wanted it to be.
Foster slowed down, no one was able to replace Steve Smith, offensive line woes. Bad luck just seemed to haunt Fox, and the team grew progressively worse each year because of it.
Then they got put under pressure. They got backed into a corner. You either do good this season, or you’re out of here.
It was do or die, all or nothing. Make all the aggressive moves you want so we can win now.
In this particular case, the Panthers benefitted.
"Once again the trowsers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
by Revshawn on
Dec 16, 2008 3:15 PM EST
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*Correction, no one was able to replace Moose
"Once again the trowsers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
by Revshawn on
Dec 16, 2008 4:09 PM EST
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I've been a Fan
of Fox since he arrived. Yes the staff for the Panthers can be conservative. I think the biggest reasons we’ve had down years has been mainly to injuries. Sure that can’t be the only excuse as some teams are able to have good depth, but it’s played a big factor since he’s been here.
by LittleKing on
Dec 16, 2008 3:33 PM EST
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sense of urgency
Last offseason was the first one where the Foxy crew showed a sense of urgency. They were too conservative in the past and too loyal to certain guys. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to call out Foxy on giving the ball to Foster twice as much as D-Will when D-Will averaged 1.5 yards more per carry and was much better at hanging on to the ball. Fox was loyal to Foster, and I was a Foster fan, too, but enough was enough. I was also very disappointed that we let Moose, McCree, Witherspoon, and Manning Jr. go. It’s hard to replace quality guys. We finally got Harris, Beason and Marshall to replace three of those guys, and then we just had to bring Moose back.
Regardless of what we do in the postseason (duh, we’re gonna win it all), I don’t want to see the same level of complacency in free agency, the same inability to get rookies on the field, and the same loyalty to players who are spending too much time on the field.
With that said, Jarrett and Hackett need to step up for the playoff run, and I want to see more 3 DE sets, with Hilee Taylor blitzing as well. And where is Barnidge?
by usana_gaines on
Dec 17, 2008 1:55 AM EST
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