Read the debate intro and the argument from Loyal Homer about whether or not Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox should lose his job.
During the 2003 season the Carolina Panthers won the NFC South Division, the NFC Championship, and traveled to its first Super Bowl in franchise history. That season the Panthers won seven of the 11 victories in nail biting fashion – with those games decided by three points or less – thus earning the team the moniker “The Cardiac Cats.” Now the team that once seemed like it would be a perennial powerhouse of the NFC seems to have veered off course. The Panthers are quickly becoming one of those teams that must settle for boasting about potential instead of accolades. The Cardiac Cats are in need of a heart transplant – an operation that will bring with it new life to a failing organization. The figuratively defective heart in need of replacement belongs to head coach John Fox.
Fox’s conservative approach is no longer winning games. The Panthers often use a run first offense that wears down defenses in order to open up the big play on a play action pass. They also run a lot of “smoke routes” (short screen passes) to Steve Smith hoping to catch the defense napping or set up a fly route to Smith late in the game. The problem with all of this is that if the average fan can explain the Panther’s offense in two sentences, how well will it do against teams that watch hours of game footage in preparation to defend against it?
NFL teams are constantly bringing new strategies to the field. From the scrambling quarterback to the wild cat formation, ingenuity is apparent around the league. But when was the last time Carolina tried something new? When was the last time they scored off of flea flicker, a halfback pass, or a fake punt? In fact, when was the last time Carolina’s special teams scored? If the answer is, “it has been awhile,” then John Fox is to blame.
Another major flaw with Fox is that he is loyal to a fault. He stands behind his players through the good, the bad, the really bad, and even the ridiculous… yes, I am talking about you, Jake Delhomme. When it comes to Jake Delhomme Fox brings new meaning to the song “Stand by Your Man.” In fact, I would venture to say that Fox’s bromance with Delhomme has shown more undeserved faithfulness to him than most marriages. John Fox’s undying loyalty to his starting quarterback has started to undermine his coaching ability and become a hindrance to the team’s future success.
Who could blame him for liking Delhomme? Delhomme’s rise from bench warmer to prolific passing field general was a feel good story for the ages. The fact that Delhomme seemingly stepped up at the right time and led his team to the Super bowl would make a believer out of most people, but all things change with time. It is like that hot cheerleader you drooled over in high school. Sure, she was smoking hot back in the day, but after 10 years, four husbands, three kids, and two stints in rehab she is not so hot anymore. Jake Delhomme has become that girl.
Jake’s interception woes have revealed a glaring weakness in the Fox regime – loyalty has prohibited the team from having any other options. With Carolina’s rushing game Delhomme does not need to air it out. All that is necessary is maintaining possession of the ball until one of his running backs breaks off a big run. Time and time again Delhomme has proven to be ineffective (e.g. Jake’s five interception games). The problem is not that Fox does not bench Jake, but rather that he CANNOT bench him because he has no other legit options. Fox could have encouraged the team to draft a young quarterback (i.e. Pat White or Josh Freeman) to groom for the future… but he did not. Fox could have implored that the team acquire an experienced free agent quarterback (i.e. Jeff Garcia or Michael Vick) to spark some competition… but he did not. Fox could have forced a trade for quarterback (i.e. Matt Leinart, or Brady Quinn) to mix things up, but he did not. John Fox put all of his proverbial eggs into the ragin’ Cajun’s basket, and now that those eggs are broken. Carolina is left with one nasty looking omelet.
The biggest and most important reason John Fox should no longer coach the Carolina Panthers is that he has mortgaged his team’s future for contemporary relevance. It appears that Fox’s team management skills are akin to the financial management skills of Michael Jackson. (What!? Too soon?)
Fox has developed a team with minimal depth at any position other than running back. His roster can boast of virtually no depth at vital positions. Over the past two off-seasons Fox has traded away the following year’s first round draft pick in order to acquire a target player. Sure, Fox lucked up in landing Jeff Otah in the 2008 draft, but in the 2009 draft Carolina surrendered the team’s 2010 first round pick for second round pick defensive end Everett Brown and fourth round pick Mike Goodson. This move was largely motivated by the fear of replacing a disgruntled Julius Peppers, but these moves weaken the Panthers in the long run. The Panther’s would have been better served by trading Peppers for draft considerations and a serviceable quarterback, but once again Fox missed out on an opportunity to build for the future. The teams’ lack of involvement in the free agency is another testament to the poor leadership of Fox. When a coach becomes this destructive to his teams future, a change must be made.
The Panthers have to face the facts – better options for head coach are out there. Former Super Bowl winning coach Bill Cowher seems ready and willing to take John Fox’s job should it become available. Now it seems that it is more a matter of when, rather than if, the Panthers move in a new direction.
