Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Hear me out ... I had just discussed this HC on another thread. Yes, his last three years with Chicago were a washout. It easily takes him out of HOF discussion but what about the HOVG?

His last three years in Chicago, he couldnt win with Cutler--who got hurt in 2016--and didnt get enough time to develop his rookie QB in Trubisky. He won conference championships in both conferences with Jake Delhomme and Peyton Manning at QB. He also won a playoff game with Tim Tebow. In his first SB, his team came from behind but lost on a last second FG by the Patriots with Tom Brady. In his second SB despite Manning winning MVP and throwing for a record 55 TD passes, the Broncos offensive line has their worst game of the year against the Legion Of Boom, Seahawks. It didnt help that Manning had nervous feet in that game and Von Miller was out with injury. Another playoff loss in Denver in 2014, ended his tenure there, although adding DeMarcus Ware to team with Von Miller, would help the Broncos finally win it all in 2015.

Was it Fox's team that won it all in 2015, or did Kubiak and especially, Wade Phillip's coaching, make all the difference? Both of course, but obtaining Ware in 2014 for Fox, definitely helped Phillips turn this defense loose for a great postseason run in 2015.

His last season in Carolina doesnt help his cause as well but he had a 12-4 season with Carolina as recent as 2008 but they were upset by the Cardinals, who got a great postseason run from eventual HOF QB, Kurt Warner.

Counting postseason, his overrall record was 141 - 130 which is 28th all-time in wins. If you take away his last year in Carolina in 2010 and his last three seasons with Chicago, his overrall record is 125 - 82 ... not too shabby. He probably wont make the HOVG, but was a quality coach.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... oxxJo0.htm

Having last coached in 2017 Fox won't be eligible till 2043.
As always (for me) it depends on who else is on the ballot... There are other coaches I might put ahead of him but maybe by '43 they'll already be in.

Quality coach whose Bears tenure was more successful than the record and reputation, at least in my opinion, as I once argued with a colleague:

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2017/ ... debate-nfl

Who are the coaches in HOVG? I wouldn't think of Fox in those terms, not when coaches who are vastly more accomplished are outside of Canton.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 5:38 pm Hear me out ... I had just discussed this HC on another thread. Yes, his last three years with Chicago were a washout. It easily takes him out of HOF discussion but what about the HOVG?

His last three years in Chicago, he couldnt win with Cutler--who got hurt in 2016--and didnt get enough time to develop his rookie QB in Trubisky. He won conference championships in both conferences with Jake Delhomme and Peyton Manning at QB. He also won a playoff game with Tim Tebow. In his first SB, his team came from behind but lost on a last second FG by the Patriots with Tom Brady. In his second SB despite Manning winning MVP and throwing for a record 55 TD passes, the Broncos offensive line has their worst game of the year against the Legion Of Boom, Seahawks. It didnt help that Manning had nervous feet in that game and Von Miller was out with injury. Another playoff loss in Denver in 2014, ended his tenure there, although adding DeMarcus Ware to team with Von Miller, would help the Broncos finally win it all in 2015.

Was it Fox's team that won it all in 2015, or did Kubiak and especially, Wade Phillip's coaching, make all the difference? Both of course, but obtaining Ware in 2014 for Fox, definitely helped Phillips turn this defense loose for a great postseason run in 2015.

His last season in Carolina doesnt help his cause as well but he had a 12-4 season with Carolina as recent as 2008 but they were upset by the Cardinals, who got a great postseason run from eventual HOF QB, Kurt Warner.

Counting postseason, his overrall record was 141 - 130 which is 28th all-time in wins. If you take away his last year in Carolina in 2010 and his last three seasons with Chicago, his overrall record is 125 - 82 ... not too shabby. He probably wont make the HOVG, but was a quality coach.

Haha ... I bet Robert Z has changed his tune on Vic Fangio?

Brandon Marshall had talent as good as Terrell Owens, too bad he also could disrupt and distract his teams like T.O, though I dont think he was nearly as bad. Had he stayed more healthy and consistent his final three years, he might have made the HOF, like Owens.

Brandon is such an odd case. Absolute superstar talent in all phases, including one of the best blocking WRs I've ever seen, with Muhsin Muhammad, Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward, and T.O. Probably some modern ones I'm not thinking of but those are the five that come to mind. Equally adept as a deep threat and a chains-mover. Great peaks, great career numbers, successful on every franchise he played despite a multitude of QBs and OCs.

That says it all though: wore out his welcome everywhere he went and ultimately traded by three teams. And somehow went to zero postseasons, despite playing on talented teams including 10-win teams with the Bears and Jets.

We can only speculate had Shanahan, Cutler and Marshall stayed with the Broncos longer? They dont win again till John Fox.

Fox's team got very lucky in 2003.

In Week 1, they were down 17-7 to the Jags going into the fourth quarter because Fox started the below average Rodney Peete over Delhomme, a FA they just signed. After putting Jake in, they did come back and get an 18-17 lead before Brunell hit ex-Raven Jermaine Lewis on a 65-yard bomb with 5:26 left to go in the game.

The Jags tried a two-pointer, but they missed (it could have made the score 25-18, which would have made a difference at the end). Then, with 4:54 left, Akin Ayodele picked off Delhomme and returned it to their own 46 with 4:54 left. They could have ran out the clock, and they weren't able to, setting up a game winning pass from Delhomme to Proehl with 22 seconds left (it could have only tied the game if the Jags get the two-pointer earlier).

In Week 2, they needed a blocked extra point go to to OT, where they won 12-9 over the defending champ Buccaneers. They also won two more OT games (in Weeks six and eight) against the Colts and the Saints. Against NO, the Saints had a 4th and 1 early in OT on Carolina's 37 yard line and decided to go for it (they were stuffed, and Deuce McAlister fumbled, setting up a game winning FG drive for Carolina).

Stashed in with those close wins were two losses to the Titans (17-37) and the two-year old Texans (10-14).

Also, Michael Vick got hurt that year and missed 12 starts (they beat the Panthers late in the year when he came back).

They were able to take advantage of that and go to a SB that they probably shouldn't have been in. Also, that was only one of three playoff appearances that he had in Carolina (in nine years).

As for his time in Denver, I think he was selected because of his personality, not because he was a good coach (I was on a Bronco forum, and a poster had a dad who was a Panther fan. His dad "congratulated" him for replacing the worst coach in the NFL, McDaniels, with the second-worst coach in the league in Fox).

McDaniels created a toxic environment, and Fox was able to lighten things up. Nobody could foresee what was to come (Tebowmania and the arrival of Peyton Manning).