It's officially 2017. The last game of the regular season is at hand for the Chicago Bears. Fans will be watching for a variety of reasons. Some will want to see if Jordan Howard breaks the rookie rushing record. He's 61 yards away. Others might be rooting hard for the Vikings to win, thus assuring the Bears the third overall pick in the draft. Then there are those who wish to see how John Fox is able to finish the year.
It hasn't been at all what people expected. Fox was known as a maestro of team turnarounds dating back to his days in Carolina and Denver. Each time in the second seasons he took them to the playoffs. Belief was he would do the same in Chicago. Then as the losses began to pile up, the speculation shifted to his job security.
If the Bears lose in Minnesota, they will finish 3-13. That will mark the worst record they've ever had in a 16-game season. Fox hasn't exactly endeared himself to the fans the past two seasons, and especially the Chicago media. Would the team brass be willing to keep him despite this or are they compelled to make a change? Seems an answer is finally at hand.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has monitored the situation for weeks in Chicago. No doubt it was a fluid one that didn't reach solid ground until recently. Now the insider is convinced that the 61-year old coach will survive for one more year in what could be his last opportunity running a football team.
"But, according to those who know him well, Fox will have the opportunity to make his mark in the third season. In addition, much of his staff is slated to return, as well. The losses have collected for Chicago, a frustrating two seasons. The result is not what anyone has wanted. But in making the decision to stay the course, the Bears appear to be looking at more than box scores."This won't sit well with a lot of Bears fans for obvious reasons. Fox has come across as a laid back, somewhat unlikable guy who seems to delight in lying about anything that might have to due with information regarding his team. His in-game management hasn't helped with that either. He continues to make head scratching decisions from time to time that can grow infuriating. Yet it's hard to deny why he's returning. Fox has helped GM Ryan Pace build what appeared to be a strong, young roster. He has kept the Bears motivated and playing hard late in the year despite the losing. To say nothing of the ridiculous 19 players on Injured Reserve. Many of them key starters. It would be hard for even the best coaches to win under such circumstances. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/John-Fox-Its-about-pride-and-respect.mp4"][/video] The task ahead for 2017 is crystal clear. Get everybody healthy. Improve the secondary. Doing anything and everything possible to find a viable quarterback. Jay Cutler is done in Chicago and Matt Barkley proved he's nothing more than a decent backup moving forward. This is good news for some and bad news for others. Think of it this way. Rapoport at least confirmed that the staff should be back as well, meaning defensive coordinator Vic Fangio wasn't lying about his intention to return. He's become a favorite of Bears fans. Besides, the team should improve considerably with this upcoming off-season. That means one of two things. Either Fox will get things going in 2017 or the next head coach will inherit a playoff-ready roster in 2018.
