In all the red-hazed confusion of the past two weeks, it’s amazing people haven’t seen it. We’ve been too busy trying to figure out why John Fox refuses to see reality on the Mitch Trubisky situation. Is it because he’s stubborn? Or stupid? Or both? Plenty of Chicago Bears fans would have arguments for either. Then again if they had bothered to remember their studies during the offseason they’d have remembered a vital key. John Fox asked Jeff Fisher for advice on how to develop a rookie quarterback.
Notable: Asked about being a HC handling a face-of-franchise rookie QB, John Fox said he's talked to his friend Jeff Fisher about it.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) April 30, 2017
Wow. Everything suddenly makes so much sense. Of course by now people are wondering what this means. To shed some light, we must go back through the past two decades to when Fisher became a head coach. He took over the Houston Oilers in 1994. A year later in 1995 the team selected a young man named Steve McNair with the #3 overall pick in the draft.
Many felt the quarterback had a chance to be an instant impact player given his rare athletic traits and strong arm. Instead Fisher plopped him on the bench.
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John Fox asked Jeff Fisher for advice that doesn’t fit the new NFL
For the next two years McNair started a total of just six games. He didn’t start as a rookie until late December. He won both of those starts. Did Fisher hand him the reins? No sir. McNair went back to the bench and didn’t start another game until November the following year when he sporadically started four games. It wasn’t until 1997, his third year that he finally became the guy. Again, this was a top three draft choice. Not a mid round project.
Fast forward to 2016. His Los Angeles Rams draft Jared Goff #1 overall. He’s the top pick. One would think he’s the obvious choice to start, especially when Case Keenum is the other option. Fisher again skirted the norm and kept Goff sidelined until late November. By then though it was far too late for the Goff hype to save him. The Rams were 3-5 and already fading. After a defensive win over the Jets, they lost four-straight and he was fired.
Sensing the theme yet? Fisher clearly falls into the sit-them-until-ready camp of QB development. His handling of McNair and Goff prove that. The only one he didn’t adhere to the formula with was Vince Young in 2006, and that was because he’d been pressured by ownership to play the rookie. Try to imagine what Fisher likely told Fox when they spoke to each other.
Fox’s refusal to usher in Trubisky reeks of Fisher influence
So let’s get this straight. John Fox is taking quarterback advice from a man tied for the most losses of any head coach in NFL history? A man who also doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring? Oh yeah, no that makes perfect sense. Look it’s fair to say McNair proved a success with Fisher employing this method. However, Goff had two full months on the bench before he was brought in and he still looked lost.
The point is there is no way to tell when a quarterback is truly ready until he’s put on the field. Everybody is assuming Trubisky will be bad. Well what if he isn’t? Fox is trying to mirror Fisher’s approach but there’s a problem. His stand-in to buy time, Mike Glennon, is much worse than the team expected. His stats, which are average, don’t tell the story of how bad he’s looked. The accuracy is off. He’s slow on reads and takes unnecessary sacks.
Worst of all the Bears are 0-2. Fisher got away with his philosophy because he managed to win a game or two early. He also had a top 10 defense doing the heavy lifting. Fox has no such luxury. The Bears defense is good, but it’s not there yet. Through eight quarters of football this team has not held a lead in a game, and that falls on the quarterback.
Sure in a perfect world sitting Trubisky makes sense. Problem is it’s Chicago. Offense in this town is never goes by the rulebook. Fisher’s advice doesn’t run parallel to this teams’ issues. They need a spark. With injuries piling up everywhere else, Trubisky is the lone one left to provide it. Instead for Fox, like Fisher, it’s the opposite.
Dig in and hope things get better. They won’t.
