The end result of the game didn’t matter. Although losing 25-0 to the Cleveland Browns is never the best look. Either way all anybody wanted was for the Chicago Bears to get out of the game relatively unscathed on the injury front. Turns out the football gods couldn’t even give us that with players like Lamarr Houston, Victor Cruz, Deiondre Hall and Connor Shaw leaving with various ailments. Yet somehow that wasn’t the story of the game. It was head coach John Fox, and for good reason.
From the moment the Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky #2 overall in April, there was an undercurrent of concern. Does the 62-year old know how to manage a young quarterback? Many, this writer included, had their doubts. After all Fox has never once in his career successfully developed one. His most notable attempt, Jimmy Clausen in Carolina, was a colossal flop.
If anything this explains his stubbornness in regards to keeping Mike Glennon as the starter. He prefers veterans who’ve been developed by somebody else. However, it was the preseason finale that Fox showcased how out of depth he really is and why he’s likely going to end up fired by the end of this 2017 season.
Head coach John Fox almost needlessly got Trubisky injured
Now this is the Chicago Bears franchise. Quarterback mismanagement is nothing new here. Then again somehow Fox managed to challenge for the top spot in the mindlessly dumb category on Thursday night. It began even before the game. Fox announced that Trubisky would be starting the contest. Never mind it was a meaningless game that served little purpose considering Mitch was a roster lock.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Fox stated it was a good chance to get him extra work. A nice cop out line but hardly convincing, especially when the Bears had him hand off the first nine offensive plays of the game. Then when he finally did start throwing, Fox forgot to remember they were playing against a Gregg Williams-coached defense. The same Gregg Williams who got suspended for the Bounty Gate scandal in New Orleans.
So naturally it led to a play like this.
Browns LB Deon King with the late hit on Mitchell Trubisky.
Best part: Gregg Williams is incredulous. pic.twitter.com/97ExiZYDys
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) September 1, 2017
Oh but Foxy wasn’t done yet. Trubisky was mercifully pulled from the game shortly after and replaced with Connor Shaw. It looked like he was done for the night. That is until Shaw got hurt.
Not having Mark Sanchez available cemented it
This was where the cluelessness seeped in the worst. The Bears, for some reason, only had two quarterbacks active that night. Fox didn’t feel the need for a third, you know, just in case one got injured. This is especially brainless considering the injuries his QBs suffered last year. As a result there was no Mark Sanchez to come in for relief. So guess who had to go back on the field?
Yep. Mitch got his helmet and jogged back out there. No big deal, right? The game was already out of reach. Just hand the ball off, run the clock out and get the hell out of there. Except nope. Fox cemented the loss of his sanity by having Trubisky throw. On a screen play he was knocked to the ground and then on the last play of the game he was sacked.
Try to imagine the riots that would’ve broken out if Mitch got hurt during that sequence. Best of all? Fox didn’t seem the least bit apologetic about it after the game.
If ever Bears fans were looking for an example of why John Fox isn’t going to be around much longer, his handling of Trubisky this past week shines like a lighthouse beacon. GM Ryan Pace has remained supportive of the head coach in public but he had to be fuming at what happened during that game. Everybody else saw it and he’s not blind.
Fox was a good coach for this team during the rebuilding phase. Still if they’re going to truly change the culture of this franchise then he has to go.
