John Fox will not be the coach next year if...

[mountainpantherfan]

I've been looking at the schedule and as hard as it looked before the season started it now looks even harder. Right now I only see three really winnable games; at Tampa and then home against Tampa and Washington. After those three games there are three more that we should be competative in and could win; at home against Buffalo, Atlanta and Miami. The remainder of the schedule doesn't look very promising at all after two weeks into the season but should those six games result in wins then Fox needs to be looking for one more in order to secure a job next season. Why?

In 14 completed seasons, the Panthers have posted 7 wins or more in 12 of those 14 seasons. Only two seasons have the Panthers won less than 7 games; 1998 (4-12) and 2001 (1-15). What else do these two seasons have in common? They both resulted in the firing of the head coach. Of course this isn't exact science and there is no gaurentee that six wins would get Fox fired but if I was him I wouldn't feel secure at all seeing what happened to the two previous coaches who failed to reach 7 wins.

[Matt Foley]

Seven-and-nine is this team's equilibrium. They were 7-9 in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007. It's like a puppy with brown spots fighting its own destiny to become a dog with brown spots.

[mountainpantherfan]

Seven-and-nine is this team's equilibrium. They were 7-9 in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007. It's like a puppy with brown spots fighting its own destiny to become a dog with brown spots.

You could also look at it as the standard that was set in the first season. I could see Jerry Richardson looking at it that way and if an expansion team could go 7-9 in it's very first season then anything worse than that is a failure comparitively.

[SMACKDAB]

Seven-and-nine is this team's equilibrium. They were 7-9 in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007. It's like a puppy with brown spots fighting its own destiny to become a dog with brown spots.

So...we're moving to Cleavland now? The Brown's will be our new owners?

What are you saying....we are the new Brown's?

[Dpantherman]

how pathetic is 12-4 to 7-9? We are about to find out whether last year was a product of a week schedule (probably), or if we really are a playoff team.

[Lords0fPain]

how pathetic is 12-4 to 7-9? We are about to find out whether last year was a product of a week schedule (probably), or if we really are a playoff team.

Actually we always follow a winning season with a record like that and the next year make to the playoffs (or come very close). the pattern would suggest that when we play a weak schedule, we win and the harder schedule, we lose (possibly 8-8). take it for what its worth, but i for one think this fox coached team is the product of the schedule (good or bad). and it's most likely going to bad this season (based on history and the 0-2 start).

on the bright side, if we have to endue another year (after this one ) of fox/delhomme/hurney we will face weaker, less talented teams and have another winning season. thus prolonging the having to endure fox/delhomme/hurney led teams for another year

Here's to doing just enough to keep their jobs :cheers2: "It is what it is" and "We pick a bad year to have a bad year"

[Lords0fPain]

Fox Years:

2002 7-9

2003 11-5 (super Bowl)

2004 7-9

2005 11-5 (Playoffs)

2006 8-8

2007 7-9

2008 12-4 (Playoffs)

Other years

1995 7-9

1996 12-4

1997 7-9

1998 4-12

1999 8-8

2000 7-9

2001 1-15

Playoff Game Log

Score

Week Opp Tm Opp

2008 Playoffs

Division L Arizona Cardinals 13 33

2005 Playoffs

WildCard W @ New York Giants 23 0

Division W @ Chicago Bears 29 21

ConfChamp L @ Seattle Seahawks 14 34

2003 Playoffs

WildCard W Dallas Cowboys 29 10

Division W @ St. Louis Rams 29 23

ConfChamp W @ Philadelphia Eagles 14 3

SuperBowl L N New England Patriots 29 32

______________________

1996 Playoffs

Division W Dallas Cowboys 26 17

ConfChamp L @ Green Bay Packers 13 30

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/car/

[prowler2k8]

Fox Years:

2002 7-9

2003 11-5 (super Bowl)

2004 7-9

2005 11-5 (Playoffs)

2006 8-8

2007 7-9

2008 12-4 (Playoffs)

Other years

1995 7-9

1996 12-4

1997 7-9

1998 4-12

1999 8-8

2000 7-9

2001 1-15

Playoff Game Log

Score

Week Opp Tm Opp

2008 Playoffs

Division L Arizona Cardinals 13 33

2005 Playoffs

WildCard W @ New York Giants 23 0

Division W @ Chicago Bears 29 21

ConfChamp L @ Seattle Seahawks 14 34

2003 Playoffs

WildCard W Dallas Cowboys 29 10

Division W @ St. Louis Rams 29 23

ConfChamp W @ Philadelphia Eagles 14 3

SuperBowl L N New England Patriots 29 32

______________________

1996 Playoffs

Division W Dallas Cowboys 26 17

ConfChamp L @ Green Bay Packers 13 30

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/car/

While the Fox years look better than other years, it also stronly indicates how inconsistent his teams are. We'll never be among the League's upper echleon of team if we keep following winning seasons with mediocre or losing seasons. To be the best, you have to compete against and beat the best. We can't just rely on weaker schedules to guarantee winning records.

[rayzor]

it's incredibly possible that we have plateaued with fox. if we can't get a winning season or in the playoffs we will know that fox has a limit. i don't want him to be another jeff fisher, highly regarded but incapable of being a consistent winner or taking his team all the way.

if he can't get the job done, the only job that matters, try to find someone who can.

Fox Years:

2002 7-9

2003 11-5 (super Bowl)

2004 7-9

2005 11-5 (Playoffs)

2006 8-8

2007 7-9

2008 12-4 (Playoffs)

Other years

1995 7-9

1996 12-4

1997 7-9

1998 4-12

1999 8-8

2000 7-9

2001 1-15

Playoff Game Log

Score

Week Opp Tm Opp

2008 Playoffs

Division L Arizona Cardinals 13 33

2005 Playoffs

WildCard W @ New York Giants 23 0

Division W @ Chicago Bears 29 21

ConfChamp L @ Seattle Seahawks 14 34

2003 Playoffs

WildCard W Dallas Cowboys 29 10

Division W @ St. Louis Rams 29 23

ConfChamp W @ Philadelphia Eagles 14 3

SuperBowl L N New England Patriots 29 32

______________________

1996 Playoffs

Division W Dallas Cowboys 26 17

ConfChamp L @ Green Bay Packers 13 30

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/car/