John Fox and Ryan Pace don’t have to be told how important the next eight games of this Chicago Bears schedule are. After seasons of 6-10 and 3-13, they need to see signs of improvement from this team if they can start thinking about life beyond 2017. Sitting two and a half years into their tenure together, maybe it’s time to evaluate what they’ve accomplished.
John Fox
- Age: 62
- Contract: Year 3 of 4
- Win-Loss record: 12-28
Pros:
Fox was brought in by the Bears for a number of reasons. He’s an experienced coach going back two decades who’d helped two different franchises rapidly rebuild into Super Bowl contenders. His reputation for building a strong team culture could help repair the one shattered in Chicago by the mismanagement of Marc Trestman. Last but not least he was a stern advocate of true “Bears football.” That meant great defense and a strong running game.
These jobs Fox has accomplished. Since he took over the Bears have encountered fewer and fewer locker room incidents. It’s gotten to a point where they were barely even affected by the national anthem controversy. They’ve gone from having the 30th ranked defense in 2014 to 8th in 2017. They also have the 4th ranked rushing attack in the NFL. As traditional Chicago football goes, he’s reestablished everything.
Cons:
A number of characteristics have follow Fox teams over the years. They’re talented and tough but they’re also sloppy, undisciplined, unimaginative and beset by allegations of cheating. The sloppiness and lack of discipline come in any number of areas. So far this season Bears players have 13 dropped passes. Last season it was 24, so they’re on pace to break that mark. They’ve also turned the ball over 15 times, good for third-most in the league.
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Their offense is boring and predictable. As a team they’re converting just 36.1% of their third downs, ranking them 23rd in the league. They also have 52 offensive penalties, tying them for 10th-most. Rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky has suffered from this lack of consistency and inability of the scheme to adjust to what he does best.
Last but not least is the persistent string of PED suspensions that seem to follow him. Jerrell Freeman has been busted twice in two years. Alshon Jeffery also got flagged in 2016, as did Ego Ferguson. It’s not an isolated case. He had similar issues in Denver and Carolina as well.
Ryan Pace
- Age: 40
- Contract: Year 3 of 5
- Pro Bowlers drafted or signed: 2
Pros:
Bears chairman George McCaskey said he wanted a fresh start with a new viewpoint when he hired Ryan Pace in 2015. Pace had no connections to Chicago, spending his entire NFL career in New Orleans as a scout and personnel director. He wanted somebody with a plan who could rebuild the team to where it was during the height of the Lovie Smith era but also might bring fresh ideas to the table.
All things considered Pace has done his job. Those Bears teams were known for defense and running the ball. Three years into his tenure and Pace’s team are among the best in the NFL at both featuring all players he’s acquired including Jordan Howard, Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Danny Trevathan and Eddie Jackson. Almost the entire core of top players on the roster are 27-years old or younger too.
Last but not least he’s shown a greater interest in investing at the quarterback position than prior GMs. His signing of Mike Glennon in free agency and aggressive move to get Mitch Trubisky in the 2017 draft prove that.
Cons:
Pace is not without his share of missteps. His management of the wide receiver position deserves plenty of criticism. Allowing Alshon Jeffery to reach free agency springs to mind, not to mention his selection of the inexperienced and raw Kevin White for his first pick in the 2015 draft. There’s also the signing of Markus Wheaton in free agency who already had a history of health issues. Pace seems to have a bad habit of adding receivers who get hurt. Yes that’s not entirely his fault but at the end of the day it’s still his moves.
There is also a growing tendency for him to play the cheap card in free agency. He goes more for quantity than quality, choosing to fill several positions with second and third tier players rather than invest in one of the top names available. This might lead to a healthy salary cap but can tend to tell free agents to steer clear of Chicago if they want a pay day. Not a good reputation to have, especially with such an important free agency period coming up next year.
Grades
Fox did a good job rebuilding the foundation of Bears football both on and off the field. At the same time his bad game management and inability to get his players to execute without constant blundering is a big problem. Throw in the concerning lack of imagination in how to help his young quarterback and it’s hard to envision what else he offers them moving forward. Grade: C+
Pace was handed probably one of the most sabotaged rosters in Bears history when he took over. It was old, divided and lacked any sort of future building blocks. Worse yet he was left with bloated contracts and limited draft picks. Despite all that he’s managed to overhaul the roster to a point where experts see a young and ascending team with lots of potential. Sure he’s made some mistakes along the way, but given his youth and inexperience that was bound to happen. Grade: B+
