What Does the Fox Say?

John Fox finds himself out of a job. There's an old saying about "great players make coaches great." But when it was accountability time for the Broncos, the coaches were gone, Peyton Manning got the injury "get out of jail free" card, and the rest of the Broncos high-priced roster got off scot free.

First, to paraphrase a famous NFL quarterback's equally famous wife, John Fox might say, "I can't call the pass plays and throw the ball, too." Peyton Manning's 2 for 12 completion record on passes beyond fifteen yards can't be dismissed in the Colts' upset of the Big Horses. Is John Fox accountable for Manning's injury, for Manning's contract, or Manning's uneven (11-13) playoff record? No, no, and only a little.

Manning is an unquestionable Hall of Fame quarterback, among the top half a dozen all-time, but at some point, the "What Have You Done for Me Lately" refrain has to get played. It's not like the Broncos won't sell out without him, and to say Manning is on the back nine of his career is beyond generous.

Wes Welker's career in Denver also proven inconsistent. Like most, I speculate that the cumulative (literal) impact of too many hits and concussions reduced his effectiveness. Welker had a wonderful career, but his 2014/2015 campaign certainly wasn't close to his sizable payday.

Aqib Talib is a ProBowl corner, but got schooled by T.Y. Hilton. That happens in the NFL, where talent meets talented every Sunday.

The reality for Fox is that there are only two kinds of coaches, active and destined to be fired. I haven't seen a lot of criticism for John Elway, and I'm not sure there will be. Elway loaded up and the Broncos went for it, but an aging, injured, and ineffective Manning got outdueled by his Indianapolis replacement. Irony resides for Fox that he was the beneficiary and the casualty of the vicissitudes of Peyton Manning's effectiveness.