Chicago Bears: 7 Possible replacements for John Fox
1. Jim Bob Cooter, Detroit Lions, Offensive Coordinator
Yes, he has a weird name. Jim Bob Cooter has a good offensive mind, however. He’s been there for Matthew Stafford‘s rise in his career. For the past three seasons as Lions’ offensive coordinator, the team ranks pretty high in passing yards (ninth in 2015, 11th in 2016 and 12th this season). Additionally, they rank high in passing touchdowns (eighth, 16th, 10th). The Lions made the playoffs despite no running game and a porous defense. The passing game, however, is great.
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So far this season, one area in which the offense does well is the low number of interceptions. They rank fifth in the league. This is something the Bears struggled with over the past several seasons. He could do for Trubisky what he did for Stafford.
In the past two seasons, Stafford threw for 8,589 yards, completed 66 percent of his passes and threw for 56 touchdowns ( the Bears had 40). He did that with a line that was less than stellar (they gave up 81 sacks). This season, Stafford is on his way to repeating the last two seasons’ stats.
After a fast start to the season, the Lions now find themselves in a slump. They lost three games in a row, and four out of five. They are just a half-game ahead of the Bears. Part of the reason for that is a struggling defense and weak running game. The Bears are doing well in both those areas.
Some people speculate that head coach Jim Caldwell and his staff might be in trouble. If so, Cooter could be available. His name surfaced when the Bears hired Fox so perhaps they can get something done this time.