Meet John Fox: The Anti-McDaniels

After enduring a 2-year mistake commonly referred to in the Mile High Area as the “Josh McDaniels Era,” marred by the trading away of both components of one of the league’s most prolific tandems in Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, the Denver Broncos have decided to hire perhaps the most opposite man available as McDaniels’ successor.McDaniels came up the ranks as a hotshot coordinator, taking on the Broncos (yes, the combative nature of the word is intentional) as his first head coaching job. Fox, on the other hand, is a wily vet of the NFL head coaching circle, having spent his last 9 years in Carolina. To fans worried about his 2-14 season with the Panthers, in short, don’t be. Fox was hung out to dry by the brass down in Charlotte, shipping out veterans and trusted playmakers, insisting Fox play younger, albeit less talented and unproven players. Combined with the injury bug that chewed up Pro Bowl running back DeAngelo Williams among other contributors, the 2010 Panthers would’ve been a losing team, even with the ghost of Vince Lombardi calling the shots.Fox is a tough-nosed football coach, with a game plan built around running the football and strong defense, a far cry from the attempted aerial assault that has gotten the Broncos little to no traction over the past 2 years. A quarterback like Tim Tebow, who Fox will have at least some token of his own future invested in, regardless of his preference, can succeed in Fox’s system, so long as he plays smart, turnover free football. Not to mention, it should be intriguing to see what kind of wrinkles Tebow could add to Fox’s run-heavy arsenal.Tired of second half collapses? As much as any headset-bearer in the NFL, Fox gets better as a season progresses. Starting 1-7 in 2004, Fox teams never fail for effort rallying to win 5 straight, then finish the season at 7-9. In more recent history, the 2009 Panthers sat at 4-7 before rallying to win 4 of 5 down the stretch and finish at an even 8-8. During his tenure at Carolina, Fox won more than he lost, even considering the most recent 2-14 debacle.Inheriting a 1-15 team his first year as a head coach, Fox propelled the Panthers to their only Super Bowl berth in franchise history in just his second season, losing to the Patriots in their final contest.Though Fox has never won a Super Bowl, perhaps it’s best he’s saved some tricks for the Denver faithful. No head coach in league history has ever won two Super Bowls with different teams. Fox knows how to build a consistent team and knows how to get to football’s biggest stage. Here’s to hoping he figures out the rest and returns the franchise to glory.