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Who gets this coveted spot? From the picture above, I'm guessing you already know!
Why John Fox? I mean, there is a fantastic battle going on at the Safety position, is there not? Well, when it comes to the Safety position, I really WANT to see Moore and Carter starting, but I think we are in capable hands regardless of who the staff picks. I don't put too much stock in 1 bonehead play to cause me to panic all offseason and think that we need a complete upheaval at that position. Look, we have Moore (who I think should start simply off of how much he keeps growing each year). We have Jammer (who will probably be a "specialty" safety to cover TE's in certain packages). We have Carter who could very easily start. We have Bruton who if he can actually do anything besides run really fast and hard in a straight line, could be a fantastic safety, and we have the venerable Mike Adams, who is that vet who nobody seems to like, but who always seems to make the starting lineup.
Personally, I think Moore should move to Strong Safety so that he can hit as hard as we know he likes to and never be asked to be the "last line of defense" when it comes to the passing game. With how the NFL has shifted philosophies, I think the Strong Safety MUST be able to adapt to the passing game, where in the past, they were predominantly run stoppers who occasionally would lay the wood to souls who were brave enough to cross over the middle. With Moore as the SS, he can not only lay the wood to whoever he wants (and we know he likes to thump people), but he would also be better in the passing game than most other Strong Safeties.
That leaves Carter or someone else to fill in the Free Safety position. Carter can cover, can catch, and is a play maker. His issue is health. Putting health aside, I think he'd be a great Free Safety, especially teamed up with Moore, who in college, was considered a ball hawk. If Carter isn't durable enough, we always have Jammer who can roll over to the "coverage safety" position with ease. This just makes too much sense to me, but alas, I'm not covering safety in this article.
#5 John Fox. Foxy Foxy Foxy... where has that confident man in my headline picture gone? See that guy above? That guy never got stunned, never got scared, and never lost his swagger. That guy was a stone cold killer (on the field, not of people. Don't anyone get their undies in a bunch). See that guy above? That guy doesn't take crap from anyone and that guy has the stones to know how to deal with pressure in pressure situations.
Say what you want about Fox, but that guy is TOO conservative for today's NFL. Is he a good coach? No, he's a GREAT coach, but he has to realize that he has a team with Peyton Manning on it, not a team with Jake Delhomme on in. Do you know what you do with a team that has Delhomme as it's starting QB? You run 3 straight times up the middle while trying to bleed 5 minutes off the clock and eventually lose in double overtime!
Do you know what you do when you have possibly the greatest QB in the history of the NFL on your team? You channel your younger, more confident self and you put the game in the best to ever play's hands! Who are you more confident in with the game on the line, Peyton Manning, or a rookie Ronnie Hillman? Yeah, I thought so! But here was Fox, being scared and taking the game out of his QB's hands. Again, that QB wasn't Delhomme, it was Manning! I could understand that philosophy if he still had Jake back there, but he doesn't! What John Fox needs to do is remember that little fact the next time he stands on the sidelines on gameday!
How about taking a knee and playing for overtime? Again, if you have Delhomme, that makes sense. You don't want your QB making some boneheaded mistake with 30 seconds left... But again, he isn't coaching a team with Delhomme, he's coaching a team with Peyton Manning! Stunned? Too stunned? Too F'ing STUNNED? Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, where has that confident man gone? Do you know what you realistically needed to do? You realistically needed to get about 40 yards in 30 seconds with 2 timeouts. You didn't need to get to the 20 yard line. You didn't even need to get to the 30 yard line. Hell, the 40 yard line would do just fine because I have WAY more faith in Matt Prater from 57 yards than I do from 47 yards! 31 seconds with 2 timeouts with possibly the greatest QB to ever lace them up? That is a combination for success any day of the week.
Play for overtime? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! If anyone should know about what can happen in overtime, it is YOU and the Denver Broncos. Play for Overtime? And what, potentially never see the ball again because a QB hits a pass over the middle and the WR takes it to the house? You know what? I'd rather go down in flames with Peyton Manning taking chances with 31 seconds left, than tuck my tail between my legs and potentially never see the ball again in Overtime! Where has your swagger gone John?
Aside from that pathetic display of coaching, the entire season saw us taking our foot off the gas and letting teams feel like they had a legit shot at winning the game when there was never any need for that to happen. Am I wanting to see Fox turn into Bill Bilichick and Josh McDaniels? No, hell no, but I do want to see him allow the Broncos to have a bit more swagger and allow them to actually put nails in the coffin before :30 seconds remain in the 4th Quarter.
I want to see us jump ahead on teams, and then use a combination of Manning being Manning, and Montee Ball being Montee Ball. I want a 1998 style balanced attack. I want to see 24-6 halftime leads turn into 42-12 victories, not 24-21 victories because you felt compelled to let the Ferrari idle in the damn driveway for the entire 2nd half. Do you think that man above would do that? To steal a line from the movie The Rock, "Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.".... It's time to F that prom Queen John Fox. That dude above would, so there's no reason why you can't! Get it done Foxy! I don't want to be sitting on the edge of my chair midway through the 4th quarter because you desperately trying to snag defeat from the jaws of victory! F that prom Queen Fox, get it done!