Fox on his Bears' future: 'I haven't heard anything one way or the other'
Head coach Ben McAdoo was fired Monday by the New York Giants less than a year after they went to the playoffs, but Bears coach John Fox says he hasn't heard anything about his fate and hasn't asked.
McAdoo was canned with a 13-15 record. Fox is 12-32 in his third season with the Bears.
“I haven't heard anything one way or the other,” Fox said Monday after the Bears' fifth straight loss. “I wouldn't ask. That's more how I see it. I'm doing everything in our power to put the best product on the field day to day, week to week. I control what I can control, and that's what I can control.”
Fox said his relationship with general manager Ryan Pace remains the same.
“It's been very positive from the standpoint of a working relationship,” Fox said. “Like everybody, even you all (the media) to some degree, it's frustrating, no doubt. That can't deter you. You just keep rolling. We've got four games, the final quarter of our season. As soon as (Monday's) over and we're done talking about (Sunday), we're on to Cincinnati.”
The Bears hit the road to face the 5-6 Bengals, who will have one less day of preparation after hosting the Steelers on Monday night.
No blame game:
The Bears' offense has produced 10 points in two weeks and have been held to 17 points or less in seven of their last nine games.
Coach John Fox declined to blame offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, and he mentioned the extenuating circumstance of starting the year with three quarterbacks who had never taken a snap in the Bears' offense.
“Any time you bring in new quarterbacks, we all have to answer that, and we're all big boys and we get it,” Fox said. “I'd like to have been more productive offensively, but the reality is we're kind of where we are. Playing a lot of young players, in particularly at the quarterback position, I've seen improvement in (rookie Mitch Trubisky), and that's kind of what I look for is: Are we getting better?”
Dwindling numbers:
The Bears signed 13-year veteran place-kicker Mike Nugent on Monday to replace Cairo Santos, who tweaked a groin muscle during Sunday's pregame warmups.
Santos kicked both extra points Sunday, just his second game with the Bears since replacing inconsistent Connor Barth. Santos would have been available only for short FG tries, and punter Pat O'Donnell handled kickoffs for the Bears Sunday.
Nugent is a career 80.7 percent FG kicker, and he will be playing with his sixth NFL team. Most recently he filled in for the Dallas Cowboys when Dan Bailey was out with a back injury. In Dallas, the 35-year-old Nugent was 7-for-9 on FG attempts and 8-for-8 on extra points.
The Bears could also be in the market for an outside linebacker. Pernell McPhee (shoulder) started Sunday but left early and didn't return, forcing Lamarr Houston, who was signed four days earlier, to play nearly every snap along with backup Sam Acho.
Former starter Leonard Floyd is on injured reserve with a knee injury, as is backup Isaiah Irving.
Defensive lineman Mitch Unrein (knee) will also be re-evaluated later in the week after leaving Sunday's game and not returning.
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