What we’re seeing, hearing is the start of John Fox’s last stand

With John Fox as their coach, the Bears have twice finished in last place in the NFC North and are about to make it three seasons in a row. (Getty Images)

Coach John Fox’s last stand started early Monday, when he described the ‘‘endeavor’’ he’s on with the Bears.

‘‘This is, basically, record-wise, the hardest job I’ve had in my career and one I’m heck-bent on getting changed around,’’ Fox said when he was asked what it means to be the Bears’ coach during his regular appearance on WBBM-AM (780).

‘‘I see the passion the city of Chicago has for the Bears, this organization, what it means to the history of the league, so it’s as important of an endeavor as I’ve ever been embarked on.’’

Fox made it sound as though he was scaling Mount Everest after his Sherpa guide abandoned him. Or floating down the Amazon River with a hole in his boat.

Then again, the Bears have lost four consecutive games and are 3-8. He is 12-31 with the Bears with five games left in his third season.

As a coach, Fox is in a grim situation. Asked later at Halas Hall why he called the Bears ‘‘the hardest job’’ of his career, Fox raised the rhetoric on a day full of it.

RELATED STORIES

First-and-10: Quick move on John Fox could accelerate Bears’ pace

What’s that smell? Bears’ offense, play-calling, QB accuracy Sunday

‘‘I think what I said was the sequence of seasons, I don’t know that I’ve experienced before, which I think is honest and real,’’ he said.

That’s true. He’s in the midst of the worst three-year stretch he has had in his 16 consecutive seasons of being an NFL head coach.

His comments, though, should be interpreted as the beginning of his defense. Fox seems to know his last chance to coach in the NFL is slipping away. He seems to know general manager Ryan Pace’s job is safe, but his isn’t.

After the Eagles blew out the Bears 31-3 on Sunday, Fox said he didn’t ‘‘give a rip’’ about questions about job security. His comments Monday, though, said the opposite. Why else would he call fixing the Bears his ‘‘endeavor’’?

‘‘If you watch our team play — our fans see it, everybody in the league sees it — our guys play hard; they played hard [against the Eagles],’’ Fox said on WBBM. ‘‘That game could have been like one of those other scores, 51 to whatever.

‘‘Our guys compete; they play hard. They’re professionals. I coach hard. My staff is going to coach hard. Nobody in this business does it for job security. We do it because we have a passion, and we’re competitors.’’

But you stay employed by winning. Everybody sees a three-victory team. And everybody sees rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky is struggling.

‘‘I’ve never been big on finger-pointing,’’ Fox said. ‘‘Right now, we’re 3-8, and that’s what we are.’’

Fox said that after pointing out all the changes made to the roster since ‘‘we’’ arrived. He also said the Bears were ‘‘making the endeavor at the quarterback position’’ this season.

‘‘I’ve been through a few of these buildings,’’ Fox said. ‘‘Guys are working to get better. Now we just have to prove it.’’

Still, what would victories against the 49ers and Browns prove? It’s not a matter of beating them; it’s matter of, ‘‘You better not lose to them because they’re really bad.’’

Here’s a reminder: The Bears lost to the Brett Hundley-led Packers at Soldier Field after their bye week. Brett Freaking Hundley.

The Bears never have fired a coach during the regular season, but there is a first time for everything. Internally, the Bears have started to look ahead. A loss to the 1-10 49ers in front of thousands of empty seats at Soldier Field might prompt it.

Fox was asked whether he was given any assurances he would remain employed for the Bears’ last five games.

‘‘It’s obvious we’re in a performance-based business,’’ he said. ‘‘I get that part.’’

Follow me on Twitter @adamjahns.

Email: ajahns@suntimes.com