Too bad John Fox wasn't back in a first-year time warp from 2011. A 5-7 record and a battle for first place in a division would feel quite comfortable, since his 8-8 start in Denver worked out well (the Broncos won the division and a playoff game).
The difference four years later in the NFC North is that it finds him three games behind, in third place - unlike 5-7 Washington, which still holds the top spot in the wretched NFC East via tie-breaker despite Monday Night's wild 19-16 home loss to Dallas. Fifty-eight minutes of snoredom turned into an exhilarating final two minutes, which keeps the NFL the popular thing that it is.