The result of this game had to frustrate Carolina Panthers fans for a multitude of reasons. Not only did their comeback bid fall short against a mediocre Washington Redskins team (thanks in part to a questionable no-call on the final play), but the Panthers coaching staff continued to challenge all logic and solidify themselves stubbornly in philosophies of football past.
As infuriating and confusing as it was to watch this game for all of 57 minutes, this matchup felt eerily similar to a game that Carolina lost in the 2017 season. Last year, in Week Seven, the heavily-favored Panthers took on a hapless Bears team in Chicago. Fueled by a comedy of errors, not unlike what we saw on Sunday, the lifeless Panthers lost to one of the worst teams in football by a score of 17-3.
The fan base boiled and screamed for heads in the days that followed, but the Panthers responded. Following this drubbing, Carolina went on to win seven of their next eight games, securing a wild card berth in the NFC playoffs. Contrary to popular belief, the sky isn’t falling. However, things need to change if this team is going to compete in a brutally competitive NFC, and it all starts at the top.
Devin Funchess Hot, Ron Rivera Cold for Carolina Panthers in Week Six
Cold:
Coaching
We are going to get the cold out of the way first this week because this coaching staff deserves all of our focus for their awful performance on Sunday. Ron Rivera. How many times do you need to make the wrong decision on fourth and short before you make changes? How many times can you fail in the most routine clock management situations before you hire someone to handle this for you? The crippling conservatism and negligent stubbornness to adapt to a league that is ever changing are traits possessed by Rivera that prevent his team from being dominant.
It’s astonishing to see the continued mis-utilization of a former MVP quarterback and one of the most dynamic players in league history in Cam Newton. Why not let him play his game until it’s too late? The clunky flow of the Panthers run-first offense is the anti-Newton approach to this game. Cam is a player that feeds off rhythm and tempo, but Rivera extinguishes his quarterback’s fire in every way he can. Force the run. Heavy sets that put eight defenders in the box. Running the play clock to zero on every snap. Not to mention, speedster wide receiver Curtis Samuel played all of three snaps on Sunday. Three snaps for the fastest player on the offense. Newton can’t succeed under a coach that has him on such a tight leash, and unfortunately, that’s what we’ve seen for a majority of his career. I respect Rivera from the standpoint of his continuity and his clear handle on the locker room. But a lot of these decisions are just inexcusable for someone in his position.
I won’t dive too deep into Eric Washington, but thus far his defense has been an absolute disaster. Defenses that run predominantly zone coverage depend on a strong pass rush from their front four. The Panthers pass rush has been pathetic. With just 12 sacks this season, Carolina is tied for 22nd in the NFL in this category. Non-existent pressure results in a quarterback having time in the pocket. And that time in the pocket results in receivers finding the soft spots in a zone defense.
These Carolina coaches, from top to bottom, need to realize where they are at fault and make adjustments. No one wins in this league by staying the same.
Cold scale: Ron Rivera’s soup at dinner after playing it safe and letting it sit for an hour before trying it. You know, so he doesn’t maybe burn the roof of his mouth.
Special Teams
After an absolutely amazing performance against the Giants in their previous matchup, the Panthers special teams were flat out awful on Sunday. It all started when D.J. Moore failed to down a great punt by Michael Palardy inside the five-yard line, letting it bounce into the end zone after losing sight of it in the air. Shortly following this mishap, Moore fumbled a punt return within the Panthers own 20-yard line, setting up Washington for a tone-setting early touchdown. Graham Gano placed the cherry on top, following up his game-winning 63-yard field goal against the Giants with a missed extra point on the Panthers first score of the day. These guys need to be introduced in the pregame ceremony in every game from here on out.
Cold scale: Needs Mucinex.
D.J. Moore
Regardless of who you are, what position you play, or what level of football you play at, you can’t turn the football over and expect to win. Moore turned the ball over on Sunday. Twice. Moore’s first fumble on a punt return led to a Washington touchdown, while his second killed a momentous drive and also led to Washington points. It’s not out of the question to say that Moore single-handedly lost this game for the Panthers. On the bright side, this should be a great learning experience for a raw player who looks like he has the potential to be a superstar in this league. Outside of these fumbles, Moore had his best game as a receiver of his young career.
Cold scale: Chocolate milk after some hot wings.
Hot:
DJ Moore
I’m going against the grain here and looking at the positives of this kid’s game as well. The coaching staff is continuing to ramp up Moore each and every week. He was reliable in the passing game on Sunday, bringing in four of five targets for 59 yards and taking another end-around run for 18 yards. Although the stats are nice and all, the most optimistic factor regarding the first round receiver was how willing the team was to pick him up after his two fumbles. The coaching staff didn’t bench him. Cam went to him when it mattered the most. Trust is building, and this connection could be lethal come January. There is a lot to build on with Moore, and it seems his worst game as a pro may be behind him.
Top-five graded #Panthers players on offense from Week 6’s loss at Washington (min. 15 total snaps)
WR Devin Funchess – 81.0
G Trai Turner – 71.8
WR DJ Moore – 71.3
WR Torrey Smith – 69.9
T Taylor Moton – 69.7#KeepPounding— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) October 16, 2018
Hot scale: BBQ wings, there’s a little tang on the back end.
Devin Funchess
Funchess has had the quietest production of any player on the Panthers offense. The fourth-year receiver has had his ups and downs, but Sunday he played his heart out and showed what he can do if you give him a chance on a couple jump balls. Funchess made the top play on ESPN’s “You Got Mossed” featured on Monday Night Football.
Funchess Moss’ed him ??
— Sports ON Tap (@SONTHighlights) October 14, 2018
By the numbers, Funchess finished Sunday with five catches on eight targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. Through five games on the season, the ex-Michigan Wolverine has 23 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns. If we pace these numbers out over the course of a 16 game season, Funchess is on his way to finishing 2018 with 74 catches for 999 yards and six touchdowns.
Hot scale: Mango habanero wings, sneaky hot.
Second Half Adjustments
Adjustments aren’t something the Panthers under Rivera are keen to make. Over the last few years if this team got punched in the mouth early, they would crumble. Plain and simple. This year has been different. Facing multiple score deficits both against the Atlanta Falcons and Washington, the Panthers were able to climb out of a hole a have a shot to win or tie the game in the final seconds. The fight this team has shown in games that could have gotten out of hand quickly goes unappreciated. Props to the coaching staff for changing their game plan according to how the game is going. Shocking developments here under Ron Rivera. This is a step in the right direction.
In the first half, the Panthers first four drives sequenced punt, punt, interception, fumble. That’s obviously not winning football. In the second half, led by a revitalized passing game, Carolina scored on consecutive drives before turning it over on downs to end the game. Both coordinators made strong second half adjustments. Norv Turner with the passing game. Eric Washington with press man coverage. As nice as adjustments may be when you are down two scores, they’d look even better when you are up two scores. It’s time to come out of the gate and smash a team in the face. Enough parking the bus with so much talent on both sides of the ball. This team is due for a complete game.
