In what feels like a long time ago, the Carolina Panthers were once 6-2 and had a solid shot at making the NFC playoffs as a Wild Card team. A series of unfortunate events then took place and boom, the Panthers are all of a sudden losers of five straight and are now 6-7. In that stretch was an embarrassing loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, two losses at the hands of their special teams and two disappointing performances against mediocre teams.
Nothing has improved during the five-game losing streak which begs the question: Why hasn’t anybody been fired yet? Yes, the Panthers did part ways with Brady Hoke and Jeff Imamura, but surely two defensive assistants were not the main cause for this slump. And while Carolina may not be statistically out of the playoff chase, it most certainly feels that way with two matchups remaining versus the 11-2 New Orleans Saints.
Instead of a Hot and Cold article this week, because almost everybody is cold, let’s take a look at how the Panthers are putting themselves behind the eight ball by not making the necessary moves.
How the Carolina Panthers Are Behind Schedule
Eric Washington
Defensively, the Panthers sit in the bottom half of the league in most categories and are plummeting fast. They are 24th in points allowed, 21st in the average number of plays per drive and 20th in passing yards allowed. They’ve forced only three turnovers in the five-game losing stretch and have allowed 340+ total yards three times over that period.
Head coach Ron Rivera eventually took over the defensive playcalling the week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and addressed that Eric Washington needed some outside input. In a presser, Rivera defended Washington saying, “Y’all gotta remember when you first did something you weren’t perfect.” While there is some truth in that statement, why hire Washington to be the defensive coordinator if you are not 100 percent sure he is ready?
If Washington is not capable of fulfilling his duties properly, why does he still have a job? The Buccaneers fired their defensive coordinator Mike Smith mid-October after a disappointing start to the season. The Jacksonville Jaguars fired their offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after failing to produce in a seven-game losing streak. And most recently, the Minnesota Vikings fired their offensive coordinator John DeFilippo after failing to put quarterback Kirk Cousins in comfortable situations. All across the league, you see examples of teams properly handling an incapable coordinator except for the Panthers. It should be safe to say that Washington is not in the Panthers future plans so what is the point of hanging on to him?
Ron Rivera
While firing a head coach mid-season is never easy, it is sometimes necessary. The Green Bay Packers fired head coach Mike McCarthy in a much-needed move. McCarthy’s playcalling and coaching styles became outdated and it felt like if the Packers were being held back from their full potential.
A similar feeling is brewing in Carolina. The Panthers entered this season with as talented of a roster as they’ve had in Rivera’s tenure. However, they have failed to live up to their potential. Week after week, the Panthers continue to play down to their opponent and have not had a convincing victory outside of their win over the Baltimore Ravens. They have struggled or failed to beat teams they should win handily against (i.e. Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and have a hard time playing four complete quarters (i.e. New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions). And on occasions, the Panthers look flat-out unprepared going into a game
But this has been a problem throughout Rivera’s tenure, not just this year. The Panthers had very winnable matchups versus the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Chicago Bears last season, but only went 2-1 versus those opponents and were outscored 47-44 in those three games.
Flashback to the 2015 campaign, when Rivera’s team went up 31-0 over the Seahawks in the divisional round and nearly allowed Russell Wilson to bring them back to a tie. And of course, who can forget that year’s Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos may have been a slightly better team but the Panthers were flat out unprepared for that game.
Rivera has become a very likable guy in the Carolinas and firing him may not be the easiest thing to do. But David Tepper needs to do what’s best for the team and it feels like Rivera’s time in Carolina has run its course.
Cam Newton
News broke on Tuesday that the Eagles will be resting quarterback Carson Wentz for the rest of the season due to an ongoing back injury. The Eagles are 6-7 but have a plethora of injuries and have a minimal chance of making the playoffs.
The Panthers find themselves in a similar boat with Cam Newton‘s shoulder. From the beginning of the season to week 14, Newton’s arm has lost its zip and it’s affecting the Panthers play calls. Outside of any Hail Mary’s, Newton has only attempted a pass of 30 or more yards three times since week seven. The Panthers had to sub out Newton for backup Taylor Heinecke for a last-second Hail Mary throw versus the Buccaneers in week 13.
From Up to the Minute Live: #Panthers QB Cam Newton is limited during today’s practice, and this shoulder issue may be a battle the rest of the season. pic.twitter.com/aZ1ysCYhOi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 5, 2018
Reports say that Newton is only dealing with soreness and will not require surgery this off-season. With the season nearing an end and the playoffs nearly out of reach, the Panthers need to strongly consider resting Newton’s shoulder.
We saw in the Indianapolis Colts case with Andrew Luck. They took precautionary methods with their young quarterback’s shoulder and he was able to return to full strength after proper rest. While Newton may not need a year off, there isn’t much to play for the rest of this season. There is no need to risk further damaging Newton’s shoulder to where it can affect the long-term picture.
The Last Word
To play devil’s advocate, the Panthers are only one game out of a Wild Card spot with a flailing Vikings team ahead of them. They are tied with the Eagles and Redskins but both will fade out due to injuries to their quarterbacks. Yes, they are not statistically out of the playoff hunt quite yet. But having watched this team during their five-game losing streak, the Panthers are playing quite sloppy on multiple facets of the game. Even if they were somehow able to turn it around and defeat the Saints once or twice and beat the Atlanta Falcons to clinch the six seed, it’s hard to envision this team beating anyone in the playoffs. The more realistic approach may be to plan ahead for next season, scout potential coaching candidates and rest their star quarterback.
