BrianS

Statistically, it looks like the Falcons. They will be the first top 10 scoring offense we face since the Browns. If the Rams shake off their little funk, they could open a can on us too.

This is the worst season of Bakers career - and it's not even close. At what point do we finally stop blaming our QB? This is a coaching problem, 1000%. Baker is probably not the answer, but he should be enough for us to score more than 16 points per game. Teddy-two-gloves put up 22 per game with far fewer weapons. Broken Cam and Kyle Allen put up 21.

Historically speaking, this is the worst. Prior to the last three seasons, our worst ever stretch was 2000-2002, where we won 15 games. Might seem like a tie, but 2002 was the first Fox season where Peppers was DROY. There was hope in that, which was backed up with a Super Bowl team the very next year. Less than five wins this year and we will be in the worst four season run in team history. Currently that "record" is 1998-2001, which was the end of the Capers era and the entire Seifert era. Nothing recent about it. This is as bad as it gets unless we reach for new lows.

No, Baker is running for his life, for sure. He is one of the top 5 most blitzed QB's in the league because he hasn't shown that he has the command to beat the blitz. If he starts throwing darts while under pressure, that stat will flip. Pass block win rate just means you blocked your guy. If there are too many guys coming, it's on the scheme and QB to figure out what is being left open and exploiting that.

Put an NFL coach in charge of the O Line, and suddenly they start playing at an NFL level? Really? If only we had known sooner! At least the next staff knows they won't have to worry about that. There are a couple good coaches on this staff now who have a chance of being retained assuming they continue performing. What this does shine a light on is the fact that the players are playing and QB aside, seem to be executing their assignments. The spotlight on scheme is growing ever brighter.

This is not correct. The effect of a blitz is to stop the deep pass, and force things quick and short. Not saying that opponents necessarily fear our deep game, but both Baker and Darnold do have cannons. I suspect that they can make the deep ball work. It's the opposite of Bridgewater. You play coverage on Bridgewater because his deep arm doesn't scare you at all. When he has to dink/dunk his way downfield, eventually a mistake will turn the chains against him.

The second worst thing that happened in our entire offseason was Matt Corral getting injured. I dunno if he's the answer or not, but I sure would have liked to have found out. After Baker, he's the only QB on the roster we don't know enough about.

I do not know what to call this offense, the formations do look very Coryell'esque. But we don't play that way. Particularly frustrating is the lack of pre-snap motion. I don't understand how you don't do this. When you have a QB who is struggling, you have to help him. When there are concerns about him reading the field, the best thing you can do is use motion pre-snap to help him see what the defense is doing. Honestly, it feels like McAdoo is sabotaging Baker to an extent. Yes, Baker needs to do better, 100%. But McAdoo needs to help him also. Our offensive incompetence is going to be the proverbial straw.

I did a quick scan back on the Browns game, and it's not *every* single play. It is however such a high percentage it can't help but be noticed by anyone looking for these kinds of things. I guess it seems pretty obvious to me, but one would think that an NFL team needs to show multiple plays and play types out of their formation in order to keep a defense guessing. Something like this seems super simple to fix as well. Just change CMC's alignment slightly in either direction to obfuscate.

I'd prefer to say that our fans are HONEST. I remember how loud BoA can get when the team is giving it their all. I'm not talking about 2015 when things were just completely off the hook. I'm talking years like 2011 when we had a rookie QB giving it everything he had every week. We ended up 6-10, but we didn't feel cheated or let down by our team. They gave us everything they had and we loved them. Show the fans how much it means to you by not making stupid mistakes. Show me players that care the way Jake Delhomme, Mike Rucker, Muhsin Muhammed, Julius Peppers, Kevin Greene, Lamar Lathon, Nick Goings, Brad Hoover, Mike Minter, Sam Mills, Jonathan Stewart, Cam Newton, Steve Smith, Ricky Proehl, Dan Morgan, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Richard Gross . . . so many former Panthers who we KNEW were giving it all for us. The only players on this team I really get those vibes from are CMC and Chinn. Luvu is making strides. Robby, the fans know. We KNOW when you are really giving us everything. And for those teams and players, we will have their backs. For this mostly lame bunch, I have nothing but contempt. And I blame Rhule for all of it. He purged too many veteran leaders who could have taught these guys what it meant, how to do it. I'm not saying we didn't need to trim some fat - we did. But we cut too deep and the team lost it's identity. You can see it in Chinn. He wants to be another Thomas Davis. Luke Kuechly. Mike Minter. It's there. Unfortunately, we have no one on the team to show him how.

As long as by the end of the year D. Brown becomes consistently good or better, he is not a bust. A DT who can occupy two OL makes the rest of your DL look fantastic. It's ok if it takes a little longer, as long as there is good progress. With the team as a whole, I'm convinced we have pretty good talent on the roster and that we just don't have coaches who know how to use it.

He's 44 actually.

This is the real problem. Whether Rhule has or had a plan is irrelevant. He's had three offseasons now to stamp his brand on this team and we still have no identity.

No he doesn't. He has a bit of a head start, that's all. QB is not our problem. It never was. It's an excuse for the team having no identity.

Quarterback is not our problem. Teams with lesser QB's are finding ways to win. The Falcons put up 27 on the Rams with Marcus Mariota at QB. The Cowboys score 20 with Cooper Rush. The Browns scored 30 with Brissett. Honestly tired of the excuse that QB is our problem. Rivera won five games with Kyle freaking Allen as his starting QB. I'm not saying we're going deep in the playoffs with Baker as our QB. I'm not sure Baker is the guy. But he's not the reason we are where we are.

Lack of identity? That is 1000% on the coaches. (And JStew is right) Players not sure of their assignment? That's on the coaches. (Once again, correct) Even the part about needing that veteran leadership? That's on the coaches and FO staff. (Yep again) I understand the coaches can't play the game for the players, but when so many things are wrong, it does need to go back to the person in charge.

This is actually a good shout. Don't burden McAdoo or Wilkes / Snow with the HC role.

Disagree. Any time you defense gives up 19 points, you gotta expect your offense to keep you above water. At 19 points per game, our defense would have ranked fourth in scoring defense last year. I don't hold much to yardage defense, but scoring defense is a stat that matter. Likewise, on offense, scoring fewer than 19 points would have made you one of the bottom 7 teams in the league. I feel like our defense did fine, and our offense crapped the bed.

I mean . . . I'd rather see Jameis than Dalton. Dalton actually takes care of the ball pretty well.

It's a theme around here. Both Rhule seasons have featured teams that were 3-2 after five games. Both Rhule teams have gone on to win only two more in each season. I'm terrified history may repeat itself. We claw our way to 3-2 giving Rhule some relief from the hot seat.

That depends entirely upon which metric you judge by. The Panthers would like you to believe they had the #2 defense in the league last year, because according to yards given up, they were that. In the measure that actually translates into wins - scoring defense - we were 20th. Figure out which number best suits you. In all fairness, you'd expect to win games where you give up less than 20 points.

Actually, he has not. Seifert won 16 in three years.

The Panthers are in the midst of the worst four season run in their history. I would like some reason to be hopeful. Please, help me see it.

I would go so far as to say he was ROY when they had him closer to the line.

That's not exactly true. Everyone complained because we overpaid for LB's under Rivera.