Mage

If I had to guess, the Panthers will likely pursue a HC that is open to keeping him on as DC. It shouldn't be a hard sell given what he's proven.

So you agree that he wasn't a consistent QB? Can you then explain how I diminished him or how I am "one of those people" if you also agree? I am not sure what you are responding to in your other stuff. Almost like you are just reading what you want to read.

How am I diminishing him? I literally said he was my favorite player ever. Do you think Cam Newton was consistent game-to-game, year-to-year? Or is he somehow exempt from criticism? Look at Cam's 2014 and 2016 seasons. He was not a consistent QB. And since you don't like when Bryce "Stans" point to outside reasons for his struggles, don't be a hypocrite and do the same for Cam. I love Cam. But he was an inconsistent QB. Everyone knows this. It isn't diminishing him. It is stating facts. And that is why he was never in top-5 talks outside of 2015, if we're just being real. If Cam was able to improve his mechanics and become a better, more accurate passer underneath, he would have been even more dangerous than he was. And that is on coaching. If you think Newton maximized his potential in the NFL, then you are kidding yourself. We should have had 2015 Newton more than once.

I'm not stating it as a fact. I'm just saying, if there is anything I would believe, it is that. And why would I believe it? I don't know. Some of the hires just felt... odd, you know? Like almost too good on paper. Usually retreads hire guys they worked with in the past. Hell, HCs in general when they first start a job. Look at Rivera's coordinator choices when he arrived... Chud, who he worked with in San Diego, and McDermott, who he worked with in Philly and schematically their philosophy was similar. Rhule when he got here brought Phil Snow and others with him from Baylor. Joe Brady was a little outside the box, but it still made sense given Rhule didn't have many OC connections and Brady was a college coach looking for an NFL opportunity. Reich went with Thomas Brown, who he had never worked with and had no working connection to him (whether through McVay or anyone else), and Evero, again another guy he doesn't have any connection to. And although he worked with Jim Caldwell, I always found it odd how he interviewed for the head coaching job here and then was added to the staff. Like are we sure it wasn't a suggestion from Tepper? I agree with you that there is no evidence behind any of this. Nobody should take what I'm saying as anything other than me just making a hunch. I just feel that Reich's hires didn't really make a lot of sense when you consider most HCs are bringing in familiar faces (which isn't a bad thing; you work best with people you are familiar with).

Bro, what are you talking about? I am not talking about Bryce Young. Not everything that is discussed on this forum is about Bryce Young. I am talking about the value of a QB coach, which you tried downplaying because Cam overcame bad coaching.

If there is anything I would believe, it is that Reich didn't pick everyone on the staff.

Sure, there are guys that are so good it doesn't matter who is coaching them. But not every QB is like that. I get what you are saying, but I feel as if you are downplaying the importance of a QB coach (and therefore coaching) to the development and production of a QB. Yes, certain guys can overcome that, and yes, those are the kind of QBs you want at No. 1. But look at Jared Goff. Look at Buffalo and Year 1-2 NFL Josh Allen vs now. Hell, look at the development of Jalen Hurts. And I'm not saying Bryce is like any of those or that we should expect that kind of progress from him. My point is simply that coaching and the QB coach for a QB can be EXTREMELY important. Jalen Hurts is a phenomenal QB, but he benefited tremendously from being surrounded by brilliant coaches like Sirianni, Steichen, and Johnson. I don't think Cam Newton overcoming bad coaching = every QB should be able to overcome it if they are good. Because guys like Cam are the exception. You have guys like Jared Goff, who I would consider to be a good QB, who absolutely do need competent coaching around them (at least in early in their development) to become the player they are today.

What are we calling his prime then? Because outside of 2015, Cam Newton was always someone you didn't know what to expect game-to-game. And that isn't me hating on Cam. He is my favorite player ever. But I'd argue he's absolutely proof that a QB Coach matters a hell of a lot. Cam in general would have benefited from entering in today's NFL and working with someone who knew how to get the most out of him and refine some of his skills.

I mean, I love Cam Newton as much as the next guy... but it absolutely *did* matter. Newton didn't maximize his potential as a QB (outside of 2015) because of it.

This IMO is what makes by far the most sense and is probably what happened. People talk about Bryce like he wasn't considered the #1 QB throughout the college football season. It wasn't until Stroud's game against Georgia that he got #1 buzz. By all accounts, scouts across all teams loved him and the Texans 100% would have taken him. So it is quite likely the Panthers scouts agreed. I can buy Reich and the staff preferring Stroud, but I don't think there is any evidence that Reich outright didn't want Bryce. I do think that his offense didn't fit Bryce's skill-set (in an ideal world) played a role though.

They wouldn't have gotten anything out of asking him about that. If Fitt isn't fired yet, it is because Tepper either still has faith in him or is waiting until the end of the season. Either way Tepper isn't going to throw Fitt under the bus. Reporters only had 1 question each it seems so they had to make whatever they asked count. And they did ask good questions - Tepper just ducked all of them. It felt like he was prepped with every answer EXCEPT the one about Stroud/Young. You can see in his body language and how he was fumbling over words (unlike in his earlier responses) that he didn't know the right words to say.

Tepper got shook by that Stroud/Young question.

To be fair he did take responsibility for the bad Rhule hire. I'm not the biggest fan of Tepper right now either. But I do think this could be a good press conference if he does give insight on what went down.

Hubbard is so mid. Every team has a Chuba Hubbard. Saying he is our "best offensive player" says more about everyone else than it does Hubbard.

Jim Harbaugh come on downnnn

There are only so many openings each year. Outside of big-name HCs like Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton, who will have teams interested in them guaranteed every single year, young HCs don't have the same ability or security to pick-and-choose. Because you can get fired so quick. Or what if your offense underwhelms due to circumstances out of your control? You went from being a hot candidate to someone teams aren't interested in. Again, I get the concern. But there really isn't anything to be concerned about. Not to mention the $$$$. Coordinators / assistant coaches aren't going to turn that down and risk not being pursued or hired in the next cycle. Hell, look at Brian Daboll. It took him YEARS to get a HC job. Imagine if he turned down the New York money and then the Bills offense regressed under him? People will point to Ben Johnson but like I said in another thread, he's a big exception. And Detroit IMO was a very special situation. The energy in that city and with that team is different. It made sense why Ben Johnson wanted to give it another go. Now anything can happen. So we'll see. But I would be shocked if there wasn't interest in this job. Sure a guy like Harbaugh probably won't be that interested, but plenty of young coaches and up-and-coming offensive minds will be.

We'd probably be winning this division if we just kept Baker, CMC, DJ, and simply got a new head coach.

Yes, and I am saying it was a poorly designed screen. It should have asked him to remain more lateral to the LOS. That way he is led to the sidelines, where he had the edge and blockers. If you are going to have the WR take it back inside, you need someone physical that can break tackles. That is why Shenault is usually the guy on that play. A screen was the correct play-call. We just chose the worst screen design.

Hell nah.

It was a poorly designed screen, but a screen play in that situation was not a bad call. Chark has an opportunity for the 1st if the screen asks him to go more lateral of LOS rather than taking multiple steps back.

Will Kunkel knows nothing.

Yeah, I remember a LOT of Panthers fans hating him around this time. We weren't spending any money and Fox was the ultimate lame duck coach, it felt like we were just throwing away a season. Was it as bad as the Tepper hate? Maybe, maybe not... but it was close IMO. I wonder how much the heat would have intensified if we never got Cam.

Bro is talking like he was about to make a play.

Jerry Richardson was despised around these parts in 2010.

And? This is a football game, not "make fans happy" game. And it did matter - the Titans got 3 points out of it. The score would be 10-14 otherwise. It was stupid for the Panthers to not call something that would be guaranteed to run clock. Titans had 0 TOs. Instead of we threw past the LOS 3 straight times and gave them a free possession. That is terrible coaching.