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Lesean McCoy on Chip Kelly: "There's a reason Chip got rid of all the good black players."

nctarheel0619

By nctarheel0619,
in Carolina Panthers

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nctarheel0619 Newbie

nctarheel0619

Posted
Posted
LESEAN MCCOY'S SIX seasons in Philadelphia established him not only as a star -- he's the NFL's third-leading rusher since being drafted in 2009 -- but also as an icon for the Eagles. That changed in March, when the team shipped him to Buffalo, where he agreed to a five-year, $40 million deal. McCoy recently sat down with The Mag to discuss his trade to Buffalo, his impressions of coach Rex Ryan and whether there is a race issue with his former coach, the Eagles' Chip Kelly.
 
The Mag: You've spent your entire life in Pennsylvania -- as a kid in Harrisburg, going to college in Pittsburgh and then playing in Philadelphia. How does it feel to be in a different state and different environment?
McCoy: It's a lot different. Everybody who's been influential in my life was just a phone call away, an hour away, two hours at the most. And everybody got to see me play -- friends I grew up with, families that have supported me, coaches. My son, I could see him as much as I wanted. But it's a business. I'm happy here. Great coaching staff. It's actually a nice city. I don't think they give it enough credit. There's a lot to do here. Also, Toronto is down the street. That's always fun.
 
There was a report that at first you didn't want to come here.
To be honest, I didn't want to come. I really didn't. I was so angry at first. You take a guy who's made his whole name and career in Philadelphia and move him. I didn't know anything about Buffalo, so I didn't want to go. But when you sit back and you really analyze just the good things here, it makes a lot of things better.
 
Has your impression of Buffalo changed in the past couple of months?
The first thing you think is, "Oh, it's cold, there's nothing to do." But the people in the city were so helpful, so nice. Then the second thing was the players. They're really talented. People don't know that. They haven't been to the playoffs in a long time, so there hasn't been anything too positive footballwise. But things change. I think the owners, the Pegulas, have done a great job of getting the right personnel and coaches here to change this thing around.
 
You gave the impression when you first got here that you didn't feel like you were appreciated or wanted in Philadelphia.
I just think it was tough to be thinking every year, "Am I on the team? Am I off the team?" I guess here, it's like, "This is my team. They're giving me a lot of room to be the guy here." And that's how I like it. I want to be the guy that leads the team to victories.
 
You've had three practices with Rex at the helm. What is his personality like on the field?
Laid-back. He wants the guys to have fun. It's work, but enjoy it. His approach is how a player approaches it. It's no surprise, because in his family, football is everything. You can just see that in the way he runs everything.
 
 
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joemac Grand Master

joemac

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It would be pretty difficult to be a racist and be a football coach in this day and age...considering probably 75%, maybe more, of players are black.

Sure would make going to work really shitty if you had to be around a bunch of people you fundamentally hated all day everyday...

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    • hepcat
      The NFL seems to be intent on killing the Panthers season this weekend, per the ref assignment

      By hepcat · Posted

      The referee assigned to this game is Shawn Smith. This is a critical data point for betting purposes because his crew has one of the most distinct, long-term statistical biases in the NFL. "Road Team" Bias: Historically, Shawn Smith is known as the "Road Team Referee." In a league where home teams usually win ~55% of the time, home teams in Smith's games have historically won at a rate far below league average (often hovering around 40-42%). Against The Spread (ATS): The trend is even starker here. Home teams have covered the spread at a rate of roughly 37-40% in his career. The Mechanism: Analysis shows his crew tends to call a higher rate of False Start and Unnecessary Roughness penalties on the Home Team. This negates the traditional home-field advantage (crowd noise causing false starts for the visitors). Impact on This Game: This specific assignment heavily favors the Buccaneers (Road Team). If you believe the referee influences the game, Smith's presence suggests the Panthers will struggle to get "home cooking" calls and may face untimely procedural flags that stall drives. The Panthers have only had Shawn Smith officiate four home games since he became a head referee in 2018, and they are all losses. Date Opponent Result Score Nov 24, 2024 vs. Kansas City Chiefs Loss 27–30 Oct 9, 2022 vs. San Francisco 49ers Loss 15–37 Dec 12, 2021 vs. Atlanta Falcons Loss 21–29 Nov 25, 2018 vs. Seattle Seahawks Loss 27–30   Considering the how rare it is for Shawn Smith to officiate a Panthers game at all, this seems like an odd time to assign him to a Panthers game, unless the NFL wants to kill the Panthers season once and for all.  The Panthers' offensive line situation creates a "perfect storm" for referee Shawn Smith's specific tendency to call False Starts on the home team. The "Carousel" Factor (Communication Vulnerability) The most damning stat for the Panthers' offensive line in 2025 is their lack of continuity. The Stat: By Week 13, the Panthers had already fielded their 10th different offensive line combination. The Impact: False starts are often "communication penalties"—they happen when a guard doesn't hear the center's snap count or a tackle anticipates the wrong cadence. A unit that hasn't played together struggles with non-verbal communication. The Shawn Smith Multiplier: Shawn Smith’s crew calls False Starts at a high rate on home teams. He will likely look for flinches on the exterior of the line. A disjointed line that is constantly rotating players (due to the injuries of starters like Cade Mays and the illness issues with Robert Hunt earlier this season) is "fresh meat" for this specific referee bias. The Specific Culprits (2025 Penalties) Ikem Ekwonu (LT): Leads the team with 4 False Start penalties this season. He is the most frequent violator on the line. Taylor Moton (RT): Has been flagged for 3 False Starts. The Trap: Smith’s crew often focuses on the tackles (the players furthest from the ball) jumping early to get an edge on speed rushers. Since Ekwonu struggles with this discipline naturally, having a referee who hunts for it is a massive disadvantage. The "Managed Outcome" Synthesis The "Bucs Cover" Script: If the desired outcome is a Buccaneers win to solidify their playoff standing, the officials simply have to apply the letter of the law. Calling strict False Starts on a confused, banged-up Panthers O-line will consistently put them in "3rd and Long" situations, killing their drives and allowing the Bucs (-3.5) to cover easily. The "Close Game" Script: If the desired outcome is "Week 18 Drama" (keeping the division tied), look for the officials to ignore the Panthers' twitchy tackles. If Ekwonu jumps a split-second early and no flag is thrown, it effectively neutralizes the Bucs' pass rush, allowing the Panthers to keep the score close. Summary of the Edge Vulnerability: Extreme. The Panthers are playing backup interior linemen (like Jake Curhan or practice squad call-ups) next to jumpy tackles. Betting Implication: This strongly reinforces the Bucs -3 or -3.5 play. The combination of a "Road Team Referee" and a "Home Team O-Line in chaos" suggests the Panthers will beat themselves with procedural penalties. Based on the collision of the hard data (Referee bias + Offensive Line injuries) and the soft narratives ("Managed Outcomes"), here is the definitive recommendation. If you have to place a single Moneyline bet to win this game straight up: The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-165) While the "Entertainment Script" hints at a Panthers upset to keep the division messy, the structural disadvantage the Panthers face in this specific matchup is too massive to ignore. Here is why the Buccaneers are the stong moneyline play: 1. The "Shawn Smith" Road-Field Advantage This is the decisive factor. In the NFL, Home Field Advantage usually accounts for about 1.5 to 2 points of value. The Reality: Referee Shawn Smith negates that advantage entirely. His crew calls penalties in a way that historically suppresses home crowd momentum (False Starts, holding). The Result: You are essentially getting the Buccaneers on a neutral field (or even a "pseudo-home" field) against a team with a worse roster. 2. The "Drive-Killer" Synergy To win as an underdog, the Panthers need to play a clean, mistake-free game to keep drives alive. The combination of Panthers' 10th O-Line combo + Jump-prone Tackles (Ekwonu) + A Referee who hunts False Starts is a recipe for disaster. The Scenario: Expect the Panthers to face multiple "1st and 15" or "3rd and 12" situations due to procedural flags. These drive-killers will force them to punt or settle for field goals, while the Bucs' offense (led by Mayfield) stays on schedule. 3. The "TV Product" Counter-Argument You asked about the "Managed Outcome." While a Panthers win creates "chaos," the NFL also values Star Power in the playoffs. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are a proven national TV draw with recent playoff history. If the league has to choose between "Chaos" (Panthers) and "Ratings/Legitimacy" (Bucs), the "Script" likely leans toward ensuring the Buccaneers—the more marketable team—secure the division lead. They won't "fix" the game against the Panthers, but they won't intervene to save them from their own penalties. Final Verdict Betting on the Panthers requires you to hope for a miracle 4th-quarter collapse. Betting on the Buccaneers requires you to trust that a superior roster—aided by a favorable officiating crew—will control the game for the first 45 minutes. Take the Buccaneers Moneyline. The "Safe" money is on the Ref. The Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win and Cover Projected Score: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 17 The Bet: Buccaneers -3 (or Moneyline -165) Confidence Level: High on the Winner; Moderate on the Spread (due to potential "garbage time" variance).
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