Loyalty and Continuity

[Mr. Scot]

A little behind the scenes info from Voth...

Like any NFL coach, you can question plenty about Ron Rivera. But one thing is unarguable: He’s loyal.

To a fault?

We’ll see.

Despite pressure from the outside, and from some above him inside the building, Rivera was determined to keep his offensive staff intact even after the unit’s struggles in 2016. So the Panthers — and Rivera — will sink or swim with offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey.

“I just felt that the continuity as who we are as a coaching staff was important,” Rivera said Thursday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

“If we decided to shake that staff up in 2014, who knows what would have happened in 2015?”

Part of Rivera’s staunch loyalty could stem back to early 2013 when owner Jerry Richardson gave his head coach another year after two under-. 500 seasons. Rivera repaid that faith with three straight NFC South titles.

That streak, of course, ended last season, and as the Panthers’ offense sputtered, the sense was Shula or Dorsey would be a fall guy. Instead, Rivera argued his guys would “evolve.”

“I think the thing that we have to do as a coaching staff is look at what we’ve done in the past and had success with,” Rivera said, “look at what we’ve done in the past and the failures we’ve had and get those things corrected and do those things better.”

Why Rivera is rolling with Shula and Dorsey

So it sounds like Gettleman wanted Shula and Dorsey gone, but as Voth said elsewhere Rivera "stuck his neck out" for them, and Gettleman chose not to force it and risk his working relationship with Rivera.

Does that mean added pressure on Shula, Dorsey and Rivera for the coming season? Probably. How severe that pressure? Hard to say.

It is worth noting that outside of recently reassigning Cam Turner, Rivera chose not to make any changes to the coaching staff this offseason. All the changes that actually happened came out of necessity (i.e. McDermott getting hired in Buffalo, Proehl retiring).

Rivera wasn't shy about making staff changes when he first got here, but not so much anymore. Could be that he has the staff he wants, or maybe it's that those words "loyalty" and "continuity" really do mean a lot to him.

The question will be whether that's a good thing. And also whether the relationship between Coach and GM stays as good as it has been or starts to suffer if the offense looks anemic again this coming season.

[Paa Langfart]

I read this yesterday.  I have to wonder if " from some above him " meant JR would have welcomed a change as well.  Regardless Rivera will sink or swim with the offense this year.  Personally I dont think we have made changes enough in the coaching situation to have much hope for a superbowl appearance nor a division title.

[Jangler]

I couldn't care less about the anchor, until I need it.

If a team can grow, why can't the coaching staff?

 

[RoaringRiot]

We have who we now - no changes are coming. Let's support them and give them the tools they need to have every chance possible to be successful. Pretty sure everyone inside and out of the organization understands what happens if they're not. 

$0.02

[CarolinaSamurai]

If we are better and arnt as predictable as we have been in the past with our offensive playcalling, we actually make halftime adjustments, and hold Cam accountable for bad mechanics while throwing. Then and only then will I be ok with the decision to keep these coaches. If they are the same as always then Ron is gone. Either way I want our team to do well.

[Ace_Aladdin]

I believe this year will be a change in the Draft philosophy with coaches having more input in the choices.

We have the core players, just need to add few pieces to get back to the SB.

DG so far has done great job of keeping homegrown talent, lets extend the interior hog mollies on both sides of the ball.

 

[Kakarot]

I respect it, but at the end of the day, Ron's the capo. He better hope Shula and Dorsey don't bring him down. I support them, and will limit my gripes & complaints from here on out. It is what it is now.

[Ace_Aladdin]

3 minutes ago, Kakarot said:

I respect it, but at the end of the day, Ron's the capo. He better hope Shula and Dorsey don't bring him down. I support them, and will limit my gripes & complaints from here on out. It is what it is now.

 lol i have said it a million times but if DG provides him with proper weapon

AKA 2nd TE ,Slot WR, and functional OT  this offense will be top 5 again.

[Johnny Rockets]

30 minutes ago, Paa Langfart said:

I read this yesterday.  I have to wonder if " from some above him " meant JR would have welcomed a change as well.  Regardless Rivera will sink or swim with the offense this year.  Personally I dont think we have made changes enough in the coaching situation to have much hope for a superbowl appearance nor a division title.

The coaching staff that brought 3 straight division titles and a Superbowl appearance in the last 4 years? 

[Cary Kollins]

Ole risk averse Rivera. It's how he rolls, and probably the biggest reason for his awful record in close games.

Goes along with his insistence to give playing time to vets past their serviceable ability over young talented guys.

 

We'll see if Cam can make Shula look like a guru one more time.

[countryboi]

Ron has a history of sticking with old veterans way too long and this level of loyalty is going to cost him his job one day, but you have to admire a guy that is willing to put his ass on the line for his employees. its a very rare quality 

[KillerKat]

Continuity of what exactly? Getting out-coached by defensive coordinators across the league? Good job Rivera. fuging idiot.

[Waldo]

Rivera has never shown much ability to adjust. I kind of suspect that flaw is hidden in his 'loyalty' issues. Dude wouldn't even use the word, leaned on evolve...Which Dave said he hates to use and then gave examples of how you have to adjust in the NFL. Ron is a good dude but he sucks at adjusting and it's looking like his worst aspect as a coach. He only found his inner riverboat ron when his job was on fire

[Paa Langfart]

1 hour ago, Johnny Rockets said:

The coaching staff that brought 3 straight division titles and a Superbowl appearance in the last 4 years? 

3 straight division titles when our division was at one of its weakest points in its short history.  And we in fact Did have a weak schedule the year we went to the SB - and now the rest of the NFL has Ron and Co. figured out.  We shall see if they are capable of making the necessary adjustments but I have my doubts with stoic Ron at the helm.  He seems content on blaming everything on the players not executing.