Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Very Discouraged By Rhule and His Comments After the Game

Proudiddy

By Proudiddy,
in Carolina Panthers

 Share

Recommended Posts

Proudiddy Grand Master

Proudiddy

Posted
Posted

I appreciate his ownership of our shortcomings, but as I've watched the last two weeks, after believing we may have had a master tactician at the them after some of the calls he made last season, I am not encouraged at all.

The Belichick-like calls on 4th downs, crafty ways of time management, and the obvious halftime adjustments from last season are long gone.  Instead, we have Fox and Rivera redux.  No aggression, no attacking, no proactive measures...  just us curled up in the corner of the squared circle, taking hook, after hook, after uppercut with no way to defend ourselves.

I have been a believer in Rhule.  I have kept quiet when others criticized him for his collegial leanings.  Again, I was encouraged by what we saw last season - but this guy, perhaps more entrenched and comfortable as his system is further cemented in year two, is not the coach from last season.

I couldn't help but be troubled by the continued flat affect our team displayed, yet again, in the 3rd quarter today, and pretty much the entire second half as well.  It continues the troubling trend of us clearly getting hit with halftime adjustments from our opponent's coaching staff, while our staff flails around haplessly unprepared, leaving our players to wander aimlessly with no sense of what direction is up or forward.  I was really bothered for a couple of reasons.  The first being that Rhule has already acknowledged each game that we struggled in the second half it was because the other team made adjustments and implemented things we hadn't seen yet or prepared for.  So he acknowledges we were both outcoached and unprepared on multiple occasions now, with no backup plan in place.  Number two, the overwhelming tone of the decisions made in these second halves, particularly today, was among the most conservative approaches I've ever seen in professional coaching.  The aggression and attacking style he displayed last season with numerous conversion attempts on 4th down, including fake punts are nowhere to be found.  But, John Fox-like-calls, electing to punt with his place kicker for a punt netting 20 yards are here, and so is electing to punt on 4th and 2 near midfield with the league's worst punter, who also nets about 30-35 yards on his attempt.  And lastly, I'm brought back to opponents summarizing our team under Rivera as one that doesn't adjust, doesn't make changes, doesn't evolve, but is going to caveman it out on the field and do exactly what you saw on tape and hope you don't stop it.  For all that I thought was different about Rhule, he is illustrating it is all very much the same.

Even more troubling than seeing all of this, was Rhule stating in his presser that winning football is about running the ball and controlling the line of scrimmage.  I, and anyone knowledgeable of football whatsoever, would agree that controlling the line is an absolute must for winning football.  But the overall tone, and the emphasis on running the ball - it just reeked of Fox and Rivera in retrospect of what took place on the tried today in the second half, as well as the games that preceded it in the same fashion.  What it tells me, is yes, our staff is being outcoached and not able to counter adjustments made by the opponents; but, it also tells me that some of that is by design due to our staff's antiquated views on modern winning football.  A running game helps, but getting a small lead and believing you can just old-school your way into a win for an entire half by pounding the opponent into submission with a smashmouth running game, with a porous offensive line no less, is absolutely mind-blowing.  He is telling on himself both in what he says and how he is managing these games - he thinks he can win the game by bogging the game down and hanging onto a marginal lead before our grip gives way.  

It is troubling, because again, for all of the shiny new things we saw last season that led us to believe, we may finally have a cutting-edge, analytics-heavy, forward-thinking coach and staff...  we don't.  We have a guy cut from the same cloth as his predecessors who believes a punt is a good play and we can ride a defense until the wheels fall off.  Sigh.

  • Pie 7
  • Beer 3
  • Flames 1
  • Poo 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proudiddy Grand Master

Proudiddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Just now, LinvilleGorge said:

Honestly, I think I saw the coaching staff's confidence in Darnold crack today and the back breaking final INT might just reinforce that. We really took the ball out of his hands when we were desperately trying to hang on before the Eagles took the lead.

I agree, and perhaps the old-school, run-heavy philosophy Rhule is preaching now is more about limiting Sam than actual belief that it leads to wins.

  • Beer 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fox007 Grand Master

Fox007

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Honestly, I think I saw the coaching staff's confidence in Darnold crack today and the back breaking final INT might just reinforce that. We really took the ball out of his hands when we were desperately trying to hang on before the Eagles took the lead.

So what we were doing when they ran the ball up the gut on 3rd and two with a backup RB...

They just think they are smarter than they actually are.

Edited by Fox007
  • Pie 1
  • Flames 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Popular Post
LinvilleGorge Grand Master

LinvilleGorge

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted
1 minute ago, Proudiddy said:

I agree, and perhaps the old-school, run-heavy philosophy Rhule is preaching now is more about limiting Sam than actual belief that it leads to wins.

The picks he's thrown over the last two games are so bad. Some picks happen. Balls get tipped. Sometimes defenders make unreal plays. But damn, he's hitting defenders between the numbers like they're the intended receivers.

  • Pie 8
  • Beer 2
  • Flames 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fox007 Grand Master

Fox007

Posted
Posted
Just now, LinvilleGorge said:

Not trusting Darnold to throw the ball.

But trusting him to hit Robby for a first down later in the game? Only for him to drop it. Na they just have no idea wtf they are doing. There is no rhyme or reason and there isn't a distrust of Darnold. You're actually trying to think about it which is something they aren't doing clearly.

  • Pie 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Proudiddy
      Surprise! Kon looks really bad!

      By Proudiddy · Posted

      Same, bro.  Yeah, it just feels it has run its course and I don’t know that we’ll ever get more value.  Plus, with the new ownership, this draft has been super encouraging, so dare I believe maybe this FO can get something to really put us over the top in return for Melo.  I’ll still be a fan of his game and try to keep up with him if we move on, but yeah, I feel it’s time to turn the page. (and side note: I felt so happy after their rookie years because I told everybody I wanted Melo and didn’t trust Ant.  And Melo clearly looked like the better player early…  I thought Ant would bust because all that stuff he said about not loving the game and just his resume to that point…  but damn, if we could go back in time.🤣🤣🤣. I love Ant’s game and at times, when he gets in the zone, he is THE BEST player in the league in my opinion.)
    • Proudiddy
      89 on The Pivot

      By Proudiddy · Posted

      Appreciate that, bro!  And I could definitely see that with Cam.  Even though he’s a little younger than me, he is also someone I admire and feel a kinship with for a lot of various reasons. Funny enough, a few years after that encounter with Steve, I went to Charlotte with one of my friends whose brothers owned a moving company at the time.  He dropped me off uptown and went to work the day with them where I would wait until he got done and then we were gonna go to the Bobcats game that night.  So I walk all through that area for hours.  After awhile, I walk back towards the arena and sit in a bench on the backside of the arena, where the practice court and player’s entrance was.  As I’m sitting there, I look up and almost think I’m seeing things - I squint and blink my eyes a couple times just to be sure, and yes…  it’s one of my childhood heroes, Muggsy Bogues walking across the crosswalk and into the arena.  I think he was coaching the Sting then, iirc.  Part of me wanted to just say, “Hey!  Muggsy!  Thank you for the inspiration and memories!  You were one of my favorite players as a kid!”  But, I just watched him walk by and into the arena and thought, “that was cool!”  I also so Miguel Cotto a couple years back while in Orlando and told my kids who it was but didn’t say anything to him.  I think somewhere in my subconscious, that encounter with Steve really made me feel like the gamble on finding out if they’re receptive to interaction just isn’t worth finding out.  At the end of the day, no matter if they’re receptive inspired us or were a hero, unless they initiate it, I likely never will…  because again, they’re humans just like us.  Not anymore unique or special, they just have a highly visible and very public job that we get to watch and in some ways participate.  So, I just appreciate it for what it is.
    • frankw
      Young up for Player of the Week

      By frankw · Posted

      I'm pleasantly surprised they gave it to Bryce Young over Josh Allen. Finally we're getting some respect. Now I'm just hoping the team follows this up accordingly and doesn't lay another egg.
×
×
  • Create New...