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From Carolina Blitz. Should the Panthers fire Rhule

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By raleigh-panther,
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raleigh-panther

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https://carolinablitz.com/2022/01/04/hot-seat-should-david-tepper-fire-matt-rhule-immediately/?fbclid=IwAR2y98zdQXLuLt8g_1AaRUy7NbsqLaPi9T6W4EPqbakgCE1E53dUFA2AewU
 

 

Hot Seat: Should David Tepper Fire Matt Rhule Immediately?

ROYAL HOWELL

JANUARY 4, 2022

There’s a saying, “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.” If you have been bamboozled more than once, the joke is on you. Panthers owner David Tepper took a gamble two years ago hiring current head coach Matt Rhule and giving him one of the biggest coaching contracts in the NFL – a seven year, $62 million dollar deal. For someone with limited experience at the professional level it was unheard of. 

In back to back years the Panthers ended the season on a free-fall – headed to another 5 win record, no offensive line to protect whomever is behind center, inconsistencies at the quarterback position, including bringing back former NFL MVP Cam Newton and overpaying quarterback Sam Darnold, who over the season has a QBR of 34 and has thrown seven touchdowns to 12 interceptions. 

What’s worst is how Rhule finds any excuse possible to vouch for one of “his guys.” Following Sunday’s game versus the New Orleans Saints, Rhule mentioned the protection as a contributing factor in Darnold’s poor play, that included seven sacks, an interception, and erratic throws in pivotal game situations. Why didn’t Rhule have that same energy for Cam Newton when he stated, “We can’t have multiple turnover games from the quarterback position.” after the Panthers’ week 14 loss to the Falcons?

“I thought Cam did some good things today, can’t have them two turnovers though.”

The fact of the matter is, Cam was brought in to revamp an offense that can’t protect the quarterback position regardless of who’s running the show, and a non-existent run game mainly due to injuries Christian McCaffrey sustained over the last two seasons. To make matters worst, Rhule is using Jay-Z quotes to connect to the locker room.

Rhule’s obsession with Darnold, yet again, illustrates not only Rhule’s ineptitude, but his careless play-calling. Maybe Joe Brady wasn’t the only problem in Charlotte. There is no direction, progression, or poise on the offensive side of the ball. The play-calling has been in shambles for weeks. Sam Darnold at best is a 3rd stringer in the National Football league. 

David Tepper is saving face by keeping Rhule around for a 3rd season, mainly because he threw the bag at a coach who had little NFL experience over more qualified candidates who can’t even get an interview despite the Rooney Rule – a National Football League policy that requires league teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. 

Success in the college ranks does not automatically equate to success in the pros…just ask Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and a handful of others. The only explanation Tepper has for giving Rhule a long contract, with no head coaching experience in the NFL, was his turnaround in college. Maybe Tepper knew this would be a process, but the question is -is Tepper willing to play the waiting game? This is a “what have you done for me lately” league. Speaking of lately, Rhule has lost 11 of his last 13 games, and 20 and his last 27. Coaches have been shown the door with that type of record midseason. 

Fans have had it. The PSL’s have had it. Players look like they’re over this season. Where is the line for Tepper?

The Panthers have no identity right now. They are sitting at the bottom of the NFC South and are worst off than they were before hiring Rhule.

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Here's what it comes down to for me:

Last season, there was reason to believe Rhule really was implementing an effective turnover.  The roster was not good.  But it appeared to be well coached.  Despite the relative lack of talent and poor record, that team competed well.  It was in most of the games it lost toward the very end of the game.  If Teddy Bridgewater had the it factor, instead of going 0-8 on potential game-winning or -tying drives at the end of the 4th quarter, we may have eked out a couple more wins.

Fast forward to this year. I understand the decision to move on from Teddy.  He's not the guy. Even if he is serviceable and can keep you in games, he can't get you where you want to go (the Superb Owl).  I didn't agree with the Darnold trade, but I can maybe understand the idea that they could salvage him.  The decision to pick up his 5th year option though was absolutely terrible at the time and still is terrible.  And the personnel they chose to man the offensive line obviously were terrible.  So Rhule constructed his roster in such a way that we basically came into Year 2 with more than half our offense being at best a huge question mark and at worst a dumpster fire (and of course it has played out like the latter).  So from the above, it's clear that Rhule isn't the best at personnel decisions, especially at the most important position QB, and that's a huge problem.  But then you also have to look at how the team has performed on the field.  Where was the fight a limited roster showed last year?  It's gone.  We're getting dominated and blown out, even by other bad teams.  Clearly he lost the locker room, whether that be from his personnel decisions, his day-to-day interactions with the team, or a combination of both.

Had Year 2 been worse than Year 1, but not to this degree, and the team had shown a semblance of competitiveness, I think I'd still fire him.  But I could maybe understand keeping him for Year 3 and giving him a chance to right the ship.  Maybe you take personnel input/decisions away from him and tell him to focus on coaching up the players the front office brings in.  But given how bad this season is, I don't see how you can bring him back.

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