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Person's Interview with Rhule


Mr. Scot
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2 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

From The Athletic...

Panthers coach Matt Rhule: On Year 3, Baker Mayfield, family, Charlotte and making changes

Excerpts:

Much has been made about your college success in Year 3. Are there things that are transferrable to the NFL in Year 3 or is it apples and oranges?

Everything’s different. I always think as a team, when you’re ready to win, you win. When the mental meets the physical. When the mentality and mindset of everyone, when everyone’s on the same page and they get it, but you also have the right roster. I won in college because I had really good players. And those players took their lumps. And then at some point they were like, we’re done taking our lumps. Whether that’s Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, that’s the part of it.

Have you seen evidence that this team has reached that point?

They definitely want to win. They work. Now it’s a matter of teaching ourselves as a team and them teaching each other the finer points of let’s not beat ourselves... We’ve gained such valuable experience to the roster to go along with this strong foundation of this is what it takes to win.

Did the Baylor-Oklahoma game (where Mayfield trash-talked Baylor players before an Oklahoma win) piss you off in the moment?

Oh, yeah, in the moment...But there’s certain guys in life, you hate ‘em when they’re on someone else’s team. But you love ‘em when they’re on yours.

Did that taint your view of him for a while? Did you have to call (former Oklahoma coach) Lincoln Riley and say, I’m not sure how I feel about this guy?

That didn’t really affect me too much because I was like, you know what, to the victor belongs the spoils. When you’re undefeated, you get to do what you want. One thing I’ve learned is when we go to get a free agent or someone from the outside, I love talking to someone who’s coached them. I like getting that unbiased view.

What was the most memorable thing you were told about Baker?

Lincoln was like: “Matt, I know you. He fits the way you want to play. He’s your kind of guy. He’s gonna be a leader and a tough guy.” That was important to me. Any time you bring someone into a competition, they have to be someone that loves competition. If you bring in someone to battle for a spot and they’re entitled and they don’t like to compete, then it’s gonna be a negative for the team. But the biggest compliment I can give both guys right now is they’ve enjoyed the competition.

Who are some guys that aren’t being talked about right now that should be?

I think Ian Thomas is one of the most undervalued guys on the team because he does all the stuff that allows other people to be highly successful. Not many guys can run routes like he can and still block and pass protect at the level he can. I think the combination of backs behind Christian McCaffrey. D’Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard. And really one of the guys who’s had the best camps is Spencer Brown. That group gives us a depth we haven’t had. The addition of Cory Littleton, he’s going to give us such flexibility. And then Myles (Hartsfield) is a guy that can play safety, play corner. He’s a 220-pound nickel. You don’t have very many of those in the NFL, that can run as well as anyone. I really think (Marquis) Haynes is ready to have a good year. When they told us he was healthy the other day, that was a huge thing for the team. You look at the amount of pressure he’s gotten in the limited snaps he’s gotten, he can rush the passer. As his role gets amplified this year, I’m expecting him to do great things.

Ron Rivera said to do it over again, he would have had a former head coach on his first staff, just to help with all the things he didn’t know he didn’t know. Now you have these guys. But would you have done that differently?

I tried to do it. I just never found the right guy. It’s kind of funny. I interviewed Ben (McAdoo). At the time I didn’t think it was right. Sometimes it’s like divine purpose. I think he came at the right time and the right moment. A couple guys that I wanted to get, they were like, “Hey, Matt, I’m gonna retire,” or stay in retirement. I think more than anything, they can give you advice. But it’s also that they have perspective of what you’re going through. If you look at Steve (Wilks) or Ben or even Coach P (Paul Pasqualoni), they understand the different things that come with this job besides just on the practice field, etc. I’ve tried to get Jim Caldwell to come work for me a couple times. His son actually played for my father in ninth-grade football (in State College, Pa.).

There’s this perception that you’re going to end up back in college at some point. Is that enticing at all?

I would say, No. 1, we’ve done way too much work here to not be there to enjoy the fruits of it. Scott (Fitterer) has done a great job. Our staff’s done a great job. Our players have done a great job. I want us to start that climb of becoming a team that can compete for championships. I feel like we’ve reestablished a foundation of really good players. Teams go in cycles. The cycle came to an end. We’ve weathered the storm and I feel like we’re in the process now of trying to start that ascent of winning at a high level. I have no desire to leave and do that...We have set up shop here. We want to be here as long as we possibly can. When people have been as supportive as they have during the tough times, that makes times when you do have success all the greater. That’s one thing I’ve really learned the last two years. You might not like everything that’s happening, but here are the great people. Here are the bright spots. Here are the people that treat your kids well. So I feel a tremendous obligation to bring a winner to Bank of America Stadium.

The Huddle: "Off with Rhule's head"!! 

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WOW.


but you also have the right roster. I won in college because I had really good players. “

So deflect blame to something you have 100% control over and have failed at. Interesting. 

It’s like confronting that dude who is always late to work and he goes on some spiel about when people who are on time they have punctuality.

How many years do we need to wait for the roster to auto correct itself to Rhule’s liking, I wonder. 
 

Dear Rhule, you won in college because your style resonates with immature minds/kids and you are not good enough to evolve it to adults. It’s ok, it has only happened a couple times in generation. History gets it. Fans get it. We are all just waiting for Tepper to get it.

Edited by onmyown
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4 hours ago, Pakmeng said:

He may not have success in the NFL but it's a fallacy to say nfl players don't like him. Zero evidence and pure conjecture 

Lol the fug do I care  

if he doesn’t have success his style isn’t working the right way, whether players like him or not 

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9 hours ago, Riverboat Ron said:

Ian Thomas just got the kiss of death.

I love the huddle so much because I read the article and my takeaway was....man he seems like a nice guy, maybe I just judged him too harshly

 

and then this is like the top comment. never change yall. 

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10 hours ago, SOJA said:

I love the huddle so much because I read the article and my takeaway was....man he seems like a nice guy, maybe I just judged him too harshly

 

and then this is like the top comment. never change yall. 

I genuinely hope Thomas works out but there’s a long history of Rhule complimenting players right before we cut or trade them.

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11 hours ago, SOJA said:

I love the huddle so much because I read the article and my takeaway was....man he seems like a nice guy, maybe I just judged him too harshly

 

and then this is like the top comment. never change 

I care about wins on Sunday 

His being a nice guy, what does it matter?  

he isn’t being paid to be a nice guy. 

he is being paid mightily to be a NFL level coach.  

is he?   No

can he be?  Anything is possible   Probability Odds aren’t in his favor 

no offense meant to you in at all, and the reason for the disdain from many on this board, is at some point, he becomes a time waste to fans who spend money to see this team and to players with performance based contracts

his new coaching staff should help. Campen is the real deal on that Oline

but seeing  Rhule looking clueless on the sidelines on Sundays won’t change.

His ego won’t let it

just like thinking he could ‘coach up Darnold’ and his other pablum  

Edited by raleigh-panther
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21 hours ago, onmyown said:

WOW.


but you also have the right roster. I won in college because I had really good players. “

So deflect blame to something you have 100% control over and have failed at. Interesting. 

It’s like confronting that dude who is always late to work and he goes on some spiel about when people who are on time they have punctuality.

How many years do we need to wait for the roster to auto correct itself to Rhule’s liking, I wonder. 
 

Dear Rhule, you won in college because your style resonates with immature minds/kids and you are not good enough to evolve it to adults. It’s ok, it has only happened a couple times in generation. History gets it. Fans get it. We are all just waiting for Tepper to get it.

I'm not a big fan of his statement here either...

Yes, great players help you win in college. In the NFL though, everybody has great players. Sure, some are better than others, but the gap in talent is nowhere near what it often is in college football. As someone else said, at the pro level you're playing Alabama every week.

You need way more than just great players. Things like great coaching, a solid scheme, good roster management and more are also necessary.

Put that together with gobbledygook like "they'll win when they're ready and it all comes together", and...yeah.

Stuff like this is why I still question whether Rhule truly "gets it".

He still seems to believe his "process" is working and will eventually get him to The Promised Land.

Edited by Mr. Scot
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