Carolina Panthers: Are the Panthers headed towards two big problems?

Rivera is gone

Probably the most significant loss for the Panthers since Thomas Davis. The man who coached the championship Panthers of 2015 was relieved of his duties last week by Mr. Tepper himself. So far the loss hasn’t produced any noticeable changes for the Panthers’ productivity as their slide continued against the Atlanta Falcons which now puts the Panthers in third place in the NFC South. Next week will be a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks who already beat a team that made mincemeat of the Panthers this season. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a turnaround and it’s even less likely that the Panthers will know who their next head coach will be any time soon.

Tepper has stated that he will not accept mediocrity from the Panthers, so if the Panthers continue to lose it is likely that the interim coach Perry Fewell won’t be in the lead for the head coaching job for much longer. With the season ending and the new league year being quite a ways away the Panthers have plenty of time to regroup and find a head coach that is capable of replacing Rivera. However, that will be easier said than done. As Fewell noted after the loss to Atlanta, identifying the main issue that can ameliorate the Panthers’ current slide won’t be easy.