4 big Panthers storylines to watch at the Chargers in Week 3
By Dean Jones
Can the coaching staff finally get things right?
It’s not only the players who are feeling the heat during the early stages of the campaign. The Carolina Panthers’ inexperienced coaching staff are also going through their fair share of growing pains as they find out in no uncertain terms that they aren’t in college anymore.
Their decision-making has cost the Panthers at certain points of the game and, truth be told, the team has been unprepared in certain areas if their production on the field is any indication.
Take for example the multiple schemes used by defensive coordinator Phil Snow in the first half of Carolina’s loss at the Buccaneers. Players like Brian Burns didn’t know if they were coming or going and once the coach went back to a more disciplined system after the break, things started to improve.
By this time, the damage had already been done.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady has been their one shining light, but how he has utilized the likes Ian Thomas and Curtis Samuel so far has come in for some criticism. It will be interesting to see how the former LSU passing guru adjusts the scheme not having Christian McCaffrey taking the majority of touches and their success could depend on it.
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However, the blame will ultimately fall on Matt Rhule if things don’t go according to plan.
It has been a rough start to life at the next level for the former Baylor man and although there isn’t a great deal of pressure on him to turn things around at the earliest possible opportunity. The team still needs to show some signs of life before another critical offseason period in 2021.