5 Carolina Panthers hanging by a thread ahead of Week 6 vs. Vikings
By Dean Jones
Chase Blackburn – Carolina Panthers ST coach
The Carolina Panthers offensive line and quarterback Sam Darnold are taking the heat for Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and rightfully so. But it was once again another inept showing on special teams that’s not exactly been uncommon throughout the season.
This is unacceptable and something that’s been going on for quite a while. The blocked punt was just the icing on the cake, and it’s about time that special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn was held accountable.
Blackburn was kept around by Matt Rhule when he took over as head coach. However, it’s not like the Panthers are getting any better in this critical area of play and if things don’t change for the better – and quickly – then the time might be right for a fresh set of ideas.
Coaches aren’t normally let go midseason unless a drastic change is needed. The question is how big of a sample size do the Panthers need to have on Blackburn before coming to the conclusion he isn’t the man for the job?
Not only is this a huge test of the team’s resolve in the coming days before they take the field again in Week 6, but Blackburn also needs to come up with better solutions if he wants to feel secure in his job moving forward.