5 big talking points from Panthers’ loss at the Dolphins in Week 12
By Luke Gray
Matt Rhule is not an NFL head coach
Let’s get this one out the way early, Matt Rhule is not capable of leading this franchise to success.
While you can’t doubt Rhule’s success at the collegiate level, he has shown nothing in his tenure with the Carolina Panthers to show that he is capable of being successful at this level.
You’d imagine owner David Tepper is regretting his decision to give Rhule that seven-year contract. If anything, the Panthers have regressed and with no pandemic to blame, we are seeing plenty of failures.
His constant confusing decisions are causing him to lose the trust of the fans. On Sunday we saw the Panthers’ second-round pick Terrace Marshall Jr. was a healthy scratch.
Then we get to the circus that is Carolina’s offensive line.
Why the Panthers continue to deploy Dennis Daley at left tackle is farcical. To make it even worse we saw Michael Jordan exit the game with rookie Brady Christensen sent in.
This meant we saw Daley playing blindside and Christensen on the interior when both are suited to the opposite. Fans don’t know whether to laugh or cry, these are coaches earning millions of dollars a year and they can’t seem to play players in the correct position.
Moves made by the Carolina hierarchy, including trading for Stephon Gilmore, bringing back Cam Newton has shown that Carolina was serious about a playoff run this season. But we’re not even in December yet and the Panthers season is all but over.
It would take a small miracle for Carolina to be involved in the postseason. Considering their final five games involve two games against the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a trip to the Buffalo Bills, it seems unlikely.
Rhule isn’t the only Panthers coach under pressure. We saw another stagnant display of playcalling from Joe Brady, who again in his second season leading the offense has flattered to deceive.
And finally a special mention to Chase Blackburn. You’d think as one of the only remaining members from the previous regime he’d be eager to prove his coaching nous, yet here I am wondering what he actually does as Special Teams coordinator.
Even from the Ron Rivera era, we’ve seen Blackburn struggle and it’s a wonder how he still has a job.
The hashtag FireMattRhule was flying around Panthers’ social media after the loss in South Beach. It remains to be seen whether he will be leading Carolina in Year 3, especially now with the Oklahoma job available.