4 reasons the Carolina Panthers were right to fire Matt Rhule

Carolina Panthers never looked prepared

One common theme of the Matt Rhule era was a consistent lack of preparation. The Carolina Panthers always seemed to be a step behind the competition from a scheme perspective, always playing catchup in a league decided on fine margins.

Teams that were clearly run-focused found gaping holes as the team focused on stopping the pass. Those that like to air it out constantly discovered easy matchups outside while Carolina loaded the box.

These simple things, the easy things, were just never implemented correctly and it showed. This led to penalties, blown coverages in big moments, and the big plays that became the calling card of this Panther’s defense.

All without mentioning the effects this had on the offense.

There is only so much you can expect to accomplish when an offensive scheme consists of the same handful of plays and the first read never changing. The playbook never altered, no matter the opponent and no matter the situation.

One size never fits all in this league and Rhule found that out to his cost. That falls squarely on coaching as even the best of players have little effect when not placed in the correct position.