The Carolina Panthers finally unseated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to become NFC South champions this season. However, their bitter division rival is thinking big to ensure that doesn't happen again.
It looked for a long time as if the Buccaneers would coast to another division title and playoff berth earlier in the season. They started 6-2, with quarterback Baker Mayfield drawing NFL MVP buzz, and all signs pointed to potential Super Bowl contention.
Things turned sour pretty quickly. The Buccaneers went 2-7 over their last nine games. They beat the Panthers in Week 18, but head coach Todd Bowles' squad missed out on the postseason after the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints.
Carolina Panthers will be hoping Mike McDaniel doesn't end up on the Buccaneers
This was always going to bring collateral damage. Bowles avoided the axe, but offensive coordinator Josh Girzzard wasn't so lucky. Tampa Bay also disposed of special teams coach Tom McGaughey, quarterbacks coach Theddeaus Lewis, defensive line coach Charlie Strong, and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross.
Bowles is out of scapegoats. And the Buccaneers are swinging for the fences in pursuit of flipping the script on Carolina.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Buccaneers are interviewing Mike McDaniel for their vacant offensive coordinator position later this week. He's looking to return to work immediately after being fired by the Miami Dolphins. And to nobody's surprise, the innovative offensive mind is in high demand.
Several teams are looking to speak with McDaniel about their head-coaching vacancies. The Detroit Lions have met with him about their offensive coordinator spot. Others will also throw their hat in the ring, so the Buccaneers face a real fight to get their man.
The Panthers — and everyone else in the NFC South, for that matter — will be hoping McDaniel opts not to make the short move from Miami to Tampa Bay.
He's got the creativity to bring this offense to life. This would instantly make the Buccaneers a more attractive free-agent destination for fast, explosive offensive players who would excel within his diverse scheme. More importantly, Carolina's rival would get better.
General manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales are not going to sit on their hands, either. They are keen to build on Carolina's encouraging progress, and gaining valuable playoff experience will only serve this young squad well. They'll be focused on that, but they would also be wise to keep tabs on what's developing around the division to ensure the Panthers are ready for anything.
And if McDaniel does end up in Tampa Bay, that's a problem.