Carolina Panthers need to make these 5 short-term fixes to turn around their season

Fans have their own ideas on how to fix the Carolina Panthers’ problems, most of which involve firing someone – general manager Dave Gettleman, offensive coordinator Mike Shula, every offensive tackle on the roster, all of the above.

The Panthers understand the public angst. It’s not like they expected to be headed to New Orleans this weekend sitting at 1-4 and in last place in the NFC South.

“I know it’s a tough situation. I know people wish we were 4-1,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “(Expletive) I wish we were 4-1.”

The Panthers will get a boost from the return of running back Jonathan Stewart, back from a hamstring injury, and quarterback Cam Newton, who sat out last week’s 17-14 loss to Tampa Bay while recovering from a concussion.

Newton won’t solve all the Panthers’ woes, the most critical of which involve pressure on the quarterback – preventing it when Carolina has the ball and generating it when the Panthers are on defense.

But there are several things the Panthers can do to try to keep this season from spiraling into irrelevancy. The Observer offers five short-term fixes for the Panthers:

1. Get Newton’s feet straight.

Most of the focus on Newton this season has centered on his head after the Broncos used it as target practice in Week 1 and no one bothered to check him for a concussion until afterward.

The reigning league MVP just spent two weeks in the concussion protocol after Falcons linebacker Deion Jones drilled him on a hit that wouldn’t have happened had Newton not slowed down on a 2-point conversion run.

The Panthers’ protection problems started in the Super Bowl. And whether it’s a carryover or not, Newton hasn’t looked comfortable in the pocket all season.

He has been throwing off his back foot, zoning in on receivers too long and looking a lot like he did during a two-month winless stretch in 2014 when the protection was equally dreadful.

The Panthers eventually got their offensive line settled in’ 14, giving Newton more time to throw and develop a rhythm he carried through most of his MVP season in 2015.

Carolina needs to stabilize this current line. With that in mind, the Panthers should ...

2. Let Daryl Williams and Mike Remmers compete for the starting spot at right tackle.

This can’t happen until left tackle Michael Oher is cleared from the concussion protocol, of course. And while Oher has had his own struggles this year, it’s fair to assume the three sacks he allowed against Minnesota were the result of him trying to play through a concussion.

Remmers was thrown into a tough spot trying to play left tackle in Oher’s absence. Speed rushers continue to give Remmers trouble, regardless of which side he’s on.

Meanwhile, Daryl Williams played well in his two starts at right tackle. Williams was one of the Panthers’ highest-graded offensive players against Atlanta and Tampa Bay, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Panthers have a bye after the Saints’ game. Assuming Oher’s cleared, that’s a good time to let Williams and Remmers battle for the starting job.

3. Open up the competition at other spots, as well.

The Panthers generally use the bye as a chance to let players get healthy and rest.

But given the 1-4 start and Rivera’s stated goal of nipping complacency in the bud, it’s time for him to shake things up – regardless of the outcome Sunday at the Superdome.

The collective bargaining agreement limits how often teams can go full pads and hit during the season. And there’s no reason to have established players such as Thomas Davis, Ryan Kalil and Greg Olsen putting any extra wear on their bodies.

But why not use a practice or two during the bye to ramp up the intensity and let players know that no one's job (or most players' jobs) aren't safe? The Panthers did that last week by cutting cornerback Bené Benwikere, 25, saying they wanted to play their young cornerbacks.

They can do the same thing at other positions.

Here’s one suggestion: Have rookie linebacker Jeremy Cash take snaps at strong safety, where 31-year-old Michael Griffin became a starter two weeks after being signed. Cash played safety at Duke, seems better suited for the position and made plays throughout the preseason.

4. Put Mario Addison and Kyle Love on the field more.

Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott talks about rewarding guys who are playing well with more reps. Addison and Love have earned more playing time.

Love, the defensive tackle who was cut in September, has 1.5 sacks in two games since being re-signed. That’s the most of any Panthers defensive lineman in that span.

Addison is the team’s best speed rusher, and had a hit and forced fumble last week against Jameis Winston. The Panthers say Addison, at 6-3 and 260 pounds, lacks the bulk to stand up against the run as an every-down defensive end.

That’s fine. But Addison is too gifted as a playmaker to be getting only 32 percent of the defensive snaps.

Starting defensive ends Kony Ealy, who’s playing 67 percent of the snaps, and Charles Johnson (62 percent) have yet to record a sack. Johnson has played hard and leads the team with 11 quarterback pressures.

But Addison is second with six pressures despite fewer chances.

5. Get Leonard Johnson and James Bradberry healthy and plug them into the secondary.

There was a brief thought about making this last fix: “Sign veteran cornerback Antonio Cromartie.”

But there’s a reason the Colts cut Cromartie on Oct. 4 and nobody has picked him up: He’s 32 and not very good anymore. Such a move would also run counter to the youth movement at corner.

The Panthers knew they were going to take some lumps playing three rookie corners. But they liked how second-round pick James Bradberry was playing before he sustained a turf toe injury at Atlanta.

As for Johnson, most fans probably don’t know who the fifth-year corner is.

Johnson is a nickel back whom the Panthers signed in July knowing he’d need time to recover from offseason Achilles surgery.

Johnson, who’s been on the non-football injury list, is eligible to begin practicing Monday. From that point the team has three weeks to decide whether to add him to the active roster.

The Panthers believe Johnson can help them if healthy. The 5-10, 200-pounder was Tampa Bay’s nickel for three seasons from 2012-14, recording 139 tackles, five interceptions and 20 pass breakups.

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers need to make these 5 short-term fixes to turn around their season."