What Matt Rhule said is next for the Panthers, and what’s ahead for Cam Newton
Panthers coach Matt Rhule said after looking over film Monday morning, he felt his team played its most complete performance of the season in Sunday’s 34-10 win over the Cardinals.
The Panthers dominated on defense, holding the Kyler Murray-less Cardinals to 169 yards of total offense. They also played well on offense behind quarterbacks P.J. Walker and Cam Newton, who scored two touchdowns in his season debut.
The challenge for the Panthers, Rhule said, is to become a consistent football team.
“I want to see an urgency from us,” Rhule said. “We got back really late last night. There was no victory Monday. There was no day off. We’re back here working today because we have to become a consistent team.”
The Panthers haven’t won two consecutive games since winning Weeks 1-3. They’ve been an inconsistent team on offense and sit at 5-5.
But the latest win gives them hope that they can turn a corner. Their next three games — versus Washington, at Miami, versus Atlanta — are all against teams with records below .500.
“We’re in the win column, but it don’t mean nothing unless we win back-to-back weeks,” Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson said.
Newton provided a spark for the Panthers in his return. He played in nine snaps, and scored two touchdowns — a two-yard rushing touchdown and a two-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Robby Anderson — on his first two plays.
He finished 3-of-4 passing for 8 yards, one touchdown and a 116.7 passer rating.
Rhule said Newton will get the majority of the first-team reps this week as the Panthers prepare for Washington Football Team.
He hasn’t said whether Newton will start Sunday, but it will likely be the case. That’s what he was brought here to do when he signed a one-year contract worth up to $10 million with $4.5 million guaranteed.
Newton took only one deep shot downfield Sunday, which technically didn’t count as a pass attempt, because officials called a defensive pass interference on the Cardinals.
But his arm, which has been the biggest question mark in recent years, didn’t look bad.
“We’ll start getting him ready and if he’s ready to start, great,” Rhule said. “If he’s not quite ready, then obviously P.J. (Walker) is available. There’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time. It’s hard to do, so we’ll do as best we can and see where we are later in the week.”
Newton will be playing his first game at Bank of America Stadium since Week 2 of the 2019 season.
Not only will Sunday’s game be a homecoming for Newton, but it will also be a homecoming for Ron Rivera, who now coaches Washington Football Team. Rivera coached the Panthers from 2011-2019.
WFT is 3-6, but is coming off a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I, like everyone else in this building, (am) tired from the trip, but I’m excited for the chance to play this week,” Rhule said. “We have a chance to play the Washington Football Team, welcome Coach Rivera back, welcome a really good football team that just beat the Buccaneers, back.
“Our preparation has to be as good as it’s ever been.”
Cam Newton is back
The energy in Charlotte surrounding the news that Newton is back is real.
Rhule said he was at a daddy-daughter dance with his daughter, Leona, on Friday when two of her peers walked up to him and asked if he the coach of the Carolina Panthers.
“Yes, I am,” he replied.
The girls then asked Rhule, “Is Cam Newton really back?”
“I’m assuming if that’s being brought up at the daddy-daughter dance, it’s being brought up everywhere,” Rhule said with a laugh. “I think it’s great. I think it’s great that people are excited.”
Donte Jackson said he went to the barbershop last week, and people were asking him the same.
Stephon Gilmore suffers finger injury
Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore suffered a dislocated finger in the first half of the Panthers’ game against the Cardinals and briefly came out.
He returned but played in only 13 snaps, or 24% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Rhule didn’t express any concern with the injury Monday.
Gilmore has also been dealing with a quad injury and was limited in practice earlier this week.
Sunday’s game was the first time this season he didn’t have an interception.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 2:07 PM.
