Analysis: Panthers are coming to Matt Rhule’s defense, but his process hasn’t worked
Something was supposed to change.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule had a bye week to self-reflect and find ways to improve Carolina’s offensive inconsistencies and situational defense. Instead, the Panthers turned the ball over three times and allowed several critical third- and fourth-down conversions in a game they needed to win Sunday.
Rhule fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady seven days ago but he may have shouldered more blame than deserved. Carolina looked like its same old self Sunday, losing 29-21 to Atlanta in a game that wasn’t as close as the one-score differential suggests.
Aside from touchdown drives on their first possessions of each half, Carolina again struggled to prolong drives because of turnovers. The Panthers entered the game fifth in total giveaways with 20 and added three more in defeat.
The time off and changes should have made the Panthers better. Instead, Carolina has nearly ended its playoff chances, falling two games out of the final wild-card spot with four games to go. Too many little things continue not going the Panthers’ way. The margin for error for the Panthers is so slim that they cannot afford multiple turnovers and mental errors.
After the game, Newton called his turnovers “game killers” because they were driving with momentum. On a fourth-quarter sack, left tackle Cam Erving took the blame for allowing a free Falcons rusher to get outside him. Those examples encapsulate what is wrong with the Panthers. The results aren’t there even though players defended Rhule’s process throughout their week of practice.
“Personally, I was very prepared with the plays. Understanding the coverage concepts more than I have been, the way we installed and the way we did things this week,” wide receiver Robby Anderson said. “I definitely enjoyed it and think that it put us in a position to be the best we could be. We just have to take care of some other things.”
Anderson said he was more prepared than usual this week under the tutelage of interim play-caller Jeff Nixon. However, optically the offense did not look different. The Panthers averaged 20 points per game and surpassed that mark by one. After the game, Rhule said he was happy with how Nixon called the game. He is confident the team would’ve rushed the ball more than 30 times if the Panthers did not have three drives end in turnovers.
“I think overall we had a very good plan. I feel like we were over-prepared mentally. We had a great game plan,” Anderson said. “I think he did a great job. Him, all the coaches collectively this week.”
The Panthers (5-8) are at a point where there are not many answers left. If they are actually practicing well and feel prepared as they say, then losing comes down to execution and talent. Backup quarterback P.J. Walker, who played as part of the Panthers’ two-quarterback system, said after the game that calls from the two-minute offense need to come in faster. That is an example of the small things Carolina cannot afford to get wrong. But operations aren’t going to run completely smooth during a first-time NFL play-callers’ debut. Installing new coordinators causes growing pains, which the Panthers experienced during those two-minute drills Walker referred.
“Yes, they can come in a little quicker,” Walker said of the plays. “We still need to work on those things. I’m sure it was probably going from one coach to another, talking, and everything like that. For us, we just have to find ways to get that play call in and go. Not second guess it.”
Anderson and Walker have seen Rhule’s “process” work first hand when they were college teammates under the coach at Temple. Rhule’s Owls went 2-10 in his first season (2013), followed by 6-6, 10-4 and 10-3, capped with an American Athletic Conference championship in 2016.
From there, Rhule took Baylor from a 1-11 team his first season in there in 2017, followed by 7-6 and 11-3 with a Sugar Bowl berth in 2019 before leaving the Bears for the job with the Panthers.
But in his almost two seasons as an NFL coach, there’s been a lack of clear progression shown by Rhule’s team in Carolina, following a five-win 2020 season with what’s trending toward another five-win season this year.
Winning teams play their best football in December because they purposely build toward a peak. Over the past two seasons, the Panthers are 1-6 since Thanksgiving. This year, they have lost three in a row and seven of their last 10 games.
A once chaos-creating defense hasn’t flustered opposing quarterbacks in weeks. The Panthers are allowing 29 points per game over their last three games and didn’t sack Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan once or turn him over. That represents clear regression. Defensive end Brian Burns said Atlanta successfully chipped him with running back Mike Davis throughout the game. On the other side, Haason Reddick managed only one quarterback hit and three tackles.
As his offense continues reeling and the defense flutters, it’s becoming difficult to defend Rhule’s process despite his players coming to his defense. Eventually, the results must follow and they aren’t.
This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 7:06 PM.
