Superior game plan by Ron & Co. led to ATL win

[goodoleboy]

Rivera won my respect when he benched 3 starters in the secondary and started playing the rookies. That took balls.

[Keith Moons Liver]

He's a fine coordinator. Just not cut out to be a HC at the NFL level. 

[Jeremy Igo]

I agree, Rivera and McDermott called a great game. The Panthers defense out scored the Falcons and Panthers offense.

[2jakefansinva]

He's a fine coordinator. Just not cut out to be a HC at the NFL level. 

 

LMAO.......Hang it up Ron. Two NFCS titles just doesn't cut it.

[beastson]

About damn time. Cause all year long the looks on film is what they showed in game which is why we got our ass kicked for most of the season 

[Anybodyhome]

If you get out-coached by Ron Rivera and Mike Shula, I guess Mike Smith deserved to be fired.

[mc52beast]

Wow, maybe Ron and Co can figure out how to come up with great game plans ALL SEASON next year.

[PanthersClinic]

The positive to take from this is if the defensive speed and schemes confused Roddy White, Julio Jones and Matt Ryan think of what it's going to do to Ryan Lindley!

[panthers55]

Rivera won my respect when he benched 3 starters in the secondary and started playing the rookies. That took balls.

He said he knew he needed more speed in the secondary but it took time to coach up the rookies and in some cases time to come back from injuries. The whole staff has done a good job players that were described at many positions as the worse in the league and a team that was destined to finish 4th in their division by most experts. He has done what Fox, Payton, Gruden ,and Smith couldn't do. Win back to back division titles. And before you knock it just recognize that we had to make late season runs to do it which still makes Rivera effective winning games last in the season that have meaning. They call him riverboat because of the 4th quarter gambles. But he was a gambler since day 1 in some regards. After all he started a rookie quarterback that al the experts thought might need 2 years to even become a starter.

[the butch]

I liked our decision to take the first half kick-off. That showed some good coaching. Get the ball in your offense's hands, run clock and score (in theory), and keep a potent ATL offense off the field.

[panthers55]

Wow, maybe Ron and Co can figure out how to come up with great game plans ALL SEASON next year.

If they retain enough of the guys who know this scheme it is very likely. That way they won't be starting a bunch of guys with no real NFL experience like they did this year. Or guys who had never played in this scheme before. Hopefully we don t let great players go and replace them with backups as starters so when injuries hit your backups and projects end up having a trial by fire as they go from practice squad to starter in less than a week. If we want a consistent team we need a consistent roster with the yearly upgrades through the draft and free agency.

[KendrickPanther]

Rivera has always been terrific at Xs and Os. The problem comes when he needs to make game day decisions. When to punt, when to run, when to pass. When to be aggressive. Ron gets hustled by good coaches. Sean Payton, Chip Kelly, and Mike McArthy take advantage of him at the end of halves.

[GRWatcher]

If they retain enough of the guys who know this scheme it is very likely. That way they won't be starting a bunch of guys with no real NFL experience like they did this year. Or guys who had never played in this scheme before. Hopefully we don t let great players go and replace them with backups as starters so when injuries hit your backups and projects end up having a trial by fire as they go from practice squad to starter in less than a week. If we want a consistent team we need a consistent roster with the yearly upgrades through the draft and free agency.

I was thinking that the Panthers are on the cusp of owning the NFCS for years. All 7 rookies we started will not be poached by other teams because they will not be FA's. Neither will Cam or Greg or Ryan. Dickson might as maybe Remmers too. RB's on contract. Think Harper signed a 2 year contract. Davis, Kuechly, Galant staying, maybe Klein & Blackburn too. Star & Short will be here, Edwards may retire. CJ will be here too, not sure about the rest of the DT's but Gettleman tends to prefer 2 year contracts where he can. Maybe cutting Hardy will mean signing more of our DT's if they need to be. But I know Gettleman will not overpay for anyone to stay.

 

I'm liking Gettleman more & more.

[t96]

 But I know Gettleman will not overpay for anyone

 

This and his track record drafting and signing young players the past 2 years make me think he could honestly be the best GM in the league when all is said and done.