Panthers: 5 out of 7 losses decided by a FG or less

[Mr. Scot]

So basically it's four years ago again.

[Snake]

That's basically the difference between a bad team and a good one. Also shows that one unit is not getting it done. 

[outlaw4]

50 minutes ago, Mother Grabber said:

packers are 4-6, is that because of coaching too? should they fire McCarthy?

From the few Packers fans I know, they've hated McCarthy for years now, believing he's just been riding on Rodgers' coattails. I also know Steelers fans that think Tomlin is a fraud who is lost without LeBeau. While I don't see too many fans calling for Carroll's head yet, they sure are doing so for their Shula equivalent. Last time I checked, the longest "Fire Arians" thread is up to 120 replies. Garrett must be tired of having his head on the block so many times already.

Basically, any coach with a tenure longer than three years is sure to have their segment of fans that wants them fired and a lot of times, the complaints are similar - no adjustments, getting outcoached, lack of talent, and so on. I find it amusing, actually.

[ladypanther]

9 hours ago, Saca312 said:

It's actually kind of disheartening, looking at our games, and how close we were to most:

Very disheartening.  Agree about coaching.  Also, looked like the other team wanted it more than ours did. Other than a couple of players do not like the energy the team is playing with, or lack there of.

[Navy_football]

This is how I see it.

I know it doesn't seem like it, but the Panthers actually won a lot of close games last year. We were up by a lot in most, but ended up squeaking them out - coaching not to lose instead of to win.

Those games were usually determined by key defensive plays in the secondary - mainly Josh Norman, Coleman (at FS) and Peanut Tillman. We lost all 3 of those players - Coleman isn't a dedicated FS anymore. And someone didn't think to replace them with veteran playmakers, instead they were replaced with back ups from last season and rookies. So it would have taken one (1) big defensive play in 5 out of 7 losses to change them to wins. Well, we lost  three playmakers in one season. 

Or at least provide a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. Same point there. One big offensive play in 5 out of 7 losses to win the game. Plus we're still calling offensive plays like we have "The Hogs" up front blocking. Playcalling should mask your weaknesses and accentuate your strengths, not the other way around. Plus everyone has figured out Shula's tendencies. The NFL is on to him. Either he needs to change it up, or this offense will continue to be stymied by above average defenses.  

My point is this front office is too determined to play old school football. The game has changed. Playmakers, playmakers, playmakers! When games come down to one score, playmakers make the difference - on either side of the ball. You can't always sacrifice legitimate playmakers for a stout line.    

[raleigh-panther]

1 hour ago, ladypanther said:

Very disheartening.  Agree about coaching.  Also, looked like the other team wanted it more than ours did. Other than a couple of players do not like the energy the team is playing with, or lack there of.

I said this very thing in preseason and after a couple of games to start the season

a few of our older players have gotten older quickly.

A few of our younger players do not have their heads in the game.  Benjamin stepping out of bounds before the first down marker as the most recent example this past Sunday  

Add to that a lack of talent infusion on the oline and rb and te and FB 

and the GM making the talent pool worse with the handling of Norman and Gross and Smith and Williams and  dont think the other players didn't notice and yes they needed to move in but there is a way to move them that could have benefited all 

then ruining the draft with a luxury DT first round pick who didn't play last week and 3, not 1, not two, but three draft picks on cornerbacks   It is ridiculous 

and a star QB who seemed disinterested, 

and an offensive scheme the league has caught up with

and what is left is a very toxic mixture that does not breed sustained winning 

there needs to be wholesale changes on this team and coaching staff on the  offensive side of the ball and if it's not done we will be in this same place next year

i don't know where JR stands on all of this but his team has gone from the super bowl to the toilet bowl in 6 months and if I were him I'd be serving notice and conducting interviews. This did NOT need to happen. 

[tiger7_88]

11 hours ago, Saca312 said:

It's fair to say we nearly have no chance to the playoffs at this point. We're 4-7, and the only way we sniff the division lead is if the falcons lose 4 games, and bucs and saints implode, and we go perfect with a makeshift injured oline.

Injuries, poor coaching, and time management + execution have played a role in all of our losses.

It's actually kind of disheartening, looking at our games, and how close we were to most:

Panthers 2016 Schedule:
1 SEP 8  PANTHERS 20 BRONCOS 21*
2 SEP 18 49ERS 27 PANTHERS 46
3 SEP 25 VIKINGS 22 PANTHERS 10 
4 OCT 2 PANTHERS 33 FALCONS 48 
5 OCT 10 BUCCANEERS 17 PANTHERS 14 *
6 OCT 16 PANTHERS 38 SAINTS 41 *
7 BYE
8 OCT 30 CARDINALS 20 PANTHERS 30 
9 NOV 6 PANTHERS 13 RAMS 10 
10 NOV 13 CHIEFS 20 PANTHERS 17*
11 NOV 17 SAINTS 20 PANTHERS 23 
12 NOV 27 PANTHERS 32 RAIDERS 35*

Some things to note:

- *5 out of 7 of our losses have been decided by 3 points or less. That is huge. Also to note, the only game where we didn't have a starter of importance that wasn't in the game (RB, CB, QB, MLB) was against the Broncos, which was decided by a missed FG from the Panthers. 4/5 of these games had the Panthers with a comfortable lead in the 4th quarter**, with the outlier being against the Saints in the dome. This DOES NOT include the countless OLine injuries and reshuffling that has played an enormous factor as well.*

- Against the Vikings, the Panthers had a comfortable lead in the 1st half before imploding and getting nothing done in the second, noticably beginning with LT Michael Oher going out after the safety on Carolina. Dline was still pre-bye week rotation, so no push or rush was being generated to a huge extent.

-Against the Falcons, the Panthers had CB Bene starting, getting burned by Julio. Bradberry would later go out after confidently keeping Julio down for a few yards when he was targeted, aside one decent play. DLine line was still in its old rotation, with very limited pass rush. Panthers oline featured Remmers at LT being abused.

Very saddening to say the least. We aren't a bad football team, we're just a very unlucky one if you look at the margins of victory/losses. Easily could've won most of these games.

So really, injuries sure played a role, but with so many small margins, is it really fair to put all the blame on injuries (certainly not a talent issue either), or is there some need to get some coaching issues addressed?

 

 

Every fact you present above screams that this team's primary problem isn't a lack of talent... it's a lack of quality coaching.

Adequate-to-good coaching might not win your every close game, but it will win you more than you lose.  Top quality coaching will win you all or at least most of your close games.

BAD coaching, however, leads exactly to what you describe above.

[Randolph Panther]

Almost feels like 2012 again.  

[KB_fan]

13 hours ago, Saca312 said:

Against the Vikings, the Panthers had a comfortable lead in the 1st half before imploding and getting nothing done in the second, noticably beginning with LT Michael Oher going out after the safety on Carolina.

I thought Oher stayed in the game vs. the Vikes (though he played very badly, probably was playing concussed!)  IIRC his concussion symptoms showed up late in the week after the Vikings game...

But a lot of your points are valid.

I do think coaching / play calling has a lot to do with our close losses.  The offense became too predictable to most teams, especially late in the game. We seem to have very little big play potential because our opponents anticipate what we'll try.

But, Oline shuffle isn't helping.  Cam doesn't have the confidence he needs to dominate games and our run game is hurting.

Also, overall our players' execution and passion seemed to be missing in action for several games following the loss to Denver in the opener.  That 2nd loss to Denver (with QB Trevor Siemian!)  took the wind our of our sails somehow.  If only Gano had made that kick, I think our season would have been very different, even with the injuries, etc.  Somehow that loss took the heart out of our team for weeks.  There were flashes of good play, but overall we looked like a shell of ourselves.  Since the Bye we've looked a bit better more often, but it's been a really tough season to watch, knowing how much talent & potential is there, but we just can't seem to put together 4 good quarters of football or have games where both our offense & defense are playing well and complement each other.

[KB_fan]

4 hours ago, ladypanther said:

Also, looked like the other team wanted it more than ours did. Other than a couple of players do not like the energy the team is playing with, or lack there of.

YES.  Sadly, this is very true.  The exceptions (Thomas Davis and Greg, most notably) stand out so clearly.  Some other guys are playing pretty well most of the time, but the team's spirit, energy and will to win just hasn't been there much of the time.  Again, there have been flashes, but they're all too fleeting.  This is why I said above that a W against Denver could have turned around this season.  That loss seemed to drain something vital out of the team for several weeks.  Those shots to Cam's head may have had something to do with it.  As he said, it's not fun when you're getting hit like that.  It's one thing to take those hits and win, another to suffer those hits and lose.

[Carl Spackler]

We're the 2012 Panthers but with pocket QB Cam and injured Luke. Fail City

[Carl Spackler]

But will Rivera get his poo together at the 11th hour to scramble for another 7-9 record like 2012? Comfy contract extension tells me 5-11 at best or 4-12.

[Camp Fodder]

3 hours ago, raleigh-panther said:

I said this very thing in preseason and after a couple of games to start the season

a few of our older players have gotten older quickly.

A few of our younger players do not have their heads in the game.  Benjamin stepping out of bounds before the first down marker as the most recent example this past Sunday  

Add to that a lack of talent infusion on the oline and rb and te and FB 

and the GM making the talent pool worse with the handling of Norman and Gross and Smith and Williams and  dont think the other players didn't notice and yes they needed to move in but there is a way to move them that could have benefited all 

then ruining the draft with a luxury DT first round pick who didn't play last week and 3, not 1, not two, but three draft picks on cornerbacks   It is ridiculous 

and a star QB who seemed disinterested, 

and an offensive scheme the league has caught up with

and what is left is a very toxic mixture that does not breed sustained winning 

there needs to be wholesale changes on this team and coaching staff on the  offensive side of the ball and if it's not done we will be in this same place next year

i don't know where JR stands on all of this but his team has gone from the super bowl to the toilet bowl in 6 months and if I were him I'd be serving notice and conducting interviews. This did NOT need to happen. 

Well said

[dcpanther89]

Sadly Panthers could and should be 8-2 only real loses were Minnesota and Atlanta which both could've been won anyway but I'm telling y'all coaching is holding this team back


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