Biggest mistake this season was made in January.

[Seoul_Panther]

My worry would be that we get into a Bill O'Brian way of thinking with the Texans. He is making win now decisions terrible for the future of the roster to save his skin. If you leave RR and MH here they aren't going to be thinking how can we help the next guy. They will play favorites as usual give cushy contracts to vets and we will learn nothing new about the team.

[chknwing]

I'll see your "missed opportunity" and raise you an "it is is what it is"

[ellis]

The team as a whole is not as good as you think. I hate to say this for the 500th time: when Buffalo comes rolling into your training camp with likes of Jerry Hughes and steamrolls through your OL, and when Buff’s secondary suffocates your wide receivers, it’s a harbinger of things to come. We tried to warn people. 

Not bragging. It’s simply pointing out the obvious. The team looked wonderfully graceful in shorts and helmets. 

[Mr. Scot]

8 minutes ago, BrianS said:

Norv isn't the problem.  Norv called plays that got players open, and our QB failed to execute the offense.

He is a problem, or at least he is under Rivera.

"We're going to look for ways to get Christian some relief."  Apparently they thought the best way to do that was to funnel the majority of our offense through him to the point that if you stop him, we go nowhere.

Set it a bunch last night. Bowles concentrated the Bucs D on him last night and took his chances that nobody else would make him pay for it. It was close at the end, but the gamble ultimately worked.

Our coaching staff could have done  more to counter that, especially on that final play.

[therealmjl]

9 minutes ago, BrianS said:

Norv isn't the problem.  Norv called plays that got players open, and our QB failed to execute the offense.

If you can say with a straight face Norv turner doesn’t shoulder his fare share of the blame for last night then I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale

[therealmjl]

Bowles absolutely dominated Turner

[ellis]

And please don’t confuse my statement about the team not being as good as you think as an excuse for any sort of coaching errors. I have been more than critical through the first couple of weeks regarding Ron Rivera. He’s been less than average, and as we pointed out earlier, he’s lost 13 of his last 18 divisional games.

[ellis]

1 minute ago, mjligon said:

Bowles absolutely dominated Turner

This is all there is to it. A great defense of mind came in and did great things. 

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, ellis said:

This is all there is to it. A great defense of mind came in and did great things. 

Despite coaching for a team that was so completely bumbling in its execution it made Inspector Clueseau look professional.

With that said, Turner being dominated by Bowles I can somewhat deal with. Todd Bowles is a really good defensive coach.

Ron Rivera being defeated by a first time OC in Byron Leftwich, though? That one kinda hurts.

[Waldo]

I gave up on Ron a long time ago, I just hoped to see enough good that we would be competitive. My question is, is there no way to start the Hurney replacement search now so that the new GM has time to scout the new coach? I hate the idea of Hurney making that choice and I dont see how having to hire a GM and then do a coach search will leave many good choices on the table by the time that settles after week 17 game. What's the plan if/when this goes down?

[ellis]

The quarterback is not accurate. The left tackle can’t pass protect. Your most elite pass rusher is a rookie who is still learning how to craft an inside move. You don’t have a shutdown corner. These are the four areas in which championship teams are generally fairly strong. If not dominant, at least fairly solid. Carolina is struggling in each of these areas.

[Smithers]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

You'd need an interim coach with enough balls to stand up to Norv and tell him to change some things.

Do we have anybody we believe is capable of that?

Perry Fewell...

[BrianS]

4 minutes ago, ellis said:

This is all there is to it. A great defense of mind came in and did great things. 

No he didn't.

The job of an OC is to call plays that put our players in positions in which they can succeed.  That happened last night with regularity.  The problem was our QB completely fell on his face and crapped the bed.  You cannot scheme around a QB who goes 24/50 (48% completion) and 5/13 on third down (38% completion).  Andy Reid can't make that work.  Sean McVay can't make that work.  No one can.

I can accept the fact that TB came in and stuffed the box in an effort to stop CMC.  Good on them, that's smart.  Our scheme was fine, we had players open pretty consistently.  Our QB didn't execute the offense.

[top dawg]

19 minutes ago, BrianS said:

Norv isn't the problem.  Norv called plays that got players open, and our QB failed to execute the offense.

Norv called a candy ass play at the goal line. The man shows little creativity, doesn't use a his tools like Scarlett, Armah on short yardage, and Thomas can't even get on the damned field. If your QB can't execute the plays, you must sit his ass down, period!