So how did we get it so wrong with Baker Mayfield?!? Coaching / Roster / Culture / Tepper?

[Khyber53]

Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield are all still in contention to get Super Bowl rings this season (albeit two are back ups) while every single person that was part of the Panthers this season is either working on vacations or brushing up their resumes.

We've had problems here for five years and have managed to run a team into the ground. 

The three QBs I mentioned have found freedom and purpose out there. I can only hope that we can somehow make that our environment here this next time around.

Hoping the same, again. 

Or we go back into the pit of despair, again.

[CPcavedweller]

9 hours ago, lumbeecheraw75 said:

I don't think Baker ever wanted to be here honestly. We were the job he had to settle on that offseason.

You think Baker played poorly because he didn’t want to be here? Baker is the epitome of pride in your work. There are no guarantees in the NFL so him playing poorly wouldn’t do much for him or the team. 
 

baker played poorly because this is what the Panthers have become under Tepper. He has 31 touchdowns this year. Let that sink in. 

[Jmac]

Because we suck from top to bottom. Only players that give a fug are Brown, Luvu, and Hubbard. The rest just getting a check (eg: Burns dragging his ass across the field and saying so.)

You can't win or compete with that sort of attitude. Need to cut out the cancer and bring back the "kick ass and take names" mindset that is long gone.

Edited January 16 by Jmac

[Ricky Prickles]

10 hours ago, Newtcase said:

Baker wasn’t ready for prime time yet.  He was still dealing with the mental speed bumps of injuries and being benched and humbled.  

This right here. The mind is the most important element to an athlete. That's why I feel like you cant count out Bryce Young yet even. he does not have the physical tools but if he had the sharpest relentless no fear mindset and wasn't so timid, he would actually be successful as a QB like CJ Stroud has been. You can see it on Stroud that he has the mindset for it. Bryce does not currently and may never if something does not change or if some coach cant get through to him. Baker did not have his mind right with us and had weak idiotic coaching in Rhule to back him up. Now Baker somehow has his mind right and plays with the confidence he needs to be a better QB plain and simple. 

[Ricky Prickles]

10 hours ago, 4Corners said:

Ill leave Baker and CMC  out of this but if they would have just kept Darnold and Moore and Forman we would be in so much better shape than we are now 

Cant argue with that. Throw in CMC with Foreman splitting carries and both fresh and we would have had a two headed monster at RB while having DJ at WR and we would have looked great. Darnold is not a complete bust and while not tops in the league could have held it down until we found a legitimate answer at QB for the long haul.

[BeenPounding]

Coaching and culture, plain and simple.

Rhule was in survivor mode.  Fired someone who was apparently a good play caller in Joe Brady prior to his arrival.  Hired an OC to replace him with Ben MacAdoo, who never wanted him in the first place.  Proceeded to then put your proven starting QB in a time share upon his late arrival to training camp with Sam Freaking Darnold.

Everyone freaked out after the Cleveland game.  Honestly, PJ really wasn't significantly better than Baker, just a case of back-up QB2 love.  Getting thrown out to the wolves against Cincinnati would have made me want to be released too.

Wilkes righted the ship with a spare parts, but I'd say the causes of our struggles this season was really 50% hold over from poor decisions made under Rhule, 25% from not hiring Wilks, and 25% from thinking the Rhule inspired FO could take the majic created by WIlks and improve on it. 

 

[d-dave]

Baker, like many players here, failed because of a lack of leadership and good coaching.  Things didn't turn around until Wilks bent the team to his plan.  The Rhule / McAdoo system (much like Reich's) didn't work with our personnel.  Wilks recognized that we needed to be a smashmouth team.  Why didn't Baker rise to the top?  Because he was playing catch up from the get go.  By the time of Wilks, Baker was cooked for the year.  He needed a hard reset, which this off season did.  It didn't hurt going to a team with Mike Evans, Godwin, a +OL, and a stout D. 

Look, I'm glad for Baker.  He seemed like a real pro while here.  I hate how utterly dysfunctional our team is.  The big thing we're going to need is for Tepper to let the coaches coach.  Hire the GM, coach, and whoever, then just stay the heck out.  Be a big fan and cheerleader.  Do good works in the city and community.  Make fun of yourself, go from biggest asshat in town to the goofy uncle.  Let the football team run for a few years without your meddling and see what happens.

[Cat Fanboy]

lol - yes lets blame Tepper and Culture for all the batted balls Mayfield threw. smh

[Ricky Prickles]

28 minutes ago, Cat Fanboy said:

lol - yes lets blame Tepper and Culture for all the batted balls Mayfield threw. smh

Well then tell us why he hasn't thrown as many batted balls this season? Why did he look pathetic here but looks solid there? Culture means crap coaching too. I think a good portion of it was and is mindset and he has a better mindset there of course. Crap culture will give you crap mindset thus carrying a defeated attitude onto the field.

[Tbe]

9 minutes ago, Ricky Prickles said:

Well then tell us why he hasn't thrown as many batted balls this season? Why did he look pathetic here but looks solid there? Culture means crap coaching too. I think a good portion of it was and is mindset and he has a better mindset there of course. Crap culture will give you crap mindset thus carrying a defeated attitude onto the field.

We’ve heard enough comments from Cam and other departing FAs to know the culture among the players is bad.

[KatsAzz]

13 hours ago, cookinbrak said:

Bad coaching, play calling, ownership.

That has been the history of the Carolina Panthers since day one and the reason they are currently a laughing stock and the worst team in the N.F.L..

[Ricky Prickles]

10 minutes ago, Tbe said:

We’ve heard enough comments from Cam and other departing FAs to know the culture among the players is bad.

Exactly!

[KatsAzz]

4 hours ago, scratched said:

Because instead of grabbing QBs to solve our problems, we should have been building the Offensive line and other positions. So here we are, with the same problem we have had for years. Wondering if the QB is the problem. FIX THE OL! And surround the QB with some weapons. Then we can properly evaluate the QB position. And the saddest part of it all, I think we have the worst QB behind center now, then we've had in the last few years. Just my opinion

I am not sure rating Bryce Young, an inexperienced  Rookie QB, the worst QB we've had in the last few years really fair.

However, I fully agree a team should build a competent  OL and obtain good skill position players before they shoot the moon for a starting QB.

[Gapanthersfan]

Gotta be pretty cool having Wirfs, knowing that you not .05 seconds from getting the piss knocked out of you from your blind side. That’ll settle any qb down. 
 

Wirfs+Evans+Godwin+White. 

That’s a hard combination to beat. 

Edited January 16 by Gapanthersfan