Team Notes week 17 2021

Matt Rhule heard the "Fire Rhule" chants from fans during the game, as well as the boos as he left the field Sunday following the Carolina Panthers' sixth straight home loss and 10th defeat in the last 12 games.

They were officially eliminated from playoff contention and as Associated Press sports writer Steve Reed suggested, the honeymoon period is clearly over as Rhule nears the end of his second double-digit loss season.

Carolina fans are growing restless with a team that seems to lack direction at quarterback.

Rhule has been searching for answers, even turning to a two-quarterback system on Sunday that included rotating Cam Newton and Sam Darnold, who returned to action after missing five games with a shoulder injury.

That didn't work.

The Panthers managed two field goals and were blown out 32-6 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who clinched their first NFC South title since 2007 under the direction of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

"We're not them yet; we're aspiring to be them," Rhule said.

Rhule went as far as to apologize to the team's fanbase after the game for the constant losing, but promised he is "1,000 percent convinced" that the organization is headed in the right direction. He pointed to injuries to key players as one of the reasons for his team's struggles.

"There is a process that is happening underneath and everyone is like, 'It's not working Matt, it's not working Matt,' But when I see all of the good things that are happening, I think it is," said Rhule, who is in the second year of a seven-year, $60 million contract.

Rhule came up with the two quarterback approach last week saying he was looking for a spark. Newton started the game -- possibly his last as a member of the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium -- and threw an interception on his second series. He was replaced by Darnold, who was promptly booed as he ran on the field.

Newton never seemed to get into rhythm after that as he and Darnold rotated back and forth. Newton played 37 percent of the snaps, while Darnold got 63 percent of the snaps.

"It was told to me early on this week about playing two quarterbacks," Newton said. "Did I approve of it? That's not even a thought to me. As a player, you play. The coaches, they coach. If he deems that is what is best for this team to win, then it's for me to swallow my pride and get on board. And I did that."

While Rhule wouldn't initially say who will start this week at New Orleans as the week opened, he changed that on Wednesday, when he named Darnold as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Saints.

Of course, it doesn't matter much in the short term with the Panthers eliminated from playoff contention.

Big picture?

The reality is Rhule has swung and missed three times now on quarterbacks -- four if you include passing on Justin Fields with the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft.

The Panthers initially signed Teddy Bridgewater in 2020, but he was jettisoned after one season. Then they traded away three picks to get Darnold, who struggled after a 3-0 start this season. And then they acquired Newton, who has gone 0-5 as the team's starting quarterback, in part prompting Rhule to fire offensive coordinator Joe Brady midway through the season.

So the two-quarterback system felt a lot like a desperate coach grasping at straws to find anything that will work.

Rhule said having coached in the Philadelphia area he didn't mind hearing the boos from the fans. He said he appreciates their passion.

But he added the Panthers need to continue to build just as the Buccaneers did, a message that had the feel of a coach who was politicking to keep his job.

"That team (Tampa Bay) struggled for several years and acquired a lot of pieces and then Tom Brady showed up and [Rob Gronkowski] showed up and Antonio Brown showed up, and now they are one of the best teams in the league," Rhule said. "We're trying to add pieces as we go and develop guys and draft guys and sign guys -- and we hope that we can get there."

For what it's worth, Rhule appears to have the support of Panthers owner David Tepper. Rhule said he spoke with Tepper on Monday and the conversation went well.

"He's been unbelievably supportive," Rhule said on a videoconference call. "All our conversations were about the best things to do moving forward. He's been tremendously supportive and shown me a ton of confidence. We are certainly not where we want to be, but we knew this was something that was going to have to be done right."

Whether that guarantees Rhule is back in Carolina (5-10) next season is unclear.

Rhule said he didn't ask about his future, and said he wouldn't want to speak for Tepper.

Rhule is in the second year of a seven-year, $60 million contract that lured him away from the college ranks.

Rhule had big turnarounds beginning in the third season of stints at Temple and Baylor. After starting the first two seasons 2-10 and 6-6 at Temple, the Owls went 10-4 and 10-3 the next two years.

At Baylor, he went 1-11 his first year, then 7-6 the next. In the third year the Bears got it right, going 11-3 and finishing 13th in The Associated Press poll.

"I believe it is going to take off at some point," Rhule said.

Fantasy managers would be wise not to bank on that turnaround being immediate. The Panthers will play out the string on the road at New Orleans and Tampa Bay. ...

That said, receiver D.J. Moore has proven to be a quality, reliable No. 1 receiver for the Panthers.

On Sunday, he became just the third Carolina player in history to have three straight 1,000-yard seasons. Moore is scheduled to make $11.1 million next season under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, but it's expected that GM Scott Fitterer will look to re-sign him to a long-term contract extension in the offseason.

In addition, rookie receiver Shi Smith might be worth watching for Dynasty managers and those with an eye on the future.

The Panthers began playing more of their young players Sunday with the team looking ahead to next season. One of those that stepped up was Smith, a rookie from South Carolina. Smith had three catches for 86 yards, including a 63-yard reception where he got behind the defender to haul in a wide-open pass from Sam Darnold. Smith only had three receptions for 18 yards coming into the game.

In addition, fellow rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. played 59 percent of the snaps, his most in a game since Week 5 against Philadelphia.

Beyond that, rookie running back Chuba Hubbard rushed six times for nine yards and failed to bring in his only target on Sunday.

As CBSSports.com put it, "Hubbard unsurprisingly found nearly non-existent running room during his few opportunities against a notoriously stingy Buccaneers defensive front."

Gamescript eventually nullified the Panthers' ground attack for the most part, making it an utterly forgettable fantasy afternoon for the rookie. Despite his role as a de facto lead back to close out the season, Hubbard has seen single-digit carries in each of the last two games and has been an almost complete non-factor as a receiver since Week 7.

He faces another unenviable assignment in Week 17 in the form of a Saints team that's on par with Tampa Bay in terms of stopping the run.

Meanwhile, Carolina is getting virtually no production from its tight ends since trading Dan Arnold away at the beginning of the season. Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas have combined for just 33 catches for 328 yards and one touchdown. To put those numbers in perspective, Kansas City's Travis Kelce has 83 receptions for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns on his own.

On the health front. ... CB Stephon Gilmore left Sunday's game with a groin injury, but Rhule indicated he didn't think it was serious. Cornerback is the team's deepest position, but it has grown thin with injuries sidelining Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson and A.J. Bouye for the season.

In addition, the Panthers placed two of their top defensive players on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, among six total players added to that roll.

The team placed defensive end Brian Burns, linebacker Shaq Thompson, defensive end Marquis Haynes Sr., and defensive tackle Phil Hoskins on the list, along with defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon and center Matt Paradis. Nixon and Paradis were already on injured reserve and out for the year.

Carolina announced on Wednesday that edge rusher Haason Reddick joined them on the COVID-19 list. If Reddick is vaccinated, there’s a chance he could test out of the protocols to be available for Week 17.

Losing Reddick, Burns and Thompson is a blow for a defense that has been forced to carry a more significant burden this year anyway.

Rhule referred to it as a "somewhat significant" number earlier Monday, which was affecting some particular position groups, and those absences are making the defensive numbers difficult at the moment. The Panthers are particularly thin at linebacker, as they have been all season.

The good news is the league and the NFL Players Association revised the protocols on Tuesday after the CDC changed its guidelines for those who are asymptomatic, recommending a five-day isolation period and masking over the second five days.

Finally. ... The Panthers are down to three quarterbacks on their active roster.

The team announced that they have released Matt Barkley on Tuesday. Like all players cut loose at this point in the season, Barkley is subject to waivers.

Newton, Darnold, and P.J. Walker remain on hand for Carolina, although Walker was added to the reserve/COVID list on Wednesday.

Barkley was signed off of the Titans' practice squad in November and dressed for a game, but did not see any game action for Carolina. He appeared in five games for the Bills as a backup in 2020 and last started a regular season game for Buffalo in 2018.

DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear
WRs: Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan
TEs: Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Hayden Hurst