Week 10: Bucs @ Panthers

[N.E.PanthersFan]

We need a HC that is willing to show he cares, show a little fire on the field. I don't mean someone like Rex Ryan that is going to act like an ***, but even John Fox could get fired up over some plays when it was game time. Rivera sits there with his arm crossed like he couldn't give a **** what happens and is ready for the game to just be over already. That's probably why the Panthers are 8-10 in games they lead in the 4th quarter, a stat that you should be winning at least a 75% clip in.

I don't disagree about a coach showing emotion -- good or bad. You see guys like the Harbaughs, Cowher, Mike Smith, etc., showing that emotion. I think I've seen Rivera lay into someone once? I've seen him get excited or run down the sideline a couple times, but he doesn't make a spectacle out of himself (which is a good thing, as you noted).

I really need to do more research into that 4th quarter stat, because I think it's somewhat skewed (like the silly "games within 7 points" stat). If you're leading by two possessions like we were today, there's no reason to think you shouldn't be able to maintain that. Like you mentioned earlier, though, a lot of that is about execution. Rivera can't get out there and make the plays for them.

[homestarunner93]

I don't disagree about a coach showing emotion -- good or bad. You see guys like the Harbaughs, Cowher, Mike Smith, etc., showing that emotion. I think I've seen Rivera lay into someone once? I've seen him get excited or run down the sideline a couple times, but he doesn't make a spectacle out of himself (which is a good thing, as you noted).

I really need to do more research into that 4th quarter stat, because I think it's somewhat skewed (like the silly "games within 7 points" stat). If you're leading by two possessions like we were today, there's no reason to think you shouldn't be able to maintain that. Like you mentioned earlier, though, a lot of that is about execution. Rivera can't get out there and make the plays for them.

It could be skewed, but if you ever have a lead in the 4th quarter, you should expect to win that game. If you don't, then you aren't playing the game right.

Execution is a big part of it, but when you're now 8-10 in those type games, it is more than just execution. I think it's a culture-of-the-team kind of situation, and that has to fall squarely on the HC, which is why Rivera will be getting axed at some point during or directly after this season.

[N.E.PanthersFan]

It could be skewed, but if you ever have a lead in the 4th quarter, you should expect to win that game. If you don't, then you aren't playing the game right.

Execution is a big part of it, but when you're now 8-10 in those type games, it is more than just execution. I think it's a culture-of-the-team kind of situation, and that has to fall squarely on the HC, which is why Rivera will be getting axed at some point during or directly after this season.

Lead changes happen in the fourth quarter, just like they happen in any other quarter. That's why the point differential matters. If a team is leading by 11 points, that's 2 possessions and I would expect them to win. If a team is leading by 7 points, that's only 1 possession and there's very little room for error there.

I'm going to assume you meant "expect" from a fan's perspective, not from the coaches' or players' perspective. If they ever "expect" to win a game at any point before the final whistle, that's a pretty big problem right there.

I think Newton got it right a few weeks ago in his postgame conference (I think it was the Dallas game?). He said: "domination is a formula to win." We haven't dominated any game this season. We've dominated halves (see Atlanta and Chicago for the defense), but not games and not both sides of the ball. I was watching the SD-DEN game at a bar and I was chatting with the guy next to me who was a DEN fan. He said repeatedly: "we can't take our foot off San Diego's throat." He gets it, so why doesn't Chud?

[homestarunner93]

Players should play with a lead like they are going to win. I guess you could say expect is a bad word, but if you have a lead in the fourth quarter and you don't feel like you're going to win that game, you have a loser's mentality.

[manbearchef]

Players should play with a lead like they are going to win. I guess you could say expect is a bad word, but if you have a lead in the fourth quarter and you don't feel like you're going to win that game, you have a loser's mentality.

I agree with that. I just feel like we have players on the team that still have loser mentality.

As for our next coach, honestly I want him to have Fox's attitude and Jim Harbaugh's coaching. I loved Fox as a coach, I just hated his one dimensional coaching.

[NCBoSoxfan21]

Who (beside Gruden and Cowher) are even available?

[Killakatsfan]

Jim Tressel ?

[N.E.PanthersFan]

Players should play with a lead like they are going to win. I guess you could say expect is a bad word, but if you have a lead in the fourth quarter and you don't feel like you're going to win that game, you have a loser's mentality.

Players should play like it's a tied game, every single play. Playing like you have the lead is how you blow the lead and end up like the Panthers. Playing like it's a tie game is how you play like the Saints or the Pats and completely dominate games. I'd much rather we win every game 56-0 and have everything think we're poor sports and running up the score than lose games in the last 5 minutes because we think we have them in the bag.

[N.E.PanthersFan]

Who (beside Gruden and Cowher) are even available?

I hear Ron Rivera might be available.

Depends what you're looking for... Andy Reid? A college coach like Spurrier or Chip Kelly? Gruden or Cowher? Perry Fewell? Jason Garrett will probably be available.

Were you implying that you don't want Gruden or Cowher? If you want a coach who's going to get guys fired up, look no further...

[homestarunner93]

Who (beside Gruden and Cowher) are even available?

Right now? Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Butch Davis...the pickings are pretty slim beyond Gruden and Cowher, although Schotty would intrigue me if he was interested in getting back into coaching. We know he had his struggles in the post-season, but he won over 60% of the regular season games he coaches. Pretty darn impressive.

Assistant coaches that could get a look:
Mike McCoy, Denver
Jack Del Rio, Denver
Kyle Shanahan, Washington
Rick Dennison, Houston
Perry Fewell, New York Giants
Jay Gruden, Cincinnati
Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati
Hue Jackson, Cincinnati
Rob Ryan, Dallas
Russ Grimm, Arizona
Mel Tucker, Jacksonville
Tom Cable, Seattle
Joe Vitt, New Orleans
Pete Carmichael, New Orleans
Dirk Koetter, Atlanta
Winston Moss, Green Bay
Todd Haley, Pittsburgh
Kirby Wilson, Pittsburgh
Josh McDaniels, New England
Brad Seely, San Francisco
Greg Roman, San Francisco
Vic Fangio, San Francisco
Dave Toub, Chicago
Greg Manusky, Indianapolis
Bruce Arians, Indianapolis

Then the HCs that may/will be out of jobs by the end of the year:
Andy Reid, Philadelphia
Norv Turner, San Diego
Sean Payton, New Orleans
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati
Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona
(only put ones on here that teams would have interest in hiring...no one is going to make Romeo Crennel or Jason Garrett their HC at this point)

The college coach crop is pretty strong right now, and with Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh both having major success, I think you'll see more make the jump:
Chip Kelly, Oregon
David Shaw, Stanford
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Bill O'Brien, Penn State


I know you know most of these names, but hopefully this is an exhaustive list and a good resource for anyone interested in who could end up being the next head coach. For the record, there are quite of few of those that I wouldn't like or I don't think would be a particularly good fit in Carolina, but I went ahead and threw them on the list because they could be options for other NFL teams.

Players should play like it's a tied game, every single play. Playing like you have the lead is how you blow the lead and end up like the Panthers. Playing like it's a tie game is how you play like the Saints or the Pats and completely dominate games. I'd much rather we win every game 56-0 and have everything think we're poor sports and running up the score than lose games in the last 5 minutes because we think we have them in the bag.

I know what you're saying. I agree with you, I would rather blow teams out and win rather than try to be a good sport. Being a good sport doesn't get you anywhere, winning does. Sportsmanship is, well, the most overrated thing in all of sports. That and "clutch."

[homestarunner93]

One wildcard is Marc Trestman. He is held in very high regard in the coaching community, and a lot of people consider it a matter of time before he lands an NFL job.

[manbearchef]

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012...e-coordinators

I don't know if you guys read this article (it was on the Panthers main PSD page earlier in the week), but it lists a breakdown of who we'll sign. Using past methods of hiring our coaches it breaks it down to a DC (Casey Bradley, Ray Horton, Allan Williams, and Kevin Coyle).

I don't know how much I agree with the article, because the team may look to go a different direction than normal. I'd be shocked if they don't at least give Chip Kelly an interview, given that the team passed on Harbaugh two years ago.

The part I definitely agree with in this article is I don't think we'll be hiring a Ron River/Perry Fewell type coach that has been passed on a million times. I think we learned our lesson. I also don't expect us to bring in a Gruden/Cowher type player.

Of the upper tier NFL coaches, I would only want Shottenheimer. Holmgren has managed to find ways to kill the Browns more than usual, and I don't like Herm Edwards, Mangini, or Davis. I liked Billick when he coached, but he only made post-season 4 times (though he did win a SB) in 9 years with a pretty stellar defense. Despite lack of playoffs, he did only have 3 losing seasons in those 9 years, but he's also been out since 2007.

The only potentially fired coach I like is Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt has done so much for the Cards, who have been crap pretty much their entire existence. He (along with Kurt Warner) led them to a SB appearance and if he had a decent QB on the team he'd probably have won several division titles. Another plus of Whisenhunt is if were HC, he could potentially bring Ray Horton with him as DC. Unfortunately he won't have an effect of bringing good Cards players with him.

Honestly, I like all four of the college coaches, but obviously they don't have anything to dislike because they haven't been in the NFL. I really like Kelly, and think his offensive-mind could help the offense/Cam, but I also worry that he'd try to implement too many college-level plays and screw us big time. It's also bothersome that he doesn't use an NFL type offense. Another downside of these coaches is they won't be able to bring players with them from other NFL teams.

Of the four DC's listed in the article I posted I don't really dislike any of them on paper, but I really like Bradley and Croyle. Croyle could potentially bring a number of talented dolphins players with him like Jake Long, Anthony Fasano, Brian Hartline, Sean Smith, Tyler Thigpen, and Randy Starks who are all set to become FAs.

Whoever the next coach is, I kinda hope he comes from a pretty good team and has a small following of players that would be willing to go with him to a new team. When we got Rivera I was hoping we'd have a shot at V-Jax since he was from SD, but obviously that didn't happen (we would've overpaid anyway). While I liked some of Rivera's additions (like Applewhite and Tolbert) he never really brought in anyone with him.

[homestarunner93]

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012...e-coordinators

I don't know if you guys read this article (it was on the Panthers main PSD page earlier in the week), but it lists a breakdown of who we'll sign. Using past methods of hiring our coaches it breaks it down to a DC (Casey Bradley, Ray Horton, Allan Williams, and Kevin Coyle).

I don't know how much I agree with the article, because the team may look to go a different direction than normal. I'd be shocked if they don't at least give Chip Kelly an interview, given that the team passed on Harbaugh two years ago.

The part I definitely agree with in this article is I don't think we'll be hiring a Ron River/Perry Fewell type coach that has been passed on a million times. I think we learned our lesson. I also don't expect us to bring in a Gruden/Cowher type player.

Of the upper tier NFL coaches, I would only want Shottenheimer. Holmgren has managed to find ways to kill the Browns more than usual, and I don't like Herm Edwards, Mangini, or Davis. I liked Billick when he coached, but he only made post-season 4 times (though he did win a SB) in 9 years with a pretty stellar defense. Despite lack of playoffs, he did only have 3 losing seasons in those 9 years, but he's also been out since 2007.

The only potentially fired coach I like is Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt has done so much for the Cards, who have been crap pretty much their entire existence. He (along with Kurt Warner) led them to a SB appearance and if he had a decent QB on the team he'd probably have won several division titles. Another plus of Whisenhunt is if were HC, he could potentially bring Ray Horton with him as DC. Unfortunately he won't have an effect of bringing good Cards players with him.

Honestly, I like all four of the college coaches, but obviously they don't have anything to dislike because they haven't been in the NFL. I really like Kelly, and think his offensive-mind could help the offense/Cam, but I also worry that he'd try to implement too many college-level plays and screw us big time. It's also bothersome that he doesn't use an NFL type offense. Another downside of these coaches is they won't be able to bring players with them from other NFL teams.

Of the four DC's listed in the article I posted I don't really dislike any of them on paper, but I really like Bradley and Croyle. Croyle could potentially bring a number of talented dolphins players with him like Jake Long, Anthony Fasano, Brian Hartline, Sean Smith, Tyler Thigpen, and Randy Starks who are all set to become FAs.

Whoever the next coach is, I kinda hope he comes from a pretty good team and has a small following of players that would be willing to go with him to a new team. When we got Rivera I was hoping we'd have a shot at V-Jax since he was from SD, but obviously that didn't happen (we would've overpaid anyway). While I liked some of Rivera's additions (like Applewhite and Tolbert) he never really brought in anyone with him.

I think that article kinda sucks, and is pretty poorly thought out. The Panthers are going to hire a DC to be their HC just because previous coaches were DCs? That's poor logic. The Panthers are going to hire the best person for the job, regardless of what their background is. And this idea that you can't hire a coach from a team that isn't good is kind of foolish. Not to mention the Dolphins and Cardinals aren't very good anyways.

MBC, I think you're overrating the idea of a coach bringing players along with him. Don't worry about that crap. Besides, what ties do players like Jake Long, Anthony Fasano, and Brian Hartline have to the DC in Miami? Probably not many. Just go out and hire the best individual, don't worry about which players he could theoretically bring along with him. That's an easy way to get in deep trouble.

[NCBoSoxfan21]

Bradley is the best coach on the list. I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Coyle... eh, not so much. The D in Miami was good before he came. They are underrated and overlooked, but it was with the same personnel (basically) better before his arrival. The previous two years it was 10th and 5th in overall defense. This year its' about 15th-20th depending on where you look.

Meanwhile Bradley's D has the same guys and he has them playing as the 3rd best D in the league when it was 15th a year ago.

We are going to pick in the top 3. Which means Lotulelei hopefully. If that's the case we need to make a strong push for Vollmer, Clady, and Long. And sign one of the 3.

Resign Dwan, cut Ron, restructure Beason and Gross, trade DeAngelo. Resign Munnerlyn, extend Hardy, and take a corner/s in the 2nd (by all accounts Amerson and McDonald will be there at our 2nd).

[homestarunner93]

Bradley is the best coach on the list. I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Coyle... eh, not so much. The D in Miami was good before he came. They are underrated and overlooked, but it was with the same personnel (basically) better before his arrival. The previous two years it was 10th and 5th in overall defense. This year its' about 15th-20th depending on where you look.

Meanwhile Bradley's D has the same guys and he has them playing as the 3rd best D in the league when it was 15th a year ago.

We are going to pick in the top 3. Which means Lotulelei hopefully. If that's the case we need to make a strong push for Vollmer, Clady, and Long. And sign one of the 3.

Resign Dwan, cut Ron, restructure Beason and Gross, trade DeAngelo. Resign Munnerlyn, extend Hardy, and take a corner/s in the 2nd (by all accounts Amerson and McDonald will be there at our 2nd).

What are you going to do with Gamble?