The Panthers have been receiving plenty of attention lately given the struggles of their quarterback and the increasing calls for a head coaching change. For at least the short-term future, though, the status quo appears likely to continue on both fronts. 
[RELATED: Panthers Seeking Experienced Rhule Replacement?]
When speaking to the media yesterday, Matt Rhule continued to support summer trade acquisition Baker Mayfield as the team’s starter. “I think Baker’s our quarterback. We have to continue to find ways to help him,” he said (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).
In the franchise’s latest attempt to solidify the position, Carolina executed a long-anticipated trade for the former No. 1 pick in July. Mayfield took a pay cut to facilitate his move out of Cleveland, and quickly won the training camp competition between he and incumbent Sam Darnold. Things have not started as well as anyone had hoped, however.
Mayfield has completed less than 55% of his attempts, totaling 747 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. His 75.0 quarterback rating is a career-low mark, and the Panthers rank last in the NFL at an average of 283 yards per contest. Those figures fall well short of expectations entering the season, where a return to health for the Oklahoma product was thought to provide stability and an upgrade over Darnold.
The latter’s health represents the most immediate reason why Mayfield will remain the starter for the time being. Darnold has begun the season on IR due to an ankle sprain; despite the fact that he is now eligible to return, Rhule said that he is not ready to do so, with Week 6 being a more realistic target (Twitter link via ESPN’s David Newton). Darnold’s level of play last year led to the team’s urgency in trading for Mayfield, so it would come as a surprise if he were to return to the No. 1 role.
“I just feel like we have to expect more than that from all of us as an offense,” Rhule added via Person when asked about the unit’s struggles (subscription required). “Offensively, we have to score more points. And that starts with me, goes to [offensive coordinator] Ben [McAdoo], goes to the assistant coaches and players. We have to get it corrected.”
If they are averaging 283 yards per game, no way is that dead last in the NFL.
They wrote 283 yards passing, they meant 283 TOTAL yards per game.
Thanks for clarifying, that didn’t add up. My first thought was there’s no way guys like Ryan Tannehill are passing for more than 283 yards a game
Gee, you think you need to expect more for the most conservative offense in the NFL? zero deep shots, zero runs out of the shotgun, a weird hard-on for only running play-action passes.
Lets look back on when our offense was most explosive, 2019. CMC averaged 17 carries and 9 targets a game. 2021 when we started off like the best team in the league, CMC averaged 22.5 carries and 7.5 targets. This season, CMC averages 14.5 carries (buoyed by
a 25 carry game) and 6 targets a game. So not only are you underutilizing your most versatile offense player, all of the passes are either check downs or curls over the middle for a 5 yard gain. How about trying a swing pass or an out route out of the backfield so he can have a mismatch with a linebacker? What does this do? It forces the linebackers to cheat up so they have to cover him earlier, this opens up the middle of the field so you can have wide open middle of the field passes which have a higher probability of turning into a gain then throwing 2 out routes to the sideline where there’s a slim margin of error each drive. Now its not all entirely on Rhule, Baker has to play better and stop having passes knocked down at the line, but for the love of anything can we somehow get a TE involved in a passing play? Look at all the best offenses in the league right now, Higbee, Kelce, Hockensen, Andrews, what do they all have? A TE who can catch and get yards after the catch which opens up opportunities for the Wide receivers, we haven’t had a good TE since Olsen and guess what, we went to the Super Bowl. Its so frustrating to watch. Make a change. take some accountability.
Maybe… just maybe… it’s not the QB.
Yeah, it’s probably the quarterback
It’s a head coach that’s overmatched, and out of his depth in the NFL. When you’re 1-26 in your career in games where the opposing team scores 17+, you’re not cut out for the job.
That said, they may as well ride it out and tank for the high draft pick. They’re going to have a strong chance at #1 overall. Clean house after the season and let a new HC start fresh trying to rebuild the franchise.
Mayfield was the 26th rated quarterback last year. He’s thrown more interceptions since 2018 than any quarterback.
In fairness, yeah, some of this/that is on Baker, too. He’s had some really terrible coaching in his career, though. I think with a good coach, and some experience in a strong system, he could be a capable NFL starter.
Through 4 games, Brissett is playing better than Mayfield has. You could say most quarterbacks would play better in a strong offense.
If we’re using 4 game sample sizes, I could also build you a case that Geno Smith is a better QB than Brady, Rodgers and Burrow this season; but we both know that isn’t true.
Mayfield played injured last season, and I’ll give you some of that is on him for not saying “I can’t go.” This year, he’s playing under a new coach in a bad scheme because the Cleveland brass doesn’t understand the definition of the word “adult” apparently. It’s easy for his critics to forget Baker has had some strong years, too.
But he’s not injured now. Cleveland gave him some very good talent with Beckham, Landry and Hooper and the backs. Mayfield definitely is not the worst starter but he’s definitely is a bottom 8. Unless his season turns around this year, he’ll be a backup maybe for the rest of his career
He isn’t injured, no- but he is playing for a coach that clearly isn’t an NFL head coach. I think if all is right, Baker is capable of being a middle of the bunch QB. I’d take him over Mac Jones, Zack Wilson, Brissett, Daniel Jones, Mariotta, Geno, and whomever Houston is even running out there. I think he’s kinda on par with Wentz; capable, but can sometimes hurt you. You can’t convince me he’s a backup level QB, though.
Most of the guys you mentioned are backups really. Smith, Brissett, Marriota haven’t started for a few years. Mayfield just is way too inconsistent and that’s his problem. He will not get a starters job next year unless it’s as a placeholder like Trubisky was and Marriota is.
Matt Rhule is a dimwitted nincompoop.
By the time this franchise gets it’s ish together, CMAC won’t be weapon anymore and DJ will be the “ingrate du jour” for holding out for a trade
Baaaaaaaaaaaaakerrrrr