Rivera now has more hands on Panthers defense
Head coach Ron Rivera became more involved in the defense with the Carolina Panthers when he took part in play-calling on that side last week.
Now it’s all out there. He’ll handle the defensive play-calling Sunday at Cleveland, allowing defensive coordinator Eric Washington to concentrate on other areas.
A four-game losing streak has brought about some upheaval with the Panthers (6-6), who’ll fall out of playoff contention if they can’t get it turned around.
By Monday, the team announced the firings of defensive line coach Brady Hoke and assistant secondary/cornerbacks coach Jeff Imamura.
“Ultimately, I’m charged with putting the team in the best position to succeed, and I felt these moves were necessary in order to do that,” Rivera said.
Washington will oversee the front seven.
Rivera said his enhanced role with the defense provides “a different set of eyes and another perspective.”
So Rivera has been proactive in addressing the slide. However, he adamantly refused to address his own job status after last weekend’s loss at Tampa Bay.
He has been clear on what it will take to reverse the trend.
“Win, that’s the only way,” he said. “You can look at it, the last few games we have played have come down to the last opportunities we have had, whether it be on offense or defense. You just have to make a play.”
The Panthers don’t need another distraction at this juncture, having lost tight end Greg Olsen for the rest of the season with another foot injury and coping with what appears to be a shoulder injury that’s hampering quarterback Cam Newton’s throwing.
Newton was intercepted four times at Tampa Bay.
“We can’t have that,” Newton said. “I can’t allow that and accept that from myself.”
What seems to be happening in recent weeks is that the Panthers have wasted some notable offensive production from running back Christian McCaffrey. Ongoing issues in the red zone is one of the culprits.
“We’ve just got to be better,” wide receiver Jarius Wright said. “At the end of the day, the X’s and O’s and the players making plays. We’ve just got to be better.”
A blowout loss at Pittsburgh began the slide. Since then, there have narrow setbacks to Detroit, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Newton said it’s difficult to fathom that the Panthers hold a 6-6 record after winning six of the first eight games.
“But hey, we put ourselves in this situation and we have to get ourselves out,” he said.
SERIES HISTORY: 6th regular-season meeting. Panthers lead series, 4-1. That includes a 2014 victory at home in the most recent matchup. Cleveland’s lone victory came 24-23 in 2010 at home.
