It may be brief, but we have entered a new era of Carolina Panthers football.
The first chapter of this short tale will be written against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, starting with these three storylines:
Let's have some fun!
The Panthers, at 1-10, just put a bow on the NFL’s shortest head-coaching tenure in nearly 50 years. So, what’s the message from the next guy up?
“We’re still playin’ football,” interim head coach Chris Tabor said on Wednesday. “I told ’em we’re out on the grass and we’re playin’ a kid’s game played by grown men. So let’s have some fun while we do it.”
This marks Tabor’s second go at an interim head-coaching stint. His first, which lasted just one afternoon, came back in 2020 while with the Chicago Bears—when he subbed in for a COVID-stricken Matt Nagy.
Tabor, who is also the second interim head coach in as many seasons for Carolina, will now get a six-game stretch to lead a team. Let’s see how much fun we can have.
Post-Reich Bryce
That short head-coaching tenure we just mentioned ended due, in most part, to the lack of progress from their rookie quarterback.
Under former head coach Frank Reich, Bryce Young looked far from the No. 1 overall pick. Through 10 starts, he averaged just 187.7 passing yards per game with nine touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 61.7-percent completion rate.
Young also lost his quarterbacks coach in Josh McCown. He’s now, leading up to Sunday, had new quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier and offensive assistant Jim Caldwell in his ear.
Will the results for the 22-year-old and his struggling offense change?
Off the leash (again)
This isn’t the spiciest revenge game out there. Heck, it’s probably a bit generous to even classify it as one.
No, things didn’t work out at all between Baker Mayfield and the Panthers last season. The project ended after just seven games, where he passed for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions in six losses.
But when they released Mayfield in the middle of the year, Carolina actually did the former No. 1 pick a solid. In fact, the feeling was mutual.
After a short stay with the Los Angeles Rams to close out the 2022 campaign, Mayfield signed with the Bucs this spring and has found some footing. He’s completed 64.7 percent of his throws for 2,588 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 11 outings.
Sure, this matchup won’t be one commemorated by a few t-shirts. It will, however, be interesting to see if Mayfield can keep it up against another former employer.
