If the unfounded rumors are actually true, perhaps Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is sending a secret code to major college football programs to get him up out of the NFL. Except, it’s not “blink two times if you’re in trouble,” it’s “use two quarterbacks if you’re in trouble.”
Rhule is currently implementing a very college-like approach to his quarterback position—as both Cam Newton and P.J. Walker saw time in the team’s Week 14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. But, he still wants you to know that a two-quarterback system is not exactly his cup of tea.
“I don’t want to be playing two quarterbacks. No one does,” Rhule said to reporters on Monday. “But it’s just the situation that we’re in and we’re trying to maximize where we’re at right now.”
The situation they’re in has Newton, who’s been with the team for just over a month, still trying to pick up the offense. That’s a particularly tough and unique task for any quarterback—let alone one who came in at Week 10, has just undergone a change of coordinators and is playing behind an offensive line that’s, well, very counterproductive.
Rhule, though, has been straightforward of his plans under center for quite a few weeks.
“Going into the game, I was planning on playing both guys,” Rhule also said of this past Sunday’s outing. “Like, in two-minute and some of those things, we planned on playing P.J.”
And they did, as Walker initially subbed in for the first half’s final three minutes to conduct the offense. Walker, who’s been with the current regime in Carolina for two years now, obviously has more experience with the inner-workings than Newton—hence the move.
He doesn’t, however, really enjoy the experience of splitting snaps.
“I just think it’s difficult ’cause it might get a quarterback off rhythm,” Walker said. “The position in itself is a rhythm position. You could do as much as you want. But if you’re not out here, you ain’t seeing the same thing as the guy that’s out there playing sees.”
Regardless, we’re set to see yet another Newton-Walker co-effort against the Buffalo Bills in a few days. So, if you’re worried about watching yet another possible debacle, blink twice . . . or just keep your eyes closed.
[lawrence-related id=646422]
[lawrence-related id=646638]
[listicle id=646524]