Tag: shane waldron

15 possible HC candidates for the Panthers in 2024

Here are 15 names to keep in mind as Panthers owner David Tepper embarks on his third head-coaching search

Here we are again.

For the second time in as many years, the Carolina Panthers are in the market for a new head coach. Monday morning’s firing of Frank Reich, who lasted a miserable 11 games in Charlotte, now opens the door for yet another leader for this unstable franchise.

So, who will that leader be?

Well, it’s still too early to tell. But here are 15 possible candidates that could be of interest to owner David Tepper and company:

Russell Wilson, Broncos offense outplaying struggling Seahawks

What’s separating these two units is not quarterbacks but coaching.

The rumors of Russell Wilson’s demise were unfounded, as it turns out. While Wilson suffered an awful regression in 2022 with the Broncos, that poor performance is starting to look like a fluke. Wilson has played far better in 2023 and he’s come on especially hot of late.

Denver has won five games in a row and over the last four Russ has played as well as he has since the first half of the 2020 season in Seattle. During that time, he’s thrown for seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. Wilson is also running the ball more than he has in years, totaling 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground in that stretch.

Wilson has performed so well in fact that the Broncos’ offense is now playing better than the Seahawks’, at least when we compare them by cumulative EPA.

Some folks are getting carried away by claiming this means the Broncos won the Russell Wilson trade, citing Seattle’s 0-4 record against the 49ers since the deal went down. That’s just not the case. Getting what the Seahawks got in return and avoiding the price it would have cost to keep Wilson still makes it one of the best value deals of the Pete Carroll, John Schneider era – no matter how either offense is performing right now.

In any case, what’s separating these two units is not quarterbacks but coaching. Specifically, Sean Payton is renowned as one of the game’s top offensive minds, whereas Shane Waldron’s claim to fame is having previously worked for Sean McVay. It’s probably not fair to compare them – and Waldron does have some talent for designing plays. However, the Seahawks’ ongoing failures on third down are becoming a deal-breaker.

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Pete Carroll wants Geno Smith to get the ball out quicker

While Smith does have to get the ball out quicker, he needs an assist from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

The 2023 Seattle Seahawks are starting to look like underachievers. Despite all the talent they have on both sides of the ball, Seattle has only managed to beat two true heavyweights so far this year – just barely defeating the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns. In our latest power rankings, we have Seattle sinking all the way down to No. 16 – dangerously close to mediocre territory and roughly where they finished last season.

So, why are the improvements to a young and deep roster not translating to better results? The easiest answer is that the team is totally incompetent on third down. One thing that would help is Geno Smith getting the ball out faster – as head coach Pete Carroll mentioned to the media on Sunday.

 

While Smith does have to get the ball out quicker, he needs an assist from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who has to offer him more of those quick outlet routes and escape valves for when the pass rush gets to be too much. Better pass protection would also help – and the return of right tackle Abe Lucas should provide some relief where the pressure has been the most persistent.

That said, even with a serious improvement on third down these Seahawks just aren’t ready to compete with the contender teams that they’re playing right now. Every season is different, but odds are it will take another offseason or two of building up the roster and maybe some coaching staff changes to get there.

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DK Metcalf: Seahawks offense ‘still trying to find our identity’

Here’s a quote you never want to hear a few days from December.

Here’s a quote you never want to hear a few days from December. While the Seattle Seahawks have shown a lot of growth and potential this season, they are falling short of that potential thanks to their failures in a few key elements of the game. Defensively, what was a stout run defense to begin the year has become a liability once again. They’ve also had issues tackling the last few weeks across the board.

On offense, the problems are coming on third down and in the red zone, which has kept Jason Myers fantasy owners happy but just about nobody else. Speaking with reporters yesterday after the team’s first practice of the week, wide receiver DK Metcalf admitted the offense is still trying to find their identity and they haven’t played a complete game yet.

Usually when a player or a coach says their team needs to find an identity it’s code for needing to run the ball better. That applies for this Seahawks team, who have an extraordinary talent in Ken Walker but haven’t been able to get their rushing attack going this year in all but a couple of games. Heading into Week 13, they’re averaging just 95.8 rushing yards per game – ranking No. 26 in the league.

While running the ball more effectively would help some, it wouldn’t make much of a difference unless they did it so well that they’re able to avoid third downs altogether ala the 2020 Chiefs.

Unfortunately, if they were going to find a solution they would have done so by now. At the end of this brutal four-game stretch odds are Seattle will be outside of the playoff picture looking in.

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Geno Smith suggests he might have to start working 24 hours a day

While Smith struggled, he really doesn’t deserve the blame for this particular loss.

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith had another rough game against the 49ers defense last night. He was held out of the end zone, threw an interception, was sacked six times and couldn’t even pass for 200 yards.

When it was over, Smith told the media the team is working hard but has to work harder. He also singled himself out, suggesting that he might need to start working 24 hours a day.

It’s the right thing for a quarterback to say after a loss, but the truth is what these Seahawks need is to work smarter, not harder. Three teams have managed to beat the 49ers this season – so they’re not invincible. The hard truth is that this team just doesn’t match up well with them right now and the front office needs to figure out why. It’s on them, not Geno.

While Smith struggled, he really doesn’t deserve the blame for this particular loss. There are only a handful of quarterbacks on the planet who can sustain drives against a defense like that and he’s just not one of them. While this Seahawks team could probably surprise somebody in the playoffs, they’re not going to win this division until either the Niners fall off or they find themselves a serious upgrade to a rare, top-five type talent at QB.

Until either one of those things happens, the coaching staff needs to make some serious adjustments the next time they face San Francisco. At the top of the list, Pete Carroll has to learn to abandon his zones when the pass rush isn’t getting any pressure. On the other side of the ball, Shane Waldron has to manufacture some answers for obvious passing situations, because there’s simply too much talent on offense for them to struggle on third down the way they have.

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Twitter reacts to Seahawks getting embarrassed by the 49ers again

Pete Carroll, Clint Hurtt, Shane Waldron and Geno Smith are all taking shots on Twitter…

The Seahawks have lost four matchups in a row against the 49ers and they haven’t been close in any of them. Last night’s most recent failure was a sober reminder that Seattle is not yet ready to compete with the best teams the NFL has to offer – especially not the contender dominating their own division. After a 30-13 loss at home, fans on Twitter are having a good laugh at the Seahawks’ expense.

As for Seattle fans, they are reaching their limit. This time around, nobody is safe from their ire. Head coach Pete Carroll, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and starting quarterback Geno Smith are all taking shots…

Geno Smith credits offensive line, playcalling after Seahawks win

Success in the NFL depends on many moving parts working in harmony.

Success in the NFL depends on many moving parts working in harmony. Even the most gifted quarterbacks can be stunted by unimaginative playcalling or poor pass protection. The last few weeks those have both been an issue for Geno Smith and the Seahawks, who continue to struggle on third down more than they should given the level of talent they have.

However, when crunchtime came around on Sunday they got it together. Seattle’s offensive line put in their best performance in weeks, Shane Waldron finally managed to get some yards after catch and Geno Smith answered the call by putting together two flawless drives in the fourth quarter to win the game.

After it was over, Smith naturally deferred to his supporting cast, crediting the offensive line as well as Waldron for their work. Watch.

Smith also deserves a lot of the credit, especially since he managed to avoid committing a turnover for the first time in five games. Through nine games, he’s at 2,171 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 54.2 QBR that ranks right in the middle (No. 17) of the league.

All things considered – especially the size of his contract and the overall offensive drop-off this year around the NFL – this is some solid production from No. 7.

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Seahawks fans growing frustrated with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron

Based on their tweets, a lot of Seahawks fans are growing frustrated with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

The Seattle Seahawks’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday proved a few things. On the positive side, this team is a legitimate contender that can hang with the best heavyweights in the NFL this year. We also got reminders of their remarkable talent and depth at wide receiver and cornerback, among other key positions.

However, what’s also becoming clear is that there are plenty of areas to improve, especially execution on offense. As potent as they are on this side of the ball, Seattle’s performance on third down and in the red zone this season warrant some real soul searching – specifically by one guy: offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who’s as responsible as anybody for this week’s loss. Here’s what fans are tweeting about him.

Dan Orlovsky on what the Seahawks offense does as well as anyone

Watch: Dan Orlovsky breaks down a couple things the Seahawks offense does as well as any team, including how they use tight ends.

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has his flaws as a play-caller. For the third year in a row Seattle has the worst screen attack in the league, there are far too many runs on first down and third down in general has been a disappointment.

All that being said, he deserves credit where credit is due. Heading into Week 6 the team ranks just outside the top five in points scored per game in the league. One big reason why is how effective they’ve been in 12 personnel – where they have the highest EPA/play in the NFL.

Earlier this week on NFL Live, ESPN analyst and former pro quarterback Dan Orlovsky broke down a couple things this offense does as well as any team, including how they use tight ends. Watch.

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3 offensive strategies the Seahawks should deploy vs. Panthers

However, the Seahawks will need to be sharp on offense in order to avoid an upset.

After a glorious victory in Week 2 over the Lions, the Seahawks return home to play the Panthers today. Carolina was pretty dismal on defense in their Monday night loss to New Orleans. However, the Seahawks will need to be sharp on offense in order to avoid an upset.

Below are a few offensive strategies the Seahawks should deploy versus Carolina on Sunday.