The Carolina Panthers are stuck in quarterback purgatory and they only have themselves to blame.
The Carolina Panthers are stuck in quarterback purgatory and they only have themselves to blame.
What might’ve helped get them there was the bold trust in a first-year, 30-year-old offensive coordinator by owner David Tepper, general manager Marty Hurney and coach Matt Rhule. It was perhaps Joe Brady’s choice, after the team decided to ditch the greatest player they’ve ever had in Cam Newton, to go all in on Teddy Bridgewater.
Despite a mediocre career and a devastating injury history, Bridgewater was entrusted with the present and future of the franchise (on a three-year, $63 million contract) due largely to his familiarity with Brady. Both, one as Drew Brees’ backup and the other an offensive assistant, worked together with the New Orleans Saints from 2017-2018.
While that familiarity between Brady and Bridgewater proved to be a resource, helping them land the biggest gigs of their respective careers, it’s the general familiarity of the latter that should’ve served as a warning sign for Carolina. Because Bridgewater, even for all the goodwill and likeability garnered from his peers, is the same unremarkable quarterback he’s always been.
He proved that once again this afternoon in another uninspiring performance in a messy 32-27 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Bridgewater began the afternoon completing each of his first seven passes. That’d be a pretty slick stat, had those seven completions not gone for a measly 36 yards.
He continued by making a pair of crucial mental mistakes, the first coming on a delay-of-game penalty at the 6:14 mark of the fourth quarter. His inability to organize the play and personnel on time moved the Panthers from the Broncos’ 7-yard line to the 12, helping result in another field goal when they needed a touchdown.
The second lapse, with Carolina down five with the ball on their own 29-yard line, saw Bridgewater run a play before the two-minute warning hit. Instead of using the stoppage to collect his offense and prepare for an incoming 3rd & 8, he rushed his unit to a no huddle and a subsequent incompletion. Rhule later pointed out the gaffe.
Bridgewater ended the day on a rather fitting note. On the following 4th & he dumped off a pass seven yards short of the sticks to Curtis Samuel. It did not go well.
Although this loss can primarily be blamed on the team’s defense and special teams unit, as the groups allowed touchdowns of 83, 37 and 49 yards while making Drew Lock look like John Elway, that’s not the lesson to be taken away. It’s that Bridgewater—who’s been shy to move the ball downfield at a consistently alarming rate—ain’t it, folks.
Even with 22 men on the field at all times, this game often comes down to just one—the quarterback. And you’re not going to contend in today’s game with one who is too shy to throw past the sticks.
Now comes the interesting part. In the interim, at 4-9, do you start P.J. Walker to see what he’s got? Do you start Will Grier to see how much worse their decision to use a third-round pick on him can turn out to be?
For the slightly more distant future, what happens with Bridgewater? Rather than ride out what would have been a one-year deal with Newton at a lower cost, they’re stuck with two more years of Teddy at an average salary of $21 million.
Do they draft a Justin Fields, because Trevor Lawrence is now out of rach? Do they draft Zach Wilson? Hell, is 4-12 in 2020 even bad enough to net you a pick high enough to take either?
Strap in, everyone. We might be in for a bumpy ride.
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