Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Rhule has mentioned "execution" a number of times after games, because as they go through this building process, he keeps reminding people that winning close games is not as simple as deciding to, or saying a set of magic words to make people have the confidence to close games. It's being lined up correctly, playing the right assignment, and not committing penalties. There are simple, tangible things he's looking for, even as the greater trend is moving in the wrong direction.
Rhule talked last week about how issues such as eight players going on the COVID-19 list (which made practices a bit of a grab bag all week) gave the Panthers a chance to give a statement on the team's character Sunday. After the loss, he went back to the fact he didn't think it was as much intangible as specific things he could see.
"I don't worry about our ability to handle adversity," he said. "I just think our execution has to be significantly better. You can't have penalties like that. You can't, I think we were third and whatever and we gave up a punt return for a touchdown. We had two guys there. We didn't make a play. Just a lot of poor execution today. Cover three and they throw the ball over our heads for a touchdown.
"The fact that our team battles back, I'm not worried about their mindset. We have to play better football, and ultimately, as I said earlier, that all falls back on me. I'm certainly not worried about their mindset. They will continue to battle. At least that's what I expect them to do."
After what they thought was a season-defining shutout against Detroit with their backup quarterback (though it was against a team that fired a coach the following week), the Panthers have sunk back into familiar themes from the five-game losing streak which preceded.
They had the ball in their hands late with a chance to win the game. They did not win the game.
"It's easy for coach to say it's his fault and things like that, but us as players, starting with me, we have to take some ownership in this as well and be accountable and understand that the coach's job is to get us to Sunday. It's our job to go out there and execute on Sundays, and you watch us in the first half, we didn't do anything," said Bridgewater, whose offense totaled just 88 yards in the first half. "We had our defense on the field too long. We were committing penalties, moving ourselves back, negative plays – when you do those types of things, that's not coaching, that's on us as players.
"Once I get in rhythm in these games, it's like our offense flows and everything flows off my energy. So if I could just come out hot or just have the right mindset, have the right energy and pass it along the sideline, I think it'll help us."