Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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PLAYERS PRESSING
While no one was absolving quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for Saturday's fumble at the goal line — since Rhule has told players not to reach over the line unless it's fourth down — he did offer a note of grace for Bridgewater and a number of players.
In a situation like the Panthers are in (having lost eight of their last nine games), he said the tendency to press is natural because players want to change the results.
"Yesterday, (Bridgewater) got in a game, tried to make a play, and it hurt us," Rhule said. "But it's the same thing as a DB looking in the backfield instead of looking at his man. It happens all the time in football.
"I know where Teddy's heart is. I know he's trying to do the right thing. I know he's trying to win. I'm trying to get the entire team, not just him, not to do too much."
QUOTING PARCELLS
Rhule borrowed one of legendary coach Bill Parcells' favorite sayings when asked to assess his team with two weeks left, but put his own confident spin on it as well.
"When I say how are we doing this year, I say to myself, 'Shoot, we're 4-10,'" Rhule said. "I live by that. Bill Parcells said it, 'You are what your record says you are.' I could say close games, I could say injuries, I could say we didn't have this main player, I could say offseason.
"I could say all those things, but at the end of the day, you are what your record says you are. I'm a 4-10 coach. And I know I won't be a 4-10 coach for long. I know our staff won't be a 4-10 staff for long. I'm really proud of the constant effort. Say one thing about our staff and our team, they come back every week. There's never been a week where I'm not proud of our effort. Maybe not our execution at times, but not proud of our effort. That being said, we're 4-10."