Speak about a season rapidly driving off the rails. After shedding three of their first 4 video games, Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule is already answering questions on his job safety and if Baker Mayfield will stay his quarterback going ahead.
The solutions Monday, a day after the Panthers fell to 1-3 after a 26-16 house loss to the Arizona Cardinals, had been about what you’d anticipate as Carolina begins preparation for an additional house recreation Sunday in opposition to the 49ers.
Rhule sidestepped a query about his job safety.
“If I make it about me I’m not the coach I wish to be,” Rhule instructed reporters. “It’s all the time in regards to the gamers. It’s all the time in regards to the workforce. We’re 1-3. We’ve had some shut ballgames. It simply wasn’t adequate final evening. As head coach, I’ll rise up first, put it on my shoulders.”
As for Mayfield, acquired from Cleveland after the Browns pledged their future to Deshaun Watson regardless of a scandal involving sexual misconduct towards quite a few therapeutic massage therapists, Rhule stated the quarterback’s job is safe.
That’s as a result of Sam Darnold, who began 11 video games a 12 months in the past, remains to be a minimum of per week away from being lively after which will want time to get his rhythm again after an ankle harm put him on injured reserve.
“Baker’s our quarterback,” Rhule stated. “Now we have to proceed to seek out methods to assist him. Sam’s not cleared proper now.”
It’s been a home-field drawback to date, with what was left of the house crowd chanting “Fireplace Matt Rhule!” and booing the Panthers off the sphere after a tipped Mayfield interception.
Mayfield, a shade beneath 6-foot-1, had 5 tipped balls, two interceptions and a fumble in opposition to Arizona and former Oklahoma teammate and fellow Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. He took a defiant tone on the podium after the loss.
“Clearly I’m annoyed about the truth that we’re 1-3,” Mayfield instructed reporters. “That’s it, although. We’re 4 weeks into the 12 months. We will sit right here and allow you to guys pile on us or we’re gonna come collectively as a locker room. That’s precisely how we’re gonna deal with it. I don’t actually care about the truth that our followers are booing or what’s occurring. We’re going to determine it out and after we win it’ll nonetheless be simply us within the locker room and that’s all I care about. So we’re going to be simply fantastic.”
Rhule, in his third season, is 11-26 and may very well be the primary coach fired this season. Darnold may reassume the beginning job as quickly as he’s wholesome.
Aside from that, every little thing’s fantastic in Carolina with the 49ers coming to city.
GAME ESSENTIALS: 49ers (2-2) vs. Panthers (1-3) at Financial institution of America Stadium, 10:05 a.m., CBS. ODDS: 49ers (-5)
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS OPTIMISM
A dominant roster when it comes to expertise
The roster expertise merely isn’t comparable. Whereas NFL.com’s record of the highest 100 gamers is hardly the be-all and end-all of assessing one of the best gamers within the league, the 49ers had seven gamers on the record and 5 are lively: extensive receiver Deebo Samuel (No. 19), tight finish George Kittle (No. 22), edge rusher Nick Bosa (No. 25), linebacker Fred Warner (No. 47) and fullback Kyle Jusczcyk (No. 100).
Two are on the inactive record — left sort out Trent Williams (No. 14) and security Jimmie Ward (No. 96). Ward may return to follow this week however the 49ers don’t have a must rush him onto the sphere the way in which Tashaun Gipson is taking part in at free security together with sturdy security Talanoa Hufanga.
Carolina had only one participant on the record — Brian Burns, an edge rusher who has three sacks, 5 quarterback hits and 5 tackles for losses in 4 video games.
The 49ers performed someplace near their potential in a 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Rams Monday evening, significantly on protection.
The celebrities have come out
Deebo Samuel seems on the verge of breaking out into a type of one-big-play-per-game streaks that had been so acquainted a 12 months in the past. He caught six passes for 116 yards and turned a primary go to the left flat right into a 57-yard landing.
Nick Bosa had two extra sacks and appears primed for 20. Charvarius “Mooney” Ward seems like a legit free agent signing who ought to elevate the protection to one thing greater than it was a 12 months in the past. And it was fairly good a 12 months in the past.
Discovering the Jimmy G formulation
The Rams have a means of reminding the 49ers who they're. No less than they do with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback.
And it’s conceivable the 49ers found that earlier this season versus Week 10 in opposition to the Rams final season. Sufficient stability in order that Garoppolo isn’t carrying the workforce along with his arm. Leaning closely on what be the NFL’s greatest protection. Put Samuel in place to be a distinction maker.
THREE REASONS FOR 49ERS PESSIMISM
Underachieving on the highway
The 49ers have already proven a propensity to be taking part in right down to their opposition on the highway.
A 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears and an 11-10 defeat in opposition to the Denver Broncos had been video games the 49ers may have and may have gained. The offense was terrible in each video games, the primary with Trey Lance working in a monsoon and Garoppolo fading badly within the second half in Denver.
“We had lots of enjoyable yesterday and final evening. That was an enormous win for us, however how rapidly you need to transfer on as a result of we’re already delayed,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan stated Tuesday. “We got here on this morning actually, I’ve already moved on. Ending every little thing up final evening and it’s been Carolina all day simply having to sidetrack it for this press convention for slightly bit.”
Jap swing on a brief week
Happily for the 49ers, they had been spared the dreaded 10 a.m. kickoff when it comes to their physique clocks, but it surely’s nonetheless an East Coast swing in opposition to a determined opponent on a brief week following an emotion-charged win over the Rams.
Strive as he would possibly, it is going to be tough for Bosa to persuade the 49ers to have that championship-game depth as was his message earlier than the Monday evening win. A gradual begin may imply bother, as a result of within the NFL, just about any workforce that finds itself in a recreation unexpectedly at halftime can sometimes pull off an unlikely win.
The 49ers, with a highway recreation in opposition to Atlanta within the 10 a.m. slot developing the week after Carolina, will keep on the East Coast and follow in West Virginia fairly than return house after the Panthers recreation. That may assist them in opposition to the Falcons however can have no impact in opposition to Carolina.
Combine-and-match offensive line
Burns is among the NFL’s higher go rushers, and though the 49ers’ line held up properly in opposition to the Rams, that was earlier than the house crowd. As Shanahan has defined, home-field benefit is larger within the NFL than different sports activities as a result of it offers a workforce the prospect to beat its opponent off the snap.
Williams is already out with a excessive ankle sprain. His alternative, Colton McKivitz, is out a few months with an MCL sprain. He’ll get replaced by both Jaylon Moore or Daniel Brunskill.
A subpar efficiency by the offensive line may assist create one other stall for a so-so offense.
PROBABLE DIFFERENCE-MAKER: RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey had the most effective seasons any dual-threat working again has ever had in 2019 — 1,387 yards speeding and 15 touchdowns on the bottom, 116 receptions for 1,005 yards and 4 scores as a receiver. The Stanford product hasn’t been the identical since due to ankle, shoulder, thigh, hamstring and quadriceps accidents over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. With 270 yards on 58 carries and 19 receptions for 138 yards this season, McCaffrey remains to be a harmful participant and a tough matchup whether or not within the slot or popping out of the backfield as a receiver.