Tuesday Turtle Spotlight: Ron Rivera re-took an encouraging step forward against the Falcons

This column was started with the intent of highlighting the worst kind of coaching that has haunted Ron Rivera’s tenure with the Carolina Panthers: the aggressively conservative decision making masked as “playing not to lose.” The Panthers’ Week 2 loss to the Falcons actually featured the opposite to that Carolina Panthers Hoodie , so today we salute Rivera for making the right decisions — even if they weren’t enough in the end. All we’ve ever asked is that he try.Last year, in a Week 3 loss to the Saints, the Panthers lined up Michael Palardy to punt the ball on a 4th and 5 from the Saints’ 35 yard line. At the time, the Panthers were trailing by 18 points. We started this column this year because I am, apparently, still mad about that play and the similar decisions that Rivera has made in similar situations before and since — in spite of his once-earned reputation as a “riverboat gambler.”The Panthers found themselves in two situations on Sunday where the safe bet would have been on another Palardy punt. Instead, Rivera made the wise choice both times and kept his team competitive in what would turn out to be a close game.On the opening drive Youth Customized Carolina Panthers Jerseys , Cam Newton and the offense stalled out. Graham Gano was sent out to kick a field goal on a 4th and 3 from the Falcons’ 36 yard line. Technically, a field goal is the safe call there. A more aggressive coach might have called on the best short yardage back in the league, Newton, to get those three yards and keep the drive alive. Bet let’s give credit where it is due for clearing the bar set last season: the Panthers didn’t punt. Huzzah.Early in the second quarter, the Panthers were stopped to set up a 4th and 4 from the Falcons’ 33 yard line. This time they went for it and Newton performed his standard magic to convert the first down. This is the much discussed play that saw Damontae Kazee ejected from the game for one of the dirtiest and dumbest hits I’ve ever witnessed. This play also set up the Panthers first touchdown of the game.What was the difference in those two, largely identical downs and distances on essentially the same part of the field? I don’t know. I can’t tell you if there was a consistent decision making process that ended the one drive in a field goal attempt and let the other stay alive for a touchdown. I can tell you that I was happy to see the Panthers consistently not punt in those situations. I don’t know what it is supposed to look like when a turtle comes out of its shell, but I can tell you that kind of naked certainly suited Rivera on Sunday. The Panthers ultimately lost that game by a single touchdown. This week’s post-game analysis would have been decidedly less optimistic without the 10 points they earned by trying to win the game in the first half. Kudos www.pantherscheapshop.com , Ron, and keep it up. I’d love to cancel this column. The Carolina Panthers have shed another coach as their offseason continues, this time not of their own free will. Heath Farwell, currently the assistant special teams coordinator to Chase Blackburn, has accepted a job to go be the head special teams coordinator for the Buffalo Bills next season. This will represent a nice promotion for the former NFL linebacker, who once won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.The Panthers have put out a much improved special teams unit compared to their history in recent years, and a lot of that turn around can be attributed to both the amount of energy Blackburn and Farwell have brought to the job Carolina Panthers T-Shirt , as well as the improvements made using advanced analytics and coaching methods. Under the guidance or these two, the Panthers have seen Michael Palardy develop into one of the best punters in the NFL, aided by a greatly improved coverage unit.Join us as we bid a hearty farewell to Farwell, and hope his career continues to take turns for the better.