There hasn’t been much praise for Matt Rhule recently. Fans have called for his head for months, and it was honestly surprising he retained his position. If Brian Flores winning eight straight got him the ax, then surely losing eight straight warranted firing Rhule. Instead, elusive owner, David Tepper, decided to give Rhule another despite his second season meltdown.

Carolina’s ship has taken on water quickly, forcing Rhule to toss Joe Brady, Chase Blackburn, Frank Okam, and Pat Myer overboard in hopes of staying afloat. Rough seas ahead required Rhule to man the ship with more experienced seadogs if they were going to survive. It isn’t going to be easy finding men willing to face such a perilous journey ahead that is likely to fail.

Despite the dark clouds ahead, Rhule has quietly improved the crew more than expected. Although few were first excited when they heard Ben McAdoo would be the new offensive coordinator, Rhule found a guy with NFL play-calling experience. Unfortunately, inexperience lent so much to Carolina’s difficulties in 2022. Rhule fielded a green crew and, while Brady’s inexperience alone wasn’t the biggest of problems, it didn’t help to inspire confidence. Rhule admitted he “stepped outside of his comfort zone” hiring Brady and wanted an experienced coordinator to add stability going forward. McAdoo’s reputation may be marred by his time as a head coach, but he had success when he was the Giants offensive coordinator. Under McAdoo, the Giants moved from the bottom ranks in passing offense to the #6 passing offense in 2015.

McAdoo also has a reputation for eying young quarterback talent and helping improve their mechanics. He’s famously known for his arguments that Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen were top prospects while most scouts believed like guys like Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Sam Darnold were better talents. It’s this eye for talent that may be helpful if Carolina were to try to find a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft. Much of the acclaim leading to McAdoo replacing Tom Coughlin as Giants head coach from Eli Manning’s resurgence between 2014 and 2015. In 2013, Eli Manning threw 18 touchdowns, a whopping 35 interceptions, and only completed 57% of his passes. The following season, Manning's numbers improved dramatically when McAdoo became coordinator, throwing 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Many attributed Manning’s success to improved mechanics and McAdoo’s offensive system.

Rhule next hired Chris Taber as special teams coach, replacing Chase Blackburn. Tabor spent the last four years in Chicago, coaching what has arguably been their best and most improved unit. Chicago has had a special teams player named to the Pro Bowl each season for the past four years. Prior to Chicago, Tabor spent seven years as special teams coordinator in Cleveland, surviving multiple coaching regimes. Rhule quickly courted Tober after Chicago dismissed Matt Nagy’s coaching staff by offering him a three-year contract, one that ensures enough after-life benefits to warrant the risky journey ahead.

Rhule’s journey forward won’t be easy. The seas will be choppy and the odds are stacked against him. Nevertheless, Rhule has quietly and impressively begun to assemble a staff that is experienced and has had proven success in the NFL. Given the circumstances, it’s not the worst crew one could put together.

By Tony Dunn

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