Why did the Panthers fire Joe Brady? Carolina makes a strangely timed decision that can annoy the dispatcher
Joe Brady is not part of the Panthers team.
The Panthers bid farewell to offensive coordinator Joe Brady on December 5 (Week 13), after just a year and a half leading the Carolina assault.
Brady was less than a year out of the league as a hotly contested coaching contender, interviewing for five head coach openings across the league. He was also only dropped a couple of years after his stay at LSU, where he helped orchestrate one of the biggest criminal attacks in college football history in 2019.
The Tigers will win the national championship in the Brady-Joe Burrow collaboration.
Here’s why the Panthers made the change:
THAN: Why did the Panthers sign Cam Newton
Why did the Panthers fire Joe Brady?
With the Panthers’ offensive behavior bottoming out in consecutive years under Brady, several reports indicate that offensive coordinator and head coach Matt Rhule have noticed a difference in attacking philosophy that has caused splits and leads to layoffs.
According to ESPN’s David Newman, Brady doesn’t want to commit to a more pure running offense, something Rhule has called for in recent years.
Matt Rhule wants the Panthers to rush 30-33 times a game. They had just 16 dashes in their final game before goodbye. Now, former OC Joe Brady has never found the right balance.
– David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 5, 2021
Coincidentally, the Panthers are currently ranked 18th in pass attempts compared to 12th in rush attempts over the course of 12 weeks.
Last January, Joe Brady had five interviews with the NFL’s head coach. But #Panthers was one of the NFL’s most underperforming offenses for two years in a row, and there are signs Brady and Matt Rhule aren’t on the same page. Big changes will say goodbye to Brady.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 5, 2021
While Brady’s offense was never successful, Carolina also handled a midfield carousel during Rhule’s tenure. The team turned to Teddy Bridgewater (15 touches, 11 interceptions) in 2020, before trading for midfielder Sam Darnold in 2021 (7 touches, 11 interceptions). Bridgewater was traded to the Broncos during the off-season, while Darnold offered a diminishing return in 2021 before suffering a shoulder injury.
Darnold’s role gave way to a reunion with midfielder Cam Newton, who was benched in Week 12 after a disastrous performance when he went through 5/21 games.
The team also had a worse attack and various injuries for the well-paid return run Christian McCaffrey, who is now out for the year with an injury.
In place of Brady, the Panthers will move on to senior offensive assistant Jeff Nixon as interim OC.