If Frank Reich goes down after just one year as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, he may want to go down at the wheel of the ship.
National NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe joined Thursday’s episode of The Insiders and discussed Carolina’s latest power shift on offense. Reich, who handed over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown a few weeks ago, has now reclaimed the responsibility after just three games.
Wolfe told hosts Steve Wyche and Tom Pelissero that Reich seems aware of what’s becoming a dire situation.
“And talking with people in that Panthers building, Frank Reich has talked to people on his staff over the last few weeks about his unknown job security,” Wolfe said. “And I thought it was interesting to hear Reich say he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t do everything in his power and in the team’s best interest over the last eight games.
“Look, there’s a lot of pressure here in Carolina, and I think there’s a lot of noteworthy context as well. Last year in Indianapolis, Reich made a midseason move to fire his offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and then a week later, Reich was let go. And Reich told reporters yesterday, ‘This isn’t about Thomas, it’s about me.’ And there’s a lot of truth there, from what I’ve been told.”
Reich, who was hired to lead an offensive renaissance in Carolina, has not done much to inspire hope thus far. The Panthers, at 1-8, currently boast the league’s third-worst total offense and are averaging the fourth-fewest points per game.
