Panthers coach Ron Rivera says team needs to ‘evolve’ after disappointing season
The Carolina Panthers are coming off a disappointing 2018 season that saw them fall well short of reaching the playoffs.
This has pushed forward a critical offseason for the franchise, with the focus being on shifting things forward toward getting the Panthers back on track toward competing for the playoffs and much further than that. It is a process that head coach Ron Rivera has voiced will need his team to adjust and evolve in order to take that next step, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer.
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“I have to evolve, I have to change,†Rivera said. “This team has to evolve, this team has to change. … I’ve got to step up. I’ve got to set the standard.â€
The Panthers are coming off a disappointing season that had begun with much promise that saw them begin the year with a 6-2 record, but completely faltered in the second half of the year, finishing with a 7-9 mark after winning just one out of their final eight games of the season.
Granted, a significant factor in their poor finish was due to star quarterback Cam Newton dealing with a bothersome shoulder injury, which doesn’t overshadow the need for improvement. The Panthers play in a tough division with the New Orleans Saints along with a pair of teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons looking to break through next season.
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All of this also shifts greater importance to the Panthers finding what helps them put behind them the struggles they experienced in 2018.
