Only in the NFL can the second game of the season make or break a team. I realize I’m stating the obvious here —– the Panthers must play well against the Falcons. They don’t necessarily have to win, but they at least have to show some sign that they’re capable of winning.
Change will occur otherwise, and if I’m reading Ed Hardin’s column right, the change won’t happen at quarterback, as indicated by bringing in journeyman A.J. Feeley to possibly be the backup —- Hardin reports that John Fox hasn’t decided who the number two guy will be on Sunday. Great.
This can only mean Fox would be fired in the event of a blowout. Admittedly, football is not like baseball or basketball —- coaching changes once the season is underway are problematic and there just aren’t a lot of guys hovering around waiting to jump into the middle of a dysfunctional situation. But think about it — would it not be better for Jerry Richardson to act sooner rather than later, given that the Panthers have a bye in two weeks, giving a new coach extra time to formulate a strategy for turning the season around?
No action would send the message to fans that Richardson is content to play out the remaining 14 games with a below-average team, which means there will be a lot of empty seats in Bank America Stadium.
Then again, maybe the Panthers play well. Maybe they even win.
