Panthers coach Frank Reich is doing an about-face when it comes to who’s calling the offensive plays.
Reich previously relinquished the play-calling duties in mid-October to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, but after three straight games of offensive ineptitude, Reich is taking over once again.
The Panthers’ head coach hinted at the possibility of it on Monday and confirmed to reporters Wednesday that he would be calling the shots once again.
Carolina has scored just two touchdowns in the three games that Brown called, including the last game when the Panthers were held without one in a Week 10 loss to the Bears on “Thursday Night Football.”
“This is not about Thomas, this about me and the team,” Reich told reporters on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “I’m in this position I’m in because of my years of being a successful offensive coordinator and play caller. We have eight games left, and I want to give my full attention and do everything I can do to help the offense take the next step.”
Reich called the plays for the first eight games of the season before handing over the reins to Brown on Oct. 16 before the Panthers’ bye week.
The Panthers went 1-2 in the three weeks that the offensive coordinator handled the play-calling duties, but the team’s offense is third-worst in the NFL at 275.6 total yards per game.
Reich insisted that worry over his job security was not the reason for the change.
“I haven’t been given any ultimatum,” he said, per ESPN. “Do we want to be in control of our destiny? Of course. This is about if I have something that I can give to the team, I need to give it. “Honestly, when I was calling it earlier, we didn’t have the success.”
The Panthers have eight games left on the schedule to try and salvage something out of the season, a stretch that begins with a date with the Cowboys on Sunday.
In a normal year, Panthers fans might have the silver lining of looking forward to the team selecting first overall in the 2024 draft, but that won’t be the case this time.
The Panthers traded away their 2024 first-round pick as part of the deal to acquire the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was used on quarterback Bryce Young.
Now, Young goes against a Dallas defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league.