The Panthers have been eliminated from the playoff picture for the 2019 season. That inevitability has been obvious for several weeks, but now it’s official thanks to Minnesota’s win over Detroit on Sunday.
Now that they’re totally out for this season, Carolina should turn its attention to the future. Old habits die hard, though and NFL players and coaches are paid to win games. That’s why they’ll continue to roll with Kyle Allen starting at quarterback this week against the Seahawks, per interim head coach Perry Fewell.
While it’s probably true Allen gives Carolina (and Fewell) the best chance to win games, it’s not necessarily the best thing for the team.
Allen has established himself as a solid if not spectacular backup since Cam Newton went on injured reserve. He hasn’t remotely made a case he should be the franchise quarterback of the future. Like most backups, Allen is inconsistent and too prone to committing turnovers.
Allen’s pass protection has been atrocious over the last month and he’s taken 21 sacks during that time. Still, he hasn’t shown enough improvement to move the needle on the QB1 question. In fact, in some ways he’s gotten worse as the season has progressed.
It’s true the rookie Will Grier might not be any better. In fact, he could be even worse based on what we saw during the preseason. However, he deserves a chance to show he can improve at some point this year. Otherwise, the team just completely wasted a third-round draft pick.
This issue might not be settled yet, though. Fewell also told reporters that the QB situation will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. Perhaps if Allen bombs against Seattle Grier will finally get a shot.
