NFC South Coach Fired: Falcons Rival Panthers Dismiss Matt Rhule

The Atlanta Falcons’ NFC South rivals from Carolina are 1-4 and have been spinning out of control in the standings for quite some time. And now coach Matt Rhule is fired.

Matt Rhule is 11-27 in two-plus years as Carolina’s head coach since being hired away from Baylor, and that is the end of that.

Rhule - given enormous power to run the Panthers back in 2020 - was fired on Monday after a 37-15 home loss to the 49ers that featured a lot of Carolina fans not bothering to show up. 

The Atlanta Falcons’ NFC South rivals from Carolina are 1-4 and have been spinning out of control in the standings for quite some time.

While the Falcons believe they are in the process of a franchise turnaround - even after dropping to 2-3 with Sunday’s disappointing and controversial loss at Tampa Bay - the Panthers are reeling, having now lost their 11th game in their last 12 outings dating back to last season.

Through the first five games of the season, the Panthers rank dead last in yards in the NFL, averaging just 271.4 per game. Meanwhile, the defense ranks 20th around the league.

The Panthers are naming defensive pass game coordinator Steve Wilks as the interim head coach. Wilks, a Charlotte native, was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 before being fired after just one season.

The Panthers next play the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and will face the Falcons in Weeks 8 and 10.

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