CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers are tinkering with Sam Darnold’s mechanics in hopes of salvaging regardless of what is still left of the quarterback’s self confidence.

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Panthers coach Matt Rhule has been working closely with Darnold this week on his footwork, particularly slowing down the QB’s backpedal. Darnold’s drops have gotten faster and faster as the time has progressed, which Rhule believes has thrown off the timing with his receivers.

To assist illustrate, Rhule confirmed Darnold match film from Carolina’s Week 2 win against the New Orleans Saints when he was a lot more in sync.

“There’s no doubt he can do it — there is no doubt,” Rhule explained. “I just imagine you are trying so hard to gain, you get started making an attempt to do much too considerably, enjoy a tiny quicker, and all of a sudden you glance up one day, and you are a small little bit harried, you’re not fairly in rhythm.”

The Panthers traded three draft picks for Darnold this offseason in hopes that he’d produce into a franchise quarterback.

But the Panthers have dropped four straight game titles and Darnold has seven interceptions during that span. Rhule lastly experienced more than enough last Sunday and benched Darnold in the next fifty percent of a lopsided 25-3 road reduction to the New York Giants.

As Darnold stood on the sideline with his fingers tucked into his shoulder pads up close to his throat, it was apparent to anyone seeing that he had regressed.

Nevertheless, Darnold will get started Sunday towards the Atlanta Falcons.

When he actions on the industry he claimed his intention will be to “slow down” his ft in the pocket.

“Sometimes my toes can be quickly in a poor way,” Darnold stated. “Sometimes that’s great, but for me, I want anything to be rhythmic and sluggish. Slower’s not a great expression, but a minimal slower and extra in rhythm than what I have been accomplishing the previous few months. Just producing sure my timing and rhythm are on level.”

Rhule stated Carolina’s coaches teach quarterbacks that toes set the timing and tempo of a go engage in, and the eyes observe from there.

“When you go back and check out the wonderful quarterbacks who play for a long time, the Aaron Rodgerses, the Tom Bradys, they have so much experience and they’ve played their way as a result of great situations and poor situations and they can form of self-control,” Rhule explained.

“Sam is operating so challenging and hoping to force ahead to the next week and what is up coming and the future exercise, and I feel taking some time … to say ‘this is what it seemed like when you did it right.’ I’m hoping that will gave him a psychological picture of ‘this is what I will need to do.’”

The Panthers are -4 because Christian McCaffrey went down with a hamstring personal injury and the 2019 All-Pro operating again continues to be on wounded reserve.

Darnold disputed the idea that the decline of McCaffrey has impacted his effectiveness.

“My reads really do not transform just simply because Christian’s not in the recreation,” Darnold reported.

Alongside with becoming benched, Darnold has had to offer with incessant stories this 7 days about the Panthers potentially becoming fascinated in trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson as a substitute. Various stories have considering the fact that reported the Panthers have backed off immediately after testing the waters ahead of the league’s Nov. 2 trade deadline.

Darnold shrugged off the reviews, indicating “I’m not anxious about it. I’m concerned about doing my position each individual solitary day. … That is all I’m apprehensive about suitable now.”

The Panthers surely have explanation to get worried about Darnold’s self confidence.

But Rhule is hoping to throw his support behind the fourth-12 months quarterback, who is 16-29 as an NFL starter.

“I truly feel genuinely superior about Sam,” Rhule stated. “Obviously, it wasn’t a terrific game this previous activity. I assume at the end of the day, when Sam goes back and watches himself, or our total workforce goes again and watches himself against the New Orleans Saints, we see precisely what he is and was and can be, and we’ve bought to get him back to that place.”

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