If Panthers head coach Frank Reich's seat was not hot enough before Thursday night, the temperature has most certainly been raised after.
Carolina dropped a 16-13 decision to Chicago on "Thursday Night Football." It was another underwhelming performance from one of the worst teams in the league, as Reich's crew saw its record fall to 1-8 on the season.
The Panthers had the ball in the final minutes of the contest with a chance to tie or win the game. Carolina had made its way to the Chicago 41-yard line after converting on a 4th & 2, giving rookie QB Bryce Young and the offense an opportunity down by three.
However, the offense stalled out as Young threw three consecutive incompletions to set up fourth down with 1:44 remaining in regulation. Instead of putting faith in his offense to get a first down, Reich called for kicker Eddy Pineiro to attempt a 59-yard field goal to tie the game.
Pineiro's attempt wasn't even close, falling well short and slightly to the left of the goalposts. The Bears regained possession and ran the clock out after securing a first down.
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After the game, Reich admitted that there were "mixed opinions" on the decision to try for the tie rather than trust his offense to get a first down.
MORE: Bears hold off Panthers' comeback attempt for 'TNF" win
"It was a tough decision," Reich said of the field goal attempt. "There were mixed opinions on what we should do. That's my call. I've seen us make 60-yarders in practice. Felt like there was a little bit of a breeze at our back. If you just look at the pure percentages, I think the pure percentage play is to kick it."
Piniero had nailed two mid-range field goals earlier in the contest, but the 28-year-old is not known for owning an overly powerful leg. His longest successful field goal is 56 yards, meaning that had he sunk the attempt at the end of the Bears game, he would have set a new career-high.
"Do I second guess myself over it? I mean, yeah, after we missed it, yeah I did," Reich said about not going for it. "The one reason why maybe you go for it there — even though the percentage play is to kick it — is because if we make it, we still have a chance to win the game, and not just tie. There was time left, it wasn't like there was just 20 seconds to go. So yeah, that thought did go through my mind."
It's understandable why Reich didn't have complete faith in Young and the offense to pick up 10 yards. After all, the Panthers managed to gain just 213 total yards on the night.
However, if Reich had been planning on kicking a field goal all along, then he should have called for a run on 3rd & 10 rather than try for a pass. At the very least, Carolina could have picked up a couple of yards to make the attempt more manageable for Pineiro, albeit likely burning a timeout in the process.
Regardless, it's another questionable choice by Carolina's head coach in what had been a disappointing season for the Panthers. With nearly a week and a half off before their next game, fans will have to wait and see if Reich is back on the sidelines the next time the Panthers take the field.
