It’s hard to untangle exactly why the unit has been so bad over the past four games — how much blame to give offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy vs. quarterback Sam Howell vs. the supporting cast — but it’s clear it’s not working. There’s little reason to suspect the unit will meaningfully improve over the final three games against elite defenses.
Even though Coach Ron Rivera said he benched Howell in the fourth quarter Sunday to protect his health and even though Rivera stressed that Howell will remain the starter, the move put an exclamation point on an abysmal month.