NFL Reacts: Most Panthers fans believe Matt Rhule needs 8 or more wins to keep his job

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Each week we ask questions of the most plugged-in Carolina Panthers fans and fans across the country.

Earlier this week, we published a survey to see how many games y’all think the Panthers need to win this season for Matt Rhule to keep his job. With Rhule heading into his third year in Carolina, and after back-to-back five-win seasons under his belt, I expected most of y’all to require a significant improvement in the win column for Rhule to get a fourth year.

With that being said, I’m not really surprised by the results of this week’s poll. Nearly half of you (40 percent) believe the Panthers need to win at least eight games for Rhule to stick around for a fourth year. Another big chunk of votes (34 percent) feel that nine or more wins will be required. Almost 20 percent feel that seven wins is the minimum, and only seven percent believe that a one-win improvement will be enough.

You can see the full results in the image below:

My take

This is what I wrote earlier this week when I asked y’all the question:

I feel like the Panthers need to win at least 7-8 games for Rhule to save his job and see a fourth year in Carolina, but I also feel like the team could go 5-12 or 6-11 as long as they look better on the field than they have in the first two years of Rhule’s tenure. Tepper may be a little more patient if the Panthers lose a handful of close games or get bitten by bad luck, but if Rhule fails to put a better looking product on the field then it’s probably going to be the end of his time here.

I think the key to Rhule’s future is how the team looks on the field compared to the last two years. I feel that as long as the team looks better in 2022, then Rhule will probably earn a fourth year to see if he can get the team over the hump. But if the team falters again, doesn’t show signs of improvement and only wins five or six games, I think it will be time to find another coach to take the team in a different direction.

What do you think about these poll results? Are you surprised? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with us!

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