Panthers, Falcons Sharing Bad Seasons

Between them, Dan Reeves and George Seifert have two of the better coaching records in NFL history. Not this year, though.

About the only thing Reeves and Seifert share this season is watching their teams, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, disintegrate.

The two teams meet today at the Georgia Dome.

“Our continuity hasn’t been good,” said Reeves, whose Falcons were in the Super Bowl a year ago, but are struggling at 1-6 this season. “We haven’t had continuity in anything--offense, defense or special teams.”

Reeves’ 173 career victories rank first among active coaches and eighth overall. Seifert’s career record of 110-39, which includes a 10-5 postseason mark, is the second-best winning percentage (.738) in NFL history.

Only Vince Lombardi’s .740 is better.

The 1999 season, however, has brought a harsh reality check for Seifert in his first season as head man of the Carolina Panthers (2-4).

One week after leaving San Francisco with a victory over the 49ers, the team he coached during most of his NFL career, Seifert grimaced as the Panthers managed only three field goals in a 24-9 loss to Detroit, despite reaching the Lions 3-yard line five times.

“We moved up and down the field, but fell apart when we got into what’s traditionally called the red zone,” said Seifert. “People around here are calling it the dead zone.”

Carolina, which committed nine penalties, also saw quarterback Steve Beuerlein get sacked four times. The Panthers, attempting to reach .500 for the first time since December 1997, instead failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season.

“As for the progress of our team, I felt pretty good about it. Then last week we just flat laid an egg,” said Seifert, who led the 49ers to two Super Bowl titles in his eight-year tenure in the Bay Area. “We were rudely awakened. Maybe we were distracted over what happened the week before.”

The Falcons were no better.

After being held to six yards rushing in the first half of Monday’s 13-9 loss at Pittsburgh, Atlanta failed to score despite facing second down at the Steelers 1-yard line with 1:45 to go. The Falcons managed to get inside the Pittsburgh 10 in the final minute, closing out the game as quarterback Chris Chandler’s pass to Tim Dwight in the end zone fell incomplete.

The only bright spots for Atlanta were Terance Mathis’ 12 catches for 166 yards, making him the Falcons’ career leader in receptions (427), and Chandler playing an entire game for the first time this season.

A bad hamstring has forced Chandler to miss three games and part of a fourth. He reinjured it late against the Steelers, but has practiced all week and will start Sunday.

“I think the whole game was a positive for Chris,” Reeves said. “I mean it wasn’t like he wasn’t getting some tremendous hits. He fought through it.

“I mean they had some late hits. I thought there were several late hits that weren’t called. Chris stayed in there, and he gave us a chance to win at the end.”

Regardless, the Falcons offense is struggling.

Atlanta is 30th in the league in scoring (11.2 points per game), 30th in yards per carry (2.7), 29th in yards rushing per game (69.3) and 22nd in completion percentage (54.2).

“Nothing’s gone right, absolutely nothing,” Chandler said. “It’s been one screw-up after another. It’s pretty much been a total nightmare.”

The Panthers, despite last week’s problems, have a far more balanced offense.

Carolina ranks 11th in the NFL in points per game (22.2), 14th in yards rushing per game (105.8) and seventh in average yards passing (260.0).

Beuerlein is third in the NFC with 1,560 yards passing. Tailback Tshimanga Biakabutuka, however, has been slowed by a sprained right ankle, limiting his practice time.

Biakabutuka, Carolina’s No. 1 draft pick in 1996, leads the NFL with 7.3 yards per carry. He is listed as questionable.

Beuerlein, a 12-year veteran, would like to forget his last two seasons with the Panthers. He was a backup to Kerry Collins when the expansion club went 13-5 in only their second season and advanced to the NFC championship game in 1996.

Carolina went 7-9 in 1997 before falling to 4-12 last season.