Bell Tolls: Ron Rivera is the perfect coach for these Carolina Panthers

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Ron Rivera is the perfect coach for the Carolina Panthers…and all of their swagger.

A trendy dance to celebrate touchdowns? A group photo during the waning minutes of a blowout?

That’s all nerve that football purists would detest.

Yet as the Panthers head into Sunday’s game at the New York Giants seeking to become just the fourth team in NFL history to go 14-0, and undoubtedly to do a little dab, too, Rivera has to process this with a perspective that includes the team that he cut his teeth with in the NFL a generation ago.

The 1985 Chicago Bears.

We’re not here to cause no trouble, we just wanna do the Super Bowl Shuffle!

"We enjoyed it,” Rivera, a backup linebacker on Chicago’s championship team, reflected recently. “In all honesty, we were very confident. Probably more confident than we should have been. But I also think that was part of the personality of who the football team was.”

Ah, those Bears. Coach Mike Ditka and D-coordinator Buddy Ryan were larger-than-life figures who got results – and carried on with a feud. There was the iconic Walter Payton, brash quarterback Jim McMahon, intense linebacker Mike Singletary. And who could forget the Fridge, William Perry.

That team oozed with persona, on and off the field.

"If you look at who the head coach was and who the defensive coordinator was, we’re talking about two big personalities, and that spilled over to the players. We had some personalities, some characters, on that team.”

Thirty years after the Bears had the audacity to film a Super Bowl video – on the morning after their only loss of the season, no less – Rivera is charged to keep another highly confident team on track to contend for the first Super Bowl crown in franchise history.

The Panthers haven’t done a video and Rivera presence doesn’t match the manner in which Ditka and Ryan carried themselves, but with dabbing quarterback Cam Newton in the forefront there’s a distinct entertainment package in play.

Yes, a throwback version of Newton would have fit in with the ’85 Bears. Same for electric cornerback Josh Norman, who has come into his own during an all-pro type of season.

"We have some characters most certainly equal to what we had (with the Bears),” Rivera said. “Today’s a little different, obviously, because of what the young men have to go through as far as the social media aspect.”

Rivera didn’t participate in the Super Bowl Shuffle video, which was shot the day after the Bears’ bid for a perfect season ended in Miami on a Monday night.

"I was sleep,” he recalled, adding that the team returned to Chicago around 5 a.m. that day. “Half the team showed up. The other half stayed home and slept.”

All of these years later, Rivera undoubtedly gets it, when balancing the fun and camaraderie of a successful team with the hard work to keep progressing. Managing the swagger is part of his job.

"The truth is, we have to keep the focus,” Rivera said. “We have to keep it one-game-at-a-time. I’m hoping that’s what the message is.”

One of the greatest players from that Bears team, Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent, told Paste BN Sports that he suspects his former teammate doesn’t agree with some of the in-your-face antics because they show up opponents. But he thinks Rivera goes along with it in order to maintain his connection with Newton, the team’s most recognized leader.

"He doesn’t like it, but he has to deal with it, because of who it’s coming from,” Dent said, mindful that Newton is arguably the frontrunner for NFL Most Valuable Players honors and the Panthers are on the verge of securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

"Hey, there was a lot that we didn’t like about Ditka, but we just dealt with it.”

Dent believes that Newton should tone down the celebrations that he feels are disrespectful, and contends that the antics increases injury risk while fueling motivation for opponents.

"If I were on his team, I’d check him,” Dent said.

But Dent also understands the here and now for Rivera, whom he remembers as a tough player who made up for physical shortcomings with his extreme intelligence. Rivera, he says, is the consummate player’s coach, capable of sensing the pulse of his team and reacting accordingly.

"Ron has seen a lot,” Dent said. “He’s smart. He knows what he’s dealing with. And one thing that impresses me about that team is the way that those guys are playing together.”

That was a staple of the ’85 Bears, and it’s striking that Rivera sees that trait as essential to the success his current team is having.

While there’s been plenty of noise from the outside about the in-your-face bickering, there’s been virtually no hint of internal discord. Teammates have rallied around Newton – and some of his habits.

At least a dozen players gathered on the sideline on Sunday for the group selfie at the two-minute warning. And now every Panthers player who scores a touchdown walks over and hands the football to a fan – like Newton.

They seem to rally around each other, if not a common theme that not much was expected from them this season.

"I think we’ve got good chemistry,” Rivera said. “That’s one thing we’ve worked to build.”

Now is not the time to disrupt the rhythm.

***

Other items of interest, as Week 15 rolls along…

• Who’s hot: Todd Haley. The Steelers offense has thrived despite losing Le’Veon Bell, which says something about all of the skilled-positioned players they have surrounded Ben Roethlisberger with…and how Haley has pushed the right buttons for his explosive, diverse unit. Even with Roethlisberger missing several weeks, Pittsburgh has the NFL’s No. 2 offense. Now comes the NFL’s top-ranked defense, with Denver visiting on Sunday. The Broncos will be the sixth top-10 defense the Steelers have played, which makes their production – including 33 points at Cincinnati last weekend, 30 at Seattle and 25 vs. Arizona -- even more impressive. Remember when Haley first arrived in Pittsburgh? There was so much buzz about whether Big Ben could mesh with Haley and his scheme. That’s ancient history. Haley, in his fourth season in Pittsburgh after being fired as Chiefs coach, has crafted the type of success that will surely put him on the radar for another head coaching opportunity during the upcoming hiring cycle.
• Pressure’s on: Matt Ryan. Whatever happened to Matty Ice? He’s not the same quarterback he used to be, which is what happens when your team heads into Sunday’s game at Jacksonville with a six-game losing streak after starting the season 5-0. Ryan’s thrown more picks, has struggled in the red zone and has had issues connecting to the deep balls that used to be such an asset. Yet with it’s easy to point fingers at the quarterback, Ryan’s woes reflect a larger picture with the Falcons. Sure, he’s pressing, but he’s had spotty protection and the receivers – the ones not named Julio Jones – have had difficulty getting consistently open. Just weeks after new coordinator Kyle Shanahan was hailed as the next big thing on the coaching circuit, it’s become a complete mess. Fair or not, Ryan is the face of that.
• Key matchup:  Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham, Jr. Norman has shut down one big-name receiver after another to put himself on the all-pro map, and allow Carolina the luxury of using just one player to take away a major weapon. With Atlanta’s Julio Jones as the latest victim, Norman hasn’t allowed a receiver to post more than 35 yards in a game this season. Now comes the toughest test yet, with the quick, elusive, crafty and acrobatic Beckham, who has a streak of six consecutive 100-yard games. Besides, he catches everything and gets open even when he’s not open. It will be interesting to see what happens when Beckham shifts to the slot, where’s he played about a third of his snaps. The Panthers will flop Norman on the outside, but typically don’t put him in the slot. Maybe Sunday will be the time for an exception, with the matchup looming as a huge swing factor that may determine whether the Panthers remain undefeated.
• Rookie watch:  Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall. The Packers left for Oakland without their best cornerback, Sam Shields, who is still in concussion protocol. That means Rollins, a second-round pick, will likely get the starting nod at the post opposite Randall, the first-round pick. Talk about pressure. Green Bay (9-4) hardly wants to squander the NFC North lead that it finally recaptured from the Vikings, and the Raiders are a dangerous threat riding high off last weekend’s upset win at Denver. And there will be another rookie on the field – Raiders receiver Amari Cooper -- to keep the Packers rookie corners on their toes.  
• Next man up: T.J. Yates. Quarterback issues have dogged the Texans (6-7) from way back in the Hard Knocks days of training camp, so it’s fittingly tough that they head into Indianapolis for the showdown against the Colts counting on Yates, who has been out of football for much of the season. At least he’s been there before as an emergency option for Houston. Perhaps Yates, subbing for Brian Hoyer (concussion), can recapture the magic demonstrated as a rookie in 2011, when he came off the bench for the stretch run and even won a playoff game. And here’s the other possibility to keep in mind: The Texans are one snap away from Brandon Weeden, who was cut after flopping after Tony Romo suffered a fractured collarbone.
• If the playoffs were today… The Jets would be in. This has been a sweet start for new coach Todd Bowles, complemented by O-coordinator Chan Gailey. The Jets (8-5) entered Week 15 with a three-game winning streak and possession of the sixth and final playoff slot in the AFC. Ryan Fitzpatrick is an obvious factor. Surrounded by an array of playmakers and a versatile scheme, he’s largely avoided the turnover woes that have plagued him throughout his career. But here’s the unsettling possibility for the Jets: They could win out, sweep their final three games, and still miss the playoffs. If the Chiefs and Steelers also win out and finish with 11-5 records, the Jets would be the odd team out, due to tiebreakers. So they need some help, too. 
• Did you notice? Nine of Alex Smith’s 15 passing TDs have gone to wide receivers. That’s more notable against the backdrop of last year, when the Chiefs didn’t get a single touchdown catch from a wide receiver. No doubt, the big offseason addition, Jeremy Maclin, has had the desired impact with a team-high five receiving TDs. Yet in rebounding from a 1-5 start to a seven-game winning streak that has them positioned for a playoff berth, the production from the receivers has allowed for Andy Reid’s offense to thrive with balance – even without centerpiece running back Jamaal Charles. Reid still has a run-heavy scheme and the Smith still runs an efficient short passing game. But they’ll take their shots – especially with the speedy Maclin stretching the field – and Smith has never been better in his career at connecting on deep passes.
• Stat’s the fact: Cardinals running back David Johnson leads all rookies with nine TDs. What’s more distinctive is that the third-rounder from Northern Iowa is just the second rookie in NFL history to produce at least four rushing TDs, four receiving TDs and a kickoff-return score. The first to demonstrate such versatile scoring ability? Gale Sayers, 1965.
• Fantasy vs. Reality: Decisions, decisions. After springing an upset victory in the first round of the playoffs in the 20-team Super League, Marion Motley Crew has advanced to the Final Four with a running back quandary. Use a flex spot for Ryan Mathews or Chris Polk? One of the flex spots will go to Eric Ebron, with the Lions playing at New Orleans…and the Saints D allowing more fantasy points to tight ends than any team in the league. Polk, who cracked the Texans’ starting lineup last week, will get the call against a suspect Colts D. Mathews is part of Philly’s four-back committee, and they’re facing a stingy Arizona defense. In any event, it will take another Herculean effort (hello, Gronk and Rivers?) for MMC to topple the No. 1 seed, Dorito Dink, Inc.

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