Never bet against Thomas Brown”: Panthers hope new playcaller will spark offense

Never bet against Thomas Brown”: Panthers hope new play-caller will spark offense

The Los Angeles Rams were preparing for an opponent in 2020 when their then-running backs coach, Thomas Brown, decided to participate in one of their drills, as he often did. Unfortunately, he ended up tearing his Achilles tendon.

However, Brown’s resilience was evident even after his injury. Rams coach Sean McVay recalled how Brown was still on the sideline, chasing after then-Rams’ back, Cam Akers, on a long run. McVay was impressed by Brown’s competitiveness, saying that he was still a “G” who could take a few carries and finish strong even though he should have still been in a walking boot.

Now, Brown is the first-year NFL offensive coordinator for the 0-6 Carolina Panthers. He was handed offensive playcalling duties on Monday by coach Frank Reich, who is betting that Brown’s energy and drive will carry over to an offense that ranks 23rd in total offense and 22nd in scoring.

The Panthers also have a rookie quarterback in Bryce Young, whose 33.2 QBR ranks last in the NFL among 33 qualified quarterbacks. Reich chose the Panthers’ Week 7 bye to give up playcalling, his passion since he called plays as Jim Kelly’s backup with the Buffalo Bills in the late 1980s and early 1990s because it gives Brown the best chance of succeeding. The Panthers have upcoming home games against the Houston Texans (3-3) and Indianapolis Colts (3-3) followed by a Thursday night game at the Chicago Bears (1-5).

Although Brown is only 37 years old, he has already called plays before, from 2016 to 2018, as the offensive coordinator for the University of Miami. McVay, who is considered one of the best young play-callers in the NFL, believes that Brown is ahead of the curve and will do an excellent job as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator.

Brown has joined Eric Bieniemy of the Washington Commanders and Brian Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles as the only Black play callers in the NFL. He recognizes the opportunity Reich has given him as “huge” for what it could mean to other Black assistants. “It’s a rare opportunity for a number of different reasons,” Brown said. “I won’t dive into my thought process on what the reasons are right now. But I do understand that I have an opportunity to help us have success from a Panthers standpoint while also opening doors for more Black men like myself.”

Brown understands that theoretically, this could impact his career negatively if the offense continues to struggle, but he said he’s “never lived that way.” “There’s no reward without the risk,” he added. “That kind of comes with this profession. I was raised by fighters. So I don’t back out on anything or anybody. It’s easy to give in to the fears of whatever could go wrong. But I have the mindset of having a positive approach and having faith in our process and myself.”

Brown credits his upbringing, from being raised by a minister and school teacher from rural Mississippi to quickly rising up the coaching ranks because of mentors such as former Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt, McVay, and now Reich. It’s ironic he is in this position since becoming a coach was the last thing on his mind after finishing his brief career as an NFL running back. He was a sixth-round pick out of Georgia by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008.

At one point, Brown was a self-proclaimed “humongous introvert,” studying to be a businessman selling insurance and investment products before he learned to become the outgoing, energetic coach he is today. But after a 15-page business proposal for a program to help athletes transition to the “real world” was “thrown out the window” without much consideration, he changed direction and began his career as a strength coach at his alma mater. Five years later, he was the offensive coordinator at Miami under Richt, his college head coach.

“I remember watching Thomas when we played against each other in high school,” said McVay, who, like Brown, grew up in Georgia. “He was one of the ultimate competitors. He’s always trying to continue to perfect his craft.”

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Panthers offensive coordinator, Thomas Brown, believes that in order to have energy, you must bring energy. As a first-time NFL play-caller, he hopes to bring that energy to the team.

According to Brown, there won’t be any radical changes to the Panthers’ offensive strategy, as he understands that this could be counter-productive at this point in the season. Instead, he plans to build on what the team has done so far and make minor tweaks.

This may include using less no-huddle, which the team has been using a lot in the past two weeks, and more pre-snap motion. Additionally, there may be a few more running plays to get closer to the balance he was used to with the 2021 Rams when they won Super Bowl LVI with a balanced attack. Brown, who coached the tight ends in 2022 with the Rams, may also include more plays for the tight ends.

“Radical [changes] would not be smart for where we are right now,” Brown said. “Over time, we’ll have some changes here and there, but I’ve been a part of this offense from the get-go. This gives me full rein to kind of do what I want to, but it’s all going to be a collaborative effort.”

Developing Sam Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, will be a priority for Brown. He has already built a close relationship with the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, and he has used his college contacts to get a better feel for how he can put Young in a better position to succeed. Brown was sold on Young as the top pick over C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson throughout the pre-draft process. He was even more convinced after a long talk with Young prior to a rookie minicamp when he and the 5-foot-10, 204-pound quarterback broke down the offense and how they visualized the game.

Brown’s lack of experience calling plays has never kept him from getting opportunities. He interviewed for offensive coordinator jobs with five teams — Commanders, Chargers, Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Panthers — this past offseason. He also interviewed for head-coaching positions with the Texans and Dolphins the past two seasons. Brown always had a play-caller’s mindset, even though he never played quarterback.

“Thomas has always been preparing himself for that opportunity,” McVay said. “Seeing the game through the quarterback’s lens, what are the reads? What is the timing and rhythm of how you want to play with your feet? What are the different things in terms of how you want to read certain coverage contours based on the concept? Those were the types of questions, going back, [Brown] was asking. That he was always so inquisitive and wanted to know about and have the ownership of the total picture.”

Brown also plans to bring his usual amount of energy, although he may not show it in all the ways he did a few years ago. “I used to run around a whole lot more,” Brown said. “I used to practice racing players. I pulled a couple of hamstrings and popped an Achilles. It’s probably good I’m slowing myself down. But it all starts with a leadership standpoint. If you want to have energy, you’ve got to bring energy.”