Terrace Marshall Jr. another victim of Reich's mismanagement; has no idea why he didn't play

In Week 4, Terrace Marshall Jr. led the Carolina Panthers with nine catches. 

And then, somehow, in Week 5, Frank Reich didn't play him. 

If an 0-5 start wasn't ugly enough, Reich has routinely looked underprepared and overmatched in clock management, game planning, and knowing what players should be on the field. After the 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions, Marshall spoke with the Charlotte Observer, where he explained he had no idea why he didn't play on Sunday.

“I have no clue why I didn’t play,” Marshall said, via Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer. “It was surprising. I didn’t expect to sit out the whole game. It just happened.”

On Monday, Reich said Marshall should have played and shouldered much of the blame. His admission for his role in the mismanagement is one thing, but it doesn't answer the question: How does an NFL coach forget to play one of their better receivers? 

“He should’ve played. He should’ve played some,” Reich said. “I wish he had gotten in there a little bit more. That’s my fault. I need to make sure after the week he had the week before with the nine catches and got a little momentum going, that he and I had a conversation.

“So that was poor communication by me. I wanted to make sure that our guys knew to kind of make sure he had some playing time and that there would be opportunities. So that was my fault.”

The Panthers are past the point of "my fault." Reich is an average to below-average coach everywhere he goes. That is no different with the Panthers. Yes, the roster isn't great, and franchise management hasn't made his job the easiest, but it wasn't the front office that didn't play one of the team's better receivers. It was Reich and his staff. 

Blinded by flash, the Panthers forgot substance. During the 2022 season, Steve Wilks brought substance to the team. He brought integrity and character. The team wanted to play for him. The front office wanted a new quarterback and a high-powered offensive system. With Wilks long gone, enjoying success with the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers are stuck with Reich, who has managed to be painfully average everywhere he's gone. 

The Panthers made their bet. But the most recent mishap makes it even more clear -- the franchise played the wrong hand.