The sense I get is that John Fox, barring a total collapse down the stretch, will be the Panthers' coach next season.

What his coaching staff looks like is another matter.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson is a no-nonsense, all-business guy. He has directed a pretty darned good rushing attack in his three seasons calling plays. But the lack of a consistent passing game this season has been a problem.

The Panthers are running the same offense as when Dan Henning was there. But the reads and progressions are different, almost backwards from when Henning was calling plays. Jake Delhomme has had to relearn the offense from that standpoint as the Panthers try to be more conservative with him.

But last night, the Panthers came out throwing. The Dolphins were in man coverage with their two rookie corners, not doubling Steve Smith, and the Panthers tried to make them pay. It was the way they attacked teams last season: You bring a safety up, and we're going to throw it more; you play coverage, we're going to run it down your throat.

For some reason, though, the Panthers got away from running the ball, which they appeared to be doing very well. DeAngelo Williams might have had 200 yards last night if he got 22 carries. He averaged more than nine yards a pop. But he had only 13 rushes, and the Panthers kept throwing after they got down. The defense didn't help matters, sure. But a run game might have extended the clock for the offense a bit and kept the defense fresher.

The Panthers fell into the Dolphins' trap and lost. Davidson and the offense haven't been able to find that great balance between run and pass most of the season, save for a few games.