Rivera fires offensive coaches Shula, Dorsey

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera fired longtime offensive coordinator Mike Shula on Tuesday, saying the team’s offense needs a “different perspective.”

Along with Shula, the Panthers also cut ties with quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey two days after a playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.

“I believe we need some different ideas going forward,” Rivera said at a news conference.

Shula spent seven seasons with Carolina, working as the quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013.

Carolina was 11-5 this season and finished 19th in total offense, but again struggled moving the ball through the air and was 28th in passing. The Panthers were 12th in scoring.

Rivera said the Panthers already have “a few” candidates in mind, and strongly hinted it will be someone with NFL experience, not a college coach, from outside the organization.

Among some of the potential candidates that make sense are Norv Turner, whose son

Ron was hired as an offensive consultant by the Panthers last June, and Rob Chudzinski, who worked as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2011 and 2012 before taking over as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Rivera was a defensive coach under Turner with the then-San Diego Chargers from 2007-10.

“It signals an opportunity that we are looking to get better and continue to grow,” Rivera said.

“That is what the move was made for. Something different, something additional can give us the boost that I’m looking for that can help us get to the ultimate goal, and that is winning the Super Bowl.”

Carolina has been one of the league’s top running teams — in large part because of quarterback Cam Newton’s ability to run the ball — over the past four seasons, averaging the league’s fourth-highest total at 128.3 yards per game.

However, its passing game has sputtered.

Over that same span the Panthers averaged 229.5 passing yards per game, which is the third fewest in the league.