The Carolina Panthers have decisions to make once their season ends- there is no doubt about that. I’ll go ahead and make a couple of calls for them.

The Panthers should retain Ron Rivera, Mary Hurney, and keep quarterback Cam Newton on the roster.

I’ll let you calm your nerves with a gulp of your holiday egg nog.

Carolina is a 5-6 football team, as I jot this down. The loss in week 12 to New Orleans was certainly a stinger. The Panthers fought back from a pair of double-digit deficits to get the game tied at 31-31. They just didn’t close the deal.

Fans are well aware that team owner David Tepper met with local reporters for a round table discussion, where Tepper offered up some background and context for how he is viewing things from his chair.  The summaries were many but the bottom line is this: Tepper wants to win.

I know what you are thinking.  “Gee, Mike, ya think?”

Well, sure.

Tepper isn’t exactly the most ‘in-the-public’ kind of guy (which I think is actually a good thing), but the things we do know about him should give an indication of where I am coming from.

Tepper is a self-made billionaire.  He got to that point in his life by being smart.  He made savvy decisions, but not before thoroughly researching the issues in front of him.

So what kind of research is Tepper doing when it comes to his football team?  I would say plenty, and doing it on all sides.  The business side, as well as the football side.  I won’t pretend to know anything about the business of running an NFL franchise, but i can guess on the actual football stuff.

A couple of tidbits on this Panthers season, that some of the “Fire Rivera” crowd may be overlooking.

1. Cam Newton was hurt in pre-season game number three (his first exhibition performance), and tried to play through the injury in the first two games of the season.  He admitted he wasn’t fully divulging how he felt to trainers because he wanted to be on the field.

2. Newton’s departure opened the door for Kyle Allen to start.  Essentially a rookie with just one career NFL start under his belt before the 2019 season began.  It was sunshine and roses to begin with, but as team’s have game-planned for him, Allen has had his ups and downs.

3. The offensive line, constructed to protect the QB’s, has seen a revolving door at the tackle position.  Darryl Williams, Greg Little, and Dennis Daley have manned the left tackle spot this season.  Little and Daley were drafted this past spring.

4. Defensive tackle and one of the team’s captains, Kawann Short, was lost for the season after suffering a shoulder injury.  That left a sizable hole in that group, one that was plugged well at times, but has had a hard time stopping the run much of the season.

The result of all of that?

Four of their six losses are by one score.  The other two defeats were a blowout to San Francisco (which has done that to a lot of teams this season), and Atlanta (a game the Panthers played about as poorly as possible).

You can say I am making excuses, but the facts are such that this football team is not as bad as their record might indicate.  These are real things that have had real consequences in how they function on the field.

Newton’s absence essentially eliminates the real threat of the read-option, a staple of the offense where Newton can hand off to a running back, or decide to keep the ball and make yardage on his own.  Allen can run but the threat is simply not respected by the opposition.  That is a huge weapon being unused by Norv Turner’s offense, simply because it’s not really available.

The defense has done a good job of adapting to their system change, moving from a 4-3 traditional look, to a 3-4 hybrid.  Yeah, you forgot that went into place this season, huh?  The change wasn’t easy, and at times, gap integrity has been lost, leading to big plays or scores by their opponents.

Carolina’s loss to New Orleans might have been avoided if Joey Slye had a better day doing his job.  The rookie kicker had a day like Adam Vinatieri had for Indianapolis recently.  Those things happen to rookies and long-time veterans alike.

The fact that the Panthers continue to play hard for Rivera and his staff, in spite of some tough losses, is a testament to the players professionalism as much as it is to the plan that the coaching staff comes up with.

MARTY HURNEY

As for he talent on the field, that would be Hurney’s department.  Panthers fans were ready to throw parties for Kyle Allen during his four-game winning streak and they would have been right to do so.  Now, as things go the other way, those same fans grumble that Allen isn’t better.

Who have the Panthers selected in the draft in the second tenure of Hurney?  How about Brian Burns, Little, Daley, DJ Moore, Donte Jackson, Marquis Haynes, and Ian Thomas. Christian Miller has contributed this season, Will Grier’s future could be under center with the team as well.

There have been more ‘hits’ than ‘misses.’

CAM NEWTON

As for Newton, his future is uncertain for a couple of reasons.  He has one year remaining on his contract, which will pay him $21.1 million in 2020.  That makes him the 14th highest paid QB in the NFL, according to overthecap.com.  The Panthers would save $19.1 million if they released him following the season.  There are other players on the roster that will be in line for new contracts, so cutting Newton would help in that regard.

The health of QB1 is on the minds of everyone connected with the team.  Factoring in his surgically repaired shoulder, he will essentially have a full year off. And with no wear and tear on it, that should not be an issue.  His foot injury (Lisfranc fracture) will be remedied either by rest or surgery.  Bottom line, Newton will be as healthy as he has been since his rookie season.  Considering his health and contract situation, the Panthers should keep him for (at least) one more season.

RON RIVERA

Rivera is under contract through the 2020 season.  He is the franchise leader in wins.  He has taken this team to the playoffs four times in eight complete seasons with an NFC title and a Super Bowl appearance.

RELATED: Panthers' 4-Skid Leaves Questions About Rivera's Future

This team has taken on his identity, they continue to play for this coaching staff.  The back-ups that have answered the bell when others have been lost to injury, have performed as best they can. They aren’t lost. They are prepared.

And at the end of the day, when considering a new head coach, general manager, or even a starting quarterback, Tepper should ask himself one question.

Who is out there that is better in those spots than what he already has?