CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera was emphatic on Friday that there won’t be changes to his staff after the team failed to make the playoffs following a Super Bowl season.

“It’s the same group that was 15-1 [last year]," said Rivera, whose team is 6-9 heading into Sunday’s finale at Tampa Bay. “It’s the same group that led the league in scoring. In the last [three] years, we’ve had a top-10 defense.

“As I look at it and break things down, yeah, there’s some things we have to work on and change. You guys heard me talk about evolving. We have to. That’s just the truth of the matter."

Regarding evolving, Rivera was talking about the offense with quarterback Cam Newton. He mentioned earlier in the week that going forward the team has to be more dependent on the lead back in the running game than the reigning NFL MVP.

But that Rivera was questioned about his staff shouldn’t come as a surprise. The offense went from first in the NFL in scoring in 2015 to 14th this season. It went from second in the league in rushing to 12th.

Defensively, the Panthers went from sixth in 2015 to 22nd this season.

But as Rivera also said earlier this week, he believes Carolina missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012 is more of a "blip" than trend.

Rivera also believes defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who has interviewed for head coaching positions the past two years, deserves an opportunity this year.

"He’s earned it," Rivera said. “If you go back and look, he’s the only defensive coordinator to have a top-10 defense [three years] in a row. His resume should speak for itself.

“Sometimes when you hire people, you need to look at not whether or not they’re the hot guy but what they’ve done consistently over a period of time."

Rivera went through the same thing as a defensive coordinator. He was bypassed for head coaching jobs after helping the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears reach the playoffs.

He finally was hired by Carolina in 2011 after the Chargers went 9-7 and didn’t make the playoffs in 2010. The difference in Rivera’s situation and McDermott’s is his defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

“It’s tough, because sometimes your opportunities don’t come when you think they are going to come," Rivera said. “I wouldn’t be surprised [if McDermott got an opportunity], and I really do think he deserves it."