As the players gather to try and iron out their concerns about the Panthers level of play I can't but help but wonder why the coaching staff has been so quiet. The only answer I can think of is they don't want to run afoul of John Fox. Any comments might be seen as being critical of the coach.

Of course there's plenty of time to turns things around. Yet, we know the Panthers are a team on the edge. If not for an easy schedule so far, they could easily be 0-4. So, I'm starting to think maybe all that talk about Fox's job being in jeopardy might not be bunk after all.

Then I had someone send me this piece:

Panthers at Saints: Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune tried to keep fans upbeat after the Saints lost to the Titans last Monday. All the Saints have to do is beat the Panthers and Seahawks, two good conference opponents, and they will be right back in the hunt. "Redemption is just two games away," Triplett wrote. Then, whoosh, out came the rug. "Of course, there is one small problem with that theory. The Saints haven't given any indication so far that they can come close to beating the Panthers or Seahawks."

Triplett's assessment of the Saints is dead-on, but he gives the Panthers too much credit. The Panthers aren't a good team off to a slow start. They are a poor team off to an appropriate start. The Panthers eroded so slowly over the last few seasons that we barely noticed. We praised their defensive front four so much that we lost sight of how weak the back seven became. Steve Smith wowed us with so many big plays that we ignored how many drives stalled because the team lacks other playmakers. The Panthers finished 8-8 last year, and their most significant off-season move was the releasing of Keyshawn Johnson. The Saints' slow start should surprise us. The Panthers' shouldn't.

So this week's game really can be a first step down the road to redemption. The key for the Saints will be sticking with the run despite the absence of injured Deuce McAllister. The Saints have been pass-heavy in the opening weeks, allowing sackmeisters like Dwight Freeney and Kyle Vanden Bosch to go Brees hunting. "We've played some good fronts and some good rush ends," Sean Payton said last week. "I have to do a better job to give us some throws that come out quicker and take a little pressure off of those guys." Payton plans to call more running plays and quick passes to keep Julius Peppers from taking over the game. Defensively, this is the Saints' easiest assignment of the season: double cover Smith, put some pressure on David Carr (Jake Delhomme was doubtful as of this writing), and wait for the two-yard pass on 3rd-and-10.

Youch! Talk about hitting the nail on the head! Those short passes on 3rd & long piss me off!

Let me list a few what I feel are questionable management decisions so far this year.

• Failing to draft a safety. I talked about this so much I got tired of it. Were we wrong to think the Panthers needed a safety now? Hardly. They drafted a WR, TE, DE who have barely gotten on the field insrtead of a safety.
• Cutting Keyshawn. Obviously Jarrett could have used his tutelage
• Hiring Jeff Davidson from a terrible Cleveland team. Has the offense really improved that much?
• Drafting a kick returner and then continuing to start Nick Goings. Where's the sense in that?

I'm sure I could come up with more if given time to think about it. If I'm JR I'm not just thinking maybe Fox should go but Marty Hurney right along with him.

Of course, winning cures all these ills. A win over the Saints this weekend would a big step in that direction and would shut me up for a least another week!

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