Is there more to Steve Smith's Comments?
by Jaxon on Aug 30, 2007 2:21 PM EDT
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PrintCat Scratch Reader (CSR) user AJ asks some good questions about the Steve Smith comments posted earlier today:
Smith's comments seem to have a lot of interesting stuff between the lines. For example, could be any of the following or a combination of them, or none:
-- is he unhappy with both David and Jake?
-- is he just unhappy with Jake? I have seen some suggestions that he was unhappy with Jake's performance last year.
-- is it a bid to get David in charge?
-- is he unhappy with the new offense?Since he hasn't been in a game with David yet, this must be aimed at Jake or the new system, or both. QB is a dilemma. I know you like Jake, and I really haven't paid much attention to him before. But, in the last three games, while Jake has had his moments, my overall impression is that he has is just not been that impressive. On the other hand, David hasn't looked all that great either, mostly clouded by that last interception. (I would still like to know what he said about that.) The differences I see are that David's passes are sharp and crisp and accurate, while those adjectives generally don't apply to Jake's. There is a lot of comment that Jake fixes on Smith, much as Carr was forced to do with Andre Johnson. Knowing that, defenses will double-team those receivers which reduces their effectiveness. A question is: Is that a habit for Jake whether he has enough time to throw or not? In David's case, he had little choice with no protection. I believe if David could have a consistent 3-4 seconds to throw, he would spread the ball around, which, interestingly enough, would result in Smith getting open more often, catching more passes, and breaking more big plays.
So I ask my readership, do you think there is a QB dilemma as it relates to Steve Smith? Provides your comments and/or participate in the poll below.
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Smith's comments
I'll expand a little more on the above. I would be inclined to think it was simple frustration if it was just an off-handed remark of generalities. But there were six sentences quoted, and they are fairly direct and specific. I think they reflect concern and personal dissatisfaction more than mere frustration.
It might shed more light, if we knew whether that was a full quote or not. Did he have more to say?
I am not familiar with Steve Smith and his personality. Is it common for him to make generally critical comments about the team? If so, what seem to be his motivations when doing it?
It is also interesting to note that his concerns were only about the passing game, which has had moderate success, while the running game has been MIA since the Giants game.
Those are good poll questions above. I think the answer is one of the first three, or perhaps a combination of all three. It was not a motivating-type statement. I will not vote, since I do not know. I will be interested in seeing what those more familiar with Smith and the team have to say.
I just thought of another possibility. Smith knows his own performance will be improved by having another quality receiver on the field. Since Jarrett and Biddle haven't been seeing much playing time with the first team (and there's been a lot of dropped balls), maybe it's his way of saying "get me some help".
I live in Houston and have started following the Panthers this season out of loyalty to David Carr, and just want to see him get the chance to play with a decent team. I certainly wish no ill-will toward Jake. It is his job to keep or lose, and David's to earn. Either way, I hope to see the Panthers in the Supeer Bowl this season.
by A J on Aug 30, 2007 5:29 PM EDT reply actions
I am not familiar with Steve Smith's personality
Well, let me shed some light on it...
Why did Smith scale back his td celebrations? Because he wanted to set a mature example for his children.
When he didn't play during the Steelers game what was he doing?
He was delivering water jugs and filling the cups for his thirsty teammates.
How did Colbert dodge two players in his td against New England.
Steve Smith made a huge block that allowed Colbert to squeeze by. ESPN reporters commented that they never see receivers do this in the Preseason!
I have seen him have big games after puking the night before with food poisoning. I have seen him stay up late at fund raisers, wake up early the next morning for public school appearances, and still have to report to practice.
This is a 3rd round punt returner that nobody believed in, who worked his butt off to become the best receiver in the NFL.
That is who Steve Smith is.
Smith has come along way
Thanks for the insight.
Thanks for the info
Smith sounds like a very admirable person. I was familiar with the things that happened during preseason, but did not know the other. I hope he gets his 2000 yards this season. But that will likely depend on Jarrett becoming a real threat. From that long catch from Carr against the Steelers, he appears to have that potential.
by A J on Sep 5, 2007 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I think he is frustrated
witht the other receivers because of the drops. Smith is a competitor who wants to win and hates losing.
New quotes from Smith
These sound a little more optimistic:
The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
Moments after the Carolina Panthers finished a 1-3 preseason with a loss to Pittsburgh late Thursday night, Steve Smith was confident.
"We were able to see what we did well and what we didn't do well," Smith said. "Everybody is all in next week. We are going to have to press forward and see what we have."
"I'm ready to play. I'm excited," Smith said. "We get to game plan now. There are a lot of things we get to throw in."
[And a quote from Carr.]
"This offense has some pretty standard red zone plays that we don't have in the playbook right now," said David Carr. "Once we get everything in and we start game planning for St. Louis and watch film on St. Louis, we'll execute and be fine."
by A J on Aug 31, 2007 2:12 PM EDT reply actions
Give Jake a Break
Smith has grown a lot since he entered the league. He's gone from punching a teammate during vid session, to filling up water cups for teammates on the sideline, and taking time to make big blocks for other players, in the preseason. He wants to win, and it can be frustrating at times when you don't.
Unlike all you Jake-haters, Steve will not throw his QB under the bus after one bad season. Over the last five years, Jake is one of only five QBs to make it to 2 Championship games. He has one of the highest QB ratings in post season history. 03' Superbowl, 04' statistically his best season ever, 05' Championship, 06' bad year... What more do you guys want! Are you happy with nothing less than a Peyton Manning! Give him a break, he is a very good QB who had one bad year.
Pardon me, but are you ranting at me?
These are quotes from my postings on this website, in chronological order (most recent first):
"I live in Houston and have started following the Panthers this season out of loyalty to David Carr, and just want to see him get the chance to play with a decent team. I certainly wish no ill-will toward Jake. It is his job to keep or lose, and David's to earn. Either way, I hope to see the Panthers in the Supeer Bowl this season."
"I want to be objective regarding Carr and Delhomme. As I've stated elsewhere, the job is Jake's, and it is up to him to lose it. And Carr has to earn it. My only concern at this point is that Carr gets some playing time with the first unit in game conditions. It is for the benefit of the team primarily, and Carr secondarily. If Carr should have to fill in for Jake, as in the current case, he and the team must be in sync. This game may be that opportunity."
"As usual, you had the best analysis of the game. As a David Carr supporter, I thought Jake had a very good game, even better than the raw stats, since at least three passes were dropped.
I also thought David had a fairly good evening though marred by his stumbling sack and the interception."
"Even though I am a fan and firm supporter of David, I agree that the Carolina job should be Jake's to lose. David's time will come, and a season without pressure may be exactly what he needs. But, assuming best case for Jake, the coaches would be wise to give David plenty of playing time with the first team so he and the team are well-prepared under fire in case of injury for Jake."
"I know little about Jake Delhomme, but from what I have been reading, he is also a fine person and a good QB. I hate to see a big controversy brewing around him and David. I feel certain that neither one of them wants it either. I think they are both professional and realize that the best man will ultimately lead the team. In a hometown interview in a Lafayette newspaper, Jake stated that in a very straightforward manner. If Carr should replace him, he will take it like a man without bitterness.
In the meantime, wishing goodwill for all concerned, I hope the Panther fans will let matters sort themselves out, without creating bitterness and strife. Jake should be respected for what he has meant to this team and given every opportunity to lead it in the coming season. If he should falter, the coaches will be the first to recognize it. The transition should be orderly and timely.
I'm pulling for the Panthers to win the Super Bowl, whether Jake or David is leading the team. Either way, they'll both be wearing the Big Ring."
This is from a post to the Observor yesterday:
"A better analogy would be Jake. I have seen some unnecessarily harsh things written about him. His play is certainly subject to criticism and review by the fans and the writers. But must it be so crude and coarse? Why not show some respect for what he has achieved for this team?"
by A J on Sep 1, 2007 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
There a lot of Jake Haters out there
but I don't think AJ is one of them Jaxonweb. I think Jake is going to have a good year. If not, we have a good back-up. Its a nice position to be in.
AJ???
Well, thanks for questioning my comprehension skills. I never said AJ. This was generally for the million Jake-haters that clutter blogs and radio stations with non-sense. I just get annoyed by it. Jake has done a lot for this team, and I am glad Fox has been loyal to him despite the criticism.
I am not sold yet on Carr yet. I like his mobility, but his throw is awkward, and I thought he would dominate this preseason playing against 2nd team defenses. He looks a little nervous, and scrambles out of the pocket too quickly. All the Jake-haters screamed for Stinky Weinke last year, and look what they got. Let's pray he doesn't get the starting job, because that will mean the Panther's are getting torn up!
I'm a Carr supporter, but wish Jake well
Sorry if I jumped to conclusions, but it seemed pretty clear your rant was aimed at me. You wrote: "Unlike all you Jake-haters . . .". Since only Jaxon and I had posted (and Jaxon is a Jake fan), then what logical conclusion could I have drawn? Even Jaxon thought you were aiming at me. If I was making a blanket condemnation, I would be careful to exclude those it wasn't aimed at.
As a David Carr fan, I naturally would like to see him play, since I have no prior loyalties to Jake. But there are only two circumstances under which David could play at this point, and I do not want either to happen. One would be that Jake was struggling and ineffective, and that would mean the team was losing, which I don't want to see as a new Panther fan. Two would be that Jake was injured, and I would never wish that on anyone.
So what I would like to see happen is for David to get some optional playing time with the first team, either when the team had a big lead or when it was losing badly. This would actually benefit the team more than it would David. It would give the team a chance to establish confidence in David and for both to adjust to different styles and rhythms, in case it should become necessary for David to start under either of the circumstances mentioned above. Everyone would then be prepared, and it would not be necessary to make these adjustments while trying to win ballgames. Additionally, it would give Jake rest, making him more effective and obviously reducing the opportunities for injuries.
by A J on Sep 5, 2007 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Buying a used Carr
To stay focused, I am discussing your remarks about Carr in this separate post.
You said you were not sold on Carr yet. First of all, I like Carr as a real man who respects himself, his family, and his team. Unlike many of the assorted thugs and scumbags wearing NFL uniforms. How good a quarterback he can become is unknown at this point. He went through a meatgrinder in Houston, becoming a scapegoat for the team's many failings. I am anxious to see what he could do with a decent team around him. Some day we will see, then we can make a final evaluation.
I really don't understand all the concern about his "awkward throw". The only objective I am aware of is getting the ball from Point A (the QB's hand) to Point B (the receiver's hands). What difference does it make how it gets there? If a QB can flip the ball behind his back, lead the NFL by completing over 68% of his passes, and average over 9 yards per completion, who cares how he threw it? That was Carr's record last season (except for flipping the ball behind his back). That record was achieved with one of the worst O-lines in the NFL, no running game, and only one quality receiver (who unfortunately made no spectacular catches and had a bad habit of dropping easy passes).
You wrote: "I thought he would dominate this preseason playing against 2nd team defenses." How could you think that when he was also playing with 2nd and 3rd team offenses, while familiarizing himself with new teammates and a new offensive scheme? He never played a single down with Steve Smith in the game. Did you think Jake was dominant playing with the 1st offense? And, if I recall, Jake looked pretty nervous himself in some of those games, and unfortunately he can't (or shouldn't) scramble.
Last season, Carolina was dead last in the NFL in third down conversions with 31%, while Houston converted on 39%. It gets even more dramatic on fourth down conversions with Houston successful on 69% with Carolina at only 33%. Now, while pondering those stats, factor in the quality of Carolina's offense compared to Houston's.
To get a little more perspective, you might check these offense drive stats for 2006, comparing Carolina to Houston:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/sta... To see what Carr was up against, the stats really dive for Houston when you throw in the defense and look at the "Net" stats.
I have made it as clear as possible that Jake deserves to lead this team until his play or injuries indicate otherwise to the coaching staff. In the meantime, it is inevitable, unless Jake is spectacular, that heated discussions will ensue. All I would like to see is for fairness, logic, and reason to prevail. Let's evaluate the situation and the QB's relative strengths objectively, without tilting the scales either way.
by A J on Sep 5, 2007 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Carr
I don't dislike Carr. I think he was the best option Carolina could have got for a backup QB. And I agree with all of your logic. These are the reasons the staff grabbed him.
Still it is difficult to rally around someone that has not proven himself to you. Fans in Charlotte always jump on the new guy bandwagon, to be the next savior of this team. Remember Weinke last year? What they forget is Jake is the only one that has actually been this savior. In 2003 we hadn't been to the playoffs in 7 years. Jake was a backup! He got put in after Rodney Pete struggled and led us all the way to the Superbowl. Then to another NFC Championship 2 years later.
Even if Carr is VERY good for this team, it will be hard to redo what Jake did.
Jaxonweb, visited your website
Jaxonweb,
I just visited your website as noted at the bottom of your posts. Frankly, I had not visited it previously because I assumed it was some kind of off-beat, New Age, and/or left-wing website. To get a little more insight on you, I checked it out and was very pleasantly surprised to see that it was none of the above. Rather, it was as advertised -- for seekers of the truth.
Regardless of your feelings about Carr as a football player, he is a dedicated Christian in his personal life. I think he would be right at home on your website.
by A J on Sep 5, 2007 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
www.convictionseeker.com
Thanks. It is designed to not be left or right wing. But to allow people to write whatever convictions they have, and for others to discuss. And... I guess Carr can use it too. J/K. From what I have heard he does seem like a pretty good guy.
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