The one thing you say the jury is still out on is the pass rush. I disagree with that. We have improved our pass rush. By upgrading the secondary, we should get more “coverage” sacks. Last season, there were times when we couldn’t get a sack because the other team didn’t have to throw. They were winning by double digits in the 4th quarter. We’ll have the lead in the 4th, and as the other teams throw to make a comeback, we’ll have more opportunities to get sacks. With a greater number of kick-offs going for touchbacks instead of being returned to the 40, teams will have to throw a couple more times just to get downfield than they had to last year. All those factors give us more opportunities to get sacks, and I think we’ll take advantage. Also, with a better LB corps and secondary, we can take more chances blitzing, and I hope we do just that. A coupel CB blitzes or Thomas Davis blitzes should lead to more sacks as well.

The question I think Jaxon is addressing, however, is in the personnel department. With all those things I mentioned, is anyone actually going to step up and get the sacks? I think the answer is yes, but I also predicted Peppers would get 20 sacks last year and we saw how that turned out.

It’s popular to decry national folks talking up the team, but it really doesn’t matter too much. Sure, the national folks really don’t seem to understand how the team works, nor its true strengths and weaknesses.* But let’s not forget that, two years running, Dr. Z/S.I. predicted that Carolina would make it to (and win) the Super Bowl. One of those years, we lost Steve Smith and every RB on the roster to injury and still went 8-8. The other year, we went to the NFC Championship game.

Keep in mind, we haven’t had (and won’t have) a 4-12 season under Foxy. The worst we could POSSIBLY have was last year. Four QBs, each starting at least three games? Check. An inability to pressure the opposing QB? Check. Inconsistent, fumble-happy starting RB? Check. Inconsistent, drop-happy string of WRs? Check. Inability to get off the field on 3rd down? Check. And we STILL went 7-9. You explain to me how we’re going to be worse next year, because I don’t see it.

I gotta say, I’ve got the same sense of strength that I had before the 2003 season. We’ve got playmakers on both sides of the ball, we’ve got power and drive-blockers on offense, speed and aggression on defense, and quality depth at literally every position. That’s what we had going into 2003. I look at the NFC, and I see some good teams (Dallas, New Orleans), but I don’t see anyone beating us in the playoffs.

Let ‘em talk us up, let ‘em ignore us. It won’t stop the beat-down that we’re about to put on this league.

*- National folks talking about the team will often say funny things. I heard someone say, during the draft, that “Delhomme’s getting older, and Matt Moore doesn’t seem to be the answer, so they need a quarterback.” Really? Really?!? Delhomme is 33. He’s one year older than Peyton Manning. He’s two years older than Tom Brady. And you really were able to judge that Moore, the undrafted rookie free agent, isn’t the answer based on his three starts at the end of the season, when he went 2-1 with a demoralized team that had nothing to play for? You figured that out based on… what, exactly? Yeah… just ignore the idiots.

I think the bomba is on the money. I think Moore can be as good as Romo, and better than Delhomme ever was, if he gets 3-4 years to learn one offense behind a good QB and coach the way Romo did. He had four years with Tuna and Bledsoe. However, if I’m wrong, I think there are going to be better QBs in the years ahead. I just wasn’t sold on any of the QBs coming out except maybe using a late round pick on Josh Johnson or Dennis Dixon. I think Josh Johnson will be starting for TB within two years.

As for Jarrett, yeah, he’s a bust. The Patriots drafted Chad Jackson in the 2nd round not too long ago. When they brought in enough guys to fill roster spots 1-3, and the return man is a WR, too, then the 2nd rounder wasn’t even active for most games. Don’t be surprised if this is Jarrett’s last season in Carolina, and I’ll be surprised if he gets 25 catches. But we’re still going to be running things. Our top options are Steve Smith, Moose, Hackett, D-Will, Stewart and whatever TE steps up, but all three are good. So who needs Jarrett anyway?

As for the KO specialist, I just wanna give props to Jaxon for mentioning it first last season and detailing its significance for our success, and how the lack of a KO specialist affected us in the Supoerbowl.