Panthers' Monday Morning Optimist 10/12/09
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 10:37 AM EDT
73 comments
In last week's optimist I wrote that I sincerely hoped I would be writing my article on a Monday after a win, and the football gods smiled upon us.
Was our win pretty? No, but when was the last time the Panthers had a pretty win?
Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, it's not time to rest on our laurels.
However, despite this the Carolina Panthers prevailed, and there is a distinct change in the air. Just as the heat of summer is finally being whisked away from the Carolinas it is being replaced with fresh air that leads to cooler heads, less virulent condemnation and dare I say, an air of confidence and optimism.
Getting the first win was vital to the Panthers 2009 hopes, and yesterday's game in Charlotte was a legitimate must win; a must win for the team, for the coaches and for the near future of the franchise. We can't escape that we played very, very poorly. Traditional areas of strength were weakness against Washington; conversely, areas of the team that have been mediocre thus far stepped up and made big plays. I don't know whether the bye week helped get the team in gear. None of us will know what was said behind those closed doors. What I do know, however, is yesterday's team played with more fire, more intensity than previous week's iteration. Sometimes that fire was a detriment to the team and players tried to make plays they should have given up on (see DeAngelo Williams' dancing into a fumble) but at least the players out there were giving it their all.
This is going to be a fairly optimistic Monday morning, but there are still some concerns for the team. Breakdown after the jump.
Optimistic
Thomas Davis- Extremely Optimistic: In 2009 is there anything Davis can't do? Jon Beason has ‘Beast' as his nickname, but we don't have a good one for Davis. If there is any player who deserves more love from the fan base it's this guy. Yesterday's performance was another example of how great he has been; 6 tackles, 2 for a loss, 1 sack, 1 safety and the key pass defended on the Redskins' last drive. Davis is loving life in Meeks' defense and it shows. He could be the best OLB in the NFL right now... he's playing that good.
Jon Beason- Extremely Optimistic: Beast promised he was going to have a big game on Sunday, and boy did he ever. 10 tackles, 1 sack. The anchor in the middle was everywhere in the game. Playing Hollis Thomas in the middle definitely helps Beason make plays on the ball carrier. Beason looks fired up as a leader also; on the safety play he was yelling, pleading to the end zone fans to make it loud and difficult for Washington. They obliged and we got the safety, great call from our leader.
Everette Brown- Extremely Optimistic: When the kid is on the field he flat our makes plays. I know people love to doubt trading the draft pick to get Brown, but there's no denying that when he's on the field our pass rush is an entirely different animal. Though his stats only show 1 tackle, 1 sack and 1 FF he was constantly in the backfield pressuring Jason Campbell when he was in the game. Why he's not starting opposite Peppers is beyond comprehesion.
Chris Harris- Extremely Optimistic: 7 tackles, but he does so much more. Harris raised the play of all of our secondary. Tackles were getting finished; he provided great pressure on blitzes. Harris did everything our secondary has been lacking in his absence. Great to have him back.
Ron Meeks- Extremely Optimistic: Yes, you read that right. How can we slight Meeks' defense at this point? The game plan has worked, but in the past players didn't finish plays. The defense choked the Redskins' offense with 5 sacks, countless QB pressures and forcing them to punt five times. We held Washington to under 200 yards total offense when they have averaged 345 yards in their first 3 games. It might not be pretty, but Meeks' system is letting players flourish, and when coupled with good pass rush it seems to have dominant potential.
Julius Peppers- Somewhat Optimistic: From his play yesterday alone Julius deserves to be in the extremely optimistic category... however, I can't ignore previous weeks so I remain cautiously optimistic. Amazing game by Pep yesterday, he had 2 sacks, 4 tackles and really should be credited with the safety. Peppers was a major factor yesterday, and it's so welcome to see him be a factor.
Pessimistic
Jeff Davidson- Extremely Pessimistic: It doesn't take an elite NFL analyst to see that the Redskins have one major dominant force on defense, Albert Haynesworth. So, explain to me why running it at Haynesworth all day makes sense, especially when he has been shutting down opposing running backs in the middle? Yes, the offense line played poorly and DeAngelo Williams had a bad day, but the common thread in all this is Davidson. O-line alignments were messed up, Jake didn't get his plays fast enough and the offense looked lost for much of the game. When the best plays your offense is making are coming from audibles Jake called himself then you need to question the ability of your OC.
Tackles- Somewhat Pessimistic: Both Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah played like garbage yesterday. They'll get a break for now as I'm willing to shift some of the blame on Davidson... but there is no excuse for the tackles to play so poorly, especially when they have the ability of these two. The guards did what they could against Haynesworth and when J-Stew had success it was running off-guard. So, that's the only reason the entire o-line escape my ire, for now.
Overall Assessment
In the immortal words of Dr. Victor Frankenstein: "It's alive!" Yes folks, we're still kicking and still in this. It is most definitely an uphill battle but with games against Tampa, Buffalo and Arizona coming up we could definitely be 4-3 when we face New Orleans. Week 1,2 and 3 our special teams, d-line, secondary and QB let us down the most. In week 5 our o-line, RBs and play calling let us down. We have the potential to be a very scary, very dangerous team if all phases play up to their potential, and since each area has played to their potential at least once, there's no reason to believe we can't pull it all together. I think we're about to go on a tear folks and it's going to start with a dominating, choking performance against the anemic Buccaneers next week.
GO PANTHERS!
85% optimistic heading down to Tampa
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perfect timing for the soft schedule..
I’m extremely positive after this win..I know it wasn’t pretty but this soft schedule couldn’t come at better time simply because it allows us to work out all the problems and start playing to our scary potential before we start playing teams that are playing well..
by jay23 on Oct 12, 2009 10:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Schedule
Before the season I didn’t like how the schedule lined up, but now I really like the placement of the bye and the teams we face next.
by LittleKing on Oct 12, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Washington’s offensive line being bad on it’s best day and even worse when it’s injured helped our defense in a big way. That said, I hope the day they had help buoy their confidence heading into the following weeks.
I really can’t believe that all of a sudden Davidson has crapped out as a coordinator. For the last two years here he’s been brilliant. That said, the players were talking about new offensive schemes being thrown into the mix this training camp, so maybe they’re still getting used to those. Of course, the offensive line being shitty hasn’t helped at all.
by SlayerGhaleon on Oct 12, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
James, you and I were 2 of the few optimists around here 2 weeks ago...
…now it’s starting to spread — especially among the players, who must feel a very tangible sense of relief. I just counted them up, and would you believe there are 17 (!) guys on the team, incl IR, that had never before experienced a Panthers’ victory of any kind?!? So maybe we can build a little mo after the next 2 cupcakes, and get some cohesive and positive play from ALL the components of the team.
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Panthers are a team who feed off emotion. So long as they keep yesterday’s win in check and learn from what was done poorly we really could make a big impact. If we are able to put together all the components then there’s no reason to doubt their ability to beat New Orleans, Atlanta and the other good teams on our schedule.
If I’m John Fox right now first thing I do is haveEverette Brown take all the 1st team snaps and putting him across from Pep. The kid is looking very, very special.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no kidding
I was pretty amazed…Jason Campbell is going to be seeing flashes of Brown for a couple of days after yesterday :)
by boywonderncsu on Oct 12, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That spin move on Batiste was slick...and quick!
when he got the sack.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
ugly win, but it was enough for now
Was it just me, or did our offense actually find itself in the fourth quarter? Yeah they stunk pretty bad in the first half, but watching that fourth quarter was like watching Jake & co. last year – running & passing at will, pretty much. If this is an indication that they are finally gelling, I’m optimistic about a beatdown for Tampa Bay. I’m hoping this was enough to give them confidence going forward. It wasn’t pretty but we got it done!
by Neilicus on Oct 12, 2009 12:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Welcome to the blog Neilicus
Yes they did play with more confidence. Stewart ran with more authority too. I grabbed this from our Redskins blog:
Did you notice that one run play where Jon Stewart carried the entire Redskins defense for 10 yards and a first down?
J-Stew was determined to do his part. I still love D-Will but Stewart was the more effective back on this day.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
Sometimes amazing players can be nullified with good scheming. I’m sure someone out there in cyberspace will suggest we trade DeAngelo Williams to recoup a 1st rounder and some.
This would be ridiculous. Williams remains the best RB in the NFL in my mind, as I think there is simply nobody better at hitting a gap and beating an LB in the NFL. But, the offensive line need to open a hole first.
Stewart on the other hand excells at breaking through the line and trucking over DBs, but can have issues getting into the secondary. They work best as a tandem.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hear hear!
DWill remains THE MAN. We needed a power back yesterday though, and JStew got it done. I fully expect Jake to spread the ball around and DWill to open some big holes in Tampa
by Zeus12888 on Oct 12, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Very good point...J-Stew was powered through the line
and through tackles.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
definitely
When there’s no holes to be had, Stewart is definitely the one to go with. There have been several instances of me yelling through my TV for Jeff Davidson to put him in on 3-2 instead of going with Williams or tossing it. That guy can usually pull 1-2 yards out of nowhere on any given play.
by Neilicus on Oct 12, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Superman
If that is the same play, didnt he leave the ground for about 5 yards or so.
by LittleKing on Oct 12, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm still only 'somewhat optimistic'
since the offense sputtered for a half and was ‘dead’ until a big play from special teams. I can see up 3-3 though heading to AZ and a big game. We need to get it together if we are going to give the Saints a good game after AZ.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Somewhat pessimistic
I will be the Yin to your Yang (Pardon the Chinese philosophy). The Panthers had extra time to prepare and heal before playing a bad team. I was anticipating a beat down regardless of Jake’s typical effort after the bye and we barely squeaked out the win thanks to some luck and special teams play mostly. I’m somewhat optimistic about the next couple of games, but somewhat pessimistic about the Panthers in general. Just providing a little pessimism to balance the optimism. Lowered expectations equal a lowered stress level and continued enjoyment of football.
by Davejinxer on Oct 12, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Let me add to the deluge of optimism
Jinxer, take out the pick, which definitely was Moose’s fault, and the fumble where D-Will was five yards in the backfield, and they only score 3 points. Those type’s of plays we made last year we can’t seem to make this year, if we do make them the win looks a lot better. Our defense as a whole played much better, that alone is reason for optimism headed into a game versus a struggling Tampa Bay offense.
by Flowing Willow on Oct 12, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
more optimism!
Exactly! The skins only got into the end zone when they had the ball at the 13 and the 1. The best defense in the world would have a hard time stopping even a mediocre offense from those positions. I still stand by my earlier comment that they played more like themselves in the 4th quarter than they have all season. Granted, it took some special teams play to set them up, but it sure look like they found themselves after that. If those gifts had been handed to them during any of the last three games, they would have squandered them, for sure. If they can manage a whole (or even most) of a game playing like they did in the 4th quarter, Tampa Bay is in for a long day.
by Neilicus on Oct 12, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely Moose's fault?
Take a look at the play. looks like it is thrown slightly behind Moose to me. Here is the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wc5Pm19Njs
The replay show Moose lined up at the far right of the play and the replay shows him reaching back and tipping the ball into the hands of the defender.
by Davejinxer on Oct 12, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If a receiver gets two hands on it
then it needs to be caught. Blaming the QB for an interception on a ball that the receiver bats into the air is unfair. Especially when the receiver gets both hands on it.
Anyway, it looks like Moose may have mistimed his jump anyway. Hard to say, but that INT should go on Muhammad’s stat line, not Jakes.
by Cyberjag on Oct 12, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wasn't going to talk about the INT
considering we did pull the win out…But even the commentator said it was behind and too high. Jake throws to the man, when most good QB’s throw to a spot on the field and allow the receiver to run to the ball. Of course that can’t happen on every throw but I really hate hearing people blame the receiver for int’s when the ball is not dead on and the guy ran the correct rout. Yeah he has to try to pull it in, and yeah he gets paid to catch balls. But come on, is it really his fault if he cant catch a ball that he has to jump and reach behind him for?
by DEEZEY on Oct 12, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Moose mistimed his jump for it, too
I rechecked that one in slow-mo. Moose ran to a spot; the play wasn’t designed to catch him in stride. He found a hole in their zone among three defenders who weren’t within 3 yards of him. He was dead-stopped as the ball was in the air.
Granted it wasn’t on target — would’ve been an easy catch and a nice gain. It was high, and slightly behind the path he took to get there.
However, his leap did result in his getting both hands on it, and it appeared to me as if he jumped too soon, preventing him from holding onto it. DeAngelo Hall, for all his chest-thumping after the runback, was a lucky dude to get the INT, as this one was tapped to him like a set-up on the volleyball court.
Sometimes those tipped passes fall untouched, and nobody thinks a thing about them. Seems, though, that more than a few of Jake’s many INT’s are of this variety.
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Moose doesn't touch it...it falls incomplete
QB takes the negative stat though in all cases
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Because it's makes more sense...
to blame the QB for throwing a poor pass than to blame the receiver for missing a badly thrown ball… But I digress…
by DEEZEY on Oct 13, 2009 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the ball hits a WR in both hands
as a professional WR he should catch it…period. Now if he was hit immediately, crashed to ground hard, etc…and then dropped it then sure, you can’t trash him too much since the ball was behind him. In this case Moose reached back and got both hands on it. It bounced off his hands. The WR should share the fault in this case but the stat will only show QB=INT.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 13, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Catching a ball with two hands behind your head...
is not an easy feat, professional or not. I disagree that the WR should share the blame if the ball is not on target and/or the WR is where he is supposed to be. Anything else has to fall to the QB, because regardless of what the WR does, the ball could have been thrown better. WR are taught to catch whatever comes to them because not every ball is going to be perfect. But it doesn’t mean the QB is exempt when he throws a bad ball. Which is why the stat is the way it is… I’m not saying all this just to bash Jake. Like I said, I think he did pretty good Sunday. Maybe its just my affinity for Wideouts…
by DEEZEY on Oct 14, 2009 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just to clarify:
By your explanation it was Jake’s fault that the INT was thrown against Dallas when Steve Smith failed to run the called route at all?
Passing is based primarily on the notion of timing. To play devil’s advocate we have no way of knowing if Jake’s pass was on time but Moose ran the route faster than intended. To the lay-man in this instance it looks like Jake threw behind Moose, but in reality Moose overran the route.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 14, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let me correct that..
Not sure if I stated my position clearly. I meant that if the WR is in the correct spot and the ball is on target and he drops it or tips to cause an INT then the fault lies on the WR. So, no, Smith was to blame for that INT against Dallas because he gave up on the route. Muhammed had to get in the air and reach back for that particular ball. It didn’t look like he over ran the route to me, but i could be wrong. It also looked to me like he adjusted , which tells me he was expecting the ball elsewhere, like maybe in his chest. Which again, is not an easy thing to do in such a minute span of time. But, again, I could be wrong…And honestly with Jakes history I am more inclined to beleive that it was a bad throw and not incorrect route running on Moose’s part.
by DEEZEY on Oct 14, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m inclined to believe that too. It wasn’t the best throw on earth, but it was a pass that the majority of starting WRs in the league would have caught.
In my mind the difference between a starting WR and your 3rd or 4th guy is the ability to make those catches. Just as it’s the job of all DEs to get penetration, but the starters should be getting to the QB.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 14, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And it doesn't matter where the ball is
I reiterate, if it hits you in BOTH hands, you should catch it. The throw could have been placed better sure, but it was placed well enough that it hit Moose in both hands, and that means he should of caught it.
by Flowing Willow on Oct 15, 2009 3:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There's a difference...
in hitting a guy in the hands and the guy reaching with his hands…Jake didn’t hit anything, Muhammed reached for the ball, again high and behind his head…not an easy catch for any WR in the league. But again, I digress…
by DEEZEY on Oct 15, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
In contrast...
that can obviously be looked at from another perspective. If a ball is thrown behind and high on a receiver, then you cannot blame the receiver for trying to make a play on it either. Put it this way, it could have been thrown better and Moose possibly could have made a better adjustment to make the play. However, it is much easier to put it on Jake since he has the most INT’s in the leauge over 4 games with 8 and is a big reason for the offensive struggles.
by Davejinxer on Oct 12, 2009 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I bet if you ask Moose...
he would say he should have caught it
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I get it, but...
Jake played a decent game—the same game he played against Atlanta and Dallas. He met expectations. The difference is that we finally committed to running the ball and didn’t ask Jake to win the game for us. When that happens, then Jake often comes through anyway and brings it home, just like he did yesterday. But it all starts with a commitment to the run.
Take away the Eagles game and Jake has played well. He’s the most visible member of the offense, and gets all the blame from some people for our losses. But even when we win the same people are finding ways to be critical of him.
That ball was released while Moose was still running to his spot. Moose stopped, and the ball was close enough to put two hands on. In the NFL that should be a catch. This time it wasn’t, and the batted ball was intercepted. Finding ways to blame it in Jake is kind of sad, because he played that exactly how it had to be. Forget the Eagles game and look at his year, and maybe you won’t be so quick to blame the bad on him and deny him credit for the good.
by Cyberjag on Oct 12, 2009 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nobody's denying the good...
He played a good game, I liked the slow -mo bootleg…Just saying you can’t blame Moose for the INT…If he stopped and the ball was still behind him, that ball is really under thrown. The reciever is going to go after it, if he catches it, it’s a great play. Unfortunately he didn’t and tipped to the other team. He’ll take the blame I’m sure, but so would Jake for throwing an off target ball…I don’t take any credit from anyone, hey we won the game…
by DEEZEY on Oct 13, 2009 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I watched the play very closely
The safety Horton was closing in, Jake probably tried to throw it slightly behind him so Horton didn’t cut Moose off from the ball, it did go more behind Muhammad than the QB intended though. No excuses though, two hands on the ball should be a catch, now matter where you are on the field.
by Flowing Willow on Oct 14, 2009 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The O-line hasn’t done much to help him though. Missed blocks, no run game, allowing quick sacks at inopportune times….
The O-line needs to pull its own weight. Jake is responsible for some of his bad plays, but the guy has been under fire on many plays because of shaky play by the O-line.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
by Ivan459 on Oct 12, 2009 7:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Loved Jake's post-game interview
1. He gave credit to Danny Crossman for Teal blocking the Redskin into the return guy
2. He said when he reviews the tape he hopes he “doesn’t look like he is in slow motion”. Sorry Jake, you did!
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
hahahaha
Wowww…you heard it too? I thought I was the only one :)
by boywonderncsu on Oct 12, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you kidding?
Did you see that juke? Ok, did you see that waltz? Whatever it was, Jake stopped Hall dead in his tracks with it. :)
by Cyberjag on Oct 12, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can we call it the Louisiana shuffle?
Why Jake tries to make a play with his legs.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
bah… should be ‘when’ not ‘why’
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was the stiff-arm that did it
Learned that one from watching J-Stew
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Forgot the link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-7Vu7cqB20
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Count me with the Extremely Optimistic...
James, I’m diggin it.
I’ve been looking forward to reading this column after a win. The way I look at it, the NFL season is a 16 week grind, and the ebb & flow can be really unpredictable. Just gotta take one week at a time… and looking at the upcoming game following yesterday’s win has me feeling extremely optimistic. GO PANTHERS!!!
by paydirt16 on Oct 12, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
News on our upcoming opponent (in 2 weeks)
Bills lose both MLB’s for the season
From The Associated Press:
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron says middle linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs will miss the rest of the season because of knee injuries.
They were hurt in a 6-3 loss to Cleveland on Sunday and Jauron says both require surgery.
Mitchell was carried from the field after hurting his right knee early in the second quarter when he was hit by two Browns linemen while trying to make a tackle.
Buggs injured his left leg covering on a punt return late in the third quarter.
Starting middle linebacker Paul Posluszny missed a fourth game with a broken left arm and the game was the second straight without starting safeties Donte Whitner (right thumb) and Bryan Scott (ankle).
The Bills (1-4) play Sunday at the New York Jets (3-1).
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 3:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Bills are struggling worse than we are.
Oh, and I have tickets for this game.
by Scrantsj on Oct 13, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Two things I disgree with
one being that peppers should of gotten credit for the safety. If i remember correctly, didn’t he run by Portis when Davis took Portis down in the endzone?
and two being that both tackles (both 1st rounders which Billick was drilling into everyone’s minds) played awful. maybe I overlooked where the pressure came on Delhomme, but I do remember a lot of Redskin ends coming both Delhomme’s blind side which is where Gross comes in mind.
Bottomline, Gross has been in the league for how long? While Otah has barely a season full of starts under his belt. Gross imo played the worst of any Panther yesterday against the ‘skins. And he soon just the "not worth getting what he’s paid club", you know the one Peppers and Gamble seem to be in every week.
by RaffyGonzo on Oct 12, 2009 4:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
On the safety: Peppers didn’t ‘run past Portis’ he made it past the tackle. When Portis saw that Peppers made it through he tried to cut back inside but Davis was already through for the tackle. If Peppers didn’t get past the tackle then Portis could have run outside and made it out of the endzone. Peppers did effectively cause that play to happen.
On the tackles: I’m not going to absolve anyone from any responsibility based on how long they’ve been in the league. Otah has Pro-Bowl talent, and showed it last season… yesterday he didn’t . Was he as bad as Gross? Probably not… but he still allowed Washington’s mediocre ends to get through the line far too often.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I never saw Otah miss his block yesterday.
He played solid, and if you look at the TD run by J-Stew, it was he (and Keydrick Vincent) who opened the lane wide enough for a Jeep to drive through. I don’t think he got called for any penalties, either. Solid grade by me for Otah.
Gross, however, got beat more than twice for sacks on Jake, including one they didn’t even have to count, as they took a penalty against us instead. On one sack from Gross’ side, Billick said he saw Jake say “My fault,” as if he should’ve stepped up in the pocket — bull — there was no pocket to step up into, as pressure was coming from the front, too. Gross was the weak link in the OL. Period.
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good analysis on the Safety
No matter how they credit the sack, either Peppers (who beat 2 blockers on the play) or the tastefully named Davis (who blitzed untouched) could’ve sacked him individually. They got to Portis simultaneously, taking him high and low. Plus Beason was right in there, too, and may have done the same. It was great effort on the whole defense’s part, and a real momentum swinger.
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Pep blew the RT back 2 yds and cut Portis off
TD then cleaned it up…Beautiful play by both
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh and FB Sellers should get the assist for his ghost block
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
by Jaxon on Oct 12, 2009 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep!
I liked Seller’s crab walk blocking… it allows for safeties.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 12, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Made me mad that Sellers was Pro Bowl fullback last year
I thought Brad Hoover deserved it more — our guy really can lead block in the crowd. We saw how much we missed him when we had to rely on Fiammetta the previous game.
Portis was right to call Sellers out for his phantom blocking.
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It really was. At first I didn’t think Pep did anything on that play, but you’re right, he cut Portis off and left him nowhere to run to other than the arms of TD.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
by Ivan459 on Oct 12, 2009 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
After this week, I am firmly convinced that this offense is the reason why we are 1-3. That may sound dumb, but I think I finally can see the light for this D. The guys on D have played relatively well in 4 games. I can’t blame them for the losses because they kept us in the last three games.
Davidson is a crappy play caller. James is absolutely correct on the fact that the guy continuously ran the ball at the middle of the line at Haynesworth….. ???
Why?
The offense needs to fix itself if this team wants to make a push this season. The D can’t win games for us, just keep us in them. Another thing: Why does this team suck at converting third downs? Granted we got the most important on the real last play of the game (great run by Delhomme there by the way), but the still need to find a way to convert those. It is hurting the entire team.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
by Ivan459 on Oct 12, 2009 5:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
the play calling on first and second down leaves us
in unmanagable third downs ( 3 and 6 or longer)
by carolinabrave89 on Oct 12, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The 4 runs up the middle that failed...
…should’ve shown some imagination. On any of those goal line plunges, the way was wide open for a play action fake, and a bootleg to the right.
Maybe this was discovered after the fact, though, resulting in the surprise naked bootleg by Jake in the 4th quarter. ??
by bigdavis on Oct 12, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree completely. Whoever is calling and creating the plays (I’m guessing just Davidson, but I am probably wrong), needs to be more creative. Like you said, running the ball up the gut 4 times against Haynesworth and Co. is just stupid. A little wrinkle here and ther and help immensely.
That is partly what is killing this team offensively. They are calling simple plays and nothing that can cause the other team to rethink the D strategy.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
by Ivan459 on Oct 12, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't blame the coaches for that goalline stuff
Four runs from the four with our personnel, most of the time that matchup goes our way. If it had been me I would have called a bootleg pass to the TE or FB, but I can’t blame the coaches for something I quite possibly would have called myself.
by Flowing Willow on Oct 13, 2009 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think they need to fire the OC for the goal line drive.
he should have called a quarterback sneak, Matt Ryan runs it on us all the tim on 4&1 and we could try it on 2&goal at the 2 yard line. I don’t care if the quarterback breaks him arm on it, he better get that ball to the end zone.
by panthertillidrop on Oct 13, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Statistically in those situations Hoover has been absolute money.
It just went against us. I can’t say I wouldn’t have called the play the same way on 4th down, because running Jake on a QB sneak at Albert Haynesworth is suicide.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James The Aussie on Oct 13, 2009 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haynesworth is not a super villain or a death machine.
He doesn’t have laser vision and he’s not some Michael Bay-concocted beast with whirling saw blades protruding from his body. He’s fast and strong, sure. So you can’t pull your left guard and run power to the right because he will eat up that single block by the center all day. So you pull your right guard and run power directly at him with a double-team, which is what they did, and it worked in so far as Haynesworth only had two tackles all game. But what really was a problem was that LaRon Landry filled really well (led the team in tackles) and their RDE Andre Carter out-played Jordan Gross and racked up tackles too.
My point is this: running that FB dive to the right is exactly the right call. Our big uglies up front simply didn’t get the push they needed to get. They were about 6 inches away, but it wasn’t enough. Still, that close to the goal, the worst that can happen is you put Washington’s offense on the 1 yard line, and we saw what happened there.
by r3 on Oct 13, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really, there isn't nothing we could have done against that Goal Line drive.
When you’re in a 4th and one situation and your O-Line is getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage, what else can you do?
If I was a head coach and I was in the same situation, I would have called the same exact play. Jake Delhomme is not a Peyton Manning, and no way am I going to trust the ball to him. I’m either going to give it to my FB or my RB, and it just didn’t turn out the way it should have done.
"Once again the trousers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
by Revshawn on Oct 13, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yet another thing the Colts used to do with Manning
They’d roll him out on a bootleg, problem is if we did that then it’s not so effective later in the game.
by Flowing Willow on Oct 14, 2009 7:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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