Eagles Demolish Panthers 38-10
by Jaxon on Sep 13, 2009 8:48 PM EDT
Email
PrintI really just want to go to bed and hope tomorrow comes and I have forgotten this debacle of a start. I would never have imagined that the Panthers would play worse then the infamous playoff meltdown last January but they did. They scored fewer points and committed more turnovers, a whopping 7 turnovers. Throw in giving up a punt return for a TD and you have fan base in disbelief. Well not everyone is in disbelief.
The Jake Haters are sure to be very vocal this week and I have to admit I'm starting to listen. Delhomme has now thrown 9 INT's in his last two games. How bad would he have to play next weekend against the Falcons to lose his job? Would only 3 INT's be good day for him? Nothing short of a win in Atlanta would set off panic in Charlotte and for good reason.
More ranting after the jump...
Though I think Delhomme started the downhill slide he wasn't alone in his miserable play. The offensive line struggled, the kick coverage sucked out loud and the defense couldn't contain the scrambling McNabb. How can an offense open with a 9 minute drive for a TD and then get completely shut down from there? How can very other team hit the check down guy under pressure yet we can not?
One flaw in Delhomme's game that became very apparent in this game is his lack of mobility. Jake rarely moves around in the pocket making him a sitting duck. Pass rushers are running to a spot on the field and he is usually there. He did have one nice scramble in the 1st quarter but then he turned into a statue. Eagles DE Trent Cole was just eating up our pass protection by moving around into different spots and the Panthers seemed unable to take advantage of the what the Eagles were giving them.
I also have big concerns about the game planning from the offense. When I see pressure like what the Eagles are bringing I'm looking for the short passes to the flat or over the middle in the space vacated by the rushers. Either the Panthers didn't plan for it or Delhomme couldn't execute it. Either way were are screwed if this is what we are in store for week after week.
There was open bright spot and that was the play of RB DeAngelo Williams. Kudos to LB Jon Beason for a nice INT and good pursuit at times and overall I can't hang too much on the defense. They got no help from the offense after the 1st quarter and the punt return put the Eagles up by two scores.
We will have more in-depth looks at what went wrong in this game but lets go ahead and use this post to get our rants out!
66 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Its time for a change & I dont want to hear it was just one game. Its been six now; that horrible Arz game, 4 winless preseason games, & now this dibacle. Fox has got to go & when he does his adopted son will follow but I doubt Richardson has the guts to do that. Delhomme has more than one flaw(tunnel vision, horrible decision making, two left feet, bad throwing mechanics) all teams have to do is put 8 in the box & double Smith. Game over. No innovation from Fox, no motivation, just its a bad day to have a bad day I guess. lol. I cringe to think what the Atlanta score is going to be next week…..ouch. Oh, & for a guy who didnt even want to play for this team(Peppers) , man did he show up. My hats off to the defense whom has been getting slack all preseaso(T.Davis 15 plus tackles!!!!!!) Jake, get it together man!!!!
"it's a bad day to have a bad day"
I didn't think the defense looked that bad
Philly only had one drive for a TD. The rest Jake gave I mean we gave to them. Take away the points off of turnovers and we win 17-14.
I think they have to try to salvage this season and make a QB move now. Even if Jake throws 15 TDs next week… every game we will be on edge when we throws. And when he does throw an INT, or two, or four, the whole team will immediately be zapped of all confidence. I know he’s a great leader, but you can’t tell me they haven’t begun to lose confidence in him.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
umm what
I do think the panthers had some good stuff on defense, but where do u figure u win 17-14 when u only got 10pts help me, if u said 10-7 I could hear that argument, but alas a loss is a loss
I'm not sure how, in my confused and bitter head, I tacked on an extra TD
In that case… Give us back the illegal block in the back that resulted in a Philly special teams TD… And we win 7-14. Ok I’m stretching now, let’s forget it.
Bottom line, the defense only really allowed one TD drive. Beason, T Davis, Pep all looked really good. They were on the field a lot, playing in a game that was obvious we would lose… and they never let up.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Sep 13, 2009 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
D wasn't that bad.....
But was put in horrible positions by the turnovers…. AND looking at the replay last night on TV that WAS a block in the back on the put return TD
Let's take a deep breath guys.
Regardless of how horrible he did today, and my did he ever do horrible, Jake Delhomme is STILL the best QB on our roster. That’s not a good thing to say. The coaching staff has blindly tied all faith to him. They have not provided any competition for him in training camp through FA for the Draft, and they signed Jake to a large 6 year contract that will provide a strain on the salary cap for years to come.
Yet irregardless of how bad he did, and how many interceptions he threw, he is still the best QB we have on our roster. It’s sad to say, but it’s true.
Just like the Arizona game, I would lay the blame of this game directly on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Someone needs to step up and be a leader of this team on offense, and if it isn’t someone on the roster than it needs to be someone on the sidelines. Well coached teams do not collapse, roll over, and die when times get rough.
Jon Beason is a leader on the side of our defense, but I’m beginning to doubt at exactly how much of an ‘unquestioned leader’ Jake Delhomme is. After the 1st drive where the Panthers did exactly what they wanted to do to the Eagles, they imploded. They imploded quickly.
Someone needs to huddle the guys up and say “Alright guys, we screwed up. But we’re going to get back. We need to do this, and this.” Someone needs to step up and be a leader on this offense. If they do not, this implosion is destined to happen again the instant they get rattled.
Going into next week, we should keep Jake Delhomme on a very short leash. If he starts to throw INT’s again, you need to throw someone else in the game. Don’t wait till the game is out of reach in order to give garbage time to a QB whose offense is not playing to win the game.
We need to depend HEAVILY on the run these upcoming weeks. Sure we’re going to get eight in the box, but it doesn’t matter. We need to put our elite RB core to work and give Williams the ball again, and again, and again. Every time Jake has the ball is a disaster waiting to happen. We need to shorten the amount of time he has the ball at all times, and give our running game a chance to win games.
That’s really all I have to say. We’re 0-1 guys. This loss is not the end of the world. Not yet.
"Once again the trowsers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
Jake might be the best QB on the roster (i doubt it though)
Thats why we need to sign Jeff Garcia ASAP!!!
I’ve looked at Jake’s reasonably good numbers for years and given him every benefit of the doubt. IT IS TIME FOR JAKE DELHOMME TO GO. (Period).
Sit Delhomme on the bench. I don’t care who plays for him. But do not play Jake Delhomme. He has single handedly ( him & the OC) ruined last season and the the start of this one. Why do they keep throwing the ball anyway? Just run it every time and at least Jake can’t give the ball away. I’d rather have the ball in the hands of Williams, Stewart, Goodson, or (insert any other player past, present, or future here)everytime, than see Jake Delhomme take another snap as the Panther’s QB.
Seriously. Stick a fork in him.
Jeff Garcia is not the answer....
Seriously, you want to bring in a QB who is not familiar with the offense and risk fracturing an already shaky psyche of this team? No way. Garcia is NOT the answer. The Panthers need a long term solution at QB and that person is not even in the NFL yet IMHO.
You can't shake the psyche anymore
At this point Im afraid the ONLY way to get any kind of confidence back is to make a QB change. Garcia doesn’t have to know the offense inside out. He simply has to make a dink and dunk passes, PROTECT THE BALL, and let our running game do the rest! Plus, Garcia is very mobile, he’d be great medicine for weak pass protection.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Sep 14, 2009 7:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
They need to scrap the conservation game planning
Just read the recap on Panthers.com and many parts of it piss me off. Like this:
“That’s what they (the Eagles) do,” Delhomme said. “We knew they were going to bring pressure … We need to respond to that. If you think there was a lot of pressure this week and we didn’t do too well with it, we are going to see a lot of it next week.”
“They’re a pressure defense, so it’s not that we weren’t expecting it. They just hit us on some things to which we weren’t able to adjust,” said fullback Brad Hoover. “They got us and bit us.”
So its not that we didn’t expect pressure we just didn’t adjust to it!!!! Why the frick not! Must be nice to have a coach that can adjust mid game or might have a plan B if something doesn’t work. I’m more pissed at the coaching than the players. When was the last time we felt like we out-coached a team rather than beat them with our talent?
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
I think the conservative game plan could have worked yesterday
If we just had a QB that could protect the ball. I know there are other issues, with the line, coaching, etc. but we can compensate for that with all the talent we have. The only thing we can’t compensate for, is the one guy who touches the ball every snap, putting it on the turf.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Conservative is nice
but what we needed was a guy that could complete passes over the middle to stop them from blitzing (which would also open up the running game).
Of course, when they’re constantly surrounding Smitty, because everyone knows Delhomme will look to him 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and after Moose we have a bunch of guys who aren’t very good, that doesn’t help.
We need to change the offense up a bit.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
+1 Look for a lot more blitzing...
If they can’t adjust to some blitzing, it is the coaches fault! Where were the screens(1?), passes to the tight end, quick slot passes? The offense is predictable! We have much more talent than just Smitty. Make them pay for doubling him by hitting the single covered guy. Where was K.Moore? The first drive would have ended in a field goal if it weren’t for penalty. ANEMIC OFFENSE! I sure didn’t see that coming, but kind of reminds me of some games where the other team seemed to know our every step.
J. Sullivan
by pantherpackcaniac on Sep 14, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
That was the problem with the old OC
so we went and got Davidson.
Sadly, it doesn’t seem like anything has changed.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
Agreed
I’ve been thinking about it, and I think most of the blame goes on the coaches.
Sure, they don’t play the game… but they seem to make no adjustments at all.
Same thing happened against ’Zona last year.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
IMHO your commentary sums it up perfectly....
The coaching staff has to put its players in the best position to succeed given the abilities and limitations of its players. And with this team that obviously means committ to the run, shorten the pass routes, try to control the clock and hope the defense can come up with some big plays and get us field position.
I do want to add, after watching alot of postgame analysis here in Philly, the Panthers O-Line in many cases had little chance in pass protection. The Eagles were consistently bringing 6 guys on the pass rush, stunting the Defensive lineman to open holes for a blizting linebacker or DE Cole who who would pull back behind the line of scrimmage and rush through the vacated area. The Panthers offensive coaches failed to make any adjustments to try to stop that. Im not trying to give the O-line a pass, because I do agree, overall their play left alot to be desired. Especially dissapointed they couldn’t muster up the heart to punch it in during the last goal line sequence. At least the Panther defense never quit yesterday.
I personally am glad the Panthers are on the road this week. Maybe the change scenery will get the boogeyman out of this team’s head.
Differences in the Eagles D
What the Eagles did moving Trent Cole around and effectively rushing him up the middle is something I can’t say as though I’ve seen them do before. It seems to be a wrinkle that the new defensive coordinator put in. The Panthers would have had no way of being prepared for that.
Generally, I thought the pressure up the middle all day is what really turned the tide.
So after the playoffs I said bad game what ever the Cards played in the SB. This preseason I said its just the preseason. But today John Fox told us something I didn’t want to hear “Jake Delhomme is a hack”. Unquestioned starter means that you don’t get benched, it means that you play the game no matter how badly you play that your coaches believe that you can pull out a win no matter how dire. Jake Delhomme is no longer the unquestioned starter. Carolina is one of the better teams in the league, but this drop the running game after the first series because they know its coming now bit is starting to piss me off. We have the best running back tandem in the league and we let Jake throw interception after interception.
And I have been very optimistic before now, thought we stood go to 10-6 win the division, beat down the critics, and that Jake really was a decent QB. Now…
I've ranted in enough topics today.
I’m disgusted and ashamed to be part of the Panther fanbase today, and it’s not because of today’s game.
I guess i’ll see some people again when we’re back in the playoffs… after all, that’s when most fans show up.
I’ll leave with my food for thought:
Week 1, 2003. Buffalo at New England (Buffalo wins 31-0)
Tom Brady: 14 for 28. 123 yards. 0 TD, 4 INT. Rating: 25.8
New England beats Carolina in the Superbowl the same year.
Nice way to bring it back down to Earth James
Nothing wrong with repeating the final 15 regular season games of 2003
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Thanks Jaxon
The Panthers have alot to answer for this week… all of the Panthers… and that ‘pressure defense’ line is a pathetic attempt at a fleece job.
Our OC is a former offensive line coach… I don’t understand why no adjustments were made, or more plays allowed for Hoover and King to drop back into pass protection and give Jake some more time.
+1
I agree – I’m not sure why there were virtually no adjustments to help with the Eagles pressure D. I mean, yes – with their D-lineman stunting and showing exotic blitzes, it can be confusing. But still – there are a multitude of teams than can adjust on the fly for that sort of thing. Throwing short passes out on the flats, running sweeps on the outter edge – or heck run the ball down their throats. Where were the quick throws over the middle to our TEs??
To me, after the first possession, we were absolutely flat and lackluster on offense. I was completely flabbergasted by the offensive playcalling. The defense, though, did better than I expected. What an odd turn of events, no? We were really high on our offense but questionable with our defense. Yet, they’re the only ones that looked like they never quit.
All in all though, its only 1 loss and we have 15 more games in the regular season. Our team has just got to shrug this one off – work hard this week and prepare for ATL. To all the chicken littles out there – RELAX! Get off the lifeboats as the ship isn’t sinking yet. We must rally behind our team regardless of how well or poorly they play. That’s what being a true fan is all about. Ride the wave…be it trough or crest :)
by boywonderncsu on Sep 14, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
James, after bickering with you the past month
I can honestly say that this was the most encouraging thing I have read since the 09 playoffs. We all know Fox will start Jake against ATL. The only thing we can do is hope for some kind of awakening.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I think we need to keep the faith.
The O-line can play LIGHT YEARS better, the RBs can make the runs, Jake can make the throws. All our guys can make the plays… they just need to step up.
50% of the league is 0-1 right now. Other than that, scores mean nothing. I believe we are a playoff team and thankfully yesterday’s loss didn’t come against a division rival. They can right the ship… I believe they will right the ship and last Sunday will be something we can laugh about when we’re 3-1 and heading into the bye week.
by James Dator on Sep 14, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I will never laugh about yesterday
EVER!!!!!!
by Flowing Willow on Sep 14, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, maybe not laugh at the game itself...
but at least laugh about the ‘spirited’ discussion on both sides.
by James Dator on Sep 14, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I will laugh once we are in the playoffs
Which at this point means, chances are, I won’t be laughing
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Sep 14, 2009 12:06 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Here's positive spin
the Eagles could go 4-0 against the NFC South making this loss a moot point.
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Awakening
from Jake would be nice, yes.
Awakening from the coaches would be so much nicer though.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
It’s understandable that people are bitter against Delhomme at the moment.. After all, he hasn’t given us anything to be proud of this entire year… and what a long year it has already been.. However attempting to toss him off ship 1 week into the season is a bit extreme.. I was just as angry as everyone else after the 5th turnover… Sadly it didn’t stop there… Though, football is just one of those things that are so unpredictable. The 49’ers ended last season 7-9, and started this one by defeating Super Bowl participants Arizona (49’ers, my sleeper team btw).
I’m glad the game is over, and I’m looking forward to improving next week. Not sending our franchise into shambles by dropping everyone that had a bad game… Which was, um, our whole offense.
I do agree it wasn’t Delhomme’s fault entirely. Sure he made the decision to make those passes, but there are so many factors that could have went into those decisions. If it were only Delhomme, I’m sure Williams or Stewart would have had slightly more than 30+ yards a piece… When everyone behind the line is having problems, that should speak for itself.
If Delhomme continues to play badly, we should look into replacing him. Until them, we need to ride it out. Super Bowl teams are only developed over night by dropping players and signing free agents to replace them in Madden.
from peter king
Goat of the Week
Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina. He needs to be careful or he’s going to retire this award. Five months after signing a new contract extension with $20 million in guarantees, Delhomme had his second straight meltdown at home for Carolina, completing seven of 17 throws for 73 yards, with no touchdowns and four picks. Yikes. History repeats last year’s NFC playoffs.
Stat of the Week
In his last 22 series as quarterback for the Panthers, Delhomme has thrown nine interceptions and lost two fumbles, an amazing streak of incompetence.
In 2008, three quarterbacks played complete seasons and turned it over less that Delhomme has done in the last seven quarters: Jason Campbell (553 combined passes-rushes) seven turnovers, Kerry Collins (440) eight, and Chad Pennington (506) eight.
Fail
Peter King is a moron… whether the Panthers are 12-4, 0-1, 7-9… it matters not.
Peter King is an idiot.
by James Dator on Sep 14, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Kings a Panther hater
I will agree with you about P King, nothing he wrote last year about the Panthers had any positive direction about it. Someone posted earlier the Delhomme is our best QB, well I don’t agree with that. I believe if we gave Moore as many reps with the first line we would get a better results over the long run. He’s mobile, sees the field better, has good leadership skills and has a stronger and more accurate arm. Delhomme has had a masive amount of luck in his career and at least a couple excellent recievers( Smith and Moose) to make him look better than he really is.
I regrettably have to agree with your assessment.
If Moore doesn’t get his chance next week, it’ll only be because Jake has turned it around.
I’d guess that with McCown down, Moore will get plenty of reps with the first team in practice.
Either way — and this is actually a good thing to say — we can’t look any worse.
I don't like Peter King.
I may have to make him my Bonehead of the Week out of spite.
"Once again the trowsers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
Now it's all about PRIDE
Have we got any?
I would say that — after watching the game twice (horrible experience; rather be at the dentist!), I can only see that Thomas Davis can hold his head high — and to a lesser extent Julius Peppers, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Captain Munnerlyn, and Jason Baker all gave it a good effort.
Everybody else (including Beason, who really only played one play) needs to look in the mirror hard and do a gut check — especially the coaching staff.
I’ve many times seen teams — with far less talent than the Panthers — bounce back with a total turnaround. But it doesn’t come unless they’ve got PRIDE.
Baker was amazing
- in the NFL in avg punt.
by James Dator on Sep 14, 2009 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
A little too amazing...
As the extra distance brought a pair of touchbacks and he arguably outkicked his coverage on the one that was returned for a TD.
T-Davis...
was absolutely getting things done on defense yesterday. I don’t know if it’s Meeks’ system or not, but he looked really fast at closing distances.
by boywonderncsu on Sep 14, 2009 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
MAybe Jake needs to invite the WR's down to his horse farm?
I’m astounded that a returning QB and WR corp would be that out of sync on timing. Moose is just not as fast as Jake was throwing. The INT that Steve Smith tried to reach back on was another example.
I do remember a lot of blitz pickups by RB’s, but there were times that Jake just got swarmed. Anyone think that maybe the Panthers should have shifted to a 5-wide setup? If sending two out in the pattern wasn’t working, maybe cutting down on the number of rushers might work?
by panthersnbraves on Sep 14, 2009 10:41 AM EDT reply actions
Problem with going 5 wide though is that you only have the O-line to block… no help from any other positions.
Even if they came out in a nickel or dime one blitzing LB would have still gotten through. If anything, they needed to go to a double TE set and add some blockers.
by James Dator on Sep 14, 2009 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
5 WRs though
it does give you a couple more guys that can run a quick route.
It’s not ideal, but if the normal sets aren’t working, you either try that (if they cover all 5 guys, that leaves 5 blockers v. 6 blitzers, which is better than 7 or 8 guys rushing in) or you keep a couple TEs and only send 2 or 3 guys out… but then they can double each guy if they don’t blitz.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
Completely minor thought
I kept seeing players fall/slide. Hoover fell on one of the goal line rushes (worked out) and Goodson slid on a return. Anyone else come away with that impression?
The crew maintains that field all year long, How can they have issues at the first game?
by panthersnbraves on Sep 14, 2009 10:44 AM EDT reply actions
wow!!
I’m surprised lots of u still have faith in Delhomme..I personally don’t have any faith in him simply b/c he cant throw the ball for shit..either hes overthrowing the receiver or under throwing it and hes been doing this for years now..smitty or other receiver just always makes him look good..
Also what are everyone’s thoughts of possibly picking up John David Booty or Brain Brohm of the practice squad and grooming them for future..
OR may be trading Vikings late round pick for Sage Rosenfel..
i agree
i completely agree. at some point in time you gotta fire the guy. so what if jake turns it around and throws for 200 yards and 2 tds (that’s a big game for him), then what, we say he’s back and everything is fine. give me a break. i wish the jake lovers would just look at the tape of his last two games and analyze that. don’t tell me about 2003. it doesn’t matter, and he did complete less than 50% of his passes in the superbowl. i’m not blaming everything on him, but be honest, no other qb would have played as bad…not brohm, josh johnson, jeff garcia, booty, t. jackson. and to do it two games in a row is unheard of. all i’m saying is that when you look at whether jake should be our qb or not, look at the facts…11 turnovers in 22 series. that is not something peterking made up. you can’t make that up. it’s the truth. so now when he only comits two turnovers in a win, we’ll say he’s back and he’s a winner. give me a break. jay23 is right.
by usana_gaines on Sep 14, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I say go after T-Jax from the Vikes. I’m sorry but I’m through with Jake. I’ve been in denial for awhile now but I can’t keep making him into what he isn’t. I believe in this team however, I believe they will find a way to win inspite of Jake. There is a lot of heart on this roster and heart is what wins games.
Davis, JP & to some extend Leonard had a great game and played w/heart until the last second. I feel good about D-Wil & J-Stew. Our receiving corps is better than they look. Jake makes them look bad (they used to make him look good).
I’d like to see Moore get the start next week. He’ll make some mistakes but maybe he’ll bring a bit of fire to the offense. Kind of like how Jake did in ’03. We need to start looking for our future QB now.
T-Jax?
I’m not the biggest Jake supporter (michael procton & james the aussie will confirm that for you), but there is no way T-Jax is a better option.
Yes, he can run around, but he’s less accurate than Jake and would probably throw more interceptions too. Plus, he’s the back-up to Favre, who has said he probably won’t be able to play all 16 games. It’s more likely they’re willing to trade Rosenfels.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
Even if Jake musters up a win against ATL
It won’t matter. Everyone has lost confidence in him. He is a ticking time bomb. Everyone of us knows this will eventually happen again. We have seen it too many times… rattle him consistently and he will turn the ball over. That’s who he is, and every DC now knows it. Any level headed person knows there is no turning this around with Jake behind center.
There is just no other honest answer.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Sep 14, 2009 12:16 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
more writers who will be labeled carolina haters.
from jerome bettis:
1. Someone needs to lose their job in Carolina. I was in Las Vegas for an event last weekend, and on Sunday I went to the best possible place to catch every game: a sportsbook. And of the nine games playing across those big screens early in the day, I couldn’t keep my eye off of one thing: Jake Delhomme. I saw a quarterback who should not be starting on any NFL team. The way he’s played his past two games — five interceptions against the Cardinals in the playoffs; four yesterday against the Eagles — I have to think this guy is just done. Toast. And if Jake Delhomme is done, John Fox is going to get fired.
Fox saw that playoff game last year firsthand. He had an entire offseason to evaluate his passers. And he didn’t take the necessary steps to ensure the franchise’s success down the line. Whether it was a free agent — Matt Cassell, Sage Rosenfels, Michael Vick — or even a rookie in the draft, he didn’t demand a quarterback to challenge Delhomme.
Instead, the Panthers gave Delhomme a five-year contract extension, and now they don’t have anyone else who can compete for the position. Fox went through the whole darn depth chart yesterday and didn’t see a positive thing from anyone.
To me, that all goes on the coach. Coaches live and die by their quarterbacks, and Fox is riding Jake Delhomme to his grave. If he wants to save his job, he ought to be looking for options, whether it be a veteran who got released in the preseason or someone in a trade. Maybe it’s time to call Minnesota about one of its backups.
Look at the Panthers’ schedule. They have the Cowboys, Redskins and Buccaneers coming up: three losable games. If they go 0-4, I would fire John Fox. He’s stuck with Jake Delhomme, who has repeatedly shown that he’s not an elite quarterback. He’s provided himself no alternatives. Without a huge turnaround, I think this is the end of the road for John Fox.
from foxy himself:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jake Delhomme is still Carolina’s starter — even after 11 turnovers in two games.
Coach John Fox defended his beleaguered quarterback Monday, a day after he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in the Panthers’ 38-10 loss to Philadelphia.
Pressured all game and making poor throws and decisions, Delhomme nearly matched his six-turnover performance in Carolina’s blowout playoff loss in January. Fox pulled Delhomme after he threw consecutive interceptions in the third quarter Sunday.
But Fox said Delhomme’s role “hasn’t changed.” He compared Delhomme to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer because they don’t win every tournament.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/09/14/delhomme.ap/index.html#ixzz0R6dnUuAw
ARE YOU SERIOUS. JAKE IS LIKE ROGER FEDERER AND TIGER WOODS? GIVE ME A BREAK.
FROM DON BANKS:
• Jake Delhomme may be done in Carolina. I mean toast. Finito. It’s going to take all the faith John Fox can muster to stand behind his beleaguered starting QB this time, recent contract extension or not. After months of telling everyone that Delhomme’s five-turnover meltdown in the Panthers’ home playoff loss against Arizona last January was an aberration, not the rule, Delhomme went out on that same field and turned the ball over five more times (four interceptions and a fumble lost) in an uglier-than-it-sounds 38-10 loss to the visiting Eagles.
Fox benched Delhomme in the second half, after his fifth turnover, and you wonder how the Panthers head coach can possibly run him out there again. I know this much: It’s a lucky break for Delhomme that Carolina faces two road games (at Atlanta, at Dallas) and a Week 4 bye before returning to Bank of America Stadium in Week 5 against Washington. Maybe some of the stench of the Panthers’ opener and Delhomme’s latest debacle will have faded by then.
since i agree with all these guys, i guess we all watched a different game than the jake defenders.
next year, bill cowher and tim tebow.
thanks usana_gaines
that is pretty definitive. There is just no reasonable way to defend Jake Delhomme or promote him as a viable starting QB in the NFL.
Like Bettis said; What other NFL team would start a QB that has 11 turnovers in his last 7 quarters of football?
San Francisco would
Kansas City would (until Cassell is back)
Cleveland would
Jacksonville would
These are teams who need a winner behind center… and like Jake or not, he’s a winner.
I don't think
Cleveland or Jacksonville would.
Quinn/Anderson are their guys this year, until Mangini can get “his guy” in the draft (or via FA) this off-season.
Jacksonville… I don’t know. They have a ton invested in Garrard.
SF I agree with, and KC was the first one that came to mind (I mean… Brodie Croyle!?)
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
We don't have a better option on the roster right now
(with or without Feeley).
But comparing him to Woods/Federer is just dumb.
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
wow, Bettis makes a pretty compelling case
for firing Fox if Delhomme does continue to tank
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
If they go 0-4
what’s he talking about? Don’t we play the Falcons next?
True Blue Jazz
I'm on Twitter
RIP Nick Adenhart. 4/9/09
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Cat Scratch Reader
Related FanShots on Cat Scratch Reader
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
