It looks like Jason Sehorn has been reading the news lately and determined the Panthers are not committed to winning.
Inside the Panthers: Fox-guy Sehorn rips Panthers
"My opinion of that team right now's not very high," Sehorn said during an interview conducted as part of a promotional tour. "When I look at that team and that organization the way they've been run last two years, I don't see a team that's serious about winning. ... "Right now, the Panthers don't look like a team that wants to make the commitment to win."
So who's been running the Panthers? Not the Head Coach is what he is suggesting. So did he hear that from Fox? Why am I even talking about Jason SePorn?
So it looks like an 18 game season is a certainty...
Lead NFL negotiator: 18-game season key to talks - ESPN
"I would guess that there will be some inclination towards a longer-term deal rather than a shorter deal, but that all depends on what the deal looks like because obviously the longer out you go, the more risk both sides are taking, and I think it wouldn't be good for either side to feel three or four years down the road that it was really aggrieved," Pash said. "And that's a big part of the problem right now: The clubs really feel as though the deal that was made in 2006 was one-sided."
What an awesome negotiating tactic...display mock outrage at how you allowed yourself to get duped in the last deal! I should use that when I go to negotiate a new mortgage.
This Fox explanation made me laugh:
Foxhole: LB Williams gets opportunity
On why other teams' tight ends have had success against the Panthers' defense:Fox: A lot of times I've been places where people make a lot out of that. There are certain people that have tight ends that are gifted players. Like any player, whether it's a running back, quarterback or wide out, they find ways. We're going to see another one this week in Tony Gonzalez. We've just run through a string of tight ends that are pretty good, and they try to get them the ball.
One of the TE's he is referring to was a rookie who had never scored a TD.
If Matt Ryan is the measure, then Clausen should be about ready to turn it on:
Clausen's rookie season contrasts with Ryan's
Ryan said it took "four, five and six games" as a rookie starter to get comfortable. "Your routine starts to kick in and you feel settled in your preparation and those types of things," Ryan said. "When you start to get those things under control, I think that allows you to go out there and play more efficiently."
Clausen is 0-6 so its time!
This is one factor that hasn't helped Clausen's cause (say that fast five times!):
Best, worst hands in the NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
A couple of very big names in the NFC South also are pretty high on the list. Carolina receiver Steve Smith and Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez each have six drops. Carolina rookie Brandon LaFell and New Orleans veteran Marques Colston each have five. We won’t run through the list of individual guys with less than five drops because it’s too lengthy. However, let’s take a look at drops by team in the division. Carolina leads with 26 and that ranks fifth in the league.
Fifth in drops in the league with 26? Just 'Wow'...
This question has already been asked on CSR and Pat Y confirms our thoughts:
Carolina Panthers mailbag - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Mike in Goldsboro, NC, writes: I have a question about the Panthers' future coaching vacancy. Do you see Josh McDaniels as a potential candidate? After all, he is an offensive-minded coach who had great success in New England. His teams in Denver weren't always very talented, but they seemed to be well-coached (take his 6-0 start for example). And being a young, relatively unproven head coach, he would not command a huge salary like those of Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden. So, do you see Josh McDaniels being hired in Carolina? Pat Yasinskas: Nope. McDaniels’ run in Denver was far from impressive and questions about his maturity surfaced. He’ll have to redeem himself as a coordinator before getting another shot at as a head coach.
But as an OC in Carolina? The thought is intriguing but he just doesn't seem like JR's type.