Carolina Panthers’ Monday Morning Optimist (Friday Edition) 8/13/10
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 9:19 AM EDT
in Panthers Game Recaps
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PrintGood morning Panther faithful and welcome to the first ‘optimist' post of 2010. If you unfamiliar with this series, each week after a game (usually Monday mornings) I write about not only who impressed from the previous game, but how they looked in terms of the future of the Carolina Panthers.
Last night's game v. Baltimore was a strange one. Both teams played out of character knowing that they would see each other when the game counts. Neither the Panthers nor the Ravens showed the dominant ground games we're accustomed to seeing, while on defense we didn't see any exotic blitz packages or stunts from either team. It was definitely a game where the sides were just feeling each other out, and from a coaching perspective I think they both only gave Thursday's game about 50%.
I would be remiss if I didn't spend a good potion of today talking about Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen. I was in two minds whether I needed to spend the time, but ultimately we're looking at the biggest story regarding the Panthers right now, and last night's game definitely didn't silence the discussions about competition, it amplified it. So won't you join me as we talk about the quarterbacks and the rest of the Panthers...
After the jump
Let start by saying that the starting QB position is Matt Moore's to lose. All last night did was give credence and a foundation to build an argument that there should be an open competition. Nine series do not a QB make, and even though Clausen was very impressive it's still very, very early to make any argument for Clausen to start over Moore; that being said, I understand why the rumblings will be there.
I want to urge people that throughout this process that we all remain consistent with our tone just to make it easier to form solid ground to base an argument off. What I mean by this is that I don't really consider it fair to chastise the organization for sticking with Jake Delhomme out of loyalty, whilst also advocating Matt Moore get the job outright due to him ‘waiting for his time'. Similarly, I would suggest to those writing off Clausen's performance last night to consider if they've ever said ‘Moore didn't look good in the preseason because he had to work with the backups' while also saying ‘Clausen only looked good because he worked against backups'. I think consistency of tone is extremely important.
I am a huge proponent and fan of John Fox and Marty Hurney, but their biggest sin has been having too much loyalty to their players are not enough loyalty to the organization. They have always been willing to give a guy a second, third and sometimes forth chance especially when said player has performed for them in the past. I believe that now Fox and Hurney need to be more clinical when dealing with their roster. The stars are aligning for the Summer of tough decisions to become a season of ones. The Panthers need to be a little less like the Carolina Panthers and a little more like the New England Patriots in dealing with their roster. Big strides were made during the offseason, but no longer can a guy get a roster spot based on what they did last year- they have to look at the best player for the 2010 Panthers. The team is still in flux (no, I wont use that buzz word ‘rebuilding') and the more moves that are solidified now the better the organization's future will be.
Matt Moore didn't do much wrong last night, but he didn't really do anything impressive either. I would love to pick his brain and try and understand how someone can look like Peyton Manning when the games count and look so underwhelming in the preseason. I know the offensive line was rough, I know he was playing against a stout defense- but we still saw some of the classic Matt Moore preseason mistakes. He overthrew receivers, didn't recognize the defense very well, and didn't call audibles he probably should have. The saving grace in all this is that Matt Moore has never looked good in the preseason, which is why he was buried at 3rd for so long, but the promise that he will be ‘good to go' when live bullets fly is only going to last so long; particularly when someone behind him is playing well.
After reading through the open thread comments and breaking down the film a fairly common theme I saw emerging both at CSR and from some other sites was ‘What did Clausen do to look so special?'. It's tough to quantify for someone relying on the box score to tell the tale, or someone who saw the surface level of his performance. What I saw from Jimmy Clausen was a player who did not look like a rookie QB walking into his first NFL huddle, he looked like a 5 year pro. For comparison I went back and looked at some footage of Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford late in the 2009 season and for Clausen's 9 series he looked more comfortable at the line of scrimmage than either of those QBs did in December. The young QB entered the huddle and began immediately to identify blitzers to his OL, call out audibles and hot routes and generally look like a field general. This is that time where his confidence translates into something tangible on the field. He has an INT on his record that was undeserved, a TD that should probably be there and several other passes where he missed by just a hair due to pass rush (the quick release to Kenny Moore on the hitch comes to mind). There were three plays that stood out to me the most about Clausen:
Play One: On 1st and 10 late in the second quarter Clausen makes 4 separate reads and when he doesn't see anyone open he scrambles up the middle for 11 yards, sliding in a timely manor and avoiding a hit.
Play Two: With 5 minutes left in the 1st half Clausen audibles to a running play on the 5 yard line where Tyrell Sutton ultimately fumbles.
Play Three: Clausen threads the needle deep to Dante Rosario for a 19 yard gain.
So there you have it: Saving a broken play without taking a big risk, changing the play to a run based on what the defense is given and utilizing a TE for a big gain. These are the three elements I feel need to define a Carolina Panthers' QB.
Optimistic
Jimmy Clausen- Extremely Optimistic: See above
Greg Hardy- Extremely Optimistic: Sorry, why was Hardy a 6th rounder again? 5 solo tackles, 4 for a loss, 2 sacks, 2 QB hits. At one point Hardy stopped an entire drive... on his own, and was excellent against the run. It may be premature, but we could soon be saying ‘Julius who?'
Tony Fiametta- Extremely Optimistic: Another replacement who could make the loss of a beloved vet (Hoover) easier. Fiametta was a powerhouse in the blocking game, and caught passes when needed. It's tough to ask for much more from a fullback and Fi did a great job.
Tyler Brayton- Extremely Optimistic: Tyler had a chip on his shoulder last night, and with two early sacks working against Michael Oher it looked like he could get much more if he hadn't been injured.
DeAngelo Williams- Extremely Optimistic: It's D-Will, what more can you say? I saw only a few ‘real plays' from the Panthers true playbook and one of them was Williams' 20+ yard gain. He'll be reliable as ever in 2010.
Jason Baker- Extremely Optimistic: A 50.7 yard punting average? You have to be kidding me.
Matt Moore- Somewhat Optimistic: See above
Kenny Moore- Somewhat Optimistic: He did a lot to cement his place on the 53 last night. Compared to last year his route running looks much better and his hands look more reliable.
Dwayne Jarrett- Somewhat Optimistic: Another player where the stats don't tell the whole story. Jarrett looked lively early in the game and had his best plays erased by bad penalties. He has some life left in him yet.
Tyrell Sutton- Somewhat Optimsitic: Bad fumble aside, Sutton looked good in the time he had.
Eric Norwood- Somewhat Optimistic: Norwood looks like he can, and will be a factor on special teams. He also forced a valuable fumble.
Pessimistic
Captain Munnerlyn- Extremely Pessimistic: I know it's early yet... but Captain's performance was more disheartening than anything else. He just doesn't have the tools to start against any starting WR in the NFL, but he'll still be valuable as a Nickel. Last night just proved how valuable Richard Marshall is.
Hunter Cantwell- Extremely Pessimistic: Was this the player we had heard so much about? Sure, he has arm strength but he has no poise and very little accuracy. Cantwell just doesn't throw a catchable ball; and when it is catchable there is no chance for any YAC.
Everyone who snapped the ball not named ‘Kalil'- Extremely Pessimistic: Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Wet ball or not, there is no excuse for the amount of off center, high, low and every which way snaps last night.
Brandon LaFell- Somewhat Pessimistic: I don't think he will be on the ‘pessimistic' list for long, but LaFell was underwhelming last night. He didn't really get separation, and should have caught the Jimmy Clausen TD when he had a step and 4 inches in height over the opposing CB.
Armanti Edwards- Somewhat Pessimistic: He's just not ready to contribute yet. Sorry, but if you think otherwise you're being influenced by some outside emotions. Edwards' route running looks mediocre, he doesn't have a good enough first step to return punts with regularity and he looks like he'll get killed if he doesn't put some more bulk on his frame. He's a project and I believe he will be good in time, but I'm not hopeful he'll be able to meaningfully contribute in 2010.
Overall Outlook
I am surprisingly excited despite the loss last night. I could jump off the edge and cite a lost looking OL, underwhelming DTs and the lack of a standout receiver- but I think that is way, way too premature especially in a game where neither team wanted to show their hand. Remember when Ron Meeks needed to be fired before the regular season started last year? Yeah, me too.
90% Optimistic Heading into the game vs. New York
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Excellent article James, I agree on all points...
Clausen was very impressive last night. I had joined the Moore bandwagon in the offseason and was one of the ones who was yelling at the tv when Clausen’s name was called on draft day, but I must say that the kid looked much better than I thought he would with it being his first action in the NFL. Second stringers or not, the kid looked poised in the pocket and has a great arm, and if Moore wants to be the starter he better not slip too much, or he will find himself holding a clipboard by the middle of the season.
There’s not much bad to say about Hardy except I want to see him do that against first string offensive linemen. The kid is a beast though, and I think we will be saying “Julius who” in a very short time.
I was impressed by Fiametta – he fits in the offense very well as a receiver out of the backfield and had a couple of nice blocks to spring D-Will.
I will be glad when Gamble and Marshall are able to play – our secondary is going to desperately need both of them on the field, because if we rely on Captain to be a starter, our ship is going to go down.
The receivers were okay. K-Moore played well and Jarrett had a few nice grabs that Jordan Gross ruined by holding, and Dexter Jackson had a nice grab late, but of course that is negated by his falling down and causing an interception. LaFell will be fine, he should have had that TD but those things happen – I chalk it up to nerves more than anything else. We will forget all about it when he lays a block on a corner and plants him in the ground to spring Stewie or D-Will to a 50-yd TD run.
I’m looking forward to the Jets game, hopefully some of the fixable stuff will be fixed (like penalties and poor snaps from center) and we can get a better look at what we will have going into the regular season.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
I didn't get to see the whole game, I had a scrimmage for my other favorite football team to go to.
But the game is DVRed, so hopefully by Sunday afternoon, I’ll be able to do sort of what I did for the preseason opener last year. I do want to say though that my favorite Clausen play was the throw to Rosario. That is exactly what we brought him in here to do, that is the type of talent he has.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
Oh yeah,
and it sure is great to see the MMO back! :)
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
Player grades anyone?
Jimmy Clausen A-. Jimmy flat out took a floundering, confused group of receivers by the gonads, and moved the chains. The ONLY reason for the minus is that he wasn’t facing the Ravens 1st string defense like Moore was.
Dwayne Jarrett B. Jarrett was the only receiver on the first string to make plays. I’ve thought all offseason that we wouldn’t be able to rely on rookie WRs. The position is just to difficult to learn. Jarrett’s not great, but knows the NFL well enough to keep that #2 spot.
Hardy and Norwood B.Those guys looked as good as the hype you guys gave them all offseason. Great value picks. Do it against 1st stringers and it will be an A.
DWill had a nice run, but so what? That’s nothing new. Everybody else was either bad or did nothing significant.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Forgot about Sutton, B-
He looked almost as good as Double Trouble, granted against backups. Playing like that will give him some burn in the regular season, despite being behind 2 of the league’s best RBs. Not giving an A or B though because of the fumble and for running with he 2nd team.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Brayton? I'd give him a solid A
Also, based on your reasoning for Clausen’s A-, I’d argue that Hardy’s score should at least be as high. I think we’ll get to see Hardy play with the 1st stringers sooner rather than later.
Fiametta: Solid A. Did everything a fullback is supposed to do. Sound blocking decisions, reliable check down target.
Kalil: A+. It’s easy to overlook how consistent our starting center is, but he’s one of the best in the league.
Gross: D+. He’s a great blocker after the snap, but his jumpiness has unfortunately always been an issue for him. He’s gotta clean this up.
Hardy and Norwood made great individual efforts
But Clausen got the whole offense moving, even calling successful audibles for Sutton. I think that warrants a higher grade.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
kalil doesnt get an A+
he got man handled by terreance cody. and A is reasonable but not the +
by pantherpride on Aug 13, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes
This made me long for Mount Cody…we had our chance to get him…I just hope J.C. (Jimmy Clausen, not Jesus Christ [although its hard to tell the difference after his first preseason game]) continues to impress.
Cody can move. He was getting up-field and being disruptive. Many people labeled him as your typical immovable object nose-guard.
But I digress, what’s done is done.
"If you ask Jets' CB Darrelle Revis, there is no one who is harder to cover one-on-one than Steve Smith. That has to mean something coming from last year's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year."
What was funny though
was when Clausen was back peddaling from Cody and threw the screen right over his head. The poise that Clausen had right there was awesome. He didnt need to run or do anything crazy. He knew how fast Cody was and that he had it under control. It made me laugh and say wow at the same time.
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
~Winston Churchill
OH!
I noticed that too
It was almost as if Clausen was unintentionally taunting him. Run as fast as you want big guy… I’ll just leisurely back pedal while scanning all my options one at a time, maybe take a break, grab a snack… Hey Cody are you still there?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
The kid has pocket presence that exceeds anything the Panthers have had since Steve Beuerlein…and he was a multi-year veteran. Our future is bright.
The thing that I liked more than the pocket presence was the pre-snap recognition.
I have this theory that there are two kinds of successful offenses in the NFL. One utilizes a high about of trick plays, gadgets and exotic packages and the second utilizes simple plays relying on the players to beat their opposing number.
When used to the greatest effect offense one is the Miami Dolphins and offense two is the Indianapolis Colts. Both these offenses need a ‘wrinkle’ something that turns their playbook into a successful offense.
The first offense makes up for a lack of talent at skill positions by creating plays that outsmart the opposing coordinator, this is their ‘wrinkle’.
The second relies on a QB with a high football IQ who can identify the defense presnap and change the play to one that hits the defense better, this is their ‘wrinkle’.
I feel that the Panthers often have fallen into the trap of running offense two, but not had a QB with a high enough football IQ to pick apart the defense. When I saw Clausen marching up and down the line barking out assignments and changing the plays he looked like Peyton Manning, he looked like the field general needed to give us our ‘wrinkle’.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
And although I’ve heard numerous comparisons between Clausen and Matt Ryan in the past day, I kept seeing Peyton Manning as Jimmie was under center, James. I’ve never seen a QB other than Peyton barking instructions and changing the play more at the line. A rookie shouldn’t be able to do that so effectively. That’s what impresses me the most.
Brees does that too.
They both must watch a ridiculous amount of game tape ’cos they almost always know the exact play the defence has called and where to assign their protection.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
For Claussen I think it's more so his up bringing
He’s worked with a professional QB coach since 8th grade. He’s known how to read defenses before he even reached puberty.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
And his time in ND
I believe part of his ability to confidently make changes in the play can be attributed to his time under Weis. He has a better-than-rookie knowledge of how our offense works which has definitely made an impact.
I think having Weis as an OC has been hugely beneficial to him.
It’s like the anti Jeff Tedford upbringing. Rather than simplifying the offence and making the QB look good, Weis has explained to Clausen how it works in the pro game and what he’s going to need to do in order to be successful.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I got images of Peyton Manning as well
I’m so use to watching our QBs just respond to what happens after the snap. But Clausen clearly was clued into everything the defense was doing prior to the snap. Like he had foresight into how the play would unfold, and could arrange his pieces accordingly.
I’m itching to see him play again.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
The 4th game will be the most telling I believe because we’ll see less and less of our 2nd string in the 2nd and 3rd games. If the competition was more open, Clausen and Moore would probably split the 2nd game right down the middle between the 1st and 2nd half.
It is exciting to see that we might finally have the makings of a truly excellent franchise QB.
And Cody says: "snack, did I hear someone say snack?"
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Of all the people last night
I am very optimistic about Greg Hardy. I know everyone is gushing about him, but for good reason. He looks like a man among boys out there. Sure it was against backup O-linemen, but I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt here because of just how dominant he was. I would like to see him take a few series with the first team defense while Brayton maybe rests his ankle.
I am surprised Everette Brown didn’t make your list as being somewhat pessimistic. I just didn’t see anything from him last night at all.
After last night, I am not really pessimistic at all about Armanti, mainly just “meh”. He certainly didn’t light the world on fire, but before conditions went to crap he did have a very nice 20 yard punt return. What is important is that he didn’t muff any of them, and for a first time returner in his first NFL game, that is pretty good. He is not ready to contribute at WR yet, but he did have a nice catch and run for a first down at one point. I think Clausen was the one who threw it. Once Cantwell took the field, Armanti was a non-factor, and he got crushed on a throw that Cantwell should not have thrown. I think in relative terms, he did well for what he is, but he isn’t ready. You can bet he will learn and improve from this experience though.
Unofficial Agent for Armanti Edwards, WR #10, Carolina Panthers
ack didn't mention my thoughts on Clausen
He certainly seemed confident and in control of the game while he was out there. Rare traits for a rookie QB in his first NFL game. I really liked what I saw, and I hope the coaches give him a fair shake. If he is the better QB, then so be it. As long as he earns the spot.
Unofficial Agent for Armanti Edwards, WR #10, Carolina Panthers
Brown looked like a rookie again
Norwood and Hardy looked like vets.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I saw some things that made me hopeful last night, especially the likes of Clausen – you’re right, the kid did NOT look like it was his first NFL experience. Poise and control are words I would use. I’m really excited about him, now. Also, really dug Fiametta, too.
But, even though there were sloppy plays and some cringe-worthy moments, it’s too early to be really pessimistic – this is why we have preseason games!
Damn this is a good column!
I’ve followed alot of columns from different sportswriters in my life and I have to say the MMO is top notch stuff in both concept and material.
I think James’ breakdown is right on the money.
I’m still gonna temper my entusiasiam regarding Clausen although he certainly had a fantastic showing for a rookie facing his first NFL live action. I thought Moore looked OK, he sailed a couple of early throws to the TE but seemed to settle down…its hard to judge after only 1 quarter. I was glad to see Jarrett make a couple of catches, I know alot of folks are rightfully skeptical of him, but the way I see it, if Jarrett has a decent year it means the Panthers will also have a decent year. I think Gross should get a pass on last nights game, being its his first back from the injury, sometimes guys are little tentative in their first few games back from a broken leg. Hardy looked like a steal, thought I heard during the telecast he had injuries in his Jr/Sr year that lowered his draft value…so maybe he was a steal. I agree with ST on Sutton. Take away the fumble and I would say he had the most impressive showing on our side of the ball.
Count me in as optimistic.
How much did James pay you to write that? ;)
I kid!
Sutton didn’t have a problem with fumbling last year and it was wet out… So I’m really not concerned about it at all. Now that it happened he’ll be more conscience about it in real games.
I like him a lot. He’s not a homerun threat, but he can move the chains… Which is exactly what Fox wants to do when we have a 4th quarter lead. Milk the clock while resting our stars. Love it.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
I like Sutton a lot
I think he fits perfectly as the RB3, and he can play fullback too if Fiametta is out for whatever reason.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
+1
And he does have a quick burst up the middle when he finds a hole.
Superbowl Champs 2010!!!!
by Panther4Life!!! on Aug 13, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Beason not at MLB?
Any thoughts on our linebackers? I personally think we should move him back to the middle.
You can quote that!!!!
I'll give it one more preseason game
But last night I did NOT like him out of position.
Unofficial Agent for Armanti Edwards, WR #10, Carolina Panthers
It's funny because we thought the problem there would be Connor.
But Connor actually did OK considering it was his first game. Beason was the one who looked horrible. The problem is moving Beason back to MLB just takes Connor off the field. And there will still be a big void at the WILL.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
I really miss TD
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t like Beason out of position either last night and I was not a proponent of the switch, but Meeks knows whats best and has shown he’s willing to take a temporary step back in order to take several steps forward in the long term. Hope this one works out.
You Nailed Most Points
Fiametta looked like a starting FB but certainly no Pro Bowler
You’re dead on about A. Edwards. Year long project at best. He MAY just be serviceable in the return game. He does have the desire and the intangibles though, so with his speed, I’m willing to wait a year and see what he can do.
You should temper your judgments on Munnerlyn. He was shoved in the back on the TD he was beat on. But otherwise he was right there in position to make a play. I think he could stand to be more physical, and work on his tackling technique, but as far as physical tools, I think he has more physical tools than Richard Marshall.
You should also temper your judgments on Cantwell. The arm strength is there for sure. But when he was in, the conditions on the field were getting worse and it was pretty wet. Not to mention he was under pressure for most of his drop backs and I thought the wide outs could’ve made more of a play on some of his throws.
You’re dead on about the snaps from center though. Yikes.
The Mental Aspect of the Game
I think the defense, the front four in particular, has a chip on their shoulders and are out to prove that they won’t be the weak link on the team. The OL may need to get a little “chip” on their shoulders too.
Football is 2nd nature to Clausen
He’s been doing with this since he was like 7 years old. It’s in his genes.
Ironically it’s all the intangibles that Jake had that Clausen has to work on. You see him on the sidelines high-fiving players, keeping them motivated on the sidelines, being a leader while still being humble, etc. It’s those things that he’s been called out for in the past. And that I think is less natural and that he is working on.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Peyton Manning had the same situation entering the league
I think when your football IQ is that high other areas fall by the wayside; like a genius with no social skills.
They have to be hand in hand. A QB can call out his players, ask for more and share the blame provided there is mutual respect and a good report.
Clausen is, quite literally, the guy who has been hailed as the next ‘great one’ since he was in jr high. It’s tough to let go of that ego when you start to realize you’re a cog in a machine, not the whole assembly line. I’m impressed that he seems to be understanding the importance of the locker room this early. It means that, if nothing else, we wont have a Ryan Leaf on our hands.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Surprisingly
He did point to himself after Lafell missed that TD catch, taking the blame and showing a little humility.
I think it's good that he was called out on this in college
If he was the best QB in the draft, and that mistake sent his draft position soaring into the 2nd round… Then I’m sure that got his attention. That little mistake already cost him millions.
Otherwise he wouldn’t be a Panther, and he’d likely be learning those lessons as a pro. As it is however, we reap the benefits in numerous ways.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Claussen graded out as a 6th round pick based on high 5ing teammates, he’ll never make it.
Seriously, that’s just personality and Jake being hyper and add on the sideline. In no way would that ever affect a player’s performance, but it IS something that an announcer can look at it and say this is why so n so is good.
I think in order yo rally the troops on the field
You have to win them over off the field. It’s hard to get peoples attention if they don’t like and respect you.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Very true.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 13, 2010 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed...
…but even an aloof bastard off the field can command respect on the field if he shows knowledge, instincts, ability, and confidence. I don’t know about the rest of the CSR nation, but Clausen showed all 3 to me last night. I don’t mean to say he’s better equipped to lead the team RIGHT NOW, but I think our future is in good hands.
A missing Clausen play
How about when he dropped back, went through all his reads, then threw back across his body to Sutton, who had a pocket and a lane?
Definitely
The shovel pass too… there were some really good ones I left out
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
A lot of people hated it
but I liked it. It looked a little risky live but Clausen seemed to know exactly what he is doing.
I think people have been conditioned to believe that throwing across your body is tantamount to football suicide. I looked at that play again and worst case scenario it would have been incomplete.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah just seen it on the highlights. It's actually a very smart throw.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
I agree
During live action it looked a little out of place, but when watching it again and pausing it to see where all the players were Sutton was open.
Solid decision
The commentators dumped on it, but in watching the replay, the intended target was the only person that had any chance of catching it.
It was bad practice, unnecessary and provided little gain.
You shouldn’t feed a bad habit like that.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Yall are crazy... That had rookie mistake written all over it!
I’ve only heard analysts, pros and coaches say that is a huge no no. One of the biggest mistakes a QB can make. And there’s good reason… You’re throwing into a lot of defenders, your target vision is not good, and in this scenario if picked it’s an easy TD for the defense.
To think Clausen will all the sudden be an exception to that is crazy to me. I’m sure when they watch the film he will be drilled about that one.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
If picked the D-linemen isn't sprinting 60 yards for the score.
There was a clear window for the ball to be thrown into. It’s not the greatest throw ever, but it’s not like he was throwing it and hoping either.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
A DE or LB would
And whose going to stop them? One of our fatty O-linemen? One of our WR who are 40 yards away?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I still don't see it
There was already so much penetration on the play that the majority of the DL were behind Clausen when he made the pass. If the throw came 2-3 seconds earlier it would have been a terrible play, but ultimately there was nobody close enough on defense to get an INT.
It is riskier than your normal pass? Sure… but it wasn’t a near INT the way I saw it
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
It's bad habit
Do you really want your sponge soaking rookie getting in the habit if doing stuff like that?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I think it depends
Do I want him to get in that exact habit? No… but do I want him to be constantly scanning the field and looking to try and make a play, absolutely.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
How many yards did we gain?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If a vet QB does it in a desperation move then that's one thing
I just don’t want Clausen trying stuff like that while he’s learning how to be a pro.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Dude, chill. You’re making all these snap judgments based on unfounded fears. “ohmigod! He did it once in a deperate situation! That’s means it’ll become a habit and he’ll do it all the time!”
Chill.
by SlayerGhaleon on Aug 13, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
How about YOU read the thread before responding aggressively?
Then you’d understand that I am replying to people saying it was a “solid decision” and that they “liked the play”. I liked Clausen a lot yesterday. So unless you agree it was a solid decision, then were in the same boat… Dude!
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
What’s the difference between Clausen making that throw and Manning? You can’t look at that one pass and say it was a bad decision because it wasn’t. And you can’t say it’s a bad habit to form because it’s his first game.
It was a heads up play with the ball thrown to a spot where only the intended target had a chance of catching it which is something Clausen showed to us all night. When he does that and it ends up badly, then it’s appropriate to jump on him for it.
OK, we we disagree
On this one I agree with every single professional that I’ve ever heard talk about throwing across the field. You guys think Clausen is void of that rule then fine… I just don’t agree.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
You can’t deny that the end result was a net positive even if it was a risk. A good QB knows when something is risky. I think a great QB knows when to take the risk.
You are right that I would rather him not make those types of throws. I think we all know what it’s like for a QB to make utterly bonehead plays. On that note, I agree that it’s not something I want to see regularly.
I agree with you except for the timing
He is not a starting QB yet. He’s trying to win the job. So if he did it consciously, knowing he could complete it, but that it would make coaches a bit uncomfortable… then I’d want to question his submissiveness as a rookie.
At this stage in his early career he needs to be listening and learning, not just doing whatever he thinks is best.
OK, so now I’m starting to agree with Slayer… this is becoming a mountain out of a mole hill situation. I just think he shouldn’t keep doing stuff like especially while he’s just a backup.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
True, but
I kinda disagree. He wants to start he said as much on draft day and I think to be a starter you have to show you can turn bad situations (broken plays like this one) into positive ones.
I get your point. Just seems like a game of Russian roulette
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 14, 2010 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I actually think this play is on the NFL.com Pickles highlights.
Bad decision yes, but the placement was spot on. Only the Vaughn could have caught that ball, it hit him squarely in the chest. Only one defender was anywhere near him and there is no way he would have made a play on the ball.
Good point
Up a few posts I said after watching the replay that sutton was open but I do agree that having a rookie making that throw vs a vet does make it a little different. Of course a rookie has to start somewhere.
Exactly!
He should’ve never made that completion + gain and instead forced it into double coverage as we are used to. Someone needs to teach him that, quick.
(Sorry, STEB, don’t have enough time to write out a good response but I wanted to disagree with you anyways because it’s fun and stuff.)
Overall Panthers Draft Grade: A
the front seven
i was at the game and the front seven especially to start the game really concerned me last night… i know its just the first preseason game but they porous against the run and the lines inexperience showed against the screen passes… and to make matters worse it was willis mcgahee not even ray rice
its clear lb is still a work i progress… on one pass play connor and beason almost backpedaled into eachother
on the td over munnerlan to me it looked like he had good coverage till the ball was in the air and then a combination of him misplaying it and a slight pushoff (which will hardly ever get called against the offense so you can never bank on getting it) and you have a touchdown
on offense i think moore was just never able to get poised cuz the line was doing as little as possible to help him out… clausen showed some ability to give himself time and feel where the pressure was coming from and when mail it in and kill the play
and baker can kick it as far as we wants but if we cant cover punts and leave it up to him to trip up the returner it wont matter this was another big concern i got from this game
I'm wasn't impressed with the D-Line at all
Some of the DE’s looked fast to the QB on every few plays… And that’s all. No push from the DTs, average to below average at stopping the run.
6 sacks means very little to me. We had to rush LBs often to do that… And who cares about 6 sacks when you do next to nothing the other 50+ snaps?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Me?
Something must have gone right when you hold a team to 17 points. The Saints won a super bowl with a defense that wasn’t very good, but consistently made big plays. Sacks come from pressure, pressure creates rushed throws and interceptions. When they don’t get rid of it, there is a high chance of a fumble on the sack. TO’s decide games and the DL looked pretty good last night in that regard.
I feel cautiously optimistic about the D-Line...
It showed flashes of great play and a few duh moments. Definately didn’t look like the catastrophe the prognosticators called for. The entire team looked a lil rusty except for D-Will, Hardy, Brayton, Clausen and a few others. But all in all…our team showed the potential to be really good if they can polish up their play.
You gotta believe Beason picks up on any LB position he’s put in by the opener…Gamble, S Smith and Otah come back and I think we have a winning combination.
Yes a catastrophe would be your starters allowing 10 points per quarter
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:58 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I understand your concern ST, but lets put this in perspective.
After the 1st quarter of the 1st preseason game last year the Panthers gave up 7 points and 93 yards.
The defense were getting used to a new defensive scheme, a new starting NT and were lacking Chris Harris.
Fast forward to last night: They gave up 3 pts and 61 yards in the 1st quarter.
The defense were getting used to Dan Connor at MLB, Beason at OLB and were lacking Chris Gamble.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
We held them to 17 points because their 1st team stopped playing
At the rate our 1st teams were going they would have beaten us 40-12. Sure we’ll be better with Stewart and Smitty, but not 30 points better.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 1:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Don't u think
that our offensive looked decent….turn the fumble into 7…Lafell grabs the fade…Kasy makes at least one other field goal = 17 more points. I realize woulda shoulda coulda but with the polishing I spoke of not far from possible.
I'm more concerned with our 1st team
They are the ones that need to make plays for us. A polished 2nd team means quality depth, but the 1st team is far more important.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Yup
And the first team, for much of that first drive, got very little pass rush, and very little push up the middle. That is my biggest concern—that we won’t be able to get our defense off the field…that and how bad we are on special teams.
"If you ask Jets' CB Darrelle Revis, there is no one who is harder to cover one-on-one than Steve Smith. That has to mean something coming from last year's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year."
I noticed
Brown seemed fine when rushing with outside leverage or even coming outside and staying on the LT. But when they asked him to stunt inside it became very apparent how very much Peppers will be missed. Brown was not able to get interior push from stunting.
I am by no means writing him off, just the disparity (which is an unfair comparison) jumped off the TV screen to me.
Brown's an interesting one.
He seems to only have two pass rushing moves. The outside speed rush and the spin. He’s simply not big enough to pull out the bull rush and expect it to work.
He’s meant to have bulked up from last season too, so he should be better. I guess we’ll see as the season progresses.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Pickles
What jumped out to me about Clausen was his feel for the pocket. I’m not about to jump up and down and proclaim him the savior. But even my die-hard Niners buddy that was watching the game with me couldn’t get over how natural he looked. “That’s a quarterback, right there” was used a number of times.
I think Moore will be better than fine and I am not worried about him at all.
The good problem we have now however is...
Even if Moore plays really well, we’ll still be wondering if Clausen could be even better. If Moore doesn’t flop then he’ll likely keep his starting job. And if he’s average, then we’ll have to suffer through another 9-7 season while a potential “savior” is on the bench.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
You’re wondering if Sutton might be better than DeAngelo or Stewart? Kenny Moore better than Smitty?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I thin it depends on how we reach the 9-7 record. If we’re 9-3 going into the home stretch, no one would even think about benching Moore. If we’re 5-7 that’s a completely different scenario. It would also depend if we can actually blame Moore for the record (like we legitimately could with Jake). I don’t think it’ll be that cut and dry. I don’t know how badly Moore would have to play to convince the coaching staff a QB change is in order, but the least we can say is that Clausen is making a solid case for himself to be the eventual starter.
You, sir, are smitten.
“the least we can say is that Clausen is making a solid case for himself to be the eventual starter:
You say it if you want – I can’t say that yet.
What did you think of Clausens performance last night Big D?
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 14, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he performed admirably.
A lot’s been made of his “presence,” but I expected he’d know how to handle himself with poise, as he’s coming off a successful college career, has a strong self-image, minimal self-doubt, and no pressure to deal with. Plus, the “looking like an NFL QB” stuff is to be expected, isn’t it, as he’s been groomed for years in how to look the look.
But that’s all cosmetic stuff.
The fumbled snaps I give him a pass on, as the ball was wet, and Kalil wasn’t at Center. (Side note there: I’m inclined to think Kalil may be the most irreplaceable guy we’ve got – if he were to go down, we’d REALLY be in trouble!)
The pass to Moore was in heavy traffic, but where Moore could (and did, to his credit) make a play. The pass to Rosario was first class. The shuffle pass and the cross-the-field throws were very Favre-like, and I applaud him for the moxie to try them, but they’re high-risk, minimal reward decisions that could backfire on him if attempted too often. I can’t envision Moore trying either of them, as he’s more risk-averse, in keeping with the Panthers’ coaching philosophy.
Avoiding turnovers is Priority #1 for our offense in 2010, IMO, and that begins and ends with the decisions of our QB. If we minimize our TO’s, the variety and strengths of our juggernaut offense will produce more points than most of our opponents can overcome.
Clausen got away with both of those, but that can’t be a regular thing to go with.
By the end of pre-season, we’ll know better what we’ve got there, but after round 1, I think he did a good job. However, by NO means do I think he’s created any QB controversy, nor do I think he outperformed Moore, who would’ve had a way-above average night, had Gross not negated his 2 fine completions to Jarrett and out TE, which would’ve moved the chains, and left him with a 6 for 9 night.
+1
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
by John Chilton on Aug 14, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree mostly.
I’m more of the mind that we need a QB with some guts to make a tough throw to try and win us a game than a guy who won’t lose us the game, but may not be able to win it either. We’ll see which category Moore falls into, but I think it’s safe to say which type of QB Clausen will be.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 14, 2010 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep
thats what I thought of when I read it too.
"The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity." - Lewis Grizzard
by ThePanthers! on Aug 15, 2010 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm pulling for Cleveland this year
Delhomme has at best about 5 years left in him, maybe only 1 or 2 as a starter… I’d love to see him go out with a splash.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Nah, it was Delhomme's time to go.
I do however want a QB similar to Delhomme, I enjoy watching gunslingers play. Montana, Elway, Delhomme, Favre, all are good examples of what I’m talking about.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 16, 2010 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Yep, he's been bred to play the position.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
offensive line
those guys worried me a quite a bit, allowing consistent pressure, and the penalties! you expect a little bit of that, but man, they shot the offense in the foot pretty regularly. Gross, a veteran and supposed leader, man, that’s not the way to lead!
Between sacks, pressure and penalties, they are starting to worry me more than all of the D-line questions…
One thing that's certain about our O-line is that they are built to RUN the ball
But what we gain in having a dominating power running game, we loose in expecting these fat guys to handle a speed pass rush. However it will help in the regular season when we are running more than 50% of the plays, and defenses get overly focused on their run defense.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought both Clausen and Moore looked solid tonight
I was very impressed with Clausen’s feel for the game. I thought Moore was pretty solid too, but he must know that Clausen’s breathing down his neck (no homo). I was more disappointed that no one really stepped up in our WR core. It’s Lafell’s job to lose the starting role, and Jarrett showed how he should still be considered as our #2 guy (maybe I’m pushing it). I thought Hardy and Brayton looked very promising and it was just ironic how our pass-rush was not the main concern last night.
We had a no-name returner have his way on our ST last night, which I was not too happy about. We still have a ton of work to do on ST imo.
Cat Scratch Reader's not-so-creepy stalker
a.k.a. DeAngelo Williams in the stalking business- agile and elusive
the stalker has returned...
nice to see you around man, we’ve had people ask where you’ve been…
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
I've been stalking
It’s what I do off-season
Cat Scratch Reader's not-so-creepy stalker
a.k.a. DeAngelo Williams in the stalking business- agile and elusive
Does anyone have any thoughts on the DBs taken late in the draft?
I didnt see much of them last night, only heard that McClain had good coverage on someone at one point.
Here's a question for the veteran Panther fans:
I noticed Davidson was up in the booth last night, I seem to remember him being on the sideline last season. Anyone got any insight on that. I sort of like the idea of getting him away from the sideline as far as calling plays goes.
nah, he just heard that's where the free buffet was
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Davidson ate Tony Pike
Cat Scratch Reader's not-so-creepy stalker
a.k.a. DeAngelo Williams in the stalking business- agile and elusive
dude, I seriously LOL'd on that one!
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Why are you pessimistic about Munnerlyn?
Is that solely based on the touchdown where the WR clearly pushed off? When both the WR and CB are turned and watching the ball come down in plenty of time and only the WR ends up jumping for the ball, it should be quite obvious to the fan AND especially the ref, that the WR pushed off. Sure enough, you can see Clayton push Captain in the back just before leaping for the ball. Cap rolls off the ground looking at the ref to no avail. Pretty sad that the same exact thing happened on an earlier drive but the ball happened to fall incomplete.
Touchdown aside
- Got beat by Derrick Mason for 23 yards
- Allowed 1st down catch by Anquan Boldin on 3rd and 10
- Was beaten by Mark Clayton on an earlier play that was almost a TD. Clayton got behind Munnerlyn and had him beaten in the endzone, Captain knocked the ball down due only to an underthrown pass by Flacco.
So no, it’s not based solely on the TD. I don’t discuss bad calls because it’s the nature of the game. I don’t think it was quite as black and white as you make it sound… but I’m basing it more on the fact Munnerlyn was basically schooled for the entire game. The TD was just the cherry on top.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
Maybe you just have higher expectations
I don’t think he needs to be Deion to have a positive performance. WR’s are going to get some catches.
That almost TD you mention is definitely the play I was referring to, and Captain had great position and awareness on both of those plays. Putting your corner on a 1on1 island on deep plays is a recipe for a bad call/slip/great play by WR so I’d blame scheme more than anything there. I thought he played them both well though.
Either way, getting Gamble back makes this moot, I think he’s perfectly fine as the nickel.
Munnerlyn is indeed fine at the nickel
I said as much, it just shows us how valuable Gamble and Marshall are.
I don’t think Captain has fluid enough hips to play a #1 or #2 receiver in man coverage, which is what he would be required to do as a starter. There was plenty of talk in the offseason that we would be okay if we lost Marshall due to free agency because Munnerlyn looked so good, and he did as a #3 CB… but it shows me he cant be relied on to start.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
What makes Captain good
Is when you allow him to jam receivers at the line. He will never be good at one on one coverage down the field due to his size but in this current system, I think he can be effective even when guarding the outside receiver. He’s a good tackler and very effective when you let him jam the receiver and don’t force Captain to run down the field one on one. I don’t think we would make him do this too often in the regular season but why not in the preseason.
I don’t think he is a star and I don’t think you can just allow him to go one on one down the field with the opposing WR, but IMO only the best CB’s are able to do that in this league.
Well
Cappy played right cornerback exclusively last season.
When we went to nickel, Marshall would slide inside, and Cappy would cover the ‘X’ receiver, which is typically the #2 guy.
He played well in that role, so I’m not sure I agree with that. Plus, he is a far better player in press coverage, and I did not see any press coverage last night.
Looking at his play last season, he was arguably our best ‘cover’ corner. He doesn’t have much experience playing the slot receiver, and we were not pressing the WRs last night, so drawing any conclusions from the game last night is a bit misleading.
"If you ask Jets' CB Darrelle Revis, there is no one who is harder to cover one-on-one than Steve Smith. That has to mean something coming from last year's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year."
Not really accurate
Munnerlyn only started 4 games last season. While it’s true he covered the ‘X’ in 3 and 4 wide sets he definitely wasn’t on the field for the majority of the snaps.
I don’t think the defense should have to meet the conditions that Munnerlyn excels at in order to evaluate him as a CB. It will take more time to be sure, but from what I saw last night he doesn’t have the tools to be a starter when there are two WR’s on the field.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
What's not accurate?
When he came on the field, it was when we went to nickel.
Instead of playing the slot, he played the X receiver.
I’m not sure he’s a starter, either. But he is more than adequate as a 3rd CB.
"If you ask Jets' CB Darrelle Revis, there is no one who is harder to cover one-on-one than Steve Smith. That has to mean something coming from last year's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year."
Which is pretty much what I said in the article:
Captain’s performance was more disheartening than anything else. He just doesn’t have the tools to start against any starting WR in the NFL, but he’ll still be valuable as a Nickel. Last night just proved how valuable Richard Marshall is.
I think people are misinterpreting what I wrote about him.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
It comes off as overly negative but only if you view it from the position of expecting him to be a starting CB based on his performance last year. When you look at it in the grand scheme of things, it’s not nearly as bad. People are just knee jerking.
He just made a comparative statement
Somebody in a Panther uniform has to be the most “disheartening”, he happens to think it was Captain. He never said Captain wouldn’t improve.
Not referring to you… But there’s occasionally a strange un-acceptance of any negative critique from some others on this site. I don’t get it.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Kinda disagree there
I don’t see it as forcing the defense to “meet the conditions” of Munnerlyn, but rather putting the players in opportune situations where they have the best opportunity to succeed and help the team.
I’d rather have Marshall out there this year, for sure. That isn’t an insult to Captain and it doesn’t mean that he can’t start in the future.
For some reason...
…Captain reminds me of Tyrone Poole; a little undersized (maybe a little less speed with a little more physicality), but has potential and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Will it translate to a top flight, 1st string CB? Probably not…but he’ll certainly be more than serviceable.
1st down catch by Boldin on 3rd and 10
Boldin never had a 1st down catch on 3rd and 10, so which play did you mean to refer to?
Do you mean the 3rd and 10 completion to Clayton? Because I don’t think Captain was covering Clayton on that play.
It was 2nd and 10... my mistake
2-10-BAL 4 (1:44) 5-J.Flacco pass short right to 81-A.Boldin to BLT 16 for 12 yards (41-C.Munnerlyn).
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
Just can't take it anymore
The Captain played an excellent football game last night, and proved yet again that he is an excellent cover corner.
- Got beat by Derrick Mason for 23 yards
You can take this one off your list.
Munnerlyn had deep zone coverage on that play. Stallworth ran a deep skinny post and that was Cap’s responsibility, He was about 17 yards away from Mason when he made the catch.
You can go here for confirmation:
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2010081251/2010/PRE1/panthers@ravens/watch
It starts at :31 seconds, you can see Munnerlyn was not responsible for that
Was beaten by Mark Clayton on an earlier play that was almost a TD. Clayton got behind Munnerlyn and had him beaten in the endzone, Captain knocked the ball down due only to an underthrown pass by Flacco.
You can take this one off you list:
No video evidence on this one, but Munnerlyn was in PERFECT postion on that play. There was not a trajectory or velocity that would have completed that pass. He was tight against his chest (at least while the camera was on him) and just because the receiver was behind him meant absolutely nothing. Perfectly played by Capt.
- Allowed 1st down catch by Anquan Boldin on 3rd and 10
You can take this one off your list.
Same video for evidence, starts at :56 seconds. It’s simply crazy to think that every perfectly ran underneath curl route should be defended with no completions in a zone coverage when the CB is playing 7 yards off the receiver and not in press coverage.
As for the touchdown, it was definately black and white, it’s just a shame that the fat moron in black and white who was 4 yards from the play was looking in the stands at the hot dog vendor instead of the play. That is called 95% of the time as Offensive Pass Interference #89 Offense, 10 yards from the previous spot, repeat 2nd down.
For video evidence, stay on the same page and click “Flacco doesn’t wait to show off his arm”. You can see it somewhat on the 2nd and 3rd replay. Last night there was a fourth replay from the endzone camera that clearly showed both of Mason’s arms extended in Cap’s back.
So, looks like all your evidence is gone, and yes, Captain Munnerlyn is indeed a very good corner who could hold his own as an every down corner going against the opponents best receivers, just like he did all last year against the opponents best receivers.
Knee jerk reaction - adj. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive. 2. a facilitator of long threads on Cat Scratch Reader and similar blogs.
by Sniff on Aug 13, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
welcome back sniff
Anyone who had “right after the first preseason game” in the office pool of when sniff would return, you can now collect your payment.
Seriously, make sure you stick around this time. This place isn’t the same without you here.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Well I be... I guess he was perfect
You and I were obviously seeing different things.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
Nope, nobody but you is perfect
He did play a very good game though. The evidence is right there in the post, just go look at it.
Knee jerk reaction - adj. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive. 2. a facilitator of long threads on Cat Scratch Reader and similar blogs.
Never claimed I was
What should I look at?
- The first piece of ‘evidence’ where the video stays on Flacco until the ball is in the air?
- The second piece of ‘evidence’ which you have no video of?
- The third piece of ‘evidence’ (again no video) where Munnerlyn played too far off Boldin and got burned?
Yet again, I’m not going to comment on bad calls/no calls. This is football and I don’t believe in whining about the refs because sooner or later the play is going to go your way. I never truly referenced the TD, but everyone loves to pick up on that because they can blame the ref.
He had a bad game, nothing more… nothing less. It does concern me that he was beat by the likes of Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, because they’re hardly the most dynamic receivers in the NFL.
Personally, I don’t want to fall into a trap where any critique of a former Gamecock, Tar Heel, Mountaineer or any other local school is immediately invalid.
There’s disagreement, and then there’s just being snarky for the sake of it.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
Are you really that petty?
The first piece of ‘evidence’ where the video stays on Flacco until the ball is in the air?
- The second piece of ‘evidence’ which you have no video of?
- The third piece of ‘evidence’ (again no video) where Munnerlyn played too far off Boldin and got burned?
Try reading and going to where the video says, it’s all there. Just watch, you can see Munnerlyn come back into the play off the post on the Mason inaccuracy of yours. You just have to look at it. He wasnt near the play. And yes, there is video of the solid play he made on Boldin. He made the exact play he should have. He goes after that and misses, its a 96 yard TD. Anyone who knows the game knows that as well.
And there’s being snarky for the sake of it, and not knowing what you are talking about, i’e.
He had a bad game, nothing more… nothing less. It does concern me that he was beat by the likes of Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, because they’re hardly the most dynamic receivers in the NFL.
because he didn’t get beat by either. And it’s not a loyalty to a school issue, it’s invalid because it’s blatantly wrong.
Knee jerk reaction - adj. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive. 2. a facilitator of long threads on Cat Scratch Reader and similar blogs.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar Sniff
I came off pissy, but truth be told your tone in the first post annoyed the hell out of me.
Saying you ‘just can’t take it anymore’ and ‘all your evidence is gone’ when you were never involved in the original discussion comes off as damn rude if nothing else.
I respect your opinion, and I respectfully disagree that Munnerlyn was good last night, lets leave it at that. I went back and rewatched by DVR recording of the game on the aforementioned plays, and I feel the same way I did when I first wrote this.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
James has his points about the video clips.
We don’t actually get to see Munnerlyn in coverage on the play with Clayton so neither side is supported in their claims, however it does seem to me that Munnerlyn didn’t put himself in a position to make a play on Clayton (who actually ran a short distance to the sideline without even getting touched). It’s not like Clayton made his cut and Munnerlyn was there to put the stop on him. He had at least 2 steps on Cap.
In the Boldin play, it looks like they were playing safe to prevent a 1st down. No one was even close to him. I’m not entirely sure if that was Captain’s fault, but Godfrey was closer to making a stop on him in coverage than Captain was. It just so happens that Boldin was running toward Captain.
And I thought you only treated me like a jerk
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
It's nice to feel important...
…isn’t it? ;-)
It's not just me, alot of people treat you like a jerk
Knee jerk reaction - adj. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive. 2. a facilitator of long threads on Cat Scratch Reader and similar blogs.
Touche! So we have something alike after all :)
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Won't get a clear picture
until the third preseason game. I agree with those that say that we can’t get too excited or too despondent about anything yet.
I am going to start with the QB discussion first :
Clausen was good. What is exciting is that he looks like he is developing fast despite not have taken snaps in games that matter. People will remember that I was probably the only person who suggested that we move up to take Clausen when he was falling. Yet, I am even more convinced now that we let Clausen develop behind Moore because he seems mature enough to do it. As long as Moore looks okay (he looked just fine yesterday) we must continue with him. Only if Moore underwhelms seriously with Clausen continuing to develop throughout the preseason do we want to consider changes.
False Starts: As long as Gross is our LT we will have false starts – it has been this way for years and I don’t see how that will change now. Good news – we were on the road against the Ravens.
Offense: We should be fine with our starting 11. Smith and Otah will be huge upgrades. The backups on OL look underwhelming at the moment. Backup centers need to work on the snap. I don’t think we can afford to pass the ball too much if this is the kind of pass-protection we serve up. I think we have absolutely no choice but to put King. Rosario and Barnidge on the field in 3 TE sets if Smith is not playing. Steve Smith is still the most important guy on this team.
Defense: I think we were okay. There is clearly a lot of work left as far as evaluating players go. I think the Ravens OL is as much to blame for all the nice stats we put up. Some players looked a little sloppy with their tackling. Too early to make any conclusions about any of the players as there has been a tremendous amount of change in this area.
ST: This will sound weird but I thought they looked better than last year – some people looked a little sloppy with their tackling and that one play where the returner went untouched for 50 yards was ugly. But I feel the potential is there and we should look much better than last year.
A few words on some of the rookies:
Hardy: Very good start…I would like to see him go up against the starters for the Jets and/or the Titans.
Norwood: Had a good game and looks like he should have a role rushing from the LB spot. He looks adequate in coverage too.
Edwards: Nothing surprising given what we heard from camp – he is developing and it will take him a few months to get there. But his potential is exciting.
Fiametta: Excellent. As long as he stays fit he should do a good job replacing Hoov.
Sutton: Had a decent outing but needs to ensure that he does not make any mental errors. The fumble at the goal line was unacceptable against second stringers. Like everyone else pass protection needs work.
Officiating: Very rusty.
The rest – can’t say anything at all yet – need more data!!
My biggest concern is actually
the placement of the official. The preseason games I have watched have had a serious spike in O-line penalties. Color me concerned about 20 penalty games…
I agree
One simple thing like moving the official has flipped the script on what the OL can do.
I understand that technically all the penalties were correct last night, but there is a certain expectation on the part of the players about what will, and wont be called. Changing it up now when it hasn’t been made an official point of focus seems unfair for the linemen.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
it is a lot easier
to get your hands inside on a jersey and stick to a defenders chest when the defenders back is to the official…
by adamwanderer on Aug 13, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I, for one, am fed up.
What we need is officials who MAKE THE CORRECT CALL. Not officials who are in different positions.
I saw the technique that got Gross flagged for holding the second time in a row, on that drive, used all over the field for the rest of the game. I’m pretty sure the ref knew it was bogus the play after he threw it. I understand that refs are only people, and prone to mistakes of their own, but I mean, the mistakes that happen when teams are moving the ball, getting into field position, and preparing for points are the same as the mistakes that take points directly off the board. They’re just unacceptable. GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY. Seriously. You’re talking about a multi-billion dollar a year organization, the most popular sport in the entire US, and every year it’s the same phantom holding calls and perplexing PI calls. If the refs are responsible for policing some of the best athletes on the planet, then their performance should have to be on a commensurate level of ability. Moving an official into the backfield is not going to provide any real ability to call the game as it should be played, and certainly, CERTAINLY, the NFL brain trust knows that. Get refs who can get in position to make the proper calls. Do it now. Please.
by The Kackalack Kid on Aug 13, 2010 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
There were a couple things that were great (Clausen, Brayton, Hardy, Norwood, etc) and some things that were concerning (the O-line, secondary without Gamble), but I’ll wait for further games in the preseason to make a full judgment on what to expect in the actual season.
Suffice to say we still have work to do.
by SlayerGhaleon on Aug 13, 2010 2:14 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
We'll be fine
By the start of the season. It was the first preseason game so i’m not that worried. We still look shaky near the end of preseason then we can start to panic.
Superbowl Champs 2010!!!!
by Panther4Life!!! on Aug 13, 2010 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Excellent article James. Thank you for providing the analysis. Only thing I could find wrong was that I personally would have included C.J. Wilson on that pessimistic list as well. Yeah, the guy returned a fumble for a TD, but for the love of God the man cannot cover anything or anyone. He was burned numerous times out there against all different types of recievers.
One of the numerous bad plays that comes to mind was when Troy Smith first came out to play, and it was 3rd & 10 I believe, and Eric Moore (if I can recall correctly) flushed him out to his right. Smith threw a pass down the sidelines and hit his TE. This is the play that Baltimore challenged and eventually lost. But if you can see that replay, Wilson looks like he just gives up and does not even attempt to break up the pass. It was as pathetic to watch him as it was to see Munnerlyn get tooled by Mark Clayton on that TD.
I hope they can sign a cut vet when the preseason winds down, because Wilson doesn’t deserve a spot on this roster at all right now.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
Clausen reminds me of...
Does he remind anyone else of Matt Ryan? He didn’t really make a mistake in the game. By that I mean a typical “rookie” mistake. I remember watching Matt Ryan as a rookie and thinking “holy shit, this guy just knows how to play.” It was very impressive to watch him as a rookie play at the level he did. Clausen kind of reminded me of that. I’m finding myself hard pressed to think of a play that went bad because of a decision that he made. Several times his receivers fell down which resulted in an dropped ball or two and of course that INT. I can only think of one pass that looked off target really, but still was within reach of the WR and no where near the DB.
He’s a keeper and it’ll be great to watch him mature into a QB.
All that being said...
It was one game.
I’m not going to hang my hat on anyone yet, but let’s hope this trend continues (for guys who played well) and is correct for those who didn’t.
YEEEEESSSSS!!!!!
"If you ask Jets' CB Darrelle Revis, there is no one who is harder to cover one-on-one than Steve Smith. That has to mean something coming from last year's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year."
Glad to see MMO back
Last night game was very interesting.
Jimmy looked like a pro. But I need to see More from Moore.
LaFell would have had a starting postion if he would have caught that TD. I know he had a nightmare about that last night.
Im so glad T Brayton back. He was a beast last night.
Sutton looked good, but if you cant hold on to the ball you will never make it in this league.
A few dudemanhey notes on the game:
1) It was only the 1st pre-season game, so there obviously a whoe lot more to watch and consider going forward.
2) A QB controversy means we have TWO good QB’s:
a. Moore did his usual consistent thing in his few drives.
b. Clausen looked pretty damn sharp for a rookie in the NFL.
3) The Baltimore Ravens are set to have a BIG season.
4) LaFell and Edwards both have work to do. However, they both showed flashes last night that they can contribute THIS season. I don’t think James was fair to either of them to assess their play pessimistically.
a. Edwards looked decent on PR duty. Especially considering it’s preseason game #1.
b. Both receivers had nice 1st down catches. Armanti’s RAC and bulling over the DB for the 1st down showed why he’ll be a player.
c. LaFell Looked good blocking.
d. LaFell also cost Clausen what should have been a TD with the endzone drop.
e. Edwards should have been the rookie WR to get a rushing attempt on the reverse.
5) When the Panthers were on defense in the 3rd quarter, Greg Hardy looked like the best player on the field on either side of the ball.
6) Speaking of SEC rookie defenders: Eric Norwood and Hardy look like the future of the Panthers D.
7) Dwayne Jarrett will be behind only Smitty on the WR depth chart to start the season.
8) Kenneth Moore might be the 3rd on the depth chart. Nice hook up from Clausen to Moore.
9) Williams, Stewart, Sutton, Vaughn, Fiametta. The Panthers have the best running back corps in the league. We haven’t even mentioned Goodson.
10) I’m not sure what i thought about the Beason/Connor swap experiment. Better give it another week and observe again, imo.
11) Ravens vs Panthers Superbowl anyone? I can see it happening.
I just met Greg Hardy
At a Spartanburg gas station close to the traning camp. He signed my work shirt for me. Pretty cool dude, and he’s very reserved.
by panthertillidrop on Aug 13, 2010 3:27 PM EDT reply actions
I must take you in as my apprentice
Cat Scratch Reader's not-so-creepy stalker
a.k.a. DeAngelo Williams in the stalking business- agile and elusive
that's really cool man
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
that's awesome.
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
by John Chilton on Aug 13, 2010 6:04 PM EDT up reply actions
My thoughts...
At QB, Clausen looked great. Impressed me much more than Moore did, although I’ll chalk that up to Clausen simply being on the field longer. Cantwell looked serviceable; I like him for #3.
RB was same-ol-same-ol. Solid play from pretty much everyone who took the field. Sutton and Vaughan look like Williams and Stewart Jr. Fiametta has taken leaps and bounds in that FB spot. He was all over the place, pancaking guys, catching balls out of the backfield, throwing downfield blocks. We needed him to come in and play well, and he’s doing that so far.
WRs were disappointing, I thought. Most of our young guys looked…scared. Aside from some encouraging play from Jarrett and Moore, I felt let down a bit. I know, I know…the WRs blocked pretty well and that’s valid but, to me, WRs need to be catching balls or they tend to drift mentally a bit during the game. The weather was a factor as well, so while I was disappointed a bit, I’m willing to give ’em some slack.
TEs looked good. King was getting good separation downfield, running good routes. Had the QBs miss him a bit, either due to pressure or overthrown balls. King also blocked very well. Rosario performed reasonably well as a pass-catcher. Nothing to rave about. Solid.
OL was a story of two teams. First teamers played excellent run schemes; big holes for the RBs to run through, opening lanes so the backs could see the defense coming at them. First-team pass protection was a little soft, made some penalties on obvious throwing downs. I think they were having trouble with the outside speed rush, and that forced those mistakes. Other than the first teamers, the rest of the O-line subs played terribly. Their run blocking was only passable and the pass blocking was nonexistent. Robinson looks out of shape big time. He spent most of that game looking completely gassed.
DEs played terrific. The bright spot of the D last night. Brayton, Hardy played out of their minds. I concur with most of you that I’m anxious to see Hardy against some first-teamers. Brown disappointed, but overall I was pleased with their play.
DTs…..did we even have any DTs IN that game?!?!?
LBs could have looked better. Beason seemed lost at times out there on the weak side. I thought Conner played very well, and Anderson completely disappeared into the turf sometimes. Again, like the WRs, I’m willing to give them some slack. If there’s anybody who’s gonna make a good transition, it’s Beason. So I’m reserving judgment here.
CBs were sloppy. Hips were bad, backpedals weren’t smooth, they just couldn’t seem to get squared up on either receivers for a jam or on the passes themselves for tipped balls. Footing was terrible, especially in the second half, but that doesn’t excuse the poor tackling/positioning that made that rash of screens that McGahee ate us up with possible. Munnerlyn wasn’t aggressive enough. What kind of defender lets a guy shove him off coverage that easily? Make the receiver tackle you, so there’s no doubting an OPI call. He’s stronger than that, and he knows it.
ST were disappointing as well. I expected some fire from the new ST staff, but I didn’t see it. I agree that we really miss Lloyd. Edwards just looked slow, timid maybe? I’m not sure. He looked like a guy who thought he was going to be hurt at any second. Poor tackling and ST coverage continues to haunt this defense, giving up the short field way too frequently. Baker looked fabulous though. Dropped a couple inside the five that totally died when they hit the turf. He’s going to be great in this ball-control, field-postion offense.
by The Kackalack Kid on Aug 13, 2010 4:04 PM EDT reply actions
Lafell tweeted earlier in a response to someone...
It didn’t touch my hands RT @shopNbagKenny: @Blafell1 say bro i seen u drop that TD last night u gotta hold on to dem hoe
says it wasn’t a dropped pass, just a good coverage and a deflection by the corner.
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
I can't believe...
…he actually spent the time to respond to that pathetic, grammatically raped, wormy little shit of a response. Granted, I think it was catchable…but even Clausen knew he didn’t float it far enough to the corner.
(pardon my French…I thought it was necessary to express my point. Please delete if you think it necessary)
by Mr_Sticky on Aug 13, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I totally agree, who the hell is he to tell Lafell
that he’s supposed to catch the ball. Wow, I’m pretty sure he knows that already. Sure Smitty would have probably come down with it and he should have attacked the ball more on that play but some people shouldn’t have the ability to say what they want to say to anybody…too many retards in the world.
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
by John Chilton on Aug 13, 2010 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
grammatically raped ... I love that
Excellent, I must steal it.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Clausen put it in a place where he could go up and get it
I don’t expect him to have placed it a few inches more towards the corner, just so that LaFell could grab it unattested. Smitty would have grabbed it. Moose would have boxed out or pushed off the DB a bit and caught it. LaFell just needs more practice.
But I think Clausen taking the blame was just him trying to be a good sport.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I'm willing to accept the suggestion Clausen was being altruistic...
…hell, I like what that implies even more. But it was still slightly under thrown. ;-) Still very catchable, but I think Clausen holds himself to a higher standard…and I like that a LOT.
I think he's trying extra hard to be "altruistic"
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
perhaps...
… “magnanimous” was a little closer to my intention. But I think they both work well enough. And good for him. He took control of the offense and made himself “one of the guys” at the same time. I’m liking what I see from this kid.
I disagree. I think he's being more munificent.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL...ok...
…I have to show respect where respect is due…you pretentious prick (and yes…that’s actually a compliment, as I like to think I’m the most pretentious prick wherever I go).
This once I shall prostrate myself before your superior command of the English language (although I’d still put my money on BD in competition). ;-)
Well to be honest... I cheated
Thesaurus online comes in handy sometimes when dealing with pretentious pricks like you. Not that I’m not one… I’ve been known to throw a few big words around from time to time. But in the back of my head I’m usually questioning whether or not I used them correctly :)
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
And here I was marveling at your perspicacity.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Sweeeeeet...
…most of the 2 bit terms I use I heard in conversation when I was still too young to even write. This means half the time I wouldn’t be able to define the terms…but I could almost always use it correctly contextually (which means I would say something and immediately wonder if I was completely off base).
And I actually have more respect for someone who sites their sources or deflects praise to the proper source. Shows quite a bit of integrity.
And I love James throwing his hat into the ring when I gave literary props to someone other than him…as I nearly included Mr. The Aussie with the venerable BD in my earlier post. But hey, I’m an Oz-ophile. ;-)
VVV
Venerated would be better appreciated, but thanks for the nod, anyway. ;)
There is great wisdom, and much to be admired, in showing respect for one’s elders.
Same etymology...
…so I’m inclined to ignore the subtle differences. ;-D
Besides, you almost contradicted yourself afterwards by bringing age back into the equation, ya doof. ;-)
Seriously, though…you have a keen mind and that should ALWAYS be respected, regardless of age. I’ve never agreed with the blanket statement, “respect your elders,” as that states blind obedience or implies it’s a one-way street. But I DO believe in showing basic respect for your fellow man/woman regardless of age…and you should express it even MORE so when he/she has acted in a way that deserves it.
I don’t respect you because you’re my elder, BD…I respect you because you deserve it on merit, alone. I’d just be more likely to give you a free pass on pooping yourself because you’re my elder. ;-)
A doof I yam, but ain't pooped myself yet.
Venerable, venerated, venerer – I’ll take ’em all. But I am not a venomous vendettist.
Nice catch on the contradiction. Ya got me good there.
Oh...
…I fully expect to be on the losing end of this very quickly, BD. :-D But I actually appreciate the banter and learning new things. You just don’t find enough people to keep you on your toes in this world. That’s why I’ve latched on to CSR instead of the other Panther fan boards; there’s a whole lot of clever here.
But Pa, I would think you would have caught the punny
reference implied (albeit unintentionally) to the historically significant Saint Bede, aka Venerable Bede. And I’m not even Catholic, nor could I tell you what makes him historically significant (without “cheating”). Now, I must google him to learn more.
Where there’s a will… I want to be in it.
He was just Bede the Elder
Like Old Tom Morris, he had a kid they called Bede the Younger.
(Sounds authoritative, doesn’t it? Ha.)
I meant no disrespect, Bede the Elder.
Sincerely,
Bede the Younger
Where there’s a will… I want to be in it.
I am a bit of a science and religion junkie when presented by sources that are intelligent or perspicacious if you will
Those guys tend to throw out words that probably half of their audience do not understand. But even if you do not understand you develop an idea of when to use them.
Now spelling them in our screwy English lauguage is another challenge.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
LaFell's first jump ball in the NFL
They’ll chew him out in practice a little, get Tolbert to work on those more and he’ll be good to go.
6’2" is a lot less of a difference in the NFL than the SEC… he learned the hard way.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
I'm not worried
WRs in general take awhile to transition to the pros. He has a great camp. And a so so 1st preseason game. Sounds right on track to me.
On a positive note, that reverse they did to him was nice! He has more moves than your typical big man. Look for him to be breaking more tackles in the near future.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
and...
I wouldn’t have pegged Sutton as a Maroon 5 fan:
TSutt22
Listening to maroon 5 really makes me want to go to another one of their concerts. They r really good live
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
His running...
…is far less bland and contrived.
From gantts blog:
- The Ravens offensive touchdown, a 30-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Mark Clayton, may have had a little assist.
It appeared Panthers CB Captain Munnerlyn fell down just before the catch, but the Panthers insisted Clayton got away with a push.
"He shoved me in the back," Munnerlyn said. "I kept waiting for somebody to call it and nobody did. Maybe they didn’t see it, but he definitely got me."
Founding Member of the Unofficial LaFan Club, #11 Brandon LaFell
My Thoughts:
1. Greg Hardy might need to start. That man played like a man-possessed and he really might be the steal of the draft…the SIXTH ROUND?!?!?
2. Is it just me, or does our offensive line do this every year. Why do they always look SO OUT OF SYNC. Watching us try to pass protect was like watching a blind kid try to play basketball, it was awful. Jordan Gross looked like he had never pass blocked in his life…he had 3 penalties in the 1st quarter alone, 2 of which nullified first down catches.
3. I think we would be more encouraged by Moore if some of the plays he made weren’t called back by Gross’s penalties. Same goes for Jarrett.
4. I was EXTREMELY optimistic about our defensive line, they played absolutely terrific.
5. LBs looked lost at times, especially on screen plays.
6. The secondary played pretty bad IMO. We definitely need Gamble back in there.
by SouthernPanther on Aug 13, 2010 7:18 PM EDT reply actions
If Hardy keeps playing like that, and Johnson and Brown keeping doing nothing
Then it could happen. I’m actually hoping for something like that because I think our line is still a sore spot.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
#2 O-line
Agreed. It seems they start slow. Actually their performance against the blitz reminded me of the eagles games last year however Moore handled it better than #17 did against them.
We got highlights!
http://www.nfl.com/videos/carolina-panthers
Of course the longest video is highlights of nobody but Jimmy Clausen. Maybe we should start him just so we can get some air time this year.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Eric Moore - One-man Highlight Reel
Heck – one PLAY highlight reel.
Beat the tackle, and make penetration to disrupt the play.
Tackle the RB behind the line.
Strip the ball.
During the scramble for the ball shove the RB to the ground, so a teammate can “scoop and score.”
Escort said teammate to the endzone, blocking the only opponent near him, so the teammate can score untouched….
There were other, less-superhuman plays as well…
by panthersnbraves on Aug 13, 2010 9:31 PM EDT reply actions
I'm starting to think we should try starting Norwood at the WILL
And put Beason back in the middle. Norwood’s played the weak side in college at a high level. And man if he wasn’t quick to the ball Thurs night. He looked exactly like what Meeks wants at that position.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Excellent point
What do you suggest we do with Dan Connor though? He was good last night
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
maybe give him a shot at SAM
Since Anderson decided to do his ostrich impression and keep his head in the sand all night…
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
I can't say I know for sure...
…but it looks like Conner might be better suited for the strong side; I think it may work with his skill set a little better in this defense (little slower, but strong, instinctive, determined, and a sure tackler), than putting him in space where speed is the overriding need.
I'm with these guys
Rotate these guys throughout the preseason, and see what works best. Give Norwood a shot on the weak side and see how he looks. Give Connor a shot on the strong side and see if he looks better than Anderson.
But if Norwood excels at the WILL, and we know Beason belongs at the MIKE, and Connor can’t out perform Anderson, than sorry Connor. He might be good in the middle, but won’t be as good as Beason.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
I know Connor has a lot of fans here at CSR, but I’m for the trio that gets the best results on the field, whatever that combination may be.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Connor may just be...
…back up material on our team. I don’t mean to disrespect his past accomplishments or his present ability, but he may not be a true Mike or Will in this defense…just a capable, and versatile back up. Hell, I don’t know.
The thing with Dan Connor:
He’s an insanely ‘one note’ LB. He’s a great tackler, and can handle a ball carrier one on one, but he’s simply not good in pass coverage, nor does he have enough speed to blitz.
If you have true playmakers on the edges you can afford to have a vanilla MLB. If we had Davis and Beason as the OLBs then I think you could afford to have Connor at the mike. As it stands though we can afford to have vanilla DTs and vanilla LBs… there has to be more playmakers.
I think this is why I’m leaning so much towards ST’s idea of playing Morewood (I didn’t want to say ‘more Norwood’).
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure traditionally speaking, but how about in the Cover 2?
My understanding is that in the cover 2 the MLB becomes one of the positions that requires the most diversity of skill. Reading offenses, speed, run support and deep pass coverage… on any given play.
And also, as it is now, something seems screwy to me when Beason is getting the plays from the sideline, interpreting the offense, and then telling that to Connor.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 13, 2010 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
It's weird, no doubt
I agree that in typical cover two you are correct, but I think Meeks has some modified version. If he needed a MLB to be the most important, then I couldn’t imagine him openly moving Beason to the will.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
by James Dator on Aug 13, 2010 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Confuses the hell out of me as well
I can only assume Meeks considers the WILL to be so important to his defense as to put his best player there. I still think Beason is a little out of position, but he’s a helluva player and athlete. Maybe they think he can make the transition…but I’d like to see Jamar Williams there instead.
My understanding is because the Will has the most reward, in Meeks' version
The Mike has the greatest risk, but the Willis the play maker position… You want your best athlete there. Which is why I think they should consider trying Norwood there. He looks like he could be a bit more “athletic” than Beason.
The way I’ve envisioned it in my head :) (scary I know) is this:
Will – Speed, Athleticism
Mike – Smarts, Versatility, Leadership
Sam – Strength
Beason seems to fit these Mike qualities, and Davis the Will qualities. Norwood looks to me like he could be a Davis int he making. Granted it’s only one game.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I'm inclined, at this early stage of evaluation (and I think the coaches are still in that stage) to agree with you.
Beason is SO accomplished in the drop back coverage that our system demands, that I feel he is most efficient at MLB. Norwood and Jamar Williams need more testing to see where they best fit.
Hate to jump in again
But Connor ran .05 faster in the 40 than did Jon Beason, and ran a very respectable 4.65 20 yard shuttle and an insanely good sub 7 second 6.78 3 cone drill.
Both he and Beason looked good against the run, when Beason wasnt getting OBVIOUSLY held on a couple of plays. Connor dropped back 18 yards and tipped a pass over the middle. He has the skills and speed to play the postition. Connor starred at MLB and Beason starred at WLB in college. Once they get acclumated again and fix defending against the underneath screen those two should be good to go imo. The concern is the SLB, Anderson was non-existent. I’d say leave Connor and Beason alone and let Norwood and Jamar Williams and Anderson fight it out for the SAM. But thats just my opinion.
Knee jerk reaction - adj. 1. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive. 2. a facilitator of long threads on Cat Scratch Reader and similar blogs.
Like I said above...
I just want the three best players on the field, whatever combo that might be. We can stick Double Trouble and Kasay as the LB’s for all I care, as long as it gets results on the field.
But I get what you’re saying – I wouldn’t mind seeing what Norwood and Williams can do in the SAM spot, surely they can’t be as non-existent as Anderson was last night.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Please don't get me wrong, Sniff...
…I saw the tipped pass…and I didn’t see any glaring issues with Connor as the MIKE. I don’t dispute the 40 time differentials, but based on watching the action on the field, Beason just SEEMS (yes…very subjective) to cover more ground laterally and OWN the MIKE position more than Connor.
This is not, by any stretch, a condemnation of Connor or his skills…just a man-crush on Beason and his ability in the position. True, they may both adjust to the new positions and rock RBs and TE’s on a consistent basis (hoping for it as much as anyone)…I’m just one who believes in the, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” mentality. It’s easier to make one person adjust to the WILL than to make 2 people adjust to the WILL and MIKE…that’s all.
Besides…I’m not recommending we drop Connor from the 1st team…just suggesting he might be a better SAM than Anderson.
+1. I also don't like that Beason is still performing some of the Mike responsibilities
Like reading the plays and interpreting the offense, and then he’s quickly trying to relay that to Connor. That makes Connor look a bit incapable of the full duties and Beason being stretched a bit too much.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I don't like that either
Hopefully they will realize how bad that works out, and they will move Beast back to the MIKE, give Woodshed a shot at WILL, and try Connor at SAM.
I think that would be the lineup that gives us the best 3 guys on the field, for now anyway.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
+1 on that lineup (eventually)...
Woodshed (like the name) may need to back up Jamar for a while before starting, but come in on some situations. Overall though, I like Nor…I mean Woodshed’s skill set for the WiLL. I also thought Connor was good as the SAM last year in place of Diggs. I was in favor of trying Beast at the WILL, and I expect them to try it at least one more time. But if it plays out like it did Thursday, it will be time to remix.
Where there’s a will… I want to be in it.
I'm on board with that too
I have a hard time seeing Connor being a downgrade from Anderson. And if Morewood can play every week like he did Thur, then this could work nicely!
You listening Fox???
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 14, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know Connor had better measurables at his pro day v. Beason's combine.
To be fair though, Beason had a horrible combine. Which is why when it came to draft day he was projected as an early 2nd rounder and we were berated for taking him too early.
Maybe Connor just has rust to wear off (after all, he’s been languishing on special teams for a while) but I kid of feel like Mr_Sticky there seems to be some empirical difference between Connor and Beason’s lateral movement. Maybe Beason is more instinctual? Maybe his reaction time is a little better? But he just ‘seems’ to move faster.
I love Dan Connor, I’m sure the coaching staff do to if they would entrust him to take over Beason’s vaunted MLB spot.
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
If it's not broke, don't fix it
We will be questioning this move all season until TD comes back.
The problem I think we have is that Connor is a very talented MLB, but not enough to beat out Beason, who is one of the best in the league. It’s a problem with the dynamics of who plays where. Our options seemed to be keeping Beason at MLB and starting Jamar Williams or moving him out and starting Connor. To me, the decision to move Beason outside means that the drop off between Beason and Connor is not as great as the drop off between Beason and Williams.
James Anderson, for all intents and purposes, is safe no matter what.
I think Anderson should be the least safest of them all.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 14, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not down on Connor
I was more so before Thursday, but I was pleasantly surprised. My desire for Beason at the Mike though has little to do with just speed. I actually don’t see Beason that fast or athletic, comparatively speaking.
But that position needs the most versatile player in terms of speed, strength, intelligence and leadership… To me that is Beason by a mile.
The Will on the other hand needs the best pure athlete. Which I don’t think is Beason or Connor.
But this is just my interpretation of Meek’s Cover 2. I’m sure there are wrinkles we have no clue about.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
I'd like to see what Norwood could do at the WILL...
From his college highlights, the things that stood out to me was what I call “closing speed”, as well as good instincts and hands in coverage. By closing speed, I mean he covers the critical last 5 yards like a blur. I don’t know how or why he does it, but it’s a talent that could translate well to our our WILL.
My favorite Beast made some plays, but I’ll tell you what he reminded me of — King Kong. When he’s in the middle, he’s beating up on T-Rex linemen with beastly skills. At the WILL on Thursday, he was being nicked, held, bumped by little guys, like Kong dealing with the airplanes. I don’t doubt he’ll get it figured out, but is it worth it? The great LB experiment didn’t succeed Thursday. Do you give another test, or try a different mixture? I don’t know, and I’m running out of metaphors.
Where there’s a will… I want to be in it.
I noticed that on Thur
Watching Norwood when he got relatively close to a ball carrier, he closed in on them lightning fast. I swear a few times it looked like he leveled his body horizontally (Superman style) and sling shot himself horse shoe style into the tackle.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
by southtunnel on Aug 14, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Am I remembering correctly that Connor came in at the SAM last year...
when Diggs was hurt. As I recall, he looked quite good there. Maybe we’ll see something different in the next game.
Where there’s a will… I want to be in it.
They won't mess about with it now.
"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."
Great write-up!
I also agree with your assessments, although I don’t feel as stongly pessimistic about Captain. I think he will improve considerably by Season Opener. It appeared to me that key penalties, some bad calls by the refs and Sutton’s fumble played a big role in preventing a win. Jordon’s timing was a little off after coming back from last year’s injury. Having 3 penalties is not common for him. All in all though, I was impressed with the rookies you mentioned, especially Hardy as he seemed to be everywhere. Fiammetta did much better than I expected and so did Sutton, except for the fumble. Bad calls by refs are something we can’t control. Our vets do a great job of helping our rookies and younger players learn their roles. As much as I miss Hoover, I credit him for a lot of Fiametta’s improvement. I don’t know how it is on other teams between vets and younger players but the Panthers do a great job.
Armanti Edwards
It was a little frustrating watching Edwards on Thursday, but after watching it again I am cautiously encouraged. He had to not only deal with the nerves of being in his first pro game, but also had to rumble through the immense dictionary of being a receiver that was just uploaded into his brain.
As a returner, he clearly looked like a newbie. But he did put it together at one point for a decent 20 yard return, and would have had another if Gettis had not got knocked off his rocker. Also we’ve seen many dropped kickoffs and punts over the last few years. Armanti held on to all of them… Even in the rain! Somewhat impressive for a complete 1st timer.
As a receiver he caught as many passes as any other receiver. And in the 2nd half it seemed like he was being targeted quite often… Which makes me think he was either beating his man often, or running really good routes, or both. Sure he didn’t hold onto some of them, but it was raining and this was his first experience since High School of athletic DBs trying to take his head off.
Considering the up hill battle he’s facing, I think he made bigger strides than any of our receivers. He’s picking up the ABC’s really well. I’m not convinced he’ll be ready to contribute much at the start of the regular season. But I’m encouraged that long term he could become a major asset to this team. He just needs a little more time and patience than the average receiver.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Dude awesome report
Yo I don’t think “Mad Matt Moore” had a fair shot, come on its the first quarter of the football year both sides had jitters. Mad Matt through a few darts in the game he was 4-7 if lafell catches the ball that was right in his hands than he is 5-7. Plus when Mad Matt did settle down false start I meant Jordan Gross kills Mad Matts chances. However, well I guess I need to explain myself me and my bro are huge panther fans our dad pasted and we carry that panthers bond cuz he loved the panthers. Well my bro’s name is Jimmy bet you all can’t guess who he is rooting for to win the Qb job. Well I would root for Clausen but I liked Mad Matt from three years ago and boosted for him ever since so when he got the job last year then took off I looked like a genius. Now me and my bro are in a heated but calm battle to see who is going to win the job and he won round 1 at least in his mind. So if any more Moore fans out there give me something I can tell my bro so I can shut him up I need help Mad Matt Moore nation. By the way my bro’s calling Clausen the LeBron James of the NFL saying on the line he looks like Peyton Manning then after the hike he looks like Brett Favre he even went as far to say that the guy played at ND so he is also Joe Montana please see what I’m dealing with.
by mclovin_carolina3428 on Aug 14, 2010 11:31 AM EDT reply actions
Sounds like you won't win that sibling battle until the regular season starts.
That’s when the evaluation of backup QB’s will be over, and Moore will assume the starter’s job he rightfully won last year. All this Clausen-love will pass in time.
(And incidentally, I want him to be the best backup in the NFL!)
Clausen
I just watched the highlights of the game and still dont see why everyone is so hyped up on Clausen. He did ok but it was nothing great. He got saved by the Moore tipped catch, that could just as easily have been an interception. The throw across traffic, while it was a nice play isnt something you want to see a qb doing. I wont fault him for it but it cant be praised. The throw to Fiametta looked good but when you look at it again, Fiametta had to slow his stride & the defender almost got a hand on it. If Fiametta didnt have to slow his stride the play could have gained more yards. So while Clausen did well in the game it wasnt anything spectacular. Hopefully he only gets better & maybe 1 day…..
That it was his first ever NFL action was what made it impressive
His poise, presence and comfortability. And I think it’s safe to assume that however he plays this preseason, will be far from his ceiling. If he can continue to play this well now, how good might he be in a few years?
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
"If he can continue to play this well now, how good might he be in a few years?"
Can one not use the same reasoning about how Moore did the end of last year?
If you can extrapolate Clausen’s future success, based on less than a half of one exhibition game, step back and think how that might extend to how good Moore could become.
To be honest Big D, Moore's done about all the developing possible.
I think he’s hit his ceiling. But what a ceiling!
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 14, 2010 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont follow your logic
How is it you figure Moore has developed all he can? He has only played 8 games.
8/1 TD/INT ratio last year.
That’s pretty much as high as you can go.
Ready for 2010 football already!!!
by Flowing Willow on Aug 16, 2010 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think Moore's reached his ceiling
But we’ve already seen Moore in every Preseason since 2007. I tend to think he started far behind where Clausen is now, and is closer to his ceiling. But of course there is no perfect formula to predict this. Either could be great… I just think some of us are just really impressed how Clausen played right out the gate.
on behalf of tha dirty south: soul food, carolina blue, southern hospitality, and tha queen city
Gettis
I’m surprised you’re not pessimistic about Gettis. I thought he looked pretty unspectacular out there, especially his hit on Armanti.
Panthers > All
Nice Column
I’m a little bit late on this but it took me some time to piece it all together. After seeing the game Thursday I think I’ve got a few nicknames you might enjoy.
Deangelo=D-LO
Stewart=J-STEW
D-LO & J-STEW=Thunder & Lightning
M.Moore=Matt"Jake Can’t Come Home Any"Moore
J.Clausen=Jimmy"The Tulip"Clausen
T.Pike=Tony"The Fisherman"Pike cause he knows how to reel in a win.
And his obvious last name.
S.Smith=“SMITTY” or “89”
K.Moore=Kenneth"Jake Won’t be Throwing to Me Any"Moore
D.Jarrett=Dwayne"I Was Damn Good at USC"Jarrett or D.J.
LaFell=STICKS or Buck(A young Moose) Whoever came up with that, nice one.
Fiametta=FIIIIAAA After seeing his blocks against a backpedeling Ray Lewis.
Or Tony"I’ve Got a #45 Jersey Under My Pads"Fiametta. In reference to HOOOVVV.
A.Edwards=Armanti"If the Suit Fits"Edwards
D.Gettis=David"Our DB’s Are Affraid He’s Coming To"Gettis
G.Barnidge=Gary"Broad Side of the"Barnidge
J.Otah=Jeff"Mt.“Otah
C.Munnerlyn=”Got a Little"Captain"In You"Munnerlyn
R.Marshall=Richard"Long Arm of the"Marshall
T.Brayton=Tyler"Square Jaw of Steel"Brayton or Tyler"Jaws of Life"Brayton or “Jaws”
LOL just thought of this Tyler"Brawny"Brayton you know, the paper towell guy.
C.Johnson=Charles"Stop the Rock"Johnson
E.Brown=Everrette"B.A.“Brown For those of you don’t get it google B.A.Barrackus.
Duh duh duh duh…..duh duh duh….. Duh duh duh duh….duh duh duh duh duh
E.Norwood=Eric”The Woodshed"Norwood Also given up props to who pegged this one.
D.Connor=Dan"The Clone"Connor In reference to “Danimal” Dan Morgan.
J.Beason=BEAST or Jon"The Beast From the East"Beason
T.Davis=T.D. or “THUMPER”
L.Leonard=Louis"No Relation to AL"Leonard
T.Tyler=TANK or “Frank the Tank”
E.Johnson=ED"I Never Miss a Meal"Johnson or “Mini Fridge”
N.Hayden=Nick"I’m Strong as an Ox But Don’t Always Like to Work"Hayden
or “Part-Time” or Nick"The Mule"Hayden.
E.Moore=Eric"Get Used to Seeing Me on TV"Moore
And last but not least my personal favorite, write it down, take a picture, you heard it first
here at Cat Scratch Reader.
G.Hardy=Greg"I Got the Ice for Your Peppers"Hardy also Greg"Hard Knocks"Hardy
Thanks for the site guys let me know what you think about my nicknames.
And for you guys that don’t know there’s another great site like this one called CatCrave.
Hope that was ok to plug, if not I apologize.
Nice Column
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Josh Vaughn. I’m thinkin leave Goodson on the PUP list like Thomas Davis for now and let’s see what this kid really has. Or maybe switch him to backup FB. He seemed to have good size. And where was Rayshawn Jackson?
I’m a little bit late on this but it took me some time to piece it all together. After seeing the game Thursday I think I’ve got a few nicknames you might enjoy.
Deangelo=D-LO
Stewart=J-STEW
D-LO & J-STEW=Thunder & Lightning
M.Moore=Matt"Jake Can’t Come Home Any"Moore
J.Clausen=Jimmy"The Tulip"Clausen
T.Pike=Tony"The Fisherman"Pike cause he knows how to reel in a win.
And his obvious last name.
S.Smith=“SMITTY” or “89”
K.Moore=Kenneth"Jake Won’t be Throwing to Me Any"Moore
D.Jarrett=Dwayne"I Was Damn Good at USC"Jarrett or D.J.
LaFell=STICKS or Buck(A young Moose) Whoever came up with that, nice one.
Fiametta=FIIIIAAA After seeing his blocks against a backpedeling Ray Lewis.
Or Tony"I’ve Got a #45 Jersey Under My Pads"Fiametta. In reference to HOOOVVV.
A.Edwards=Armanti"If the Suit Fits"Edwards
D.Gettis=David"Our DB’s Are Affraid He’s Coming To"Gettis
G.Barnidge=Gary"Broad Side of the"Barnidge
J.Otah=Jeff"Mt.“Otah
C.Munnerlyn=”Got a Little"Captain"In You"Munnerlyn
R.Marshall=Richard"Long Arm of the"Marshall
T.Brayton=Tyler"Square Jaw of Steel"Brayton or Tyler"Jaws of Life"Brayton or “Jaws”
LOL just thought of this Tyler"Brawny"Brayton you know, the paper towell guy.
C.Johnson=Charles"Stop the Rock"Johnson
E.Brown=Everrette"B.A.“Brown For those of you don’t get it google B.A.Barrackus.
Duh duh duh duh…..duh duh duh….. Duh duh duh duh….duh duh duh duh duh
E.Norwood=Eric”The Woodshed"Norwood Also giving props to who pegged this one.
D.Connor=Dan"The Clone"Connor In reference to “Danimal” Dan Morgan.
J.Beason=BEAST or Jon"The Beast From the East"Beason
T.Davis=T.D. or “THUMPER”
L.Leonard=Louis"No Relation to AL"Leonard
T.Tyler=TANK or “Frank the Tank”
E.Johnson=ED"I Never Miss a Meal"Johnson or “Mini Fridge”
N.Hayden=Nick"I’m Strong as an Ox But Don’t Always Like to Work"Hayden
or “Part-Time” or Nick"The Mule"Hayden.
E.Moore=Eric"Get Used to Seeing Me on TV"Moore
And last but not least my personal favorite, write it down, take a picture, you heard it first
here at Cat Scratch Reader.
G.Hardy=Greg"I Got the Ice for Your Peppers"Hardy also Greg"Hard Knocks"Hardy
Thanks for the site guys let me know what you think about my nicknames.
And for you guys that don’t know there’s another great site like this one called CatCrave.
Hope that was ok to plug, if not I apologize.
Watching the game last night was a lot of fun!
We’ve got a lot of good talent on our roster. We have our ever-faithful stars returning, and we have some potential stars coming out like Greg Hardy and Tyler Brayton ready to bring more pressure to the QB than ever. This is going to be a good year. I can smell it!
"Once again the trousers of evil are yanked down by the mocking hands of justice!"-Revshawn
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