Carolina Panthers Monday Morning Optimist- 8/20/11 (Saturday Edition)

We need one.

You’re absolutely right on all points James.

As for the QB position, BOTH QB’s looked “meh” last night. There really should be no need for the community to in-fight about it, because neither side really has anything to use to say “my guy was better than your guy”. They were both mediocre, both had their own problems, and neither did anything to lock down the starting job.

Either way Rivera needs to hurry up and name a starter that way he can actually play a full game for the next 2 pre season games and get all the practice he needs.

I know I’ve said before Cam should start, but on 2nd thought I say you bench him for the 1st few games, let the media get over the Cam affair and take him out of the Spotlight so he can concentrate more.

Personally I say bench both Jimmy and Cam and start Dereck Anderson. He’s the only QB that played in this offense before and played extremely well under it. he would give us an immediate chance at winning right away. was disappointed not seeing Anderson getting any playing time.

I am still going to refer back to the “we needed a good old ass kicking” as a reason to not be upset with the game last night. I still think we all needed to be taken down a notch, both the team and the fans. Hopefully after last night, these guys will realize that hype does not equal good play and consequently wins.

I’m still fully confident that Rivera will have this team ready come Week 1. I’m still confident that McDermott (in conjunction with Rivera) will have this defense playing better, especially when all our starters come back. And I am certain that Chud will have the offense utilizing real plays when the real bullets start flying. Remember folks, this is still preseason. While they need to practice the offense, they don’t need to tip their offensive playbook’s hand.

I’m confident in this team. One bad preseason game does not mean our team is going to suck.

And go and get a consistent reciever I personally dont know if LaFell has what it takes and I always thought Nannee was a 3rd stringer at best. Im excited about Armanti though I dont think he is ready to step up into the 2nd receiver role yet I think he is getting there.

We will look nothing like last night come week one. Key starters missing, and again its preseason. As for the QBs..there is no reason for Clausen to be our starting QB. Coach needs to end this so called competition and just name Cam starting QB.

And like BW said, we definitely need to go get that DT…ASAP

Thanks for the write-up. I enjoy your dissection of the games. I agree that the coaches are hiding their playbook. That’s wise of them. I’m not expecting our beloved Panthers to make the playoffs, but I am expecting a giant stride in the right direction. I am excited and optimistic about the upcoming season.

I would like to see Derek Anderson take the reigns during the regular season and have Cam observe. I wouldn’t want Cam’s confidence to get shattered should he start right off the bat. We definitely need help with the receiving corps. I’m sure that will be addressed in 2012.

GO PANTHERS!!!

Based on all the hype, marketing, etc. the NFL certainly wants Cam to become a superstar and bring some excitement back to the Carolinas. This is why every highlight reel this morning leads with a 12 yard crossing route to the TE, which is about as pedestrian a throw as you’ll ever see. Watching him extensively in SEC play last season I personally think he’s going to be a bust (and said this well before the Panthers took him) because his running ability opened everything up for him in college, which won’t happen in the pros because he’s really not that elusive. He won’t be breaking the tackles of NFL ‘backers. In any case, this is just one man’s opinion, and a Falcon fan’s at that, but I have recently moved to the area and will be attending a few Panthers games this year. In all sincerity I hope y’all beat up the Bucs and Saints this season and only tote two good ass-whuppins on your way back to respectability.

I would like to start off by saying I haven’t read any of the threads but I know the jest of what was more then likely said.

1. Its still only preseaon game 2
2. We ran the ball somewhere between 4 to 6 times while Cam was out there. Our strength on O is the run game. We took that away tonight to see how Cam’s arm is. And while we treated last night for what it was a practice the Fins did not. They played like it was the playoffs with their play calling. Hell towards the end of the first half a beat writer joked about Miami going into 4 corners to put the game away.

Alot people we have in those backup spots are garbage… there are a few good ones, but the majority. These are the individuals that we’ll rely on in case of injuries. I definately didn’t like it. Sutton played great, LB Williams two good preseason games, Chinasa… I need to see him on the feild more.

1. Need is Good defensive line help… Key word “GOOD”.

Henne and Moore had all day to throw the ball.

I’ve been patient so far but these two plays make me shake my head:
He rushed on a 3rd down from the left side in the 1st half, left his feet and got completely flipped. He looked really stupid.

Then he gets the 15 yd penalty in the 2nd half. He just doesn’t seem to bring much to the table in the pass rush much less the run D. I’m hoping the reg season sheds a better light on him.

I agree though this game was influenced by the vanilla play calling on both sides of the ball which I attribute it to being a preseason game

Clausen had a beauty of a pass for 35 yds to Clowney that was negated by an illegal formation penalty. Not sure if it was caused by Clowney or not

A lot of us didnt get it last night

It’s pre-season. That says it all. Props to Miami for a good showing. While we want to win, I definitely think it’s more important to Rivera & Co to evaluate now and win later (when it counts). To win would have been excellent but I don’t think that was their #1 priority last night, perhaps not even in their top 5.

For instance, they’ve repeatedly said we will not abandon our running game (and put a lot of weight behind that with the resigning of Williams) but last night it was non-existent. If we really giving it our all to win, I think we would’ve seen more balance. Instead, I believe they felt it more important to see how Cam and Jimmy perform with their backs against the wall, without a strong running game to lean on. You never know what might happen in the NFL during the regular season, these things are good to know beforehand. It was our lesser known guys that got the majority of work on the ground and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

This is a learning phase and we played like it – nothing more, nothing less.

1. preseason games are up and down, no need to overreact
2. we need help at DT, the rooks arent ready yet, understandably
3. it’s premature to say we need help at CB until Gamble plays. I for one still believe captain is a good #2 corner. Put Gamble on Marshall last nite and things might have looked differently. The better of McLain can be the nickel
4. we need help at OL depth. If Otah and/or Schwartz remain out, our OL will look just like it did last year.
5. our primary problem on offense is that our WR’s don’t get open. it’s part of the reason why JC checks down so much, and why you saw Cam running or throwing it away.
6. 2nd quarter was MIA’s #1 offense vs our #2 defense IIRC
7. with CJ playing less than a quarter, we played most of the game without our best DE, our second best DE, our best LB, and our best CB. again, too early to panic on the defense. except the DT need, IMO
8. we might have to resign ourself to the offense being a work in progress. might look bad in the beginning, better by midseason

randywattsoncharles johnson
So I’m watching the game and I’m getting mad all over again. I’m ready to get back to work Monday #Motivation

RyanKalil: Did not play fast and physical tonight. We have a lot of work to do but you will see our offense cut it loose this year!

Ryan Pugh
So long Miami… Tough one tonight. Lots to learn from. Gotta get better this week #panthers

TD58SDTMThomas Davis
I PROMISE you we will correct our mistakes and play a lot better next week.

A CB or WR would be nice… But no way can we ever allow teams to consistently run up the gut on us. Maybe McDermit can find a way to pressure the QB a bit more (because that was horrible as well), but those DT’s have to at least be good enough to clog up the middle.

We won’t win many games if that keeps happening.

I could be jumping the gun, but Otah is a broke dick who has been nothing but hurt since drafted and Gross is well sort of dropping off his game. Perhaps we go get a grade a hunk of tackle in first round next year to protect whoever is playing qb (so as not to start arguments).

spiderman is just the newest thing.

and why the coaches were so high on him. I’m not ready to say signing him was a mistake, but I want to see him do SOMETHING in the next preseason game that warrants him taking a spot in front of AE, Pilares or LaFell. At this point Charly Martin and David Clowney have looked better than Naanee….

Some people think that we don’t have the linebacker personnel to blitz that often because our linebackers are more athletic and less “thick” type of players. I think that if we do see blitzes they’re going to be more exotic looking ones but it could be beneficial to keep and use Thomas Williams at times since the dude looks pretty stocky and he’s been very effective so far in the preseason.

… we didn’t do basically the things we needed to do to win the game.

A Foxism from Rivera! Say it isn’t so!
(to be fair, at least he said a little more than that)

OK…If this is posted above I am sorry, but I want to put in my thoughts. We need to see if Tank Johnson has any thing left in the tank. I assume the knees are his issues.

We need to trade a LB to Philly for one of their DB’s. They need a LB, and we NED a DB.

We have to start Cam. I was not happy with either QB last night, but the team will have a better chance.

One big concern….I know there was a lock out and all the teams are in the same boat, but I saw the Panthers REALLY SUCKING WIND EARLY!!!!!!!! I am worried about that

I think it’s a little bit of an over reaction to a preseason loss.

@ WR and DT and i think we are ok!… i bet FO is kicking them selves for not picking up cotchery!!

he will be ready to go t words the end of SEPT.

TO…prolly wont get a call from RR and JR on this i think he is too out spoken with Steve Smith allready on the team so……. that leaves us with Mark Clayton… witch i had over looked before but he would be a good pick up[ if healthy]

based on my observations during the last 2 games…Cam is on the same level as Jimmy…in spite of Jimmy’s experience last year. That comparison could imply that Cam will be far ahead of Jimmy by game 10. That’s what I’m expecting. Not saying we’ll lose the 1st 10 games, just that Cam will be far ahead of Jimmy by that point.

Very valid point. If Cam is neck and neck with Jimmy then BW is right. They either both suck or Cam is catching on faster. I have no real problem with Jimmy other than the footsteps thing and playing way too conservative. I really think Jimmy has the skill set to succeed and he is just too scared of losing or too scared of getting the crap knocked out of him, with Jimmy it is in his head. If Cam learns to read a defense and not push what just isn’t there. I think with Cam it is a speed of the game issue. It is faster than he thought and thinks too much and tries too hard to keep up and makes the throws off his back foot or forces his throws, hence the accuracy concerns. Given time to adjust to the speed of the game, I think he will be ok.

I don’t see him on much and he made a lot of good points and contributions on here.

It is preseason, the sky is not falling and the Panthers will be OK this year. Except for Sutton we used 0 running game. Our lines were missing key players, and Smitty was not there to take the pressure off of the WR’s and TE’s.

Cam and Jimmy both looked adequate as QB’s with no running game. They didn’t do much good, but they didn’t do much bad either. Cam has GOT to quit throwing off his back foot, but that should filter itself out as the season progresses.

Jimmy made some plays we have never seen before from him, and if we didn’t have Cam I would actually feel comfortable starting him. I think he is becoming as valuable as Connor to us. He’s really good, but he has great in front of him.

We did not game plan to win. We played to see what individual potential we have on this team in certain positions. Some guys didn’t shine while others did. Sutton looked like a boss. If we don’t decide to keep him then I’ll bet he gets traded to the Titians. Not a big bet, but with Fitzgerald’s new contract, “playmakers” just got a lot more expensive.

Net week is going to show how our Panthers actually look. We are going to game plan and open up some of the playbook. The Bangles are a good team for us to be doing that against, as they are a team that is having some of the same struggles we are.

Again, the sky is not falling. We are in the last year of a rebuild and things are going to be a bit shaky. This is just a growing pain. Nothing more, nothing less.

But there are some things to be concerned about. And forgive me if I’m off on some of the assessments…I haven’t been able to bring myself to rewatch the game (I’ll try to tonight). I know it’s the preseason. I know you have to use it to evaluate players. But we have seen as recently as 2010 that preaseason struggles can foreshadow struggles to come.

The D-Line was manhandled about 99% of the game, with about the highlight being Chinasa’s forced fumble. Honestly, I like Chinasa better than Brown – I think he has more promise, even if right now he’s only playing against 2s and 3s. I can’t wait until Hardy gets back in action on the field. The DTs might as well have not even stepped on the field. Against the run, they gave better turnstyle impressions than MacBern gave last season. Against the pass, they had subzero pressure. Henne had enough time in the pocket to knock back a couple of beers and take a nap before having to throw the ball. However, I will give props to the whole defense for the play at the goalline. Outstanding goalline defense. I thought they had it. Dang that 4th down.

I really want to see Thomas Williams make the roster. I think he could be a consistent playmaker on defense and special teams. (BTW – it’s incredibly frustrating that we are overstocked with so much talented depth at LB and RB and can’t even find decent starters at other positions.)

Our O-line = “Bleh!” It seemed like they were slightly better in pass protection than run blocking, but that line was subpar. We need to groom an undisputed replacement for Gross in the very near future, we need Schwartz back ASAP, and I think they (coaches and FO) should work under the assumption that Otah will never return to his early form until he proves them wrong. I am fed-up with the guy. Everyone always says we have one of the best O-lines in the league when it’s fully healthy. But when was the last time that was the case? You have a rookie QB who was drafted #1 overall. That’s a big investment (not Bradford investment, but it’s not cheap), and you have to keep that investment healthy and help him out with a running game.

Speaking of running…Sutton’s awesome. IIRC, he also caught a couple of passes. He’s a tough guy – I like his style. Game ball to Sutton, and it’s not even close.

QBs – They were both mediocre. Mediocre means Clausen is noticeably better than last season. Translation: He doesn’t look like a chicken with his head cut off. Newton has plenty of work to do, but considering the jump in sophistication between Auburn and the NFL and his limited time with the coaching staff, he’s certainly ahead of where I expected him to be at this point. But I want to see better footwork and transferring weight to the front foot, and I want to see better (and consistent) accuracy. Those are intertwined.

I wish that there had been more shots of what was happening with WRs downfield. We were told that none of them were getting separation, but I’d like to see what was happening with my own eyes.

Anyway, it was hard to watch this game after all of the promise that was flashed in the game against the Giants. Why the drastic dropoff? Miami’s hot and humid? So is Spartanburg (I know, Miami’s more extreme). Lack of starters? We got several starters back – Munnerlyn, CJ, and Thomas. I get that it’s probably going to be a season full of ups and downs, but this game felt like too deep of a down.

That was pretty darn encouraging.