Cat Scratch Reader: FanPosts

Fullback quandry

2009-11-06T16:00:20Z

Brad Hoover thinks we might try an offensive lineman at the Fullback spot on Sunday. I love it!

"We're having to go elsewhere in our room, (or) elsewhere with maybe linemen, just trying to find an answer to have an 'F' on the field."

Who? Bernadeau?

Or move Jeff king to FB and let Bernadeau play some TE on run downs? That might become a tell, however. If he is in at TE that might tip the defense that it is a run, but it didn't seem to matter last week.

Panthers RB Analysis: Double Trouble 2008 vs. 2009

2009-11-06T03:03:05Z

Last year DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart made a running tandem that we know today as "Double Trouble". D-Will was the speedster and J-Stew was the Bruiser also known as "Smash and Dash" but because of the Tennessee Cry Babies it became what it is today. Double Trouble and the Carolina Panthers offensive line is now the backbone of our team. John Fox has always tried to establish the run first theme and once we lost Stephen Davis things weren't the same. Foster became the starter but didn't really show any "talent". He was the teams leading rusher until last week. Williams broke that record in only three years. Stewart is probably going to past the same mark if not next year then the year after. The running game is strong and looks like it's not going to slow down anytime soon. But out of curiosity I wanted to compare the 2008 Double Trouble to this years tandem.

Last year DeAngelo Williams ran the ball 273 times for 1515 yards and 18 TDs. That's a 5.6 yard average and 94.7 yards a game job. We couldn't of been happier. he got into shape during the summer before and was now able to run the distance without getting tired. So after another summer of working out and having the same blockers you couldn't be happier as a fan right. Well I was curios on what he is on pace to do this year and here it is. This year D-Will is averaging 88.4 YPG and 4.8 yards a carry. So that averages to 1414.6 yards for the season . That's less but then i will also say that this years schedule is a first place schedule so it is way harder than last years. So he is still the one of the two guys we want to keep happy.

When we drafted Jonathan Stewart i was excited. I actually remember jumping off of my couch when it happened. I watched him in college and was really impressed on what he had done. Here was a guy that could break tackles with ease. Last year on his first carry I believe from 50 yards out for a TD. The next thing you know he is putting people on their backs with stiff arms (Rhonde Barber) and becoming the 2nd part of the 1-2 punch. He averaged 52.3 YPG on 184 carries. That makes a 4.5 yards per carry average. This year he is averaging 4.9 YPC and 51.4 YPG. If he stays on that pace then he will end the season with 822.6 yards on the season. Again less than last year but then again same thing with the tougher schedule.

Now don't get me wrong I am not putting Double Trouble down. I remember that last year the second half of the season hell broke out and Double Trouble ran over everything that got in their way. I believe that both of them will surpass a 1,000 on the season with ease and I believe that they will have the same if not more amount of TDs to go along with it. They will break more records and make Defensive Coordinators flinch at the thought of them. I mean who wouldn't want to get out of the way of these two when they are running at you. Yes you can try and tackle them but one thing I think I forgot to say is that they are both breaking tackles with ease and they are proving it hard to bring them down. Stewart dragged five Cardinal players before he was taken down last Sunday. Not to mention his first TD was straight up the middle and he broke tackles while spinning into the end zone. I say keep to the run and have Delhomme throw 15 times a game and let the other team stop the unstoppable.

Poll

2009 Double Trouble

John Kasay injured?

2009-11-06T02:59:04Z

According to the Panthers injury report, John Kasay did not practice Thursday due to an injured groin. Hopefully it's minor and he is just resting it. We'll see Friday if he practices or sits out again.

If Kasay is unable to play this weekend, that raises questions of Rhys Lloyd. Being he has never attempted an in-game field goal or extra point as a Panther, just how accurate would he be filling in for Kasay? Also, Lloyd himself has been 'Questionable' for the past two weeks, will he be 100% if he must start for Kasay?

Again, hopefully Kasay is simply sitting out as a precautionary measure to rest his groin. In a game that is predicted to be so close, a missed field goal or two could be all that separates winner from loser.

Panthers Secondary and Double Trouble

2009-11-05T18:59:37Z

The Carolina Panthers Secondary went into last Sunday's game with only three interceptions. They came out with three more(plus the ones by Peppers and Davis). They showed explosiveness to the ball and were hard hitting through out the game. They held (who many believe to be the NFL's best Wide Receiver in) Larry Fitzgerald to 66 yards receiving and no TDs. I don' know if you remember last years playoff loss (who can forget) but he tore the secondary up in that game. Sherrod Martin showed why he should be a starter and Chris Gamble reminded us why we love him so much. Richard Marshall stepped up and Chris Harris was....well Chris Harris making hits. Captain Munnerlyn did his job and together they showed why they are only allowing 167 YPG through the air. I think that if we could find a way to keep Martin and Harris on the field And bring in Charles Godfrey then I think the Secondary would be better. I mean three people at Safety. Four on the line. Jon Beason and Thomas Davis at Linebacker and Gamble and Marshall at corner. I know it would only be for two receiver sets and all but you could also bring Godfrey or Harris up to a Linebacker spot on other formations. But why change what isn't broken. It's not a change I want to see but an idea.

Now on to our always faithful running game. I don't know what it is about these two but every time that they get the ball there is always a chance that they will run the distance. Williams almost did on the 77 yard run he had. And Stewart not once but twice hit a wall and bounced it outside for a touchdown. Did you know that When the Panthers have ran the ball over Forty times we have never lost a game. With a massive offensive line and two awesome running backs I don't see why we couldn't run through every defense. Hell we ran for 270 yards against the number one ranked run defense. That's second highest in team history. Carolina is underdogs by 13 1/2 this Sunday against New Orleans. Two things to remember. Jake Delhomme has never lost in New Orleans and the Saints are allowing over 100 yards on the ground a game. Compared to Arizona's 67 yards I like our chances to run. What do you think

Poll

What the Panthers should do

Should the Panthers run the Wildcat?

2009-11-05T14:54:32Z

"Carolina Panthers (3-4): Any reason not to try RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart in a Wildcat formation? It might showcase the team's best players and reduce interceptions."

Again, a case where someone that gets paid to write about football has probably not watched one Panther game this season.

Ok, so we do put DW in the "wildcat" every now and then, but unless I missed something, JS has never been on the field in this package. That would be more like what the Dolphins do with Brown and Williams.

Do you guys think this would be effective for us?...Necessary?

From Realfootball365...

2009-11-04T19:03:22Z

This is a "mid-season grade" from an evaluator on the realfootball365 website.

"Next up, Carolina. I can just hear the collective grimace of all Panther fans. This is one enigmatic team. One of the most highly talented teams, although you’d never know it looking at their record, that just can’t seem to get it together this season.

Jake Delhomme is playing like Ryan Leaf, their running game is inconsistent at best and their defense just looks atrocious. Everything is not all bad, though. Steve Smith is still one of, if not the, most unstoppable wide receivers in the game. They have that two headed running attack that can scorch a defense. Coming off a bye week is usually good for a team, but Carolina gets New Orleans. Don’t look for the Panthers to ditch their losing trend just yet. Overall grade: D"

Umm, right. Apparently, in this guy's world, atrocious means:

7th in Total Defense
1st in Passing yards allowed per game
6 turnovers against a Cardinals team that was coming off "their biggest regular season win in franchise history" against the Giants.

Fire fox, cut jake, draft edwards, blah blah blah...bring on the aints.

2009-11-04T09:03:07Z

There's a lot of talk about what we should do. I've offered my opinion as well. Regardless of how Jake performs, we need to bring in a young guy. If we finish 10-6 or 9-7 and Jake plays well, it will be hard to argue that Fox should go as we have back to back winning seasons for the first time. Edwards will be drafted by the Panthers if he has the best value for the pick whenever we get that far down the Panthers draft board. With all that said, the rest of the team is looking to beat the Saints, and I say we're gonna get it done.

We just beat the defending NFC Champions by doing exactly what the CSR said we needed to do. We're going to need a little more from Jake to beat the Saints, but not 44 pass attempts. However, we beat the Cards who were 4-2 division leaders. They were giving up 67.5 rushing yards per game and 3 YPC. We destroyed them by attacking their strength. We intercepted Kurt Warner 5 times. Earlier this year, he was 24 of 26 in a game. They just destroyed the Giants the week before. Drew Brees has six turnovers in the last two games, and the Saints have 8. They had to make a comeback against a team without a D-Will, Beef Stew, Peppers, Beason or Smitty when they played Miami. The way our defense has played the last month, they won't beat us if we go up 21 early. They barely beat the Falcons. They're not as good as their record shows, and their descent is about to begin. Peppers had his best game since the Pro Bowl, and will play better against the Saints. He is playing as well as anyone in the league right now on defense, except maybe the monster - Thomas Davis. We shut down Warner, Wells, Fitz, Boldin, Adrian Wilson, Cromartie, etc. The Cards had more weapons on both sides of the ball. The games we lost were given away. We weren't beat, we gave them the game. I think we're done doing that. I say fire Fox, but not if we win the division. On Monday, we'll be 4-4, and the Saints will be 7-1. They know they aren't playing well, and a loss can send them into a midseason slump. We could win the division at 12-4 or 11-5, or be a wildcard at 10-6. Maybe I'm just excited cuz I have the day off from work, but, seriously, who's with me? Bring on the Saints. If I'm wrong, we'll see on the field. Until then, let's get ready to rumble.

Would a 3 RB Offense work for the panthers???

2009-11-03T05:02:45Z

Panthers should try a 3 RB type offense. Watching the saints tonight and I like the 3 RB system. We have two of the leagues best RB combo and I believe Mike Goodson would be a good speedy back for screens or short yardage surprise attacks here and there. For some reason I like Goodson, he has speed, good hands, and he did awesome in the preseason but now is limited to special teams. Plus the league is catching on to the "Smith short slant inside" pass Jake always throws to get short yardage. With Moose banged up and Rosario hurting I think Jarrett and Moore should get more looks and the other TE Gary Barnidge, who is an identical specimen to Rosario should get more playing time. Let him run over folks at 6'5" he shouldn't have a problem. We got division games next two weeks and changing it up should help us. Hopefully Jake finally got the monkey off his back after the AZ win. I also noticed Jakes throws were right on the money this past week, or the majority of them, maybe it was really just his mechanics......

Poll

Should the Panthers try a 3 RB system?

Chargers release WR Chris Chambers

2009-11-02T20:51:59Z

LINK

Any chance the Panthers make a play for him?

SAN DIEGO—The San Diego Chargers have released wide receiver Chris Chambers a day after he had a key catch in a 24-16 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Coach Norv Turner said the Chargers released Chambers because of the emergence of Malcom Floyd and the need to sign a linebacker because of an injury to Tim Dobbins on Sunday.

Chambers was demoted Sunday in favor of Floyd, yet still had a big catch in the win over the Raiders, which lifted the Chargers to 4-3.

Chambers was obtained at the trading deadline in 2007 from Miami for a second-round draft pick, and helped the Chargers reach the AFC championship game that season.

His production dropped off dramatically this season.

Armanti Edwards update

2009-11-02T17:29:08Z

From Stewart Mandell on CNNSI.com:

"It's been more than two years since Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards dazzled FBS watchers with his electrifying performance at Michigan, but the Walter Payton Award winner hasn't slowed down. With a 461-yard day against Furman on Saturday (355 passing, 106 rushing), Edwards became the first player in Division I history to throw for 9,000 yards and rush for 4,000."

Edwards may not be the right QB for the future in Carolina. But it is becoming increasingly clear that he probably has a career as a QB in the NFL -- i hope he gets his shot with the Panthers!

How about a little fun after a win?

2009-11-02T04:31:44Z

After a good win today, I thought maybe we could have a little fun. So here is the deal - What Panthers related comment have you made, here or just in conversation, that you basically wince when you remember? For me it was draft day 2007 when I said, "Jon Beason? Who the hell is he? I can't believe we didn't pick Greg Olsen." I still can't believe I actually said that one. How about you guys?

A Word About John Fox

2009-10-29T21:53:52Z

I just want to preface this post by saying that I'm not much of a stats guy. As much as I appreciate all the stats-based insights and analysis here, to me the only stat that REALLY matters is the one in the win-loss column. You guys definitely seem to do your homework and know your numbers, which is more than I can say for a lot of professional "sports journalists" nowadays. Which is what brings me to the need I felt to post this, and I'll get into the meat of it after the jump. Just a reminder that this is more of an opinion piece than an analysis piece. That said....

If the Carolina Panthers are to have any success in the NEAR future, John Fox must stay.

That's right. HE MUST.

I've been reading the vitriol a lot of people have for the guy. In the Observer, in pretty much any sports periodical of note, on this blog. It bothers me. In the years of the Fox/Hurney era the Panthers have enjoyed a great deal of success, particularly for such a young franchise. Now I'm not gonna blow sunshine here and say it's been perfect. But you have to understand what firing Fox would do to this reasonably successful team.

Alright let's weed out the weak. Anyone who thinks that if the Panthers don't win a Super Bowl EVERY SINGLE YEAR they are failing, please don't read any further, as what I'm going to say will probably upset you. I know that sounds ridiculous, but honestly, this seems to be a very common mindset among most people in the Charlotte area, and I don't want to get into that kind of discussion. If you want to see the same teams win year after year, even if its your favorite or hometown team, go watch baseball. Leave my football alone.

Okay. Fox is our coach. And not just by title. John Fox brings to the table the attitude we need to win. And to me, THAT is a head coach's job. The X's and O's fall more into the realm of coordinators and their staffs. A head coach needs to motivate, inspire, and occasionally scare the hell out of players. John Fox's credentials are exactly that. Being a Bill Parcells disciple, he brings that "stiff upper lip" that makes players that have the attitude that "hey, we're gonna win.....and if we don't we're gonna beat the hell out of you". He believes in playing tough D, and running the ball to get the team to a win. It's not fancy, or spectacular, and at times it's almost tough to watch, but I think that if you went back and checked who wins and who loses in the NFL over the last 10-15 years, you'd see that the tougher teams rise above, particularly late in games when it counts the most, and DEFINITELY in playoff games. Foxy is INDISPENSIBLE if you look at it from the attitude perspective.

But even that's not it. Think about the situation we'll be in next year if we fire Fox. I'd say for sure that Delhomme has had his last good season, regardless of how we finish up this year, so we're going to be looking for a new QB next year, either in the draft or free agency, because, as some folks have detailed here on this blog, I don't think we have our FUTURE QB on the roster right now. Davidson MUST be fired, period. I'd rather have an unproven nobody than that guy, period. Our ST coordinator, whose name is NOT EVEN WORTH MENTIONING, has to go too. And I'd imagine that a Fox firing would sink Marty Hurney as well, even if he merits a job change on his own. So that means our coaching staff next year would be brand new, with Ron Meeks as the only incumbent, and only in his second year.

I've always thought we've done SUCH a great job on this team not getting caught up in all the free agent BS every year. We draft players, we develop those players, and they come in and make major contributions. That is the cheapest and most successful way to develop a football team. I have to think that one of the major reasons we do this is because of John Fox's influence, who was in turn taught this technique by Parcells, who has resurrected so many NFL teams that I don't even call him the Big Tuna anymore; I call him the Big Voodoo Priest. I know we had one of the greatest NFL talent scouts EVER in Bill Polian for a while, and while that contributed a great deal to our present talent base, I think John Fox is the reason why they stay. There have only been a few aberrations from this, both with players leaving (Witherspoon, Muhammad), and players coming in (Kemoeatu, Johnson, Diggs). And I think the reason WHY they stay is the direct effect of John Fox. I think they love playing for him, I think that he speaks to them on a level they can understand and relate to. I also think that he's created this "culture of winning" here in Carolina, and once that's gone it's tough to replace (see Dallas).

Bottom line? We fire Fox, we lose this team. Could you imagine the mass exodus of players if we have a basically ENTIRELY NEW coaching staff? You think Smitty wants to be traded now? If we make the fires we need to make, and fire Fox, or Hurney, or both, well, my friends, there's a word for that. And that word is REBUILDING. And what a waste of the all the hard work and good luck to get the players we have THAT would be. You guys ready for a rebuilding year next year? I'm not. How could we voluntarily go into rebuilding mode with THIS collection of talent?? A great O-Line. Two unbelievably talented RBs. A bonafide star at WR. Defense that is playing at the top of their bent right now. We just need a couple of pieces, and while one of those pieces is arguably the most important position on the field, we don't need a GREAT QB. We need a game manager, like the way Jake used to play. Or hell, just somebody who can turn around and hand the ball to D-Will or Stewart. I can't think that would be too hard to find, even if the guy has to come in and re-learn a system.

So yeah. Let's let Fox stay. He's made us far more successful than I ever thought we would be back in the days of Stephen Davis and company. He's a great coach. Besides, how long did it take Cowher to win in Pittsburgh? Let's give this guy the shot at winning a title he's earned here in Carolina.

Could Delhomme's mechanics be the problem?

2009-10-29T15:01:23Z

I just saw this tidbit of information about the Panthers' coaching staff and their treatment of Jake Delhomme this season. (This absolutely cannot be true -- it just cannot.)

The Panthers have agreed to stop tinkering with Jake Delhomme's mechanics and will allow him to play a more spontaneous style. ... Quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer was brought in this offseason to emphasize the technical part of the job to Delhomme. It hasn't worked as Delhomme has thrown 13 picks and four touchdowns. Allowing Delhomme to go back to improvising and side-arming can't hurt at this point, but we doubt it will help enough to turn the Panthers' season around.*

Someone please tell me that the cause of Delhomme's problems this season isn't from the QB coach trying to change the way he throws the football. This can't be happening. Why in the world would anyone want to convince a 7-year starter who has been to 1 Super Bowl and 2 NFC Championship games that he needs to change his mechanics?

I know, I know -- he came off Tommy John surgery and they wanted to make sure his arm held up for the long run, but still -- you can't change a quarterback's mechanics. He's not a relief pitcher -- he's a freaking quarterback. Sure, he hasn't been Peyton Manning, but he's been decent enough to lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance and 2 NFC title games when doing it his way. Why would any coach want to change that?

If Delhomme comes out against Arizona this week and throws the football his way (the way he's been throwing his entire career), and the Panthers look like the team they were last year (you know, the team that went 12-4 and won the NFC South), then Rip Scherer should be ran out of town -- after he is blindfolded and tied to the goal post at Bank of America stadium for every Panthers fan to come by and punch him in the gut, that is.

(On a side note, this would be a great way for Jerry Richardson to add revenue -- he could charge fans a $20 fee to stand in line. It would probably make him enough money to sign a big-name free agent in the offseason, so it would definitely be worth it.)

* - Information courtesy of Rotoworld.

A Fantasy Call To Arms! (Um, help?)

2009-10-28T18:18:29Z

Perhaps you guys can help me out this week.. My fantasy team has to be solid this week to even think of winning but the match-ups are tough! I've fought back from an 0-3 start (Thanks to DeAngelo for finally producing) to go 3-4 but reaching .500 looks like a long-shot!

My roster is as follows: (starters in bold) QB: Kurt Warner; Matt Hasselbeck WR: Miles Austin; Mike Sims-Walker; Sidney Rice; Steve Smith (NYG); Mario Manningham RB: DeAngelo Williams; Ahmad Bradshaw; Shonn Green; Cedric Benson(Bye) TE: Antonio Gates; Benjamin Watson(Bye) K: John Carney DEF: Miami; Pittsburgh(Bye) I read James' prognosis stating that he thinks Arizona's passing attack betters Carolina's pass D, so I just hope this ends up being a shoot-out between Warner's arm and Williams' legs. I've benched both Giants' receivers due to their Philly match-up in favor of Austin/Seattle, Sims-Walker/Tennessee, and Rice/Green Bay. I've been extremely lucky with my receiving corps thus far as none of them were big name receivers, yet four of them rank in our top 15 @ WR (Sims-Walker ends up at #18). Williams @ Arizona really concerns me. I know he's either going to produce big numbers or next to nothing, and that's exactly what could cost me the game. I find it hard to bench him... if I knew Davidson wasn't as stupid as he has proven himself to be, I wouldn't have any fear rolling with Williams, but I can see them ditching the run early if there are any signs of it not working extremely well. Bradshaw also worries me against Philly as I see him getting few carries after last week but I don't think it's wise to start Green over him while he's still backing up Thomas Jones. That would also be along the lines of shooting myself in the foot being I'm stuck with the Miami D this week. Antonio Gates and Carney have both done well for me this season. I hope Miami from the first half of last week shows up for both halves of this week. It's a 10 team, standard league. All FA options seem to be exhausted. I think I've got a team capable of winning, it's just going to be crucial to make the right start & sit calls. Any advice?

Ask Revenge of the Birds

2009-10-28T17:44:29Z

Hello all, Andrew from Revenge Of The Birds here to start preparing for our game on Sunday. Although some may disagree, I think it will be a closer game then we think. The Cardinals could get sucked into the hype that they're one of the top teams in the league, and the Panthers are desperate for a win. As I've heard a few times, there is a chance that Jake Delhomme will be benched, but it doesn't seem likely at this point - that is one key to the game. So ask what you want and I'll check in as much as possible to answer any questions. Also, if somebody could post the same QnA over at our site, I know some of the guys have some questions. Thanks.

Now Who Do You Believe gives the Panthers the Best Chance to Win on Sunday?

2009-10-28T17:24:30Z

In light of all the never ending discussions, analysis, editorials, and media coverage of controversy, it is time to play side chair coach. This is what john fox is going through. As fans we get to sit back and critique.

So let's answer the question and see how majority feels. Let's see how we do. Let's see if we can win.

I am REALLY interested in the answer here. Fox is grueling over this. His career is also at stake.

Polls

Poll

Which Quarterback do you feel NOW will gives us the best Chance to Win on Sunday against the Cardinals?

Carolina Defense is getting tired

2009-10-28T02:51:19Z

At the start of the season we lost our run stopper. We then tried to fill his roll with guys that are a good 50 pounds lighter than he was. After the first two games our defense started to get better. We got the help from Hollis Thomas and Tank Tyler after we acquired them from Free Agency and a trade from Kansas City,

The past two weeks our defense has gotten so much better. Last Sunday our defense held the bills to 39 yards in the first half. By the end of the game they held the team that should have been a blowout on paper to 167 total yards. While our offense racked up 425. Yet we only scored one TD and that was from D-Will. If they could have stayed away from the turnovers and by now everyone should know who was the mastermind behund 3 of them. We would have been able to win that game easily. Really you just have to add on the two missed fields goals from kasay and that 20-9 would have been36-6 based on the possibility that they scored on the touchdowns. I jusy read an article and the guy that wrote it siad that he thinks Jake the Snake 2 ( Of course Jake Plummer is the original) should start at Arizona. ARIZONA!!! The team that grabbed 5 of his passes out of the air and a fumble to beat us 33-7. I don't know about you but that game felt like the wind had been knocked right out of me. And now John Fox is "thinking" about benching Delhomme. When this offseason hits either Jake needs to go or both jake and John need to hit the road. We are probably foing to lose Pep and Smith will likely be so unhappy that he will want traded and If that happens then Double Trouble are going to have a tough time running the ball.

Poll

What Do You Think Should Happen

An awesome Delhomme related exchange between me and a coworker this morning

2009-10-27T14:06:26Z

So here is the setup... my place of employment can be a very stuffy place. I am by far the youngest person working here, amongst a bunch of people about twice my age. However my boss, even though much older, is a very cool guy and enjoys Panther football. This morning, someone brought in a case of Bojangles biscuits open for office consumption. Here is the ad-lib conversation between us.

My Boss: Hey Erik, did you see that someone brought in biscuits for everyone this morning?

Me: No, I didn't that's awesome tho.

My Boss: No one ever does this, I wonder who did it and what the occasion is?

Me: *shrug* Maybe Jake Delhomme paid us a visit.

My Boss: No. if that were the case... we would only eat half the biscuits, and the rest would be on the floor or our competitors would be eating them.

LOL.

Jake Delhomme and the NFL Draft in April

2009-10-26T23:11:53Z

Yesterday I posted a blog on the things that were wrong with our beloved Panthers. My key point was that jake Delhomme is no longer the QB that helped come close to winning a Superbowl. The guy has gotten worse and John Fox is afraid to bench him.

The main reason that i am writing this blog is for next years NFL draft. I mentioned yesterday that there were three QBs in college football that people are overlooking. Yes there is Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. And if we are really lucky then Bradford will slip into the second round because of his shoulder injury. But that is unlikely. So I am going to go into detail about another QB that is proving himself to everyone that he can handle pressure and stay cool in the pocket. Tony Pike from Cincinnati. As I mentioned he has a good build 6'6" 220. His QB rating over his past three years has gone up. This year he has thrown for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. This year he has thrown for at least 2 touchdowns in every game. He stays cool under pressure and in the latest NFL mock draft they have him going in the 3rd Round. He is the type of Quarterback that we can build up into a QB for the future. Give Moore the starting job next year until this guy is ready. Delhomme is really not worth the 5 year deal that we gave him. Any other thoughts post them and I will try to respond.

Let's take a look at our Offense and Special Teams :D

2009-10-26T22:59:42Z

General Overview

For those who don't want to look at the whole article, I'm going to give you a general discription of all of the ball plays during our last game right now. I'm going to leave this in the sidebar and Jack can upgrade it to the front page if he wants, but this is going to be a big shoutout to our offense and special teams. The defense of the Panthers escapes my ire for this week, as they did the best they against the Bills and would have held them to just 6 points if it wasn't for the turnovers caused by Jake Delhomme.

The playcalling on offense was absolutely horrendous. After watching the game for the 2nd time around, it seems like I'm only repeating what I've said all along. The biggest problem on our offense is not Jake Delhomme, but Jeff Davidson. The Panthers gave up the running game in the 4th Quarter when it is precisely that time when the running game is the most effective.

DeAngelo Williams was also not available in the late game because of leg cramps, which could be because the trainers on the sidelines did not make sure he was hydrated sufficiently. Of all the things I expect for a football team, the very least I expect is that you take care of your players. Little things like that cost us this game, as I will detail later on in my article.

Penalties also continue to be a problem on offense. False start penalties. Holding penalties. We even a delay of game penalty on a crucial 3rd down because Jeff Davidson couldn't get the play in on time.

Special teams had the worst game of the season, two muffed catches, two missed field goals, lots of dancing/getting owned on kick and punt returns. The sad fact of the matter is that no one is blocking when they're running downfield. No one is blocking, and our returners can't catch the football. Consistantly giving the offense the ball at the 20 yard line is not a formula to help this team win the football game. It is the most amazing thing in the world that Danny Crossman still has a job on this team. He should be the very first coach fired when we hit the off-season.

That's just the overview of it all, here comes the real stuff. We're going to go over every single offensive drive that the Panthers had, and what killed it.

1st Drive

Kenny Moore didn't impress on his first kickoff return. He ran up the left side of the field, got to the 19, froze in place, and got tackled. You'd see that a lot before the game was over, so if I don't discribe the special team play from now on just assume that that's what happened.

The Panthers started out empty enough. We went 3 and out. Williams couldn't get any yards on the first play of the game, and on 3rd and 5 Jake Delhomme forced the ball to Dwayne Jarrett in tight coverage and a good ol bearhug from the corner blew the play up before it had a chance. The play was pretty close to being called pass interferance, as Smith was close to the play and he was being held, but the refs didn't call it.

What blew my mind on this drive was that DeAngelo Williams was taken off the field on the first rush in favor of Stewart. He's not tired. He's not dazed from a hard hit. But you use up all this time to subsitute and allow the defense to get perfectly set up for the next play. It's stupid and annoying, and it happened several times as the game wore on.

2nd Drive

The woes on special teams stuck once more, as Captain got swallowed up after a 3 yard return. One of the few people that was blocking was Rosario off to the left side of the field, and he got called for holding to start the Panthers at the 16 yard line. ((Second time the offense had to start behind their own 20.))

The reason the 2nd offensive drive failed was because of the Mike Goodson substitution for DeAngelo Williams. After gaining a first down to get the ball to the 27 yard line, Jonathan Stewart came in for Williams and jammed his thumb on a quick pass play off to the flat. So Stewart came back off the field and Williams comes back in, everything is fine and dandy.

A few plays later they call him off the field again in a 1st and 10 situation in favor of Mike Goodson. Instead of running between the tackles like a good boy, he started playing the game the next two running plays like he was in college and failed tremendously, running to the outside of the play instead of between the tackles and leaving the Panthers in a 3rd and 8 situation. Jeff Davidson called a horrible passing play on 3rd and 8, and Jake Delhomme threw the checkdown to Rosario in tight coverage, leading to a 4-3 situation and the end of the Panthers 2nd drive.

3rd drive

((On special teams, see drive 1, 3rd time the Panthers start drive behind their own 20.))

On offense, Jake Delhomme gave a gift. On the first play of the 3rd drive Jake Delhomme did this. Please note that he is not under any kind of pressure at this time. The guy coming behind him doesn't really count because Jake Delhomme doesn't see him. He has a perfect pocket right in front of him, and he throws an uncatchable ball over the head of of the tight end for the big INT.

The turnover later lead to 6 points by Marshawn Lynch, and I gained 6 fantasy points on my Fleaflicker fantasy league.

4th Drive

((On special teams, see drive 1, 4th time the Panthers start drive behind their own 20))

The 4th drive was another promising one, one that swallowed up almost 7 minutes and featured a beautiful 1 handed catch by the Ghost of Wesley Walls, a few quick passes to DeAngelo Williams and Smitty, and a good ground game. But on 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 35 yard line Jeff Otah was lined up ahead of the line of scrimmage. It cost us 5 yards, and along with a couple other mistakes it proved to be the choking point of this drive.

We fought back to make it a 3rd and 3 on a quick pass play to Williams on 2nd down. But all of the sudden Jeff Davidson starts being stupid and calls out the wildcat to show the Bills that we were going to run the football. Williams gets the snap and only makes it two yards up, and on a 4th and 1 John Kasey is called for the field goal and misses it from 43 yards out, killing whatever momentum we had gained.

5th Drive

((See Drive 1, Captain froze again and blocking failed but the Bills didn't kick it far enough for them to start behind their own 20, ending the streak of 4 consecutive times the Panthers started a drive behind the 20.))

Once again good drive by the Panthers. Williams makes a good 17 yard run, and King catches it wide open down the middle for 15 yards. It looks like the Panthers haven't lost their momentum from the previous drive, but Jeff Davidson decides to screw up a drive once more. He had been taking a while to get the plays to Jake Delhomme, but this one was especially long. The refs call the quickest delay of game penalty I have ever seen, leaving the Panthers at a 3rd and 11 on the Buffalo 42 yard line.

They were forced to punt it.

6th Drive

((After the Panthers put two points on the board thanks to a safety, Captain runs the ball back to the Panthers 27 yard line. Momentum is on their side. Surely the Panthers will score this time won't they?))

This drive was killed by a uncharacteristic chop block by Deangelo Williams, one which will probably be a cause for a fine later this week. It left the Panthers right around where the drive started at a 3rd and 20, and our coaches smartly did not allow Jake Delhomme to throw the ball downfield. We made an 11 yard game to a checkoff pass to Steve Smith, and punted on a 4th and 9.

7th drive

((See 1st drive, also a blocking above the waist call by Tony Fiametta. 5th drive started behind our own 20.))

Slowest 2 minute drill I have ever seen. Let me repeat that, this was the SLOWEST 2 minute drill I have ever seen. Remember the Chargers game when every single member of our offensive unit was rushing to the line of scrimmage? This game they were waddling. The Panthers wasted plenty of time getting to the line of scrimmage, and they failed to spike the ball on 3 seperate occasions where they could have saved time on the clock, using their final timeout on the 3rd. I actually got a pretty good laugh at that, because on television it looks like Jake Delhomme is still running the hurry up offense on the field and suddenly he reached out of the television screen and grabs a water bottle from out of nowhere. It's sad at the same time, because you could see other players on the field and you didn't know they were doing the hurry up because they were moving so damn slow.

Nevertheless, they had a pretty good drive going. Jake Delhomme missed a few passes, but also threw a few strikes right up the middle of the field. Somehow the Panthers lucked out and managed to spike the ball with one second left to go on the clock. It proved to be a non-factor, as John Kasey missed a 39 yard field goal to send the Panthers into halftime with their defense having outscored their offense by two points.

8th Drive

((See Drive 1, Fair catch called at the Panthers 12, 6th drive started behind their own 20.))

Deangelo Williams put Jake Delhomme in respectable position for the 3rd down conversion, but on 3rd and 5 Jake Delhomme threw the ball behind the yellow line to Jeff King for a 3 yard gain. These are the kind of stupid decisions that has earned the ire of many a fan. No pressure on Jake Delhomme, and he throws it to a receiver who was in tight coverage, so with the ball at 4th and 2 the Panthers punted yet again, squandering another opportunity to put points on the ball.

9th Drive

Finally a good punt, the Bills kick the ball out of bounds, forcing the Panthers to start the drive behind their own 20 for the 7th time. Do you see a trend going on here? I swear, it's a mystery.

Here's an important drive. Down by a score the Panthers need to rally and make a touchdown. At first, the drive shows promise. A quick pass to Williams and a long pass to Gary Barnidge and suddenly the Panthers are threatening the Bills at their own 22 yard line. Then Jake throws a ball way out of reach of Daunte Rosario on 1st down, throws a badly thrown ball to Stewart whom barely caught it for 3 yards, and then ran it up the right end for 6 yards to make it 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 13.

The Panthers go for it. I would have loved to have Williams in the game right now, but he's on the sideline due to his legs being all cramped up. That was a huge thing going into 4th and 1, because the Bills plugged up the middle of the line and stuffed Stewart. Williams might have been able to run the ball to the outside and break a TD run right there, both lanes to either side of that pile in the middle of the field was wide open, save for one man to beat on either side. Unfortionately, Stewart tried to pound it up the middle, and he was stuffed at the line. Panthers give up the ball.

10th Drive

This is the first time we've seen any return by the Panthers up to this point. The blocking was still bad, but good enough for the Panthers to make it back to the 23 yard line.

But alas, Jake Delhomme strikes again. They get one first down, but on a 2rd and 6 Jake Delhomme does this. I'm not even going to say anything more. That was what killed the drive. No pressure. Plenty of time to throw.

Really Jake? Really? We deserve better than this. Matt Moore for President!

11th Drive

Goodson muffs it on the kickoff return, but luckily the ball didn't go far and he was able to pick it up and kneel it for the touchback.

Here is where Jeff Davidson really starts to show his genius. That is massive sarcasm quotes by the way. He completely abandons the running game after the INT, and 4 straight passing plays later the Panthers punt the ball again, the highlight of the play being the Jake Delhomme sack on 3rd down.

The Panthers start to play like the New England Patriots yet again, and the result is a massive wad of shit thrown in the faces of Panther fans everywhere. Any potential comeback is blown dead in the water right here. It's the 4th quarter, the defense has been on the field a whole lot, and they're getting off the field because of Davidson's playcalling. Clap....clap....clap.

12th Drive

((See Drive 1, Captain gets slaughtered for a no gain return. Panthers start at their 22.))

About 10 minutes left to go in the game, don't worry Panther fans your suffering is almost over. Jake Delhomme is given the ball to pass seven straight times to get the ball to the Buffalo 15. He managed to luck out and get the ball deep to Steve Smith for a 48 yard gain. In fact, Steve Smith could have taken the ball all the way if he hadn't tried for the stiff arm on Byrd.

Finally, on 4th and 1 they call the first running play of the drive on Buffalo's 15, and suprise suprise the play goes for a touchdown. The Panthers opt to kick the extra point instead of the conversion, and it's a one possession game.

13th Drive

There is no 13th drive. After Carolina wastes 2 timeouts on defense, and they manage to stop the Bills on their own 45 yard line, they punt the ball and Moore pulls off his infamous muff. The failure leads to the Buffalo Bills kicking the field goal to put themselves up by 11, and with 2 minutes left to go on the clock it's enough to put the game out of reach.

14th Drive.

The Panthers get the ball at the 40 yard line due to a kick out of bounds, but since the Panthers are forced to throw it due to the time left in the game he gives the ball up to Wilson 4 plays later on his 3rd interception, highlighting the problems the Panthers have had in the passing game all day. The Bills kneel the ball 3 times, and with no timeouts to stop the clock, ((They wasted them during the 12th drive of the Bills.)), the Bills were able to kneel the ball 3 times and finish off their victory.

Final Thoughts

Next week we go up against Arizona, and if Jake Delhomme is at the helm we will be slaughtered. It's time to take the offensive playcalling duties away from Jeff Davidson and send Matt Moore in to be the QB of the Panthers.

That is all.