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To Release or Not to Release The Kraken

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Tue, 4 Nov 2014 19:36:00 -0500

#462022079 / gettyimages.com

This Panther season looks like it may be remembered most for the Kraken being on the Commissioner's exempt list. And that loss has had a direct impact on the #2 ranked Defense from 2013 falling to 29th. I won't say that his being out is the sole reason we are struggling. But I will say he is is the biggest reason we are not still in first place in the NFC South. His 15 sacks from a year ago, along with his fiery persona and constant pressure is sorely lacking. Below is a brief discussion on both for and against bringing him back to the Panthers both immediately and long term. Then I want to hear your thoughts.

First the argument against bringing him back: Some reports (including one from The Observer) that The Panthers put their trust in Hardy. They made him our Franchise Player. Moreover, we committed over 10% of our cap to him for 2014. That is more than we pay any other Panther player not named Charles Johnson. To be exact, we committed pay him $770K per week to be our Franchise guy. And when you are paid as the Franchise, you have to be smart on and off the field. Even if he did not abuse his accuser (which is not proven one way or the other yet), he made a terrible choice of partying on the town with a crazy chick that was on cocaine. Not to mention having a butt-load of guns laying around. Cocaine, crazy chicks and guns don't mix people. And after the horrific memory of Rae Carruth and him killing his fiance and trying to kill his unborn child forever etched into Panther history, do we really want another guy with these tendencies on the team? Do we really want to commit that type of money to a guy that was the hand that flushed the 2014 season? Many of you say no.

Now the argument for bringing him back: There is a report out today from Jason Cole that the Panthers are interested in bringing the Kraken back. That they don't believe his charges are valid. And if they aren't true, then why wouldn't we bring him back? Bad judgement? That is a valid point as described above, but contracts can be written with protections against such behavior. And NC Law does say when someone appeals their court ruling, they are assumed innocent until proven guilty. There is no proof of guilt to this point, there is no video, no admission. Oh yea, he is the one that called 911. If being accused meant you can't play then why are other players playing with similar accusations?

In summary, both arguments have their merits. I think he needs to be brought back now, and if found innocent he should be signed long term. If found guilty, then cut your ties and move on. What say you? Join us at 10:00 EST at the this link to hear this topic and more: (and if you are reading this after the show aired, then this link will show the recording. Check it out:

C3 Podcast at 10:00 EST

Vote Now:

C3 Podcast: Is This Rock Bottom?

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Tue, 4 Nov 2014 19:14:00 -0500

Live 10 pm!

C3 Crew rallies after a difficult home loss to division rivals, the New Orleans Saints, that continues a seven week winless streak. The Crew has a lot to say about the state of the Carolina Panthers and the outlook for the 2014 season. We'll also look to the Philadelphia Eagles to see if the Panthers can slow the bleeding. Tweet the show using hashtag #C3

Meet The 2015 Carolina Panther Draft Picks According To Mel Mayock

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Mon, 3 Nov 2014 13:06:00 -0500

I, Mel Mayock, am the lead Panthers Analyst for Draftek.com and their latest 2015 Mock Draft is out. You can see it all here: http://www.drafttek.com/2015-NFL-Mock-Draft-Round1.asp. But I'm taking this opportunity to show you a little more on the two guys I've selected to be a part of the 2015 Panthers. This Draft has us projected to Pick 10th overall in the 1st Round and 42nd in the 2nd Round. As I research those available, I focus on talent over need. Those that only focus on need will rarely find elite talent. However, need does come into play when two prospects are relatively close in talent. For example, if there is an elite talent at a position of need and an elite talent at one that is not, the position of need will get the nod.

I see the biggest needs for the Panthers are LOT, ROT, CB, DE, WR and RB in that order. But at Pick 10, one would be reaching to take a Tackle. Top names like Cedric Ogbuehi and Brandon Scherff will be gone and is a bit early for Andrus Peat and La'el Collins (both are players I like but aren't "elite").

With the 10th Pick I have selected the most talented CB in the Draft. Not perfect size at 5'10/195, but he would start immediately and would change how we are able to defend our opponents. This All-American Senior out of Oregon has 9 career interceptions all while opponents tend to avoid him. He also returns punts, which the Panthers need. Check out this highlight clip and imagine him shutting down Julio Jones and Brandin Cooks for years to come.

Next up with the 42nd Pick, I had a touch choice. La'el Collins (whom I liked and previously played beside current Panther Trai Turner) was there, as was WR LeVante Parker out of Louisville who would be an awesome partner to Benjamin. But when push came to shove, I had to take the 6'5/315 Lbs. LOT out of Baylor. Spencer Drango is a top 15 talent that is only available at 42 because he ruptured a disc in his back last year. But Doctors have cleared him and say he is good to go with no long term worries. Look for this guy to be the second coming of Jordan Gross as he is quite mobile and rangy. Get to know him a little here:

Panther Nation we have a long ways to go between now and the Draft. But these two guys would really go a long way to curing what is wrong with our team. Follow me on Twitter at @PanthersDrafter for more ongoing Draft discussion.

Keep Pounding-

Erin Ford
AKA Mel Mayock

Saints Neuter Panthers on Thursday Night, 28-10

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:17:00 -0400

#460862203 / gettyimages.com

Okay Panthers fans....it's Halloween Day and officially time to panic.

The Panthers laid an egg at home last night, losing to the road warrior I mean road kitten Saints, 28-10 on Thursday Night Football.

Offense was at a premium for both teams in the first half as the Saints took a 14-0 lead into halftime. One of the two TDs came on a long, hard-fought, 4-yard drive of two plays thanks to a Newton fumble at his own goal line after a sack by Junior Gilette.

The other was set up by a highly dubious pass interference call on Antoine Cason.

A third TD, the Saints' first of the second half, came on a 4th and goal QB sneak where Drew Brees tried the "jump-stretch" play that Cam has the size to do but Brees made it close. He still scored, having the ball break the plane of the goal line before he got body slammed back.

It was that kind of game.

The Panthers got two turnovers

Mark Ingram had 100 yards on 30 carries, so the defense made him earn it. Considering the manner in which the Saints scored their points, the Carolina defense actually played well overall. The problem is the offense couldn't do much to keep Brees & company off the field.

I do want to set ONE thing straight here and now: the problem is NOT Cam Newton. Cam is trying to do everything because he isn't getting much help aside from Kelvin Benjamin. And Kelvin dropped a TD pass last night.

NFL AM is showing a teaser right this moment "What's WRONG with Cam Newton?"

You wanna know what's "wrong with Cam?" FINE!

- His offensive line had not one but TWO rookie UFAs starting! STARTING! Not only that, the certainly seemed to make the weak side of the offensive line truly weak. I don't blame the kids in there playing and trying...but you can't expect a couple of inexperienced and undrafted rookies to play like the line they have in Dallas these days. The Cowboys spent multiple high picks on theirs and over multiple seasons to get where they got their O-line to now. Dave Gettleman appears bound by some unholy contract NOT to get offensive linemen in the top two rounds.

Cam's targets are still dropping passes. Cam might get excited and put too much mustard on some passes, sure, but it isn't like his receivers don't see him EVERY DAY or know what he can do. In fact, Cam's first half interception was due to a pass bouncing off Breston Bersin's hands. Cam had the worst QBR (12.1) he's ever had in a half, and it was plays like that which contributed to it.

Certainly, Cam hasn't been perfect. His timing was off last night and he wasn't completely accurate on a lot of throws but a good WR should be able to adjust to a catchable but less-than-perfect ball placement to haul it in.

Also, Cam pretty correctly feels that he needs to do all he can to help the team win. The running game went largely nowhere as DeAngelo Williams could only put up 20 yards on eight carries. Stewie had 46 on 8 carries for a nice average, but he got stuffed for little to no gain on half his attempts. Cam got the team on the board with a 10 yard diving-to-the-pylon scramble and run on 3rd and goal as the pass rush got after him almost as soon as he received the shotgun snap.

And Cam is the PROBLEM? Folks, open your eyes willya? He's the only one making things HAPPEN on offense! He got decent protection on perhaps a handful of drop-backs; the rest of the time he was running for his life. Last night, his passes were generally on target or "close enough" that the target should have made the catch but didn't.

If you look at any given game where the offensive line isn't protecting the QB well, you're going to see a sub-par game from the QB. Look at the Super Bowl last year.

With the gifts the Saints' Drew Brees-led offense got last night, I'm surprised they only got 28 points. Both TDs in the first half were gifts, wrapped up in nice paper with a bow and they had to reach into their 4th down "trick or treat" bag for a third TD. Under those circumstances, the defense did as much as could be reasonably asked, I think.

I have been telling the fans (those that will listen) what's wrong with the team all year and the same things continue to be problem areas. Those are the offensive line and the defensive backfield.

Until those needs are addressed, don't expect the Panthers to play too much better than they did last night.

Follow me on Twitter @Ken_Dye

C3 On the Line: Saints at Panthers

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:35:00 -0400

C3 On the Line series bets the Carolina Panthers line and discusses the stakes of the game in the context of the Panthers season. CarolinaCatChronicles.com On the Line is not betting advice, but a means for football discussion.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

Saints -3 (49.5 O/U)

Here we are again, the Saints are marching to town and the division could be On the Line as it was last season when they visited Charlotte. The stakes are strikingly similar to last season’s Saints at Panthers matchup, but the circumstances are the polar opposite. Here’s what C3’s On the Line piece for this game last season noted:

Two 10-4 juggernauts meet Sunday at Bank of America Stadium to decide the NFC South division champion. The Carolina Panthers host the New Orlean Saints in what looks to be a match between two titans. The high powered Saints’ offense will try to take their game outdoors and topple Carolina’s league leading defense. There is clearly a lot On the Line for both teams....This is like having an NFC South Championship game.

Well 2014 has hardly produced the two titans bound for the playoffs as in 2013. The Saints offense has sputtered at times, and the Panthers’ defense is among the league worst. Like last year, the spread is 3 points (last year Carolina was favored) and likely this game will go a long way in determining the division champion. This season, however, there will only be one playoff team representing the NFC South, and it may just be the winner of this game. Again, there is a lot On the Line.

All Bets Are In:

Professor’s Bet: Panthers -3 (Taking the Under 49.5)

My head tells me to pick the Saints, but my heart is in Carolina. The defense showed signs of life last week, Star and Ealy played particularly well, and continue to see signs of offensive life. Yes, the Panthers didn’t get into the endzone, but they did move the ball. Hopefully, Shula, who has taken considerable heat, will rev up the offense a bit this week and get some results that ward off his termination.

The pieces have to come together at some point. This week is going to have to be that week. The Panthers back is to the wall after 1-4-1 in the last six weeks. Another loss here would be devastating. This to me is a division title match right here. The team that walks out of BOA has to be the favorite to win the division. Yes, New Orleans schedule gets tough and the Panthers gets easy. I just don’t see Carolina winning in Philadelphia after a demoralizing loss at home. There’s no choice, the Panthers have to get this win. If they do, there’s a real chance they can parlay the victory into some real momentum. Carolina 24-20

Commish’s Bet: Panthers +3 (Under the 49.5)

Tonight, all eyes in the NFL will be on Charlotte in a case of a “hot potato” ball game. Neither team has much that points to any sort of advantage over the other. Carolina’s offensive line (and team in general) has been completely decimated by injuries and the unit has been maligned lately even when healthy. Center Ryan Kalil can’t block TWO guys at once! We know the Panthers generally don’t play well at night, and the Saints don’t fare well on the road. Yeah - SOMETHING has to give, doesn’t it? Reminds me of the ancient commercial with “Mikey” eating cereal even though he “hates everything.” A bad road team going to play a bad night team on the road at night, ouch! I’m half expecting the Three Stooges to come out in the opening series and take up spots on the offensive line. With the Saints defense having regressed to 2012 and our own defense having played quite well last week at home, I’m just going to throw my hands up and say that the trend continues. The question becomes if the offense can put things together enough to score a few times. I think that they will, and a healthy backfield duo of Stewie and DeAngelo should help keep Brees on the sideline just enough to win it. Carolina 24-21

Justin Raymond’s Bet: Panthers -3 (Taking the Over 49.5)

Like I wrote in my latest article, the Carolina Panthers are a bipolar team and we don’t know what to expect from week to week. The offense shows up one game and the next game the defense shows up. When will they both come together? This might be the game where the Panthers solve this issue. The Panthers are at home against a rival team and should bring their “A” game. Brees has plenty of weapons on offense and the Panthers defensive secondary will have to step up, and make some plays. The only way I see the Panthers winning this game is if the defense can get to Brees and pressure him all night. I believe that the Panthers will make this a good game, but they won't come out on top. Saints 28-24

Carolina Panthers: Fantasy Football Projections Week 9

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 07:14:00 -0400

After eight weeks of playing Bipolar football the Carolina Panthers are still first in the NFC South. They remain in first ahead of the New Orleans Saints because of the tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Panthers are going to battle against the Saints this Thursday night and the winner of that game will be the leader in the NFC South for another week. Who on offense will show up for the Carolina Panthers in week nine?
My Week Nine Projections:

Cam Newton: 22 pts (250 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 45 rushing yards)
Kelvin Benjamin: 14 pts (85 yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 11 pts (55 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 10 pts (40 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
DeAngelo Williams: 7 pts (75 rushing yards)
Jerricho Cotchery: 7 pts (70 yards)
Panthers Defense: 4 pts

My Week Nine Recommendations:

Must Start: Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen
Sit: Panthers Defense, DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart
Week 9 Breakout Player: Jerricho Cotchery

The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a big win against the Green Bay Packers. The Saints bulldozed over the Packers with 44 points. The Packers only scored 23 points, where they have been averaging 36.25 points over the past four games. The Saints are not known for their defense, but they only held Aaron Rodgers to one touchdown. Rodgers still had a big day through the air with 418 yards.

The Carolina Panthers are in line for a big day on offense against the Saints. Cam Newton is going to be as reliable as UPS is on the ground, and through the air. Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen should both get a touchdown and see plenty of targets. Stay away from the running backs and defense.

What were my week eight fantasy football projections?

My Week Eight Projections:

Cam Newton: 15 pts (200 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 30 rushing yards)
Kelvin Benjamin: 12 pts (65 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 13 pts (75 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 11 pts (55 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: 5 pts

Week Eight Results (According to ESPN):

Cam Newton: 4 pts (171 passing Yards, 1 interception, 1 fumble/ 24 rushing yards)
Kelvin Benjamin: 9 pts (4 receptions, 94 yards)
Jonathan Stewart: 7 pts (16 attempts, 79 rushing yards)
Greg Olsen: 1 pts (1 reception, 16 yards)
Panthers Defense: 8 pts (13 PA, 1 interception, 1 fumble)

My Week Eight Review:

The last matchup against the Seattle Seahawks was an interesting one. Both teams were struggling over the past few weeks and were in need of a win. Unfortunately the Seahawks came out on top, but the Panthers defense only allowed 13 points. This was not a good game for fantasy football unless you started Kelvin Benjamin. Cam Newton had two turnovers and less than 200 total yards of offense. Jonathan Stewart had a decent game with 79 rushing yards on only 17 carries, and Greg Olsen was invisible.

Which rookie do you want on your fantasy team: Kelvin Benjamin or Brandin Cooks?

By Justin Raymond
Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

NFC South Bound and Down Episode 8: In the Thick of It

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:05:00 -0400

South Bound and Down round-table huddles up to discuss Week 9 and the NFC South. Join the crew as they talk about the wins, well ties, losses, injuries, and match-ups facing the NFC South. We'll be doling out the typical banter topped off by our picks for the week. Tweet the show at #SouthBound

C3 Podcast: A Division to be Won or Lost?

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:25:00 -0400

Knee-Jerk Reaction to a Self-Inflicted Wound at BOA

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:38:00 -0400

Wow, we should have won this game. We made so many crucial and self-inflicted errors. I LOVE Cam Newton, but he owes his team one here. His best play was him avoiding a safety. And his absolute worst, which was the difference in the game, was his zone-read fumble in the Red Zone. Points there, and we most likely win. The D did well today, but collapsed at the end.

There were some good things however: Norwell could Wally Pipp Amini at LG. He has a nasty streak and he is impressive. I also liked JSTEW, Thomas Davis, Kelvin Benjamin, and Josh Norman. And I really liked Rookie Tre Boston getting some action at Safety.
The worst of the day were Byron Bell and Nate Chandler and the absence of Greg Olsen. But when Cam falls short, so do we.

There were other crucial errors such as Bersin's fair-catching inside the 10 with non one near him, like committing pass-interference to extend drives, so on and so forth. But the bottom line is this team does not look like a team that has the belief that they are going to win. Last year we did, this year, not so much.

Now Panther Nation, root for the Packers and know that Thursday night's game is now a must win.

~@PanthersDrafter

C3 On the Line: Carolina Panthers vs Seattle Seahawks

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 22:51:00 -0400

C3 On the Line series bets the Carolina Panthers line and discusses the stakes of the game in the context of the Panthers season. CarolinaCatChronicles.com's On the Line is not betting advice, but a means for football discussion.

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

Seattle -5.5 (45O/U)

The stakes are higher than they should be. It’s not embarrassing to be dogs at home to the World Champions. Nobody believed this was going to be an easy game. That’s what we said about Green Bay last week, however. The Packers impaled the Carolina Panthers. It wasn’t a game, it was an annihilation of such epic proportions it didn’t matter how good the team was that delivered it. The nature of the loss made this game against the Seahawks do or die. Another loss of such proportions will decimate fans’ hope for this team.

All Bets Are In:

Professor’s Bet: Seahawks -5 (Taking the Over 45)

It’s hard to write off last week as just a poor performance. Things have been bad for Carolina, real bad. The Panthers defense amongst the NFL’s worst at #27. Carolina allows 137.6 ypg on the ground, with teams averaging a nauseating 5.3 yds per carry. It gets worse when you start to think about the 27.9 points per game Carolina allows. The Panthers entire business plan is predicated on stopping the run and getting stingy in the redzone. That isn’t happening, and, with Marshawn Lynch coming to town, things could get ugly. What worries me about this game the most is not losing after a rough couple of weeks. It is only the World Champions, but I'm not sure how Carolina can psychologically endure another blowout. There's a lot On the Line this week, much more than their should be the Panthers. They'll need to keep it close if they can't win outright to prevent this season from spiraling out of control. 27-20 Seahawks

Commish’s Bet: Seahawks -5 (Taking the Over 45)

We knew they were a-comin. The reigning world champs. This was supposed to be a “marquee matchup” for this week but both teams are really beating that humdrum drum. I don’t know that there’s another matchup that could BE more humdrum than the Seahawks (3-3) at Panthers (3-3-1) this week. The fact is the Seahawks’ FB, Derrick Coleman, is out for the second game in a row with a broken hand. His absence was what ultimately cost Seattle a win at the Rams last week, having broken it mere minutes before game time. Long story short, it means less Beast Mode this week and more Mighty Mouse. Indeed, Russell Wilson became the first player in NFL history to pass for 300+ yards AND run for 100+ yards in the same game. Sorry, Cam. However, the ‘Hawks have had a week to adjust without Beast Mode’s lead blocker and the Panthers’ run defense is completely atrocious this season, giving up an NFL-worst 5.3 yds/carry. Look for Seattle to use more single-back sets or with a TE as the FB to take advantage. The Panthers have major injury issues on both the offensive line and at running back and cannot run nor stop the run. ‘Nuff said. 31-23, Seahawks

PanthersDrafter’s Bet: Seahawks +5.5 (Taking the Over 45)

Like last week, our Panthers do have a shot and I hope I have it wrong here. To win this one we must gain our swagger or mojo back. Right now, we are not playing with confidence and confidence is everything in this league. To win, we have to put pressure on Wilson and keep him in the pocket. We also must attack their LBs and run plenty of quick slants and screens. Now if we can get a couple of turnovers while not turning it over we can do this. But the way we are playing I’ can say that we will. 31-20 Seahawks. (I just threw up in my mouth writing this prediction)

Get to Know Prospect Shawn Oakman

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:09:00 -0400

Conventional wisdom says the Panthers need to grab either a Left Tackle or a Corner Back in the next NFL Draft. One thing to remember (and that I hold fast to) is you fill team-needs through Free Agency and you take the Best Player Available when your team is on the clock.

We are hurting a bit right now because we do not have the cap-flexibility to address our needs. But we will soon and we can not hurt our team long term by passing on talent for the sake of need. For example, some thought that in 1998 the Colts would be ok at QB with Jim Harbaugh and that they really needed to address their Defense. So did it really make sense to take the young Peyton Manning 1st overall? Many said it would have made sense to draft Andre Wadsworth (who went 3rd overall to the Cardinals) or Grant Wistrom (who went 6th overall to the Rams?). No, it would not have made sense. When you have the chance, you take the best player on the board. With or without the Kraken, we shouldn't hesitate to to draft a monster at DE if he happens to be the best talent on the board. So take a moment and check out this prospect that has caught my eye and is someone you should watch for the remainder of the season and see if he comes out early.

Shawn Oakman has size that you can't coach. 6-9/285 lbs. He started out at Penn St. and transferred to Baylor. This is his first year as a starter and through the first 7 games of the season he has 27 tackles and 5 sacks. He seems to have a relentless motor and will only get better. Check him out when you get a chance. I would love to see him in Carolina and help us bring the bite back in our Defense.

Follow me on Twitter for ongoing Draft an Panther discussions. @PanthersDrafter

Carolina Panthers: Fantasy Football Projections Week 8

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 07:30:00 -0400

The Carolina Panthers are a hard team to predict this season. You are not sure which team is going to show up from week to week. They have scored 20 points or less four times, and 20 points or more three times. Should you risk starting any Panthers players on your fantasy football team?

My Week Eight Projections:

Cam Newton: 15 pts (200 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 30 rushing yards)
Kelvin Benjamin: 12 pts (65 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 13 pts (75 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 11 pts (55 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: 5 pts

My week eight recommendations:

Must Start: Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen
Sit: Cam Newton, Panthers Defense, Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker
Breakout Player: Brenton Bersin

The Super Bowl Champions are coming to Charlotte this Sunday to play the Carolina Panthers. The Seattle Seahawks have struggled to produce a victory the past two weeks and they are hungry. The Seahawks are known for their run game and lock down defense. This combination does not sit well for the Panthers. But, with both teams struggling someone has to come out on top.

Cam Newton will have to make the plays on offense, and the defense will have to remember how to tackle for the Panthers to be successful. Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen will need to find a way to get open in order for the Panthers to have a shot at winning this game. Benjamin will have to use his size to get open against Richard Sherman. Stay away from the running backs and Newton this week.

What were my week seven fantasy football projections?

My Week Seven Projections:

Cam Newton: 30 pts (250 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 65 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown)
Kelvin Benjamin: 14 pts (80 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 13 pts (75 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 13 pts (70 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: ?

My Week Seven Review:

The Carolina Panthers had one of the worst weeks on offense and defense all year. Superman’s kryptonite continues to be the offensive line. The offensive line did not block and Cam Newton was pressured all game. Newton had very little time to make any decision so he struggled to make the throw and get out of the pocket to make the play. Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen continue be Newton’s only and best options on offense. They had another double digit fantasy week and that trend should continue.

Week Seven Results (According to ESPN):

Cam Newton: 14 pts (205 passing Yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception/ 41 rushing yards)
Kelvin Benjamin: 12 pts (3 receptions, 61 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 6 pts (13 attempts, 50 rushing yards)
Greg Olsen: 10 pts (8 receptions, 105 yards)
Panthers Defense: -2 pts (38 PA)

Is Kelvin Benjamin a top 10 fantasy wide receiver?

By Justin Raymond
Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

C3 Scouting Report: Seattle Seahawks

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:12:00 -0400

Panther fans know their Panthers, but sometimes it’s knowing the skinny about our opponents. The C3 Scouting Report gives you the lowdown on this week’s opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.

Overall:
Division: NFC West
Record: 3-3
Division Standing: 3rd
Streak: 2 losses
Last Meeting: 12-7, Seahawks win in Charlotte (9/8/13)
All-time vs Panthers: 5-2

Offense

Total Offense	14th	357.o ypg
Scoring	8th	26.5 ppg
Passing	29th	203.7 ypg
Rushing	2nd	153.3 ypg

Key Players: Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin

Hot Players: Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin

Tendencies: Heavy running team, play-action passing, QB scramble-run

Report Created on Pro-Football-Reference.com

Execution Last Week: The Seahawks had 463 yards of total offense in their first game after the Percy Harvin trade, so his absence hasn’t affected the offense in the slightest, but is much harder to replicate his home-run ability on special teams. Russell Wilson is or already has developed into one of the league’s elite QBs as he became the first QB in NFL history last week to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 or more in the same game. Wilson led 3 consecutive long TD drives late in the second half, causing Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher to call a fake punt-pass on his own 18 yard line (which was successful) rather than punt the ball back to the Seahawks’ offense.

Passing: Effective R. Wilson- (313 yds, 2TD)

Rushing: Very effective R. Wilson- Hot 106, TD

Defense:

Total Defense	7th	324.5 ypg
Scoring	19th	23.5 ppg
Passing	16th	239.0 ypg
Rushing	6th	85.5 ypg

Key Players: Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas

Hot Players: Malcolm Smith- 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble

Special Teams

Report Created on Pro-Football-Reference.com

Execution Last Week: Fair to good - the game was lost on special teams trickery by the Rams, which the Seahawks weren’t ready for.

Coaching: Last week - fair to poor. The offense and defense played well enough to win the game in the second half after a slow start, but special teams let them down by allowing multiple trick plays to succeed.

Head Coach: Pete Carroll (75-60 Regular Season Record; 42-29 with Seattle)

Offensive Coordinator: Darrell Bevell

Offensive Scheme: West Coast

Defensive Coordinator: Dan Quinn

Defensive Alignment: 4-3

Tendencies: The personnel the Seahawks have on defense allows them to open up the defensive playbook but the defense is more of a man-coverage pressure defense as opposed to the Tampa-2 zone scheme the Panthers run. Seattle has the athletes in the secondary that Carolina lacks, so they can get away with more mistakes or poor defensive calls matched up with the offensive play called than most teams.

Standing: Pete Carroll’s job is secure, being the reigning Super Bowl Champions’ Head Coach.

Injury Report:

SEA: (DNP) TE Zach Miller, MLB Bobby Wagner, DT Jordan Hill, Kevin Williams; DE Michael Bennett, RB Derrick Coleman, CB Byron Maxwell, WR Bryan Walters, C Max Unger

CAR: (DNP) - RB, DeAngelo Williams, Fozzy Whittaker; OG Trai Turner, Amini Silatolu, OT Nate Chandler; LB Chase Blackburn; CB Bene Benwikere, WR Philly Brown

C3 Podcast: Oh Godfrey, is it over?

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:00:00 -0400

C3 Podcast: The crew breaks down the dumpster fire that was the Carolina Panthers game against the +Green Bay Packers. Sports Quotient's Anthony Nipert joins the Crew as a special guest to break down Carolina's match-up against the +Seattle Seahawks.

C3 Up, Three Down

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 01:21:00 -0400

Three Things the Carolina Panthers Did Well

The reunion with Julius Peppers at Lambeau Field did not go well this past Sunday for the Carolina Panthers. Peppers finished the game with 1.5 sacks and a smile on his face. Aaron Rodgers told the Green Bay Packer fans to R-E-L-A-X and that is exactly what he did in the pocket against the Panthers. Even though the Panthers decided to take the day off against the Packers, they had to do something right.

What three things did the Carolina Panthers do well week seven?

Keep Showing Me the Benjamin – It is hard not to write about Kelvin Benjamin every week. He scored another touchdown this past week and continues to blow other rookies out of the water. Benjamin now has five touchdowns and is tied with star wide receivers; Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
Sack Machine – If the Panthers want to be successful on defense they need help from Charles Johnson. CJ has been injured all season and has been a bit sluggish. He has turned on his jets recently and has recorded a sack in three straight games. He needs to continue to be dominant upfront to help the weak defensive secondary.
Hometown Hero – Brenton Bersin scored his first NFL touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers. It was a one yard touchdown pass from Derek Anderson. The game was already over, but who doesn’t love a hometown kid? Bersin finished the day with three receptions for 21 yards and one touchdown. Does this mean that there are more good things to come from Bersin?

By Justin Raymond

Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

Three Things the Carolina Panthers Did Poorly

The hope I had was these 3 up and 3 down pieces would get harder and harder for me. I mean the Panthers would be playing so good as the season progressed I would have to dig deeper and deeper into the statistics to find three things to be down about. This has not been the case however. Each week there has all kinds of things to be down about. This game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers is the season low point for me. This game was an opportunity. An opportunity to show the rest of the NFL that despite injuries and suspensions, the Carolina Panthers are a legitimate NFL contender. Well Aaron Rodgers easily dismissed any notion of contention by Carolina. Here are the three things to be down about if you are a Carolina Panthers fan:

Secondary Concerns: There is no hope for any improvement in this position group until we get healthy. And even then it is only a hope. The guys coming back are a rookie (Sticki Wiki) and preseason All Pro Josh Norman. Bene Benwikere has talent but lacks playing time and experience and Josh Norman has shown flashes of greatness but can’t seem to put it all together. So we can hope that these two young and inexperienced corners can come in and play above their heads and turn this secondary around. We can see Harper is playing too many downs and Godfrey is playing out of position. This position group will continue to get exposed as long as our defensive line does not pressure the opposing team’s quarterback.
Offensive Line: This group has been a question mark since before the beginning of training camp. Perhaps Panthers fans hoped this group would gel and the whole would be greater than the sum of it’s parts. This has not been the case. The group has had flashes of brilliance but has not been consistent. The situation seems to be going from bad to worse with injuries piling up along the offensive line. Was there not enough done in the off season to improve the O line? Did Dave Gettleman get this one wrong? There seems to be more questions after each week than answers.
Defense: This group was so dominant last season. There was no doubt we had the best front seven in the league. This year we are awful. We do have talent on this unit, Luke, Big Money, and Thomas Davis, but the poor play from other positions has directly affected the performance of theses players. Luke has not been his normal tackling machine self, Big Money has not been able to disrupt the opponent’s offense like we have seen in the past, and Thomas Davis has missed more tackles through seven games this season than he missed all of last season. This units success has been predicated on an effective pass rush. Until that pass rush is once again consistent, this defense will continue to struggle.

Tough game to watch yesterday. As fans we want our team to win every game, but if they can’t win at least be competitive. That was not the case yesterday, the Panthers were just out manned. The Packers personnel was flat out better than the Panthers personnel. Dave Gettleman, you have a lot of work to do this upcoming offseason.

By that "Freak'n Puerto Rican
@JoeRiollano

Knee-Jerk Reaction to the Melt Down in Wisconsin

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 16:16:00 -0400

Sometimes you feel like you are in a bad dream about being in a car wreck. That is what today felt like. What makes things worse for me is this should not have happened. On that opening drive, we had them on a 3rd and 12. Then there was an off-sides penalty that the replay clearly shows that they jumped and not us. But we were penalized. Should have been 3rd and 17. Instead, 3rd and 7 and we then proceeded to shoot ourselves in the foot. We jumped off sides legitimately and made it 3rd and 2. Then Rodgers found Nelson for a 59 yard TD. Roman Harper wiffed and Nelson went the distance. Had it been 3rd and and 17 instead of 3rd and 2, this COULD have been a different game. Then in the 2nd half and we went for it on 4th and 1, I contend we clearly had that first down. Who knows what could have happened there. I'm not saying we would have won, but we should not have been blown out. Cam was off early, and to only have 5 yards in the Q1 is inexcusable. And was that Ref seriously putting his hands on Luke and then kicking him out for it? Was he paid in cheese or what?

But I do contend to make the playoffs, we have to beat the Saints. But the they just did all they could to lose to the Lions which they did 24-23 after a Brees interception. So who has more issues, us or the Saints? So we still have a chance and the sun will come up tomorrow. But boy do we have issues. The good news is so does Seattle who comes to Charlotte next week and so do the rest of the NFC South. Chin up Panther fans. Other team's troubles are keeping us afloat. Keep Pounding.

Mel Mayock

Carolina's Secondary - The Legion of Bums

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 15:09:00 -0400

I'm writing this as the Carolina Panthers are down 21-0 at Green Bay, having saved it from becoming 28-0 on a pick-six by "virtue" of the intercepting DB being blatantly guilty of pass interference.

Yes, our first first down of the game came because of a penalty and the defense still looks like it doesn't know which team is the "bad guys" - the guys in the OTHER uniforms or the guys in the SAME uniforms.

With the rapid demise of a once-great defense (last year and the first two games of this one), I have been giving their issues a LOT of thought the past month. Cam Newton and Kelvin Benjamin are the only two real bright spots for the offense along with Greg Olsen's continued steady if unspectacular playing, but the offense isn't helping the defense consistently. This is about the defense itself.

So what IS the issue here? What happened to the defense from last year?

In short, David Gettleman's "defensive backfield on-the-cheap" strategy has come back to bite him, and the entire team, right in the rumpus.

He and Rivera have been improving the front-seven during their few years recently in Charlotte, and have been successful after a couple of poorly-chosen DTs before Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short were picked in last year's draft.

But to be fair, Gettleman at least made a gesture towards the defensive backfield, using the 4th and 5th-round picks on DBs.

Tre' Boston, a strong safety candidate from UNC, was a pick I never personally liked for reasons Roman Harper has been demonstrating consistently - I wasn't impressed with Boston's ability to tackle in space.

He has been injured almost his entire pro career (this season) and hasn't been a factor. In his case, it's probably a GOOD thing.

That 5th-rounder, CB Bene' Benwikere (ben-WICK-uh-ree), has looked solid as a nickle corner. Fine.

Here are the biggest problems: SS Roman Harper, FS Thomas DeCoud, CB Antoine Cason, CB Melvin White, and CB Josh Norman.

We simply lack talent in the defensive backfield, and Gettleman's history of re-treading other teams' rejects isn't working.

I think out of the entire group, Roman Harper is the biggest offender. I've been over and over his poor plays and his being out of position so I won't beat it to death here. Suffice it to say that he has been doing it since his arrival.

It would be okay if he were at least a good pass defender, and he was tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with many others coming into today's game with three. Two of those were off deflected passes that he got lucky on, but at least he caught them. Otherwise, he's slow...physically and, apparently, mentally as well.

Not only is he out of position too often, but at Green Bay in a simple Cover 2 (Tampa-two) defense, he was slow getting over to help out Antoine Cason against Jordy Nelson. Oh well - it isn't like Nelson is at or near the top in every meaningful receiving category, is it?

When he did get to him, Nelson made him look like a lumbering defensive lineman completely out of his element. How in the world IS this defense EVER going to be any good when your starting "strong" safety has the speed of a tackle and the open-field tackling ability of a kicker?

Harper barely even laid a finger on Nelson, if at all, while allowing him to get right by him for a long touchdown.

On the front end of this so-called Cover 2 against Nelson? Antoine Cason. He dove lazily at Nelson's feet on the play I just mentioned that Harper couldn't clean up in part due to the fact that HE lazily made HIS way over to Nelson.

Jordy made them both pay.

As the team gets behind now 28-0, I'm thinking of Robert Lester and his being waived...turning my attention to Thomas DeCoud.

DeCoud isn't quite as bad as Harper in pass coverage but he seems to have gotten worse after the first couple of games as well. Although I have seen him make some nice form-tackles in the open field since then, I've seen him miss his share of tackles as well.

If Robert Lester was SO much worse than DeCoud, apparently Lester doesn't even belong in the NFL because DeCoud doesn't look like he does these days, either.

Roman Harper and Thomas DeCoud are "athletes" that even our defense-starved division competitors didn't want. Harper was waived by the Saints and DeCoud by the Falcons.

The rest of our CB group, aside from Benwikere, has been playing as if they don't belong, either. Truly, they were all either low-priced re-treads from other teams or undrafted rookies the Panthers picked up over the past few years.

In Josh Norman's case, a late-round pick. Oh, I almost forgot Charles Godfrey...the most overpaid 3rd-string safety in the NFL!

It's quite normal to use ONE late-rounder or rookie UFA in your rotation in the defensive backfield, but with today's pass-happy NFL, it stands to reason you want some guys with TALENT back there to at least help be that last-ditch effort to stop a long play.

It looks to me like this lack of draft talent is rearing its ugly head and there's not a single thing, short of making a mid-season trade before a rapidly-approaching deadline, Gettleman OR Rivera can do this year to fix it.

But the defensive malaise runs deeper than "just" the least-talented defensive backfield in the NFL...whom I officially dub "The Legion of Bums."

With Greg Hardy's absence - rightly or wrongly handled - the defensive line isn't generating pressure like it did last season. They aren't holding their ground well against the run, either.

If our prized possession on defense, third-year All-Pro MLB Luke Kuechly, can't be free to make tackles, fellow LB Thomas Davis has to take up the slack. He has been unable to do so, having missed HIS share of tackles as well. I'm not "dogging" TD here, but both he and Luke aren't playing up to what we're used to seeing from our dynamic duo.

Again - it goes back to the line not generating pressure as a 4-man rush. The results are that the linebackers often have to shed blockers or make their way through traffic to make the stop. Kuechly leads the NFL in tackles again this year as much due to the fact he's on the FIELD so much as anything else.

In fact, nobody - not one single player - is playing up to the level we saw last season. The only constant missing is Greg Hardy, and I don't think a single player would turn the second-best defense last year into the second-worst one this year. We don't have a new system or new defensive coordinator, either.

I think Hardy's absence makes one of the NFL's best defensive lines a bit more mundane for sure. You can't be missing a guy who makes a sack per game and all that goes with that and NOT have it make a difference, but this is way too much.

What we're seeing is the effects of having to not only use castoffs and re-treads from other teams, but multiple years' worth of doing so. When you roll over your entire secondary from year to year, there's no stability to build upon.

The result? Missed assignments. Missed tackles. Letting things get out of hand and not playing with urgency are but two negative results of poor play. It all feeds off each other and has a snowball effect, each one amplifying the others.

Without even getting much into the deep issues we have at the offensive tackle position, next year's draft should include one of those as a high pick. The rest should be spent on the secondary and yet another pass-rushing DE but can hold up against the run as well, with thoughts of replacing an aging Charles Johnson. CJ hasn't been stout against the run himself - he never has been known as a great run defender but not a bad one either - and with his salary, he'd need a huge pay cut to stay past his current deal.

Sorry folks, but I still see a LOT of rebuilding needed...this time, starting with the back end of the defense.

If you can't put consistent pressure on the QB, you'll at least need guys who can somewhat cover receivers and fill holes against the run.

Being cheap and doling out revolving-door 1-year deals is officially a failure.

Follow me on Twitter @Ken_Dye

On the Line: Carolina at Green Bay

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 00:21:00 -0400

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

Green Bay -6.5 (49.5 O/U)

For the first time in weeks, Sunday’s game doesn’t seem to be do-or-die. Maybe it’s because winning in Green Bay against a decent Packers team is just difficult. Another tough week on the road, the Carolina Panthers are +6.5 dogs in this week’s matchup against the surging Packers. Here’s a look at if they can cover these stakes.

All Bets Are In:

Professor’s Bet: Panthers 6.5 (Taking the Under 49.5)

There may be more homer in me than usual, but I think the Panthers can actually win this game. Any Packer team led by Aaron Rodgers is going to be tough. This Green Bay team has some real vulnerabilities, however. Their defense isn’t intimidating and the offense, aside from the Rodgers consistency and an explosive receiving core, isn’t complete. The offensive line has problems that have resulted in a less than impressive running game and the receivers aren’t that big. If Carolina can limit big plays and get consistent pressure on Rodgers, the Panthers can look to control time of possession and pull out a win. Carolina 24-23

Commish’s Bet: Packers +6.5 (Over the 49.5)

As the Professor said above, the Packers have issues with their offensive line and their defense isn’t an intimidating one. Does this situation sound familiar? Carolina’s season thus far is reminiscent of the Star Trek “Mirror Universe” where the Federation was the bad guys, Spock had a beard, and Sadism was a part of everyday life. Well, the Panthers of 2014 would seem to be a tad sadistic with the mystifying lawndart-like performance of the defense versus preseason expectations while the offense actually has been the squad carring the team to this point. The problem is the Packers are a different team at home and having had only two home games thus far, they’ll be chomping at the bit to play in front of a friendly crowd. They’ve also averaged 36.5 PPG in their two home games...both of which were victories. The Packers still have the edge in offense with Randall “Tex” Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and in powerful RB Eddie Lacy. The Panthers rookie WR Kelvin Benjamin is listed as questionable, but fully participated in practice. He has to hit benchmarks in the NFL’s Concussion Protocol to play, but even if he does play, he may not be 100%. The pivot-point as it were might be James Stewart as he’s the only Carolina RB with any experience healthy enough to play. Tolbert, Whittaker, and D-Will all are listed as doubtful. When all is said and done, I don’t see our secondary being able to hang with the number of weapons AR-12 has at his disposal. Cam’s heroics should keep the game within reach - look for him to run the ball 15+ times again - but too many factors point to the Packers having the upper hand in this contest. Unless and until I see some stability on Carolina’s defense, I can’t prognosticate any issues the Pack might have moving the ball, but Carolina’s game plan could make a difference. They’ll want to run the ball to keep AR-12 on the sidelines, but with the O-line issues added to the RB issues, Carolina should again struggle to run the ball both effectively and consistently. Green Bay 38, Carolina 27

PanthersDrafter’s Bet: Panthers -6.5 (Taking the Over 49.5)

The Panthers certainly can win this one. The Packers are susceptible to QBs like Cam that can run the read-option. They gave up 49 yards rushing last week to Ryan Freaking Tannehill. And there is no QB truly like Cam, is there? Him running like he did last week is going to take us a long ways this season. He has become the complete QB (at least he was last week). He will need to unveil that S on his chest once again this week. The difference in winning or losing will be can we run the ball and can we stop the run. If JSTEW runs well, we will win. Just not sure that will happen. If we can stop Lacy, they become predictable which means we’ll get pressure on Rodgers in the second half. However, I’ve been to Lambeau Field for a Panthers game. That place is magical and I hate to say it, but it will take some good fortunes to win there. I say we cover but fall short. Hope I’m wrong. 31-30 Packers

Justin Raymond’s Bet: Panthers -6.5 (Taking the Over 49.5)

Before the season started I predicted the Packers to win this game 27-20. But, the Carolina Panthers defense is allowing opposing teams to score 21.16 points per game this season and is only getting worse. Having a defense that can’t pressure the quarterback and can’t cover wide receivers, is a bad combination when you’re going up against an elite quarterback . The Packers defense isn’t any better so this game is going to be a shootout. 31-24 Packers

Carolina Panthers: Fantasy Football Projections Week 7

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 21:08:00 -0400

The Carolina Panthers have played three away games and they’re away record is still at .500, how is this possible? Well this is possible because they tied the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday. Mike Nugent decided to give us an early Christmas present and missed that last second field goal.
The offense for the second week in a row scored over 30 points and is beginning to look like a well-oiled machine. The defense is another story because they allowed the Bengals to score over 30 points

Fantasy football owners shouldn’t hesitate to insert the Carolina Panthers key players into their starting lineups.

Who should you start or sit for the Carolina Panthers in week seven?

My Week Seven Projections:

Cam Newton: 30 pts (250 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 65 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown)
Kelvin Benjamin (mild concussion): 14 pts (80 yards, 1 touchdown)
Jonathan Stewart: 13 pts (75 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 13 pts (70 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: ?

My week seven recommendations:
The Green Bay Packers currently have the 5th best passing defense and the worst rushing defense in the NFL. The Packers two best defensive backs, Sam Shields and Tramon Williams are currently listed as questionable for this upcoming matchup. I think that the Carolina Panthers offense will have another big day!

The issue again this week is the defensive secondary for the Carolina Panthers. Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback and he will get into the end zone. The receivers of the Packers are quick and are great at running routes. Do not start the Carolina Panthers defense this week. Kelvin Benjamin suffered a concussion so his play time is up in the air. According to sources, Jonathan Stewart has been cleared to play and will start against the Packers.

Must Start: Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen
Sit: Panthers Defense, Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker
Breakout Player: Jerricho Cotchery

What were my week six fantasy football projections?

My Week Six Projections were:

Cam Newton: 19 pts (275 passing yards, 2 touchdown)
Kelvin Benjamin: 13 pts (75 yards, 1 touchdown)
Darrin Reaves: 7 pts (70 rushing yards)
Chris Ogbonnaya: 8 pts (25 rushing yards, 1 touchdown)
Greg Olsen: 15 pts (90 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: 15 pts

My Week Six Review:
The Carolina Panthers had another big week on offense. Cam Newton finally broke out of his shell and put his legs to work! Cam Newton had one of the best games all year with 33 fantasy points. My prediction was not even close with Newton, but we didn’t know how healthy he was until the game started. Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen continue to produce double digit fantasy points every week. The running backs on the Panthers and the defense failed to help anyone in week six.

Week Six Results (According to ESPN):

Cam Newton: 33 pts (284 passing Yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception/ 107 rushing yards and 1 touchdown)
Kelvin Benjamin: 10 pt (7 receptions, 49 yards, 1 touchdown)
Darrin Reaves: 1 pt (8 attempts, 15 rushing yards)
Chris Ogbonnaya: 0 pts (0 attempts, 0 rushing yards)
Greg Olsen: 12 pts (6 receptions, 62 yards, 1 touchdown)
Panthers Defense: -4 pts (37 PA, 2 interceptions)

Will Cam Newton or Jonathan Stewart have more rushing yards this week?

By Justin Raymond
Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

C3 Scouting Report: Green Bay Packers

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 09:17:00 -0400

Panther fans know their Panthers, but sometimes it’s knowing the skinny about our opponents. The C3 Scouting Report gives you the lowdown on this week’s opponent, the Green Bay Packers .

Overall:

Division: NFC North

Record: 4-2

Division Standing:2nd

Streak: 3 Wins

Last Meeting: 9/18/11 (Cincinnati 30 @ Carolina 23)

All-time vs Panthers: 8-4

Offense

Total Offense	27th	319 yds/gm
Scoring	8th	26.8 pts/gm
Passing	20th	224.3 ypg
Rushing	24th	94.8 ypg

Key Players: Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb

Hot Players: Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson

Tendencies: This team ranks low in most Offensive categories except for the one that matters: points. They are very efficient and do not waste Red Zone opportunities.

Execution Last Week: The team’s execution last week was up and down, they gave up three lead changes, but made the plays when they mattered. Rodgers threw the winning TD with 3 seconds remaining on the clock.

Passing: Modest-Aaron Rodgers ( 24/42, 264 yds, 3 TDs)

Rushing: Modest-Eddie Lacy (14 att, 40 yds)

Defense:

Key Players: Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, Tramon Williams, Nick Perry

Hot Players: Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews

Peppers- 1.5 sacks

Matthews- 1 Sack

Execution Last Week: They gave up 23 points last week to the Dolphins including 149 yards passing in the 2nd half after their Secondary was depleted. They gave up 244 yards passing and 102 yards rushing. Perhaps most pertinent to our game, they gave up 49 yards to Ryan Tannehill. They had real trouble stopping the read-option. Look for that to be a key to the game.

Coaching:

Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (86-47, Regular Season Record)

Offensive Coordinator: Tom Clements

Offensive Scheme: West Coast

Defensive Coordinator: Dom Capers

Defensive Alignment: 3-4

Tendencies: The Packers rank rather low in overall Offense, 27th. However they rank 8th in scoring. So they can look bad at times and then score in a flash. They also can give up a lot of points and are vulnerable to running QBs.

Standing: They are not currently on the hot seat. But in Green Bay, expectations are very high.

Injury Report:

There are some key players that are Out or Questionable for this one. Namely CBs Sam Shields (listed as Out) and Tramon Williams (Questionable). Also out is DE Dantone Jones

A Quarterback's Worst Nightmare

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 09:13:00 -0400

There will be a reunion this Sunday when Julius Peppers and the Green Packers meet the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Julius Peppers or “The Freak of Nature” left the Carolina Panthers in the 2010 NFL season because he was being ignored about his contract.

Why did Julius Peppers leave the Carolina Panthers?

Julius Peppers said, “How can you say you want to be somewhere when you’re not really sure if they want you there because they’re not even talking to you?” There was a lot of confusion during the 2007 NFL season because he only had 2.5 sacks that season, and the Panthers ignored his contract talk in the offseason. The next season he recorded 14.5 sacks and the Panthers wanted to talk. By then it was too late and Peppers wanted out of Carolina. The 2009 season came around and the Panthers put the franchise tag on Julius for $16.683 million. The hiring of defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac destroyed any hope of Peppers returning to the Carolina Panthers. Julius said, “In my eyes I didn't see us getting any better on that side of the ball.” In 2010 Peppers left for the Chicago Bears.

Did the Carolina Panthers draft anyone in 2010 to fill the void?

In 2010 the Carolina Panthers drafted Greg Hardy in the 6th round and it wasn't until the 2012 season that he finally came out of his shell. He recorded 11 sacks that year and turned into “The Kraken.” The following year he had 15.0 sacks and once again the Panthers put a franchise tag for $13.116 million on their star defensive end. I thought the front office learned their lesson?

Who is better Greg Hardy or Julius Peppers?

Julius Peppers is 6, “7”, 287 lbs and recorded 40.5 sacks during his first four NFL seasons. Julius Peppers came storming out of the gate and is one of the best athletes in the NFL. Brian Urlacher is one of the best linebackers to ever play the game and he agrees with me. In 2010 he said, "I'll say this about Peppers, he's the best football player I've ever seen. He's 300 pounds. He does things DBs are doing. I don't know how we got him, but I'm glad we did.” Julius is quick like a defensive back, elusive like a running back and big like an offensive lineman. If I was protecting the quarterback I would run the other way.

Greg Hardy is 6’ “4”, 275 lbs and recorded 33 sacks during his first four seasons in the NFL. Hardy is not as big as Peppers but still as elusive. He has good athletic abilities and natural strength. Hardy uses his alter ego “The Kraken” to fuel his fire and get to the quarterback.

When an NFL scout is looking for that next best defensive end in the NFL, they are comparing them to Julius Peppers. Peppers is bigger, stronger and has better hands than Hardy. Having Julius Peppers on your NFL roster is a great accomplishment. If the Panthers were able to sign Peppers in the offseason they wouldn't have to worry about Hardy’s issues.

If the Carolina Panthers don’t resign Hardy due to his recent case, would you consider this the Julius Peppers curse?

By,
Justin Raymond

Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

Injuries Mount as Panthers Prowl Lambeau Field This Week

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 18:10:00 -0400

Come on, fans....admit it. This season has been an insane one for the Carolina Panthers thus far.

Nobody would have thought that it would be the offense carrying a team with a struggling defense?

Were we not supposed to have a group of the "league's sorriest wide receivers?"

Those two bookend offensive tackles that weren't even drafted and couldn't pass-block?

Cam Newton was unusually well-protected last week, but what most people don't know is that the Cincinnati defense is statistically pretty bad, too. They actually are 28th in yards allowed while that of the Panthers is 26th.

Some strange things are going this season no matter how you slice it.

It's an interesting backdrop to think about as the team heads north to play in Titletown. I have always respected the Packers organizational skill over their history as well as their legendary coach, Vince Lombardi. Now the Panthers have to play in the shadow of history as well as the bright light of the day in a hostile stadium again.

With two teams noted for offense and scoring points lately after sluggish starts, neither team can call their defense a strength. The Packers are 19th in total yards allowed.

It all makes the injury situation that much more concerning for Carolina. You're all probably aware of the problem with injuries to our running back corps so I looked at who has been held out of practice this week. The list is rather long:

Roman Harper, Kelvin Benjamin, Fozzy Whittaker, Bene' Benwikere, Thomas Davis, Amini Silatolu, Dwan Edwards, DeAngelo Williams, Greg Olsen and Chase Blackburn were all held out of practice.

The good news is that Jonathan Stewart participated fully.

While some of those not practicing can get away with it as veterans, four are new to the team this year and three of them are rookies. They especially need their reps.

Many of these guys will probably play but a key player may not be. Kelvin Benjamin is being treated for a concussion. There are entire articles I could write about that situation, being that he was obviously shaken up early in last week's game but was allowed to return. That bears investigating.

If Benjamin can't go this weekend, the offense will be at a serious disadvantage. He has proven himself a worthy target despite having recent issues with dropping passes. He still makes more than his share of our big plays in the passing game along with Olsen with Avant making an occasional clutch catch.

Without The Kelvinator, we may be right back to using Cam Newton as the true dual-threat quarterback and competitor that he truly is. Last week, he looked more like his old young self so to speak, and just in time it looks like.

Having Stewart back to shoulder a nice bit of the load will be nice, but Cam is probably going to be off and running another double-digit number of times. With little depth at the RB position, look for more trips or "bunch" type sets with Olsen, Avant, and Cotchery perhaps likely.

Now if only our pass rush can wake up and get after AR-12 early, we could have a chance. I'm just tired of seeing us giving up all these big plays. Last week, we gave Giovanni Bernard an 89-yard TD run and his first 100-yard rushing game ever. Yep, incredible but true.

The road through Wisconsin doesn't get any easier with Eddie Lacy's presence either. Aaron Rodgers isn't lacking for talented targets and our secondary has been atrocious. At least the rush defense has been more atrocious.

In order to win, it looks like Cam is going to have to pull off another do-it-all performance, or close to it. Stewart can finally step back in this week, it looks like. Other than that, There's a lot of banged-up talent on the list whether they play or not.

All that aside, the Panthers stand a fair chance of pulling this one off. I have seen stranger things happen, so hang on until game day and we'll have a lot clearer picture.

Above all, #KeepPonding

Follow me on Twitter @Ken_Dye

South Bound and Down Episode 6: Who is worse? It's a TIE

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 20:35:00 -0400

South Bound and Down round-table huddles up to discuss Week 6 and the NFC South. Join the crew as they talk about the wins, well ties,, losses, injuries, and match-ups facing the NFC South. We'll be doling out the typical banter topped off by our picks for the week.

C3 Up, Three Down (Week 6)

carolinacatchronicles.com (@Cat_Chronicles) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 18:04:00 -0400

C3 Up

The Carolina Panthers are still on a winning streak after their tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. The NHL got rid of tying, so why does the NFL allow it? I don’t have an answer for that, but thank you Mike Nugent for missing that field goal! The Carolina Panthers offense continues to put points on the scoreboard but so do the opponents. Where did the defense go?

What three things did the Carolina Panthers do well to tie week six?

1. Superman Sighting – On game day Cam Newton walked into the phone booth in downtown Cincinnati and ripped off his uniform and let Superman loose! Carolina Panthers Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula finally released Cam Newton against the Cincinnati Bengals. Newton hasn’t been healthy all year and no one knew how healthy he was before this game. He led the Panthers rushing attack with 17 attempts for 107 yards and one touchdown. He had eight more rushing attempts than running back Fozzy Whittaker, who only rushed for 25 yards. Newton continues to impress this season with his passing and running abilities.

2. We Can Score: – The Carolina Panthers defense carried the load the first four games of the season and now the offense is taking over. The offense has averaged 34.0 points per game in their last two games, and has the ability to get into a shootout with other NFL offenses. Newton continues to improve his accuracy with a 61.7% completion percentage and has limited his mistakes. Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen have played a key part in the success of this offense.

3. Kelvin Benjamin – Who isn’t talking about Kelvin Benjamin? He finished the game with 49 receiving yards and one touchdown. His receiving yard total wasn’t that big but his touchdown was! As soon as Kelvin caught the ball in the end zone he was slammed but he held on. This shows his toughness and his catching ability. Benjamin leads all rookies with 416 passing yards and four touchdowns. He is 6’ 5” and is a beast in the red zone.

By Justin Raymond

Follow me on Twitter @JayRay19

C3 Down:

This week’s three down could have easily been six or seven down. Despite that, the Panthers were able to play to a draw with one of the top teams in the AFC. Cam Newton’s play in Cincinnati was incredible. He showed just how dangerous he can be as a passer and we saw the resurgence of the “tailback in a quarterback’s jersey”. Cam was an almost unstoppable force in this one. I hope he is able to continue his progression/ascension to the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.

As for the things we could have done better…

1.The first thing that really stuck out to me is the coverage of our secondary. It was a very loose coverage that played right into the hands of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton has had a quick release this season. In fact it has been the quickest release of all quarterbacks in the NFL. These two factors allowed for Dalton to throw for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns. While completing 33 out of 43 passes, (about 77%). Receiver Mohamed Sanu benefitted the most from this type of coverage, reaching single game career highs in receptions (10) and yardage (120). Our secondary personnel and the limitations on their individual abilities is the reason we did not switch from out of this soft, loose coverage. Without a consistent pass rush, our secondary will continue to be vulnerable to career days by receivers throughout the remainder of the season.

2. The defensive line was supposed to be a real strength on this defense. It has turned out to be a weakness most of the time. Another AFC North opponent that has excelled at running the ball against us. The Bengals ran the ball for 193 yards in this game. Steelers, Ravens, and now the Bengals have made our once top ranked run defense look like a junior varsity bunch. Poor tackling, a lack of discipline, and failure to maintain gap responsibility can all be listed as contributing factors in this defense’s epic free fall.

3. I don’t like to call out individual players because football really is the ultimate team sport, but there are those times when a player has such a terrible game he must be recognized for it. Charles Godfrey did not play well. I don’t know when the last time he lined up at nickel corner was but man he struggled Sunday afternoon. Play after play he was beaten by whoever he was covering. Now I know Godfrey was drafted out of Purdue as a corner, but most of his time in the NFL has been spent at safety. I foresee a move back to safety for Godfrey in the near future.

This was a great game for Carolina. The team needed to play a game like this, a close, hard fought, physical battle that they were able to fight in until the end. Yes it would have been nice to get the win but we were fortunate to come away without the loss. It seems ironic that in the preseason most Panthers fans were uncertain about the offense but felt supremely confident in the fact our defense would keep us in games. It has been the offense that has kept us in games and and the defense that keeps the opponents in them. In the meantime, we are still “Kings of the South”.

By +Joe Riollano
Follow that "Freak'n Puerto Rican" on Twitter @JoeRiollano