Cat Scratch Reader

Dockett Gets Docked for Hit on Williams

2009-11-07T00:46:09Z

Dockett Gets Docked for Hit on Williams

He should have received a 15 yd penalty too:
Also from that game, Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett was fined $5,000 for "impermissible use of the helmet (helmet-to-helmet contact)."
That one was for a shot to Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams.

Cheap shot for sure!

On Panthers' Road Win Streak Over Saints

2009-11-06T21:46:59Z

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

Saints coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, shown here during a Sept. 13 game in New Orleans, have never defeated the Panthers at home in three tries. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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The Panthers own the longest winning streak in one place over one team in the seven-year history of the NFC South division, and have three of the six longest such streaks.

According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Carolina has defeated the Saints in Louisiana seven straight times dating to the 2002 season, the first for the NFC South (That's the year the NFL expanded from three to four divisions in each conference). The Panthers of course try to extend that streak Sunday afternoon in New Orleans against the undefeated Saints.

The Panthers also own two more similar winning streaks over division rivals...

Carolina won in Tampa Bay five consecutive seasons, from 2003-2007. The Bucs beat the Panthers at home last season, before falling to visiting Carolina again in October.

The third-longest such streak in NFC South history belongs to the Saints, who have beaten the Falcons at home four straight years, from 2006-2009. Their most recent victory in that stretch came Monday night.

Three NFC South teams own matching three-game win streaks: The Panthers, who won in Atlanta in 2005, 2006 and 2007; the Saints, who won in Tampa Bay 2002, 2003 and 2004; and the Bucs, who beat the Saints on the road in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Only the Falcons do not own such a winning streak of at least three games in this nascent division's history. Atlanta has defeated teams two years in a row in the same place.

But such Atlanta streaks pale in comparison to the Panthers' mastery on the road against the Saints. To win this many times on the road against the same team consecutively takes skill, certainly, but also a bit of luck. Three times the Panthers played at the Saints when New Orleans had nothing to play for. Only four of these matchups meant something to the Saints, as it does Sunday.

(Note: You could argue that last season's regular season finale meant something to the Saints because quarterback Drew Brees was chasing the single-season passing yardage record. But the game meant nothing to the Saints defense. Witness the 33-31 final).

Here is a recap of what happened in these meaningful games:

--Dec. 29, 2002. Panthers 10, Saints 6

With backup Jake Delhomme looking on in his final game with the Saints, starter Aaron Brooks tossed two interceptions and completed just 12 of 31 attempts against the 6-9 Panthers. Panthers fullback Brad Hoover scored the only touchdown of the game on a pass from Rodney Peete. The loss dropped the Saints to 9-7. It was their third consecutive defeat, costing them a playoff birth as they finished one-half game behind the NFC sixth seed, the Falcons.

--Oct. 26, 2003. Panthers 23, Saints 20 (OT)

A game featuring three lead changes ended when John Kasay kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime. Stephen Davis ran for 178 yards and two scores for the Panthers, who improved to 6-1. Deuce McAllister ran for 101 yards for the Saints, who fell to 3-5.

--Dec. 5, 2004. Panthers 32, Saints 21

A matchup of 4-7 teams still in the playoff race belonged to the Panthers, who built a 26-7 halftime lead and were never threatened. Carolina outgained New Orleans 401-280, getting 179 receiving yards from Muhsin Muhammad and 122 yards rushing by Nick Goings.

--Oct. 7, 2007. Panthers 16, Saints 13

A 52-yard field goal by Kasay broke a 13-13 tie in the fourth quarter, dropping the Saints to 0-4. The Saints outgained Carolina 341-243, but interceptions by Panthers defensive backs Richard Marshall and Chris Harris gave the Panthers an edge in turnovers and the win that pushed them to 3-2.

New Defensive Scheme

2009-11-06T14:33:12Z

New Defensive Scheme

I completely missed the new defensive package on the field (watching the game with a 2 1/2 year old and 2 month old will do that), but Darrin Gantt provides an interesting writeup of a new scheme the Panthers used against Arizona.

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

Questions about the Panthers vs Saints game.

2009-11-06T08:56:29Z

With a few injuries in the Panthers fold, including a random destruction of the FB position and Charles Godfrey and Moose out because of injury, the Panthers go into the Saints with a lot of questions. Some of them good, and some bad.

1. Can Sherrod Martin duplicate his exceptional 2 INT performance against Drew Brees and the Saints?

This is one of the biggest questions we have to ask during this upcoming game. We're all cheering for Martin to be our new FS, and Sherrod Martin is probably going to get one more game as a starter before Charles Godfrey comes back from injury. If he can pull off another good game here against an explosive offense such as the Saints, John Fox will have no choice but to name him the starter over Charles Godfrey for the rest of the season. John Fox has always been a fan of veterans, so in order for Martin to fully secure his job he will have to completely blow Fox away during the Saints game in order to force his hand and grab himself a starting job. It will also help our team in such a way to where we could look into trading Godfrey away in the offseason, thus allowing us to regain some valuable draft picks we lost in acquiring our D-Line help.

2. Can our D-Line get pressure on Drew Brees?

The Panthers will need to play a complete game against the Saints on Sunday. The Saints have had an explosive offense for a long time now, but now that they actually have a defense for once they can do amazing things. When a team averages 39 points per game while giving up 22, it takes a true moron to not figure out why this team has gone undefeated. Julius Peppers and Everette Brown need to step up early and often and put Drew Brees to the turf. Force him to make mistakes so that you can get their offense back on the field and put us in good field position to take the ball back the other way.

3. Can our running game take over the game?

Last week, we rushed for 270 yards against the #1 rushing defense in the league. In the first half, we were dominant. We went into halftime with the score 28-7, and the Panthers had a sizeable lead. However, I think the most important thing to consider is that the Panthers didn't score a touchdown for the rest of the game. While having a 3 possession lead going into halftime was enough to beat the Cardinals, against such a high powered offense as the Saints we need to be able to play a complete offensive game for four quarters. Many points must be scored, and much time must be taken off the clock!

4. Can our running game be successful without a true fullback?

The injuries to Brad Hoover and Tony Fiametta really hurt us for this game. It wouldn't be a big deal if we had another RB that could take their place, but instead we're going to have to take Jeff King from his TE position and use him as our FB instead. That may prove to be a huge factor if the Panthers can't get their running game going. With Daunte Rosario out because of injury, if the Panthers choose Jeff King to be their fullback, that only leaves one true TE on our roster in Gary Barnidge. Can the Panthers find a way to replace these guys?

5. Can Julius Peppers maintain his play for the rest of the year?

It seems like ever since Jon Beason promised the fans he would call Peppers out the next chance he got, Peppers suddenly kicked his play up to another level. Peppers did something he does not usually do by coming out and telling his teammates that he was letting them down, that he was making excuses for himself, and that he was going to be different from now on. So far, in the last 4 games he has six sacks, 18 tackles, two forced fumbles and one huge pick six. If Peppers can continue to cause the pressure on the opposing QB like he has these last few weeks, he will be a terror for any QB to behold, let alone deal with.

6. Can Jake Delhomme manage the game?

We don't ask much of Jake Delhomme, in his last game we only asked him to throw the ball 14 times, and he completed half that with one touchdown and no pick sixes thrown. There has been many theories of why Jake Delhomme has declined this year. Starting from the question of whether his arm is fully recovered from his Tommy John Surgery, his increased strength is too much for him to control, or just his lack of confidence in general, the cold fact remains that Jake Delhomme leads the league in interceptions, and until proven otherwise the fans will shout obscenities every time he touches the football.

The best way to combat this is to not put Jake in a situation where he needs to make a long completion to get a first down. Get those first 5 or 6 yards so that Jake has a 3rd and 4th on his plate other than a 3rd and 12. Let your running game take over, and make it the majority of your playbook for the game. Shove the ball down their throat with our two running backs, and let Jake work short passes to Steve Smith and our running backs. A turnover with Jake Delhomme in a game like this will go a long way in determining on whether we have victory or we are defeated.

That's really all I have to say guys. I'm sure there is a lot more where that came from, we haven't even started on Dwayne Jarrett yet. But for now, let us have a moment of silence for Ron Meeks, whom will have the biggest task ever in preparing our defense to stop the #1 offense in the world.

Let us hope that he makes it through the week.

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?

Panthers Inch Up SBN Power Rankings - #21

2009-11-05T18:45:33Z

Panthers Inch Up SBN Power Rankings - #21

I can't agree with some of the teams ranked above us but a win this weekend will solve some of that. Here's the write-up which is intended to torque Panther fans up a little:

The Panthers have found their winning formula: run nearly every down, and then every now and then, bomb one deep to Steve Smith. In other words, make your $42.5 million quarterback as much of a non-factor as possible.

2009 SBN Mideason Studs & Duds

2009-11-05T18:40:50Z

2009 SBN Mideason Studs & Duds

Thank goodness for JaMarcus Russell or otherwise Ol' Jake might have taken the Dud award.

We play two of the studs this weekend. Lets make them look like Duds!

Panthers vs. Saints: Blogger Q&A

2009-11-05T17:19:36Z

Welcome Panther fans to this weeks' edition of Bogger Q&A. We have Saintsational from Canal Street Chronicles answering our questions today. As always be sure to check my answers to his questions over at his site. Feel free to provide your own questions or comments in the comment thread and we will see if Saintsational or one of his readers can provide the answer.

Question 1: For all the focus on the Saints offense I've been more impressed with the defense. What is more responsible for the improved play, DC Greg Williams defensive scheme or the free agent additions?

Saintsational: Most of it really does have to do with Gregg Williams. He has completely changed the culture of this defense as a whole and has already gotten so much more out of mostly the same players from previous years. Williams' defense emphasizes blitzing, turnovers and populating the ball; all in an aggressive manner. Former defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs ran a very plain scheme but Williams has proven these guys are capable of so much more.

That's not to say the off-season acquisition of players like Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer haven't proved to be genius. Those two alone have made a huge difference. But I still think the coaching and culture change is the more overriding factor.

So a key for the Panther offense will be how QB Jake Delhomme handles the pressure that is sure to come in those 3rd and long situations.

Question 2: It would appear the Saints are running the ball better this season using the trio of Bush, Thomas and Bell. Is there any one of these guys that is more important for the Panthers to stop than the others? If so, how should they do that? What's the Saints bread and butter running play?

Saintsational: Well, I think Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell deserve most of the credit for the success of the running game. Reggie Bush is a valuable player but he contributes is so many other ways and not so much with the typical running attack.

Between Bell and Thomas however, they have both proven to be equally important and at this point I'm not so sure I could pick between the two. Bell is a straight-ahead runner whose legs are always churning while Pierre is more versatile, catching more screen and dump passes. I think what makes the running game so dangerous is that Payton uses them well and they can each spell each other when tired.

I'm not sure exactly how to stop it but I would definitely try and do it early. If Payton get's frustrated that the Saints can't run the ball, there's a chance he'll just try to get it done through the air with his best friend Drew Brees.

I'm more worried about the dump off passes then the straight runs. The Saints are going to have to prove they can run through the middle of our line before I will believe it.

Question 3: Panthers DE Julius Peppers has been lining up on both sides of the line this season in an attempt to disrupt blocking schemes. If you were advising Panthers DC Ron Meeks which side would Peppers line up on for most of the game and why?

Saintsational: A versatile Julius Peppers? That's sounds scary. I think the Panthers would want Peppers to line up more often on the right side of the defensive line, matching up against the Saints left tackle. Starting left tackle, Jammal Brown, is out for the season so Jermon Bushrod is playing in his stead. Zach Strief also checks into the game on for help on certain downs. While Bushrod has filled in admirably, reliable veteran Jon Stinchcomb - and the better tackle of the two - is on the right side. Also, Bushrod is a little dinged up...but who isn't?

So it would seem our rejuvenated De Julius Peppers should have another nice match-up on the right side. I'm expecting big things.

Question 4: I saw Saints DT Sedrick Ellis is out with an injury this week. Who will fill his shoes and do you think it will change the way the Saints defend the Panthers running attack?

Saintsational: Ellis also missed Monday night's game against the Falcons. In that game the Saints allowed Michael Turner to run wild for over 140 yards so one could make a case that the run defense has suffered at least slightly. Ellis has been replaced by free-agent acquisition and fan favorite, Anthony Hargrove, who impressed his way onto this team during training camp. Unfortunately, Hargrove's skills are best suited for taking down quarterbacks and not so much at stopping the run. To defend against the Panthers two-headed rushing attack I definitely think Gregg Williams will find a way to compensate and fill the box.

Hargrove is a former GT man who played DE if I remember correctly but he left school early which I think hurt him when he made the jump. He is definitely more of a pass rusher than a run stopper.

Question 5: Tell me about a future Saints Pro Bowler-in-the-making. What young Saints players do think will be future Pro Bowlers and why?

Saintsational: I'm gonna go with starting cornerback Tracy Porter on this one. He is in his sophomore year and has showed signs of continuous improvement with every game. If he continues to work under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, I see potential for him to be an elite shut-down corner.

My guess is Greer will draw the one-on-one with Steve Smith who probably won't bite on the Smoke-n-Go like DRC did last week. Still I'm curious to see this Saints secondary in action.

Bonus question: How about a prediction?

Saintsational: This is the second division game in a row for the Saints and we know they're rarely easy. I think the Panthers keep it close but the Saints still come out on top. 30-17 Saints.

Well at least he thinks we will hold them to 30 points.

Panther Paw Prints - No Swagger Edition

2009-11-05T05:15:22Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

5 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Na'il Diggs (53) celebrates an interception returned for a touchdown by teammate Julius Peppers in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Panthers QB Jake Delhomme was taken aback in an interview by the suggestion the Panthers may be developing some of the old 'swagger' after winning three of four games:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"To be honest with you, it didn’t feel that way, it really didn’t feel that way," he said. "We were searching, from early on. All of us, in every phase. Last week kind of felt like last year. just the feeling you had in the locker room, the feeling in the locker room at halftime, on the sideline, it was good.

I would that's mainly because the one loss in the last four games was to an inferior Bills squad. It also doesn;t help that two of the three wins was against even worse teams.

Carolina Panthers Jake Delhomme talks about facing the New Orleans Saints | New Orleans Saints Central - - NOLA.com
In winning three of the last four games, do you guys feel like you’re building something? “Somewhat, but I don’t mean to slight this in anyway; it doesn’t feel like we’ve won three of the last four. We were able to beat Washington then went to Tampa and were able to beat them. We were winning, but we weren’t playing good football. I don’t know any other way to put it. We were able to get a couple of wins, which was nice, but we were not playing good football as a team. I think last week was the closest we came as a team to playing decent football. That’s what you kind of want. If one phase is struggling, the other has to pick it up and just everybody has each other’s backs. Last week was nice, but again, that’s the last week, now it’s on to the Saints. There are no weaknesses when you watch this football team.”

Yes, nothing to get too excited about yet though it was nice to exorcise a few demons in the desert. Another reason might be the coming trip to New Orleans to play the undefeated Saints.

Panthers remain a mystery after win | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
If you were an optimist, you could look at this one and see what's coming, the story the Panthers have so often written. They'll go on the road and save a season, spoil the Saints' perfect start, be the one to poke a hole in that balloon. Maybe the Saints are getting a little big for their collective britches, a two-touchdown favorite the week after Bush started talking about going 16-0. Coach Sean Payton reined that one in, and they fairly handled a still-good Falcons team.

No need to give the Saints bulletin board material but I bet the Panthers are feeling the kind of fear of the Saints many pundits suggest they should. After all, they did sweep the Saints last season and they are the defending division champs. We shouldn't lose sight of that. The Saints also should lose sight of a certain NFC Defensive Player of the Week:

Peppers procures plaudits as player of week
I think he's been tremendous during the last four weeks. We need him to be and he has been," head coach John Fox said. "I think he's probably played a good a stretch, in my opinion, these last four games as I've ever seen him play."

Speaking of play makers, we may have a new one in the secondary.

Rookie gives Panthers another option in secondary | secondary, charlotte, gives - Top Sports - Gaston Gazette
Ron Meeks’ defense is predicated on creating turnovers and Martin showed Sunday he can be another playmaker in the secondary which makes it hard to sit him. At Troy, Martin forced nine fumbles and had nine interceptions during his career so he already had a reputation as a ballhawk coming into the NFL.

I've made no secret of my desire to see Martin as more than just an 'option' for the secondary. Where we do have limited options is the growing injury report.

Panthers' fullback Hoover could miss up to 2 weeks | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
High ankle sprains can keep guys out from two to three weeks to much longer, depending on their severity. Running back DeAngelo Williams missed a month with the same thing in 2006 (three games and the bye week). The injury occurs when the ligaments that hold the lower leg bones together are stretched, as opposed to some of the simple rolls that are classified ankle sprains.

If both Hoover and Fiammetta can't go Sunday the Panthers running game might suffer a bit. On the bright side the Saints are not without their troubles in this match-up.

Saints DT Sedrick Ellis Out 4-6 Weeks With Sprained MCL - SB Nation
The undefeated New Orleans Saints will likely be without starting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis for the next four to six weeks according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ellis suffered a sprained MCL during the team’s October 25 victory over Miami. No surgery is expected, according to Schefter.

From the redundant category of redundancy, QB Jake Delhomme tells us that "as soon as he got hit he felt it". Whoa, really?

Jake Delhomme Injures Chest, Expects To Play Week 9 - SB Nation
"They hit me where it hurts," said Delhomme, whose injury was officially described as a chest contusion. "As soon as I got hit, I felt it immediately. I couldn't catch my breath and I felt like it was my sternum. "I got the CT scan and I think everything is good."

That's weird because usually when I get hit it hurts somewhere else. While we are talking about insightful quotes we should never pass on a chance to quote John Fox:

NFC South: Can the ground game save the Panthers' season? - Breaking News, Local News, Local Weather, Local Sports
"We've kind of developed [a run game] over the last few games," said head coach John Fox, whose club is now averaging 148.9 yards per game on the ground. "We didn't run the ball especially well early in the season."

He means its 'kind of' a running game since dudes are being handed the ball and carrying it instead of catching it, but its not running exactly, kind of. Speaking of dudes running with the ball, some people think this Panther does it 'kind of' good:

NFC South - ESPN
Williams was selected as the division’s most dangerous player in the open field after consideration was given to teammate Steve Smith, Atlanta receiver Roddy White, Atlanta running back Michael Turner and New Orleans receivers Marques Colston and Devery Henderson.

I just finished watching the 1st half of the Cardinals game and there is one thing that really stood out on defense and that is DE Julius Peppers simply abused LT Mike Gandy.

New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers Scouting Report | New Orleans Saints Central - - NOLA.com
"His play over the last month, I think, has had a big thing to do with our defense playing better, not to pin it all on him by any stretch. We've got some pretty good guys that have been here for a little bit that are the heart of our defense that have started playing better, and that's why we've played better on defense." -- Coach John Fox on the play of Peppers.

Fourteen points, really?

Saints Favored Big At Home Over Carolina
The Saints will be favored by 14 at home over Carolina according to our NFL Week 9 Betting Odds and the over/under is set at 52. The Panthers are 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games and the total has gone over in 6 of New Orleans' last 8 games.

Last but not least is one...actual...piece...of worthy insight from...John Fox:

Foxhole: Fullback position empty
On players becoming more comfortable with defensive coordinator Ron Meeks' system: If you're not thinking, you play faster. Early on we had a lot of new guys in there. We did have some injuries. I think that was as big as anything - different people learning the system. We've gotten some of those people back now and settled in a little bit as far as, hopefully, trying to keep the same starting lineup a little bit cohesive. I think we are playing better for it. I thought last week was a huge challenge, and I think this week is huger, if there is such a word.

You wouldn't think Meeks system is that different from the previous Panther defensive scheme but we have to acknowledge the realities of the learning curve. Now we jsut have to hope its not too late to salvage the season.

A Conversation with Sherrod Martin

2009-11-04T22:45:07Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Safety Sherrod Martin (23) returns an interception to set up a field goal in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin).

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With starting free safety Charles Godfrey injured against one of the NFL's most potent passing attacks, the Panthers defense figured to struggle Sunday at Arizona. Instead the unit forced six turnovers, keying a 34-21 victory over the heavily favored Cardinals.

Rookie Sherrod Martin accounted for two of those turnovers filling in for Godfrey. Making his first NFL start, Martin cleanly picked off a Kurt Warner overthrow in the second quarter to stop one drive. He intercepted another Warner again in the fourth quarter when he caught a deflected pass caused by a Chris Gamble hit.

CSR spoke to Martin after practice Wednesday about his solid first start and how his rookie season is unfolding...

The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Troy graduate was the team's second-round draft pick in April. A native of rural Griffin, Ga., he played both corner and safety in college. The Panthers planned to play him at corner, but shifted him to safety late in the preseason. That's the position he played as a senior at Troy last season, when he intercepted three passes in one quarter.

Martin, who turned 25 in October, has overcome several injuries to get to the NFL. He underwent two shoulder surgeries and broke multiple fingers in college, leading NFL Network host Rich Eisen to say during the Scouting Combine: "He looks like the guy from Operation." Martin then suffered a knee bruise that limited him in the preseason.

But Martin was in the lineup Sunday. Besides the interceptions, he has also tallied 8 tackles and 2 passes defended this season. Here are excerpts of what he had to say as he stood by his locker Wednesday:

--Strong safety Chris Harris played a big role in helping him succeed Sunday, Martin said. Harris talked to him on the field, especially harping about recognizing Arizona formations. (Both of Martin's interceptions came on plays when the Cardinals lined up in a shotgun and thew towards the sideline).

"Chris Harris is a guy I can learn a whole lot from," Martin says. He added that the Steelers' Troy Polamalu and the Ravens' Ed Reed were two safeties he admired when he was in college.

--Martin is unsure if he will start Sunday's game at New Orleans, nor does he know how much he will play. He is preparing for the game much the same way he prepared for other games this season, he says. (Godfrey did not practice Wednesday).

The strong first start boosts Martin's confidence, he says, but it has not helped him to relax. "I got something I can build off of. (But) there's a lot of things I can work on."

When asked for his take on his first start, he said: "I can't ask for another way."

--Martin won't allow the big game in Arizona to get to his head, he says. He celebrated by taking it easy when he got home (the Panthers' plane landed at 1:30 a.m. Monday and, fortunately for Panthers fans, it doesn't seem like Martin knows about the service-night parties that rage late into Charlotte Sunday evenings). The next day he went out with a few teammates to eat and watch "Monday Night Football."

Others were excited for Martin, though. Several family members and friends called, and when he turned his cellphone on after the game, he had 17 new text messages.

--Nothing about his rookie year has surprised Martin so far, he says. He was disappointed with the injury and the losses early on. "It started out not quite as I would have liked," he said.

Sunday's performance has not changed Martin's goals for his rookie season, he says. "It just helped out to be able to contribute," he says. So his objectives remain: "Finding my role on the team, being able to contribute and win games."

--Martin kept both footballs that he intercepted Sunday.

On the first pick, he started out deep in the middle of the field. Arizona was running a two-minute drill and the Panthers rushed five defenders, leaving Martin back as their last line of defense. Warner threw towards the left sideline for receiver Larry Fitzgerald, running a corner route. Martin took off for the sideline. "Once I seen (Warner's) hand come off the ball, I was out of there," he said. The ball was slightly overthrown and Martin caught it in stride, then tumbled out of bounds at the Carolina 43.

The second pick came when Gamble jarred the ball loose from tight end Jerheme Urban. Martin caught the carom at the Arizona 43 and returned it down the left sideline to the 20. "The second one was a great play by Gamble," Martin said. "It was just me being in the right place at the right time."

Of course, Martin was in the right place for the free safety to be on that play. "When you get there," he said, "things have a crazy way of happening."

--Martin is not fazed by facing so many good quarterbacks in consecutive weeks. (After playing Warner, the Panthers face All-Pro Drew Brees Sunday and last year's rookie sensation Matt Ryan Nov. 15). "It's the NFL," he said. "A quarterback is a quarterback."

--The injuries have actually helped make Martin a better player, he says. "Overall it just made my work ethic better. I always felt like I was behind." That sense of urgency "played a major part" in motivating Martin to get ready for Sunday's game and consequently snatch those two interceptions.

When asked how healthy he is now, Martin replied: "Nobody plays this game 100 percent, but I'm as good as I can be."

Carolina Panthers Hump Day Prognostication (Panthers at Saints edition)

2009-11-04T15:04:51Z

More photos » by Bill Feig - AP

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Happy hump day Panther faithful! As glorious as the victory in the desert was it's now time to kick the dust off our boots, and get ready to put on our galoshes for a trip down to the Bayou. Of course, I'm referring to the Carolina Panthers (3-4) division matchup with the New Orleans Saints (7-0) at the Superdome this weekend.

Nothing makes a resident optimist happier than seeing a fan base with a glimmer of hope in their collective eyes. It has become abundantly clear that numerous members of the CSR community see this game as a very winnable contest for the Carolina Panthers. While our strengths do match up quite well against the Saints, by no means should we assume this game is going to be a cakewalk and line up for our Mardi Gras beads just yet. It's going to be a very hard fought game between these division rivals (as NFC South contests always are) and this is when we'll know for sure if the Panthers have a shot, albeit a slim one, at securing the Wild Card, or whether this season is destined for mediocrity.

On the Panthers' end, the key is this: Which Carolina Panthers team will show up? The dominant, snarling Panther we saw in Glendale or the mild, placid kitty cat we saw against Buffalo. This week we need Mr. Hyde to be front and center, and hope Dr. Jekyll stays in Charlotte.

More after the jump...

These ain't your Daddy's ‘aints

The collective 2008 post-season and 2009 pre-season chatter surrounding the New Orleans Saints was this:

"Imagine what they'd be like if they had a defense, any defense"

Well, New Orleans found themselves a defense. Is it truly a top tier squad? Absolutely not, but it's good enough to hold their opponents to an average of 22 points per game. When you offense is averaging 39 points a game it is abundantly clear why this team is 7-0.

New Orleans run offense vs. Carolina run defense.

In 2008 the modus operandi for stopping the Saints offense was simply, rush Drew Brees and have your secondary step up. Their running game was non existent, so teams were able to key in on the pass; in 2009 this is a different story.

The Saints running game has been even better than their passing game averaging a 4^th best 153.3 yards per game on the ground. They are utilizing a true three headed monster with Mike Bell (392 yards, 2 TD), Pierre Thomas (405 yards, 4 TD) and Reggie Bush (178 yards, 4 TD). Bush is also the team's 4^th best receiving option.

The Carolina run defense has been vastly improved the past couple of weeks with the signing of Hollis Thomas proving to be a vital turning point in the success of our LBs against the run. He is allowing for Jon Beason to make more plays and get past the line. The Panther's stellar linebackers will need to stop the run before it starts to allow for our secondary to hold the receivers. If we are forced to bring Chris Harris up in run support too much, our corners are likely overmatched by the prowess of the Saints passing attack. As good as New Orleans have been at using their stable of backs, I just don't see them being able to break big gains in Ron Meeks ‘bend but don't break' system. However, they have been very successful in the past.

Edge: Push

KEY MATCHUP: New Orleans passing offense vs. Carolina passing defense

Here it is folks, the key matchup of the week. Last week this very same matchup vs. Arizona was the matchup of the week in the hump day prognostication, and I think we can all agree it was our secondary and pass rush that made the difference in that game.

It's no different here. Drew Brees is truly a dynamic quarterback and no matter how many times he stares down his receivers, or fails to look off the safety, week in, week out, he burns teams for an average of 289 yards, 1.9 TD and a rating of 97.35 each game since joining the Saints. Yes, he's that good.

As we all know, however, a quarterback in nothing without his receivers; and the Saints have receivers in spades. While Marqus Colston, Devery Henderson and Lance Moore may not be as flashy names as the corps we saw last week (Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston) they have been more effective as a group in 2009., combining (along with TE Jeremy Shockey) for 1431 yards and 11 touchdowns. Couple this with pass catching RB Reggie Bush and its clear why this team has been so effective throwing the ball.

Then we come to the Carolina pass defense, your Carolina Panthers' pass defense, the NFL's #1 pass defense. Starting up front Julius Peppers is playing like a man possessed and hurrying throws, Thomas Davis has been shutting down some of the best tight ends in the league all season, and while Gamble and Marshall are not stellar corners, they always seem to come up big when needed. The true question for the secondary this week is what role our ‘X-Factor' will play, of course I'm talking about Sherrod Martin whose scintillating play vs. Arizona proved he can be the playmaker in the secondary we need across from Chris Harris. Last week I gave the edge to Arizona, and my Panthers proved me wrong so this week I'm not going to make the same mistake.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina rushing offense vs. New Orleans rushing defense

New Orleans' defense is much improved, no doubt about that. But what team in the NFL can stop Carolina's run when Double Trouble get the ball? Arizona's #1 rush defense tried valiantly, but we busted their season average four and a half times over. The Saints have some serviceable linebackers with Jonathan Vilma, but with Sedrick Ellis out there is just no way New Orleans can contain Double Trouble

Edge: Carolina

Carolina passing offense vs. New Orleans passing defense

Last week Jake Delhomme proved he isn't done... not quite yet. When Jeff Davidson calls up a game plan where it isn't incumbent upon Jake to win the game with his arm we have a chance. A lot of this week's passing attack will depend on how Davidson calls the plays, but even at our best this New Orleans secondary led by Darren Sharper have 16 team interceptions on the season, five of them being returned for touchdowns. They allow yards, but also make big plays. It will be tough for Carolina through the air this week.

Edge: New Orleans

Special Teams

There's no sugar coating Carolina's special teams performances in 2009; absolutely, positively, bonafide pathetic. Our total kick return average (returns and punts) is a meager 18.7 yards while allowing a 32.3 yard average.

Conversely, New Orleans are averaging 25 yards per return and allowing 25.9 yards. They're better than us; it's as simple as that.

Edge: New Orleans

Coaching

If you've read about the New Orleans coaching staff then it's likely you've heard the story of head coach Sean Payton giving $250,000 of his salary to defensive coordinator Greg Williams to lure him to New Orleans. While it makes for a great story it also galvanizes their coaching squad. New Orleans is a very good, very consistently coached football team.

While I think the potential ceiling for Carolina in higher on the coaching front, our coaches have also been wildly inconsistent and unable to make appropriate halftime adjustments. We could see a run heavy, dynamic offense like we did last week... or we could see a vanilla, poorly schemed pass-fest like we have seen in the past. It's difficult to judge how Carolina will be coached this week, but I'll take consistency over potential any day.

Edge: New Orleans

Summation

It's going to be a hard fought battle in the dome on Sunday. Predicting an NFC South matchup is like picking the lottery, you just never know how these teams will perform against each other. What I do know, however, is that this game means far more to the Carolina Panthers than it does the New Orleans Saints. We saw last week vs. Arizona exactly what can happen when this team has something tangible to play for, like pride.

Sunday's game is the make or break game for the season and we have to win it if we hope to gain ground on Atlanta who plays Washington this week. I think we see a fiery, inspired Carolina defense and Davidson realizes that he needs to run the ball to keep his job.

Carolina Panthers 31 - New Orleans Saints 28

Poll

How confident are you the Panthers can beat the Saints this weekend?

The Implications of an Uncapped Season- 2010 without a CBA

2009-11-04T04:07:26Z

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

Roger Goodell (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File)

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Prior to the 2009 season the NFL owners decided unanimously to opt out of the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) following the 2009 season. There are myriad reasons why the owners opted out; economic downturn, a poor business model for smaller market teams, but the most widely attributed reason is the lack of a rookie pay scale, which most likely would be implemented prior to the 2011 season. This is the reason you may see an inordinate amount of juniors like Jimmy Clausen, Jake Locker and Sam Bradford leave for the 2010 draft, rather than wait until 2011.

I've noticed over the past couple of months there seems to be a lot of misinformation in regards to what will happen in the 2010 offseason with the lack of a salary cap. The vast amount of information floating around is completely incorrect, so before we get too far into the season I thought it prudent to write about what an uncapped season actually means, and hopefully dispel a few incorrect myths and assumptions.

Myth One: An uncapped season means every player in the NFL becomes an unrestricted free agent.

FALSE: Though the lack of a salary cap means free agents can be offered any amount of money by a team, it does not make all prior contracts null and void. I have heard claims such as:

"We'll lose DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart because a team will offer them way more money than the Panthers can"

Again, they are both under contract, so don't fear.

Myth Two: A championship caliber team like New England or Pittsburgh will sign every primo free agent who wants a championship to a 1 year deal and run away with the 2010 season.

FALSE: A failsafe was included for a capless season. Essentially the 8 playoff teams are unable to sign any more free agents than they lost. For example, if the Steelers lose 3 unrestricted free agents, they are only allowed to sign 3 free agents to replace those players. There is no restriction on non-playoff teams (we're looking at you Dan Snyder).

Myth Three: It will be impossible to keep Julius Peppers and Thomas Davis. One or the other will command major dollars on the free agent market.

FALSE: This is one element to the lack of a CBA that plays in our favor. For 2010 only each team will be allowed to apply the franchise tag to three players, rather than the typical one. Hence, we can franchise both Davis and Peppers if the team so chooses and franchise a third player (possibly Tyler Brayton).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What are the risks?

By no means do I want people to assume it is all wine and roses for a year without a CBA. There are numerous risks with former union Chief Gene Upshaw always pushing a ‘slippery slope' argument. Essentially, his platform was that once players get a taste of uncapped free agency it will be impossible to make them conform to numbers again, and the player's union won't ratify a new CBA.

This most likely was a strong arm tactic to scare owners into continuing the CBA. Therefore giving 60% of a team's revenue to players and retaining no rookie pay scale. There was an uncapped season in 1993 and the world didn't end.

The second and most interesting prospect is this one: It takes a great deal of suspension of disbelief, and is extremely unlikely so just go with me on this one.

A salary cap isn't just a ceiling on how much a team can spend, but also a basement. There are numerous teams in the league whose games are blacked out and are in debt (Jacksonville, Oakland) to name a couple. Without a minimum these teams need to pay their players imagine if these teams released their entire rosters, all 53 players. It is likely over 90% of them would be signed by some team or another, therefore voiding the remaining years on their deals and requiring the teams to only cover their guaranteed portions.

This seems obscene, but for a team tens of millions in the hole it could be very, very enticing to salt the earth, field a team of scrubs for a 10^th of what their spending now and recoup a lot of money via the NFL's revenue sharing system. Of course, it's extremely unlikely a team will release an entire roster, but you could see some big names with bad contracts get released so a team can reload for the 2010 free agency (JaMarcus Russell anyone?).

Lastly, the rules put in place by the owners increased the number of years a player needs to be in the league before becoming eligible for free agency from 4-6 for the 2010 offseason. This was to ensure teams weren't robbed of their young talent solely because they didn't have the money to make a comparable offer to their free agents.

LittleKing wrote a great article back in April highlighting which Carolina Panthers would be subject to free agency following the 2009 season. You can find it here.

If you have a questions regarding the uncapped 2010 season please, feel free to leave it in the comments. I think it's important we go in to the offseason a more educated fan base on the issue so when arguments regarding free agents and draft picks come up we're all up to snuff on the basics before getting specific.

Sources

- USA Today- NFL Opts out of labor deal Goodell says is ‘Not Working’ 5/20/08

- Associated Content: Sports- 2010 and Uncapped Season in the NFL? 10/1/09

Panthers Fox Needs to Go with the Hot Hand at Free Safety

2009-11-03T14:40:13Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

5 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Sherrod Martin (23) returns an interception in the fourth quarter in an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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So John Fox is still mum on who will start at FS against the Saints this week if previous starter Charles Godfrey is recovered from his ankle injury.

"The guy played well," Fox said. "We're leaning on some young guys in a lot of different areas. (Cornerback) Captain Munnerlyn played 50 plays in the game, and he's a rookie. For Sherrod Martin to go in there against a very potent passing attack and manage the game as a safety, which you're very involved with as far as calls — situation calls, down-and-distance calls — I thought he ran around and played pretty well."

That's a freaking understatement. In his rookie season FS Charles Godfrey had 5 passes defensed and 1 INT in 16 starts. Maybe that is not bad for a rookie but at the same time it gave no indication that he had 'ball-hawk' type of instincts either. Through 6 games this season he has onE 1 pass defensed and no INT's. That just ain't getting it done.

more after the jump...

I still think Godfrey is a good athlete who can contribute to this team, the only question is where?

"You have to train guys at different spots; we just don't throw them out there," Fox said. "He's kind of a tweener guy. He was in college, both as a corner and as a safety. It's a good skill set to have, a little bit like Charles Godfrey when we took him a couple of years ago. He had training at both. The problem was he got set back due to injury."

Okay, so we have two guys with similar measurables and experience coming out of college. Yet one seems more suited for tackling and playing man coverage (Godfrey) and the other seems to take better angles on the ball and has great hands (Martin). Seems a little obvious that Martin is better suited for FS and Godfrey for SS or even CB.

Okay, it's only one game Jaxon I can hear you saying now. But what a game! And what a spark for the secondary!

So is this a tough decision Panther fans?

"Right now, he'll be day-to-day, and we'll make those decisions as we go," Fox replied when asked if Godfrey would keep his job. Asked what in the world that non-answer meant, Fox said: "It means I'm not going to answer that."

In true Fox style he is declining to answer a question at this point but I think just the fact he is declining says he is leaning towards keeping Martin as the starter.

So what say ye Panther fans?

Poll

If Charles Godfrey should be able to play this Sunday who should start at FS?

SBN launches new look and feel. No your browser is not messing up. We have a new look and feel. If...

2009-11-03T13:44:43Z

SBN launches new look and feel.

No your browser is not messing up. We have a new look and feel. If you have any comments positive or negative feel free to post them here. We are always trying to upgrade our platform and stay on the cutting edge.

Cat Scratch Reader

Breaking Down Arizona's Six Turnovers in Panthers Win

2009-11-02T20:05:53Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Kurt Warner (13) gets chased down by Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers, who caused Warner to fumble on the play Sunday in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Last week we documented that the Panthers were the NFL's worst this season in forcing turnovers and giving the ball away. In Sunday's win at Arizona, however, Carolina completely bucked that trend.

The Panthers forced six turnovers, including five interceptions of Kurt Warner, and did not turn it over at all. It was a staggering performance. The defense forced almost as many turnovers in one game as it had in the previous six games of the season (seven). The offense ended a string of seven consecutive games with at least one turnover, including the devastating playoff loss to Arizona in January. Quarterback Jake Delhomme, who entered the game with an NFL-worst 7.3 interception percentage, did not come close to tossing another pick.

The Panthers in the process wilted their turnover differential from an NFL-worst minus-14 to minus-8, good enough for a three-way tie for 28th in the league pending Monday night's game.

This was a team win. The defense forced five of the turnovers -- only one was a true gift from the Cardinals -- and the offense was more than error-free. In fact the offense scored three touchdowns to build a 21-7 lead in the second quarter before the defense had forced a single turnover.

But the six turnovers were the biggest keys to the win. They helped the Panthers keep Arizona and its high-powered offense from ever making a serious rally. One turnover resulted directly in a Panthers touchdown. Another set up a field goal. Another killed an Arizona drive in field-goal range. Still another squashed a late Arizona comeback attempt. Here is an inside look at all six...

Situation: First-and-10, Arizona 20. 21-7 Panthers lead. 7:33 to play in the second quarter.

Formations: Arizona lined up with two backs, a tight end on the right side and two receivers left. Carolina was in a 4-3 with two corners in press coverage. Right defensive end Julius Peppers lined up wide over the Arizona left tackle, who had no help.

What happened: Peppers intercepted a Warner swing pass and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown.

How it happened: The slot receiver went in motion right and lined up in the right slot. With an overload right, Warner sold a pass right by looking in that direction as he dropped back. A back flared out left uncovered and the left guard rushed upfield to block a linebacker, giving the back a seam to run through if he caught the swing pass.

But the left tackle missed a low block on Peppers. As Warner threw left, Peppers leaped and intercepted the pass. He then easily returned the pick for a score.

The result: After the extra point Carolina led 28-7, its biggest lead of the season.

Situation: Second-and-10, Carolina 37. 28-7 Panthers. 5 minutes to play in second.

Formations: Arizona lined up in the shotgun with one back and four receivers, two on each side. Carolina deployed only three down linemen and its corners backed off the line a few yards.

What happened: Carolina lineman Charles Johnson tipped a Warner pass, and linebacker Thomas Davis intercepted it at the Carolina 24.

How it happened: A Cardinal got open at the 30, but Warner ignored him and threw an intermediate slant over the middle of the field. Johnson jumped and tipped the ball with his left hand at the 39. Davis, standing in front of intended receiver Steve Breaston, was in good position. The college defensive back won a jump ball over Breaston.

The result: The Cardinals drive fizzled and Carolina still led by 21 late in the first half.

Situation: First-and-10, Arizona 21. 28-7 Panthers. 1:33 to play in second.

Formations: Arizona lined up in the shotgun with one back and four receivers, two on each side. Carolina had two down linemen with three other defenders showing blitz, and corners in press coverage.

What happened: Warner threw deep for receiver Larry Fitzgerald, but safety Sherrod Martin intercepted the overthrown pass and fell out of bounds at the Carolina 43.

How it happened: Carolina rushed five defenders but the Cardinals picked up the blitz and gave Warner plenty of time to throw. He looked left the whole time and threw deep left for Fitzgerald, running a corner route. Fitzgerald had a step on the corner but the ball was a couple yards overthrown. Martin raced across the field and picked it off.

The result: Arizona's third turnover of the quarter, and the only one all day that the Panthers did not force, ensured they would take a 21-point lead into halftime.

Situation: First-and-10, Arizona 20. 28-14 Panthers. 14:03 to play in the fourth quarter.

Formations: Arizona lined up in the shotgun with one back, a tight end right and three receivers, including two right. Carolina was in a 4-3 with its corners a few yards off the line.

What happened: The back went in motion left and settled in the left slot. A safety moved up to cover him, bringing a 10th Carolina defender within five yards of the line.

Corner Chris Gamble hit tight end Jeremy Urban as he caught a pass at the Arizona 40, knocking the ball out of Urban's hands and up into the air. Martin intercepted the carom at the 43 and returned it to the 20.

How it happened: Urban started in the right slot and ran an out into a hole in the Carolina zone. As he caught the ball four Panthers converged, including Gamble, who hit him in the back. The ball flew straight up. Martin picked it off on the run and returned it 23 yards.

The result: Four plays later, John Kasay kicked a short field goal to give Carolina a three-score lead with less than 12 minutes to play.

Situation: First-and-10, Arizona 39. 31-21 Panthers, 7:15 to play in fourth.

Formations: Arizona lined up in the shotgun with one back and four receivers, two on each side. Carolina was in a 4-3 with its corners a few yards off the line.

What happened: Peppers sacked Warner and stripped the ball. Defensive lineman Tyler Brayton recovered it at the Arizona 31.

How it happened: Warner was pressured up the middle, scrambled right and looked for a receiver. He missed Breaston, who was open at the Arizona 45 in the middle of the field. Peppers closed on him and knocked the ball out just before Warner's knee hit the ground. Brayton dove on the loose ball.

The result: This play all but sealed the win. Arizona had some momentum, scoring a touchdown to pull within 10 points and then forcing a Carolina punt. Warner completed a 14-yard pass to Fitzgerald to give Arizona a first down with still almost half a quarter to play. But this turnover on the next play gave the Panthers the ball in field-goal range. Arizona was out of timeouts and the Panthers ran more than four minutes off the clock on six runs to set up another Kasay field goal.

By the time Arizona got the ball back, it trailed by 13 with less than three minutes to play and no timeouts.

Situation: Fourth-and-10, Carolina 32. 34-21 Panthers. 13 seconds to play in fourth.

Formations: Arizona lined up in the shotgun with one back and four receivers, two on each side. Carolina rushed three linemen and dropped several players back deep into coverage.

What happened: Corner Richard Marshall jumped in front of Fitzgerald and picked off a Warner pass at the 13.

How it happened: Carolina had Fitzgerald well-covered near the left sideline and Marshall made the play.

The result: Game over.

Carolina Panthers' Monday Morning Optimist 11/2/09

2009-11-02T14:53:02Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

5 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Jonathan Stewart, right, runs in for a touchdown as teammate Jake Delhomme (17) celebrates and Arizona Cardinals' Antrel Rolle (21) comes in late to defend in the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Good morning Panther faithful and welcome to the Monday Morning Optimist; and boy oh boy, do we have a lot to be optimistic about this week! The proverbial voodoo doll that was created in the 2008 playoffs has been poked and prodded by most of our opponents in 2009 and ultimately, we're hoping Jake exorcised those demons with a little Cajun mojo to bring the Panthers back from the brink. By no means did Jake do it alone, nor has he done enough to absolve himself from this season's other performances, but it's a start.

One of the key weaknesses of the Carolina Panthers has been our turnover ratio (so aptly written about by Ryan Basen last week for CSR ). Against the Cardinals the Panthers forced six turnovers without turning the ball over once; couple this with a power running game and a choking defense and it's hard to believe watching Sunday's game that the Panthers are a sub .500 football team.

Overall it was a big, fat EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC for the entire Panthers team on Sunday. But, stay tuned after the jump for more analysis and individual accolades.

Yesterday's game was a solid example of what I like to call ‘football abuse'. This occurs when a team takes their opponent's traditional strengths and turns them into weaknesses; this was perfectly typified in Sunday's game. The Panthers ran all over the Cardinals, and when Arizona were forced to throw to get back into the game we intercepted Warner five times, that means we averaged over 1 INT per 10 pass attempts against one of the best QBs and best pass offenses in the NFL. We should hold our heads very, very high.

Does anyone doubt Ron Meeks at this point? Anyone against Ron Meeks please stand up. He has proved that his defensive scheme works, and done so admirably. We are still #1 in the NFL against the pass and proving this against Kurt Warner and the Cards prove it's not just a fluke, or padded by playing poor QBs. We have the #1 pass defense in the NFL despite playing Donovan McNabb, Matt Ryan, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner... think about that. Furthermore, we are slowly climbing up the ladder for rush yards allowed, now at 24^th and a 7^th in the NFL in total yards allowed. The future is looking very bright on the defensive side of the ball.

Thank you Jeff Davidson for coming to your senses! I don't know whether Fox dropped an iron fist, or Davidson realized the obvious, but running the ball over 40 times and passing 15 is a guaranteed method for offensive success with this football team. With Sunday's game the Panthers improved to 5^th in the NFL in run offense with DeAngelo Williams not only forcing his way into the top 10 in rushing yards, but also establishing a new mark becoming the all time rushing leader for the Carolina Panthers. Let's hope this keeps up!

OPTIMISTIC

Julius Peppers- Extremely Optimistic: Pep, what can we say? You've been a beast. I never doubted Peppers' ability, just his desire. Though the cynic in me wonders if this is because it's a contract year, the optimist in me wants to believe his (alleged) speech to his teammates was heartfelt, and he realizes that too often he has phoned in his performances. If this is the Julius Peppers we get every week, then I wholly advocate trying to keep him in Carolina and let him retire a Panther, though it will take a lot on Pep's part not to leave for big money. The key for 2009 though is that teams are starting to fear Peppers, which in turn will open up more opportunities for Brayton, Brown and Johnson- and this is where we will succeed.

DeAngelo Williams- Extremely Optimistic: There is no running back in the NFL with more poise. D-Will has an innate understanding of blocking schemes to the point where he knows he can either make his move in 1 second and get 3-4 yards, or wait that extra second, let blocks develop and get a 9-10 yard gain. His performance yesterday was simply stunning.

Jonathan Stewart- Extremely Optimistic: Hey, remember when Jonathan Stewart was injured? Neither do I! He is running like a man possessed and I can't honestly remember the last time a single tackler was able to take down J-Stew without assistance. The Panthers have the best tandem in the NFL and Stewart is brining it each and every week.

Sherrod Martin- Extremely Optimistic: Sherrod, where have you been all my life? In my mind a great victory entails two parts:

One- Great players playing to their potential,

Two- Getting a great performance from an unlikely source.

Martin was scintillating at FS. We've become attuned to having a FS in Godfrey who was a safety valve to prevent the big play, but not a playmaker in his own right. Martin made plays and was flying around. He should be cemented as the starter, because Martin and Harris shape up to be the playmakers we need in the secondary.

Thomas Davis- Extremely Optimistic: I'll sing his praises ‘til I'm blue in the face. There's nothing more to add. Davis' performance yesterday was like Davis' performances all season, breathtaking.

Jon Beason- Extremely Optimistic: Watch out... Beason's about. He's coming back to form and having fun out there. I would be remiss in not giving credit to our defensive QB when the defense performed so well.

PESSIMISTIC

The Injury Bug- Somewhat Pessimistic: Waiting to hear on Jake Delhomme and Brad Hoover are the only negatives to come out of Sunday's game. If someone can think of another pessimistic element let me know in the comments, because I've racked my brains trying to find one, and I can't.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

As sweet as the Panthers' win was, it served to mildly punctuate just how much the Buffalo loss hurt. Beating Buffalo would have made us 4-3 and forced a tie at second with the Falcons (provided they lose tonight), but c'est la vie, such is life.

The Cardinals game was a statement. I'm not a superstitious man, but part of me thinks that some bad mojo got removed from the Panthers in Glendale. We head to the Superdome to face the juggernaut that is the New Orleans Saints. On paper, we should get destroyed by the Saints... luckily though; football is played on a field, not on paper. Never count out these division matchups; because regardless of who we play next week, if the Panthers can run the ball and play defense like they did yesterday you'll be hard pressed to find any team in the NFL who can beat these Panthers. Yes, it was one good game in a sea of mediocrity, but sooner or later the rain must end and the Panthers just got their head above water, for the first time in 2009.

65% Optimistic heading to New Orleans

Poll

Are you optimistic about the Carolina Panthers?

Carolina Panthers defeat Arizona Cardinals 34-21

2009-11-02T02:11:03Z

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

5 days ago: Arizona Cardinals' Kurt Warner (13) gets chased down by Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers, who caused Warner to fumble on the play, in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Browse more photos »

Glendale, AZ- It was all just a little bit of history repeating, but not in the way most people would have thought. The Carolina Panthers intercepted Kurt Warner five times and forced him to fumble once in a performance that mirrored Jake Delhomme's playoff collapse in 2008.

In a game that wasn't truly as close as the score shows, the Panthers played like a team possessed, spurned by the embarrassment in the playoffs last season the team turned this game into a statement; making mockery of the #1 run defense in the NFL by rushing for a team total 270 yards and two touchdowns, after Arizona allowed a meager 67.5 yards average in their first six games.

More, after the jump.

The Panthers got to a early lead marching down the field. A drive punctuated with a 17 yard reception by Dwayne Jarrett and a 16 yard run by DeAngelo Williams was finalized when Jonathan Stewart punched the ball into the endzone on a 6 yard romp. The Cardinals were quick to answer, however, with Warner leading a pass heavy drive which utilized Tim Hightower out of the backfield and finished with a 14 yard TD pass. This was the last offense the Arizona Cardinals would see until the 3rd quarter however.

The Panthers asserted their dominance with a stifling second quarter. DeAngelo Williams set the tone for the period with a blistering 77 yard run from the line of scrimmage that took advantage of safety Adrian Wilson cheating up showing blitz, after getting a good lead block Williams was off the races finally being brought down by Antrel Rolle. The drive ended with Jonathan Stewart getting the call again on 2nd and 10 scoring the Panthers' second touchdown of the day. Not resting on their laurels the Panthers forced two straight 3 and outs to regain possession and streak ahead when Jake Delhomme delivered a picture perfect pass to Steve Smith for a 50 yard TD. Jake froze the CB with a hard pump fake then showed beautiful poise delivering a touch pass to Smith to go ahead 21-7.

It got worse for an Arizona team on their heels and a silent crowd when Julius Peppers picked off a Kurt Warner pass on the first play of their drive running it 13 yards for a touchdown and giving Carolina a robust 28-7 lead. At this point the Cardinals were unable to get any offense going continuing with an 8 play drive which finished with a Thomas Davis interception, Kurt Warner's second of the day. Shortly after a Carolina punt Warner was intercepted again, this time by FS Sherrod Martin filling in for the injured Charles Godfrey he made a strong case to be named starter vs. New Orleans, but Martin's day wasn't over yet.

Carolina went to the long break up 28-7 with Arizona reeling.

Arizona scored 1st in the second half on a short pass to TE Patrick. With 6:13 left in the third quarter Jake Delhomme was injured on an incomplete pass play to FB Brad Hoover. Jake walked off the field holding his chest in clear discomfort, allowing Matt Moore to attempt his only pass of the day, overthrowing a pass out of bounds to an open Gary Barnidge on the sideline. Moore wouldn't be in the game long, as Delhomme returned after one offensive series. The next drive Brad Hoover was injured, clutching his leg he was taken off via cart and appears to have sustained an ankle injury, this closed out the third quarter.

Finishing the 1st drive of the 4th quarter it would be the last time Jake Delhomme would play in Sunday's contest. He went to the locker room clearly in discomfort and believed to be having some difficulty breathing from the injury he sustained earlier. Sherrod Martin got his second interception of the day on the Cardinals' next drive. Matt Moore did not attempt another pass with Jeff Davidson and Co. electing to stick with the run tat had been so successful all day.

John Kasay hit a 35 yard FG to extend the lead to 31-14 and after a Tim Hightower TD run the next drive it was a 10 point game in Glendale. Without a threat of the pass the Cardinals attempted to key on the run stopping the Panthers, but giving the ball right back when Julius Peppers forced a fumble from Kurt Warner resulting in another John Kasay field goal. The Cardinals had one last shot driving the field without a time out, but ultimately Kurt Warner threw his 5th interception of the day when Richard Marshall closed the game out and sealed a Carolina victory.

This was a true Carolina Panthers' football game. Running the ball 44 times and attempting only 15 passes allowed the Panthers' strengths to flourish while minimizing their weakest points. It's tough to know who a game ball deserves to go to with Julius Peppers, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart all having stellar games, but in reality they performed up to the level we're accustomed to from these players. In this writer's mind the game ball belongs to FS Sherrod Martin who stepped into the game and made a major impact with two interceptions. What do you think?

Poll

Who do you think deserves the game ball from Carolina's victory vs. Arizona?

Panthers vs. Cardinals Game Day Open Thread

2009-11-01T20:15:18Z

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween last night. I won third place in a costume contest. My wife used a make-up kit with blood, latex etc.. and put one of the those fake screws through my forehead. I then donned my Panther jersey and told the crowd "I'm a Panther fan, Jake Delhomme is my QB and I am really screwed!"

Let's hope the scariness ended last week and we get our act together today!

This is now an Open Thread!

Rev Preaches the Good Word on the Cardinals and the Panthers Game

2009-10-30T21:28:32Z

via www.ihavenet.com Prime Enemy #1 during the Cardinals game. Imagine how bad our defense wants to hit this guy after the playoffs last year!

View full size photo »

If you're looking for hope in such dire times for the Panthers, fans can embrace one thing. The Panthers rank 1st in the nation in defending the pass.

Yes, in spite of everything that's happened, that is one statistic you can hold onto if the Panthers hope to stop the Juggernaut that is the Arizona Cardinals during our next game. The Cardinals will be coming at us with a fury of weapons unlike we have ever seen this season. Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are two of the most elite players in the NFL, and fellow receivers Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are two pretty decent threats right along with them.

After rebounding from a 1-2 start before hitting the bye week, the Cardinals are 4-2 with the division lead and are ready to put some distance between them and the 49ers. However, they still don't have a running game. At all. The Panthers are 26th in the league in defending the rush, while the Arizona Cardinals are 32th in rushing yardage. That's a key number you need to circle if you want to cheer for the Panthers on Sunday.

If you look at the game at face value, the Cardinals have a strong advantage. They have an explosive offense when they drop back to pass, and this year their defense threw away all of the crazy scheming in favor of a simpler game-plan, so they suddenly became 1st in the league in rushing defense. While they have not yet become as good as they were on their run to a Super Bowl, they'll have a wonderful stage to show that off against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.

On the other hand, the Panthers can stop the pass and Julius Peppers has seen the light and has begun to cause constant pressure once more. In spite of the team struggles, Deangelo Williams has still been solid and he's on pace for a 1,000 yard season. If Jake Delhomme suddenly find his groove against the team that took it away so that the Panthers actually have a QB, they may just rise up and take down the Cardinals.

They'll definately need a little help though. So here spawns the list of what the Panthers DO NOT WANT to happen in the game against the Cardinals, inspired by a popular meme running its course on Cat Scratch Reader, the DO NOT WANT dog.

The Panthers DO NOT WANT to play like they are the Colts or the Patriots. Stop giving Jake the chance to throw downfield and get picked off. He's not playing the best right now! Jeff Davidson needs to realize that and get back to what the Panthers know how to do the best, running the football.

The Panthers DO NOT WANT to stop the blitz. Thomas David should return against the Cardinals, and once he does the Panthers get back the best blitzer on their team. The Panthers did great causing pressure with their D-Line against the depleted O-Line of the Bills, but if they start out slow against the Cardinals why not open the playbook a bit and send Davis and Beason in there to kill da't Kurt Warner fella? It couldn't hurt, and Lord knows we can't give Warner forever in the pocket to do his dirty work.

The Panthers DO NOT WANT a dropped punt, kickoff, or otherwise a ball on the ground on special teams. Of the few people that should be fired on the Panthers team, the latter should be Danny Crossman. I can understand a mistake here and there, but when your team is on the field one time every possession and you're making constant mistakes, it should cost you your job. Needless to say, to beat a team on this caliber we don't need any mistakes. Kurt Warner needs to constantly be starting from his own 20, and we need to get some return yards on special teams.

The Panthers DO NOT WANT a bad performance from Jake Delhomme. John Fox took till Wednesday to decide whether or not he would start Jake, if it was a good motivating tool for him we'll see this upcoming performance. There's also that story about where the coaches were messing with his mechanics, which I don't believe. I think it was a clever tool for the coaches to take some heat off of their favorite guy. Anyway, even though Jake will be starting, expect for him to be on a very tight leash for this upcoming game. At the second or so interception if he isn't doing anything decent he will probably be pulled in honor of Matt Moore. The best way for Jake to protect his job is to work the short game, throw beyond the first down marker, and keep drives alive like we've been asking him to do for a while now. We don't need a Peyton Manning, we need the Jake we all know and love.

If we can get away from all the things we DO NOT WANT to happen, then all that is left is what the Panthers want and need to happen. Beating the Cardinals is not a faroff dream, we just need to stop doing stupid things. So let's stop doing stupid things and make the other team look stupid for a change!

I'm sure that is something we can all agree on, at least if you're a Carolina fan.

Poll

Cat Scratch Reader

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