Cat Scratch Reader

Breaking Down the Key Plays in Panthers' Loss to Miami

2009-11-20T18:52:24Z

Thursday night's game against Miami was similar to Sunday's game against Atlanta. It was an even game, and it was decided on about a dozen key plays: Turnovers and third-down plays, especially in the red zone.

On Sunday the Panthers made the clutch plays, while their opponent did not. Thursday night, however, the reverse was true. Miami scored touchdowns on two of three jaunts inside the 20, while Carolina went 0-for-2. The Panthers committed the game's lone turnover -- a Delhomme interception -- and it occurred in the red zone. Miami, meanwhile, fumbled twice but recovered both fumbles.

The story of this game, though, was the third downs. Carolina converted only 3 of 13, failing on six consecutive third-down attempts stretching from early in the second quarter until early in the fourth. Miami converted 7 of 15, including four in a row in the second quarter. Those four conversions, along with consecutive stops on Carolina third downs, allowed Miami to turn a 3-0 deficit midway through the second quarter into a 14-3 lead at halftime. The Dolphins did not trail again.

Here is a look at those six key third-down plays:

Situation: Carolina ball, Third-and-7 at the Carolina 44. Carolina led 3-0. 9:40 to play in the second quarter.

Formations: The Panthers lined up in the shotgun with one back and four receivers (two on each side). Miami used three linemen with a linebacker showing blitz and three other defenders in the box.

What happened: A Delhomme pass for tight end Jeff King fell incomplete in Miami territory.

How it happened: King lined up in the right slot and ran a route left to the Miami 46. Delhomme rifled the ball to King in between three defenders. King caught it but could not hold on when the Dolphins' Yeremiah Bell and Reggie Torbor sandwiched him.

The result: The Panthers punted on the next play, ending a third straight drive that died near midfield.

Situation: Miami ball, Third-and-16, Carolina 33. 3-0 Panthers. 5:42 to play in second.

Formations: Miami lined up with one back, one tight end right and three receivers (two right). Carolina used four linemen and dropped several defenders back in zone coverage.

What happened: Lex Hilliard ran for 18 yards and a Miami first down.

How it happened: Hilliard lined up in the backfield and took the handoff, running in between left tackle and left guard. (This was no draw; it was a simple run play). A receiver on the left side blocked a corner, the center got downfield and blocked another defender at the 28, and another defender overpursued to the outside. Hilliard dodged that defensive back's tackle and broke an arm tackle attempt from defensive tackle Damione Lewis at the 28. He cut inside, used a block from a receiver on corner Richard Marshall at the 23 and collided with Marshall and safety Chris Harris at the 19. He then dragged them to the 15.

The result: Miami kept its drive going, avoiding a likely field goal attempt.

Situation: Miami ball, Third-and-9, Carolina 15, 3-0 Carolina, 4:07 to play in second.

Formations: Miami lined up in the shotgun with one back, three receivers (two right) and a tight end left. Carolina used four linemen with one linebacker showing blitz over left tackle and two other defenders in the box.

What happened: Quarterback Chad Henne connected with tailback Ricky Williams on a 15-yard touchdown pass.

How it happened: The Panthers blitzed a linebacker over right tackle, with the linebacker who had shown blitz dropping back into coverage on tight end Joey Haynos. Haynos ran a route towards the sideline, drawing the linebacker out of the play. William flared left out of the backfield uncovered, then cut up and in, settling at the 10. Henne threw low and behind Williams, who caught the ball and turned upfield. He broke a tackle by linebacker Nail Diggs at the 6 and fended off linebacker Jon Beason at the 1, scooting into the end zone.

The result: Despite committing two penalties on the drive, Miami completed an 81-yard march with a touchdown and took the lead for the first time.

Situation: Carolina ball, Third-and-9, Carolina 23. 7-3 Miami. 3:09 to play in second.

Formations: Carolina lined up with two backs, including a fullback left and tailback in I-formation. The Panthers also had a tight end left and a receiver on each side. Miami used four linemen and three other defenders in the box.

What happened: Miami linebacker Joey Porter sacked Delhomme for a 6-yard loss.

How it happened: Porter lined up at right defensive end and rushed wide of left tackle Travelle Wharton. Fullback Tony Fiametta accidentally picked Wharton and Porter ran free around him, nailing Delhomme.

The result: The Panthers' first three-and-out of the game forced them to punt from inside their own 20 with plenty of time for Miami to try for another score before the half. Jason Baker shanked the punt and Davone Bess returned it to the Carolina 29.

Situation: Miami ball, Third-and-6, Carolina 25. 7-3 Miami. 2:16 to play in second.

Formations: Miami lined up with one back, three receivers (two left) and a tight end left. Carolina used four linemen with two linebackers in the box and three corners in press coverage.

What happened: Henne completed an 8-yard pass to Bess for a first down.

How it happened: The tight end went in motion right, settling on the right side of the line. Henne took a five-step drop and fired towards the right sideline for Bess, who was well-covered by corner Chris Gamble. Bess ran a buttonhook and got in position to make the catch. He jumped and corralled the ball in front of Gamble.

The result: Miami again avoided a likely field goal attempt and continued a drive.

Situation: Miami ball, Third-and-goal, Carolina 2. 7-3 Miami. 1:04 to play in second.

Formations: Miami lined up in the wildcat, with Williams in the shotgun and a fullback right. Miami used eight linemen and a receiver left. Carolina had seven linemen.

What happened: Williams ran outside for the touchdown.

How it happened: The fullback buried a defensive back and Williams sprinted outside right. He hesitated briefly, leading Beason to stall too. Beason then chased Williams from the middle towards the sideline, but Williams dove ahead of him and hit the pylon with the ball.

The result: Miami led 14-3 after the extra point with 57 seconds to play in the half. Despite being dominated for much of the half, the Dolphins were in control at halftime.

Carolina Panthers’ Monday Morning Optimist (Friday Edition) 11/20/09

2009-11-20T15:44:29Z

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

about 20 hours ago: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne (7) throws a pass under pressure from the Carolina Panthers in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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Good morning Panther faithful. Time to be optimistic! The weekend is almost here! That is all... just kidding.

Consistently inconsistent is a moniker that suits the Carolina Panthers organization perfectly from top to bottom. I've also referred to this phenomenon as ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. Essentially it's become impossible to predict what the Carolina Panthers will do from week to week; something works perfectly one week, then we abandon it the next, we dodge a bullet one week, then paint a target on our chest the next... and unfortunately it looks like it's going to keep happening until some people lose their jobs and there's an air of change in Carolina.

Was it all bad though? Let's break it down further after the jump...

I put in the hump day prognostication column that the key matchup in last night's game was going to be Miami's run vs. Carolina's run defense; and in the end, that made all the difference. The Panthers allowed Ricky Williams to eat them alive at key moment and by in large, the defense was pitiful. Between the attempted arm tackles on Ricky Williams, blown coverage in pass protection, a complete lack of pressure on Chad Henne and allowing 46% completion of 3^rd downs we never stood a chance. That being said, it's not like the offense played much better, as we had no red zone efficiency... none. I see the defense's failings as failings of the players, and the offense's failings to be leveled on coaching.

According to the good people at Wikipedia an offensive coordinator's responsibilities are thus:

Managing all offensive players and coaching assistants.
- Does Davidson do this? Yeah, I mean, I guess so.
Designing specific offensive plays.
- Does Davidson do this? Who knows? One week we look dynamic and the next we're treading water. If he's designing plays I'd investigate him for plagiarism because I see nothing original.
Developing a general offensive gameplan.
- Does Davidson do this? We only have success when our QB calls the plays. Each week we approach our opponent like we've never seen any tape on them before, the offensive players look lost. We are also completely unable to make halftime adjustments unless we have the lead, and then we take steps backwards.
Calling the plays for the offense during the game.
- Does Davidson do this? For the most part, yes... and he does so horribly.

The thing that is so infuriating regarding Davidson is that there are things that are working. If the offense looked completely lost each and every game it would almost be easier to swallow and just say that our offense sucks. However:

How can someone justify giving up on the strongest part of the game on a whim?

How can he justify getting an 80 yard drive on the ground then pass three times in the end zone?

How can Jeff Davidson justify passing the ball 42 times and rushing 27 times when the passing game is netting you an average of 5.4 yards per attempt and the running game is netting 6.75 yard per attempt? Further compounded with the loss of an all pro LT which surely weakens the pass protection you can offer your QB.

I said in the hump day article that I have moved from lambasting to lauding the Panthers' coaching staff... well; consider this a lambasting kind of day. Jeff Davidson is one of the worst coordinators I have ever seen, because he's not just inept, he's also blind to what's working and what's failing.

OPTIMISTIC

DeAngelo Williams- Extremely Optimistic: When he was on the field DeAngelo played great. Pity he wasn't on the field enough to be a real factor in the outcome.

Steve Smith- Extremely Optimistic: Smitty continues his resurgence and he did what he always does- make Jake look good.

Dante Rosario- Somewhat Optimistic: He's proving to be a major threat in the passing game. I really think we need to try him at WR3 to see if he can hold his own. He's a big target and mostly sure handed.

Gary Barnidge- Somewhat Optimistic: Each week he's improving more and more. Barnidge came up big on the final drive giving us at least the slim opportunity to sniff victory.

PESSIMISTIC

Travelle Wharton- Extremely Pessimistic: Wharton looked lost in pass protection and got eaten alive by Joey Porter. I know the move from LG to LT was going to be tough, but a guy who's played the position before should have performed better. It's as simple as that.

Defensive Players in general- Somewhat pessimistic: I debated giving the entire defense a pass this week given that most of the season they've bailed out the offense. However, I just cant this week. They allowed the big plays and killed the game for us when nine people in the box couldn't tackle Ricky Williams in what proved to be the game ending touchdown.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The season is not over yet, it's just not. Yes, I'm aware how difficult our schedule is and I know how important this week's game was to our postseason chances but if the ball bounces our way and Green Bay beat the 49ers, and the Bears beat Philly we're going to be 2 games back from the wildcard. Improbable? Sure it is. Impossible? Absolutely not. It just hurts to think that Jeff Davidson's offense has essentially left at least 3 winnable games on the table due to his inefficiency (Dallas, Buffalo, and New Orleans)

55% Optimistic heading to NY to face the Jets.

Quick Note: I know this week's Optimist is pretty condensed, and doesn't have the depth I would like, but unfortunately I have a funeral to attend in a little over two hours. I wanted to make sure I got something up for the fans, so feel free to note what you think was optimistic and pessimistic from last night's game.

Dolphins Run Past Panthers 24-17

2009-11-20T13:59:47Z

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

about 18 hours ago: Miami Dolphins' Ricky Williams (34) runs past Carolina Panthers' Richard Marshall (31) and Julius Peppers (90) on a 46-yard touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

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Ricky Williams scored three TD's and Panthers QB Jake Delhomme threw a key red zone INT as the Panthers folded when inside the 20 yard line. This game leaves me frustrated by tow of the same things the Panthrers have struggled with all season. QB Jake Delhomme's propensity to throw bad passes late in the game ends another Panther comeback. Poor play calling on 3rd down and in the red zone put the Panthers in the hole to begin with.

I'm not going to recap the numbers on offense, you can check the box score here. What you will see is two teams who generated similar levels of offense over the course of the game, but one team was able to finish their drives and the other could not. One defense was able to bring the pressure on the QB and the other could not (4 sacks to Zero). One defense was able to get a red zone turnover, the other wilted down the stretch.

Here are some quick hits:

The Panthers were able to finally throw the ball downfield once the game was out of reach. TE Gary Barnidge made a very nice grab in the final minute to give us another hopeless chuck-a-prayer into the endzone.
RB DeAngelo Williams was a bright spot but I'm sure most will agree with me he didn't touch the ball enough (13 carries, you must be kidding me)
Dolphins RB Ricky Williams shredded the Panthers run defense for 119 yards and 2 TD's on the ground. We are missing LB Thomas Davis and is would seem the endurance questions about DT Hollis Thomas might bear out.
WR Steve Smith had a good game with 87 yards and a TD. It just wasn't enough though.
When three of your top four tacklers in a game play the secondary you know it was a tough day for the defensive line; A Dolphins 3rd down draw play that went for 17 on 3rd and 16 was a killer blow
Kick coverage was again horrid. The Dolphins KR Ted Ginn averaged 42 yards on two returns.

The Panthers drop to 4-6 and now are on the brink of being out of the wildcard draw.

What do you have to say about this loss Panther fans?

Dolphins vs. Panthers Game Day Open Thread

2009-11-20T01:00:12Z

Welcome to Thursday Night Football Panther fans! We are on the national stage yet again Panther fans and this time we get a match-up with the slimy fish from Miami. You might remember we played the fish in Miami during the preseason in which we let the fish have their way with us knowing it would make them over confident for this game.

Tonight will be a different story. The sly 'Ol Fox that is our coach wasn't about to show the fish anything regarding our schemes and formations. They might think they know what to expect but I'm sure the Panthers will have some new wrinkles for them (I hope).

So there you have it. This is now an Open Thread!

Go Panthers!

Steve Smith involved in Car Wreck.

2009-11-19T23:59:17Z

Steve Smith involved in Car Wreck.

No worries Panther Fans. It's just a minor bump on his car. Steve Smith is not injured. Word is that he's helluva pissed though, watch out Miami!

Panthers Remain at #21 in SBN Power Rankings

2009-11-19T14:05:08Z

Panthers Remain at #21 in SBN Power Rankings

Panthers still getting no love. Now the 3-6 Titans are above us!
For a team that relies on the running the ball as a first, second, and third option, having LT Jordan Gross go out with a broken ankle is an especially devastating loss. But don't expect the Panthers to stop handing it off every down; they've realized making Jake Delhomme as much of a bystander as possible is their best path to victory.

We just need to rip off a few wins!

Carolina Panthers vs Miami Dolphins Preview: Top Matchups for Thursday Night

2009-11-19T09:25:36Z

More photos » by Mike McCarn - AP

The real Jake Delhomme has returned. The cause of his success? He's calling his own plays on the line of scrimmage. Whoda thought? (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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The game against the Atlanta Falcons may mean more than any of us had ever imagined once you look down the road at the hunt for the Wild Card. The very first rule for determining the two wildcard teams when they compare teams with identical records is the head-to-head rule against opposing franchises within the same division. With the Sunday's victory the Panthers are 1-1 against their division rival, making determining the wildcards that much trickier if they were to finish with identical records at the end of the year.

With that interesting thought out of the way, let's talk about the Miami Dolphins.

Two big injuries highlight Thursday Night Football: the injuries to Miami RB Ronnie Brown and the other to Panthers LT Jordan Gross. An interesting argument here would be which of these two players are the bigger lost to their respective team? On Miami's side, they lose not only their top running back, but also the player that they designed their wildcat offense around. On Charlotte's side, they lose the crucial blindside blocker that has been starting on the O-Line since his rookie year in 2003.

Both teams will expect good production out of their backups. The Carolina Panthers will be moving Travelle Wharton to LT and let his backup Mackenzy Bernadeau slide in at guard, while Miami RB Ricky Williams taking a bigger role in the offense than he had before after maintaining a 5.6 YPC in his change of pace role with Ronnie Brown. Backup RB Lex Hilliard will also be called upon for the first regular season carries in his NFL career. Can he step up and be a competitor? The production of the replacements will be one of the biggest keys to the game.

And here are the key matchups for the game!

Jake Delhomme vs Jeff Davidson

Last week Jake Delhomme made me laugh. I laughed. After half a season of mediocrity, Jake Delhomme had the best game of the year against the Atlanta Falcons completing 15 out of 24 passes for 195 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and posting a 115.8 passer rating. That's all fine and wonderful, but here's the good part. He did it by calling his own plays at the line of scrimmage in a no huddle offense, while Jeff Davidson stood on the sidelines and twittled his thumbs.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? After all, Jake Delhomme has been in Carolina almost his entire career. He knows this offense like the back of his hand. If he can perform better by calling in own plays, then let him! By god, let Jake Delhomme exercise his natural leadership ability and run this offense! Give him the keys to the car and let him drive our team all the way to the playoffs. This surprising and somewhat random development couldn't have come at a better time. I sincerely hope that the Panthers make this a regular part of their offense for the rest of the season.

Deangelo Williams vs Miami Rushing defense

The Miami Dolphins rank 7th in defending the run, as much comfort as that will give them. The Panthers ran the ball for 270 yards against the Arizona Cardinals, who ranked 1st in the league at that time. Establishing the run will be key to helping Jake Delhomme continue his success at throwing the ball, and bringing home another win against Miami. And as is the case when you're facing a 3-4 defense, penetration by our O-line is key. Our guards and Tony Fiametta have to be able to penetrate and get to the 2nd level to block those linebackers. If Deangelo Williams can get his blocks, he'll shred this defense no questions asked.

Panthers D-Line vs Ricky Williams

Without Ronnie Brown to help balance the rushing attack, Miami will be forced to rely on a speedy scatback in Ricky Williams to give the Panthers hell on Thursday night. He's proven to be successful in a change-of-pace role, but can the 32 year old maintain the production in an every-down role? Can he maintain the speed that drives his game all the way to the goal line? He did it against Tampa Bay, gaining over 100 yard with 20 carries, but can he do it against an improving Carolina Defense?

Carolina Special Teams vs Ted Ginn Jr.

Not going to get into a big discussion here. The special teams of the Carolina Panthers just make you shiver at times, and Ted Ginn Jr, is one of the upper tier returners in the league. Case rested.

That's it for the matchups. I've said earlier in the year that I liked Chad Henne to be the eventual starter of this team, but that he was also one of those guys that needed a few years under his belt to learn the system. With that being said, the Panthers need to change up in their play calling on defense and send this sophomore QB plenty of exotic blitzes in order to rile him and force him to make mistakes. Let Sherrod Martin pick off a couple more passes and turn them into touchdowns, and we'll have a good game.

On offense, just stick with the running game. Let Jake run the offense in the no-huddle. It's the ultimate statement that you trust the QB and his decision making, and it worked extremely well last year. Let him do it again.

In a perfect world, the Panthers sell out against the run and pressure Chad Henne into mistakes. Ricky Williams starts out strong, but as the game wears on he shuts down in the 4th quarter. Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart take over the game and rush for 200+ yards, Jake Delhomme gets the ball to Steve Smith deep a few times, and the Panthers grind out a victory in dominant fashion that revives the fanbase and gets us all to believe in the Cardiac Cats one last time.

Panthers win 30-24, in overtime

Who is Mackenzy Bernadeau?

2009-11-18T18:55:13Z

More photos » by Mike McCarn - AP

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart, top, is lifted by guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, as they celebrate Stewart's touchdown run against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half of the Panthers' 28-19 win Sunday. Bernadeau had a key block on the play. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

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Who is Mackenzy Bernadeau? Well, barring another injury, he figures to be the Panthers' starting left guard for the rest of the season. Other than that nugget, I'm not sure even his teammates know much about him.

If they do, they were not saying too much in their locker room Tuesday. Because of the short week -- the Panthers face Miami Thursday -- the media invaded on the usual players' day off this week. But few players were there to talk and Bernadeau was not among them.

The second-year lineman could prove essential in helping Carolina continue its solid play of late. The Panthers have won four of six since an 0-3 start, relying a lot on a potent running game. Carolina is 3rd in the NFL in rushing, but only 25th in passing. With few weapons in the passing game besides No. 1 receiver Steve Smith, Carolina likely won't change its approach on offense despite losing All-Pro left tackle Jordan Gross to injury Sunday.

"I don't think plugging a guy in is going to change what we're doing," says center Ryan Kalil.

That means Bernadeau must play well filling in for Travelle Wharton, who slides over to left tackle to replace Gross, who is out for the season. That said, here is what we know about Bernadeau:

--Bernadeau is expected to make his first career start Thursday. He is in his first season on the active roster, after sitting out all of last season as a rookie.

--Bernadeau, a 23-year-old Waltham, Mass., native, was a late seventh-round pick in 2008 out of Division-II Bentley (Mass.). Only two players were picked after him, which means he was thisclose to being an undrafted free agent. He was the 40th offensive lineman drafted that year, after teammates Jeff Otah (No. 19 overall) and Geoff Schwartz, selected earlier in the seventh.

(After selecting Otah, Carolina opted to fill holes at linebacker and defensive back with its two third-round picks -- rather than build depth on the offensive line. General manager Marty Hurney passed on guards Josh Sitton, Carl Nicks and Jeremy Zuttah. All are starting in the NFL now. We will see soon how prescient those moves were).

Bernadeau was selected in part because he can play multiple positions; he played both guard and tackle in college.

Last season the NFL game may have been too fast and too complicated for him to pick up. A few players alluded to that Tuesday, without saying so directly.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme and tight end Jeff King said Bernadeau has improved a lot since last season. Delhomme said he has improved "mentally," but did not elaborate. In general, Delhomme says, players from smaller schools have trouble adjusting to the speed of the game as rookies.

Players generally make a leap in their second NFL year, King says. He added that Bernadeau "has done a great job," and cited "knowing the game better" as one way Bernadeau has improved.

--Bernadeau apparently has a strong work ethic. "He's a kid who really works hard and takes a lot of pride in what he does," Delhomme says.

Bernadeau has a unique offseason training regimen. He follows a "strongman" routine at a New Jersey gym. It has yielded a body that is listed at 6-foot-4, 308 pounds. He certainly looked strong enough to play in the NFL in the fourth quarter against Atlanta Sunday, when he helped springboard tailback Jonathan Stewart for the 45-yard touchdown run that sealed the win.

Bernadeau pulled outside left on that play. Pulling, he told Panthers.com Monday, is something he loves to do.

--Bernadeau does not have much time to sweat his first start.

Thursday's game is so soon after the last one, he may not have time to get nervous. The Panthers have not had a day off since Sunday, although they have not gone too hard in practice (to preserve their bodies for what figures to be a physical game between run-oriented teams).

On the other hand, Delhomme says, the short week could work against Bernadeau, He has less time to prepare for a Miami defense that is 7th in the NFL against the run and uses a 3-4 defense (which is less popular than the 4-3 alignment the Panthers face most of the time).

Confused yet? It's okay. Chew on this. Here's what could be the biggest factor in determining how well Bernadeau, and the Panthers offense, do Thursday: Bernadeau is expected to line up in between Wharton and Kalil, both veterans of at least three NFL seasons. Delhomme did not allude or generalize when he said this: That veteran presence will help Bernadeau immensely.

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (Miami Dolphins edition)

2009-11-18T15:31:52Z

More photos » by J. Pat Carter - AP

26 days ago: New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper (41) is unable to catch Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams as Williams comes in for his second touchdown during the first quarter of an NFL football game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 in Miami. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

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Good morning Panther faithful and happy hump day! With the short week we barely have time to recuperate from Sunday's victory before looking ahead to the Miami Dolphins (4-5) who come to Charlotte to take on the surging Panthers (4-5) on Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network.

This week's Thursday night game will be fascinating to say the least. Both teams were hit with injuries last week with Carolina losing all-pro LT Jordan Gross for the season and Miami suffering a much less serious injury to RB Ronnie Brown who will be out this week.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last two NFL seasons you know that the ‘New Coke' of the NFL is the Wildcat offense; hailed by some as the evolution of the game, and chided as a gimmick by others, Thursday's game will represent an old school vs. new school mentality, that is bound to be interesting.

How do the teams fare? Find out:

After the jump...

KEY MATCHUP: Miami run offense vs. Carolina run defense

Oh the Wildcat... from NFL pundits on four letter networks to Madden players in college dorms- the Wildcat offense is the pre-eminent scheme on the lips of football fans. Wildcat QBs are evaluated with a scrutinizing eye, and pure athletes are no longer ‘borderline players' they are now ‘wildcat specialists'. This is because of Miami and their success relying on and running the wildcat more than any other team. One of the reasons they run it so successfully is having Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams on the field at the same time. Carolina fans should think of Ronnie Brown being out like DeAngelo being gone from Double Trouble. That being said, Carolina have not shown any aptitude for shutting down the run, and when you couple this with the wildcat formation it seems Miami is gambling with house money when they run the football on Thursday

Edge: Miami

Miami pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

The loss of Chad Pennington was a severe blow to the Miami Dolphins passing attack. This is due mainly to Pennington's near 70% accuracy before his injury. Chad Henne has been thrust into the role and has shown a lot of promise, but this is still a team who focuses wholly on their own offensive schemes, not traditional 3, 5 and 7 step drops. The Dolphins' pass offense is 30^th in the NFL, the Carolina pass defense is 4^th in the NFL; and while Chad Henne's big arm might scare you, their receivers certainly don't.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina run offense vs. Miami run defense

The Dolphins have a very stout run defense; on paper. While they rank 7^th in the NFL against the run they have not seen truly elite running backs from their opponents. In 9 games the Dolphins have only seen a top 10 RB three times (Michael Turner and Thomas Jones- twice) and not seen a top 5 RB. Carolina are about to show them a top 5 and top 25 back in the same game. Furthermore, in the last 5 games the Panthers have amassed more team rushing yards than any other in the NFL, and I think the trend continues.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina pass offense vs. Miami pass defense

What a difference a week makes! This time last week most fans clearly recognized Jake Delhomme and our receivers as the Panthers' Achilles heel. This week, it appears to be a position of strength. Nobody predicted Jake to be as accurate and as steadfast as he was, and nobody thought Moose had enough in the tank to show he was still and #2 receiver in this league. We were wrong on both counts. Panthers are 25^th in the league in passing offense, the Dolphins are 27^th in the league is passing defense. As much as I want to call it a lock for the Carolina offense, my superstition isn't ready to anoint Jake as back to 2004 form, not quite yet.

Edge: Push

Special Teams

The Panthers' special teams have been drastically improved. However, let's not forget that without Jason Baker delivering a very un-punter-like hit we would have given up yet another KR touchdown. Meanwhile, Miami have Ted Ginn Jr. returning kicks. He may not have the sure hands needed to be an elite WR, but he's averaging almost 30 yards per return and has two return TDs; that's two more than the Carolina Panthers.

Edge: Miami

Coaching

I'm gone from lambasting to lauding the Carolina coaching in 2009 and gave the edge to Mike Smith last week. However, this week I'm willing to give the Panthers' coaches a little more credit after showing that Carolina has depth of both sides of the ball last week. While the Panthers don't display the ingenuity of the Miami Dolphins coaches they're both 4-5 teams.

Edge: Push

Final Summary

The Wildcat is very scary, but somewhat declawed without Ronnie Brown in the lineup. Even the Wildcat at 60% is still deadly, but I don't think Miami have the offensive depth to keep the Panthers on their heels, or the defensive strength to stop Double Trouble and Steve Smith (should Jake Delhomme continue last week's form).

There are a lot of unsurities in this Old School vs. New School- Thursday night matchup, except for one; someone's leaving Charlotte at .500 and someone's leaving at .400 and my money is on the Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers 31 - Miami Dolphins 20

Breaking Down the Key Plays in Panthers Win Over Atlanta

2009-11-18T00:13:47Z

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Panthers receiver Steve Smith catches a touchdown pass over Atlanta Falcons corner Tye Hill (24) Sunday. Smith's catch was one of several clutch plays the Panthers offense and defense made in the red zone against Atlanta.(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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In Sunday's game the Falcons and Panthers posted similar totals in yards of offense (400-380), first downs (22-19) and time of possession (32 minutes-28 minutes). Yet the Panthers won 28-19. Why? Because, unlike they have most of this season, the Panthers made the big plays when they had to. Their opponent did not.

Carolina forced two turnovers, to none for Atlanta. And while the Panthers scored touchdowns all three times they drove into the red zone, the Falcons went just two-for-five in red zone opportunities. On one of those trips inside the 20, they did not score at all. In fact Carolina converted a second-and-15, and a third-down play in the red zone. Atlanta, meanwhile, twice failed to convert third-down plays inside the 20.

Here then is a breakdown of the game's key red zone plays, and the second turnover -- which crushed Atlanta's comeback hopes:

Situation: Panthers ball, Second-and-15, Atlanta 20. Atlanta leads 3-0. 7:03 to play in the first quarter.

Formations: Carolina lined up with one back, a receiver split on each side and a tight end on each side. Atlanta lined up in a 4-3, with an eighth defender in the box lined up over a tight end. Two corners played off the receivers a few yards.

What happened: Quarterback Jake Delhomme threw a quick hitch right to receiver Steve Smith, who deeked a corner deeked a safety and was tackled at the Atlanta 1 by linebacker 50.

How it happened: Smith was single-covered on the outside. Delhomme threw the ball to him quickly. Smith ran a buttonhook and stopped at the 15. The corner covering him backpedaled but when he saw the ball coming, he stopped and ran towards Smith. By the time Smith caught the ball, though, the corner was only at the 11. That gave Smith plenty of space to make a move to the outside, losing the corner as he cut inside.

The result: The Panthers had a first-and-goal at the 1. Running back Jonathan Stewart scored on a run on the next play.

Situation: Carolina ball, Third-and-goal, Atlanta 4. 7-3 Carolina. 12:33 to play in second quarter.

Formations: Carolina lined up with one back, three receivers (two right) and a tight end right. Atlanta used four linemen and stationed four defenders in the middle of the field, in between the line of scrimmage and goal line. Two corners were in press coverage, and one played off. The Falcons did not have a safety in the end zone.

What happened: Following Stewart's touchdown, Atlanta failed to convert a third-down play at the Carolina 39. The Falcons punted and the Panthers drove to the Atlanta 47. Then the Panthers converted a third down there.

Five plays later, facing this third-and-goal, Carolina converted again. Delhomme threw to the deep right corner of the end zone for Smith, who made the catch over corner Tye Hill for a touchdown.

How it happened: Smith lined up far right, sold a slant pass, then cut outside to beat Hill. Hill never turned around and interfered with Smith, who jumped and caught the ball anyways.

The result: Carolina led 14-3 after the extra point.

Situation: Carolina ball, Third-and-goal, Atlanta 4. 14-10 Carolina. 1:12 to play in second.

Formations: The Panthers lined up with one back, a receiver left and three receivers bunched in the right slot. Atlanta used four linemen with five other defenders in the box, and one corner in press coverage on the isolated receiver.

What happened: Delhomme threw low over the middle for Smith, who caught the pass in the end zone, in between two Atlanta defenders.

How it happened: Smith started in the right slot and waited until tight end Jeff King released in front of him. Smith then ran a shallow cross left and drew linebacker Curtis Lofton in coverage. Delhomme placed the ball in between Lofton and safety Thomas DeCoud, who arrived late.

The result: Carolina led 21-10 at the half.

Situation: Atlanta ball, Third-and-goal, Carolina 6. 21-10 Carolina. 9:34 to play in third quarter.

Formations: Atlanta lined up in the shotgun with three receivers bunched in the right slot, one receiver left and one back. Carolina used three linemen with four other defenders in the box, a corner in press coverage and a safety at the goal line.

What happened: Corner Richard Marshall broke up a pass from Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan at the goal line.

How it happened: Two receivers released inside from the right slot. Tight end Tony Gonzalez, also in that slot, waited for them to go and then flared outside right. Marshall covered Gonzalez, who suddenly spun inside and looked for the ball. But Marshall was in great position, jumped the route and nearly intercepted the pass.

The result: Atlanta settled for a field goal on the next play and still trailed by eight.

Situation: Atlanta ball, Third-and-1, Carolina 16. 21-19 Carolina. 6:45 to play in fourth quarter.

Formations: Atlanta lined up with one back, one receiver split on each side, and one tight end on each side. Carolina used three linemen with four other defenders in the box, two corners playing off and two safeties deep.

What happened: Ryan was stuffed for no gain on a quarterback sneak.

How it happened: The Falcons did not huddle after the previous play, a 4-yard Ryan run. Ryan snapped the ball quickly and ran in between his center and right guard. But the Panthers got enough penetration to prevent the first down.

The result: The Falcons settled for a field goal attempt on the next play, but kicker Jason Elam badly shanked a 34-yard attempt wide left. Elam and his holder appeared to be off timing-wise.

Situation: Atlanta ball, First-and-10, midfield. 21-19 Carolina. 3:59 to play in fourth.

Formations: Atlanta lined up in I-formation with two receivers left. Carolina used four linemen, two corners playing off and a linebacker showing blitz up the middle.

What happened: Ryan threw deep over the middle for receiver Michael Jenkins but overthrew him. Marshall intercepted the pass and returned it to the Carolina 49.

How it happened: Ryan faked a handoff to tailback Jason Snelling, dropped back deep in the pocket and looked downfield. As he set to throw, defensive end Tyler Brayton hurried him from his right. Ryan did not step into the throw and it came out high for Jenkins at the 25. Marshall was in deep zone coverage and caught the errant pass at the 22.

The result: Three plays later, Stewart dashed 45 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

Cat Scratch Reader has a Facebook!

2009-11-17T00:12:03Z

Cat Scratch Reader has a Facebook!

As Cat Scratch Reader grows and reaches more fans we want to ensure our community has every opportunity to find out information as soon as possible; this is one of those avenues.

Feel free to add Cat Scratch Reader as a Facebook friend to be kept up to date with the stories and information posted on the site.

Carolina Panthers' Monday Morning Optimist- 11/16/09

2009-11-16T15:03:08Z

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

5 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Steve Smith (89) reacts after a touchdown catch against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Browse more photos »

Good morning Panther faithful! Just as the storm clouds cleared over Charlotte; the fallout of a far away storm, so did the air of pessimism and doubt free itself from the Carolina skies. Yes folks, the Carolina Panthers, your Carolina Panthers, are back.

With a 28-19 victory the Panthers restored a lot more than hope in our franchise. This was the first game where numerous players established their confidence. Jake Delhomme was a man possessed, particularly in the first half and for the first time in 2009 found Steve Smith with regularity. The injection of Muhsin Muhammad in the lineup seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as Delhomme was finding Moose for the majority of the yards, punctuating drives with shots to Smith that kept the Falcons' secondary reeling. It was this offensive triumvirate that played with a swagger previously unseen in 2009, and when they were available to support Double Trouble it became evidently clear, we were deep offensively, for the first time all season.

I have plenty more gloating about the team as a whole, as well as some individual breakdowns so join me....

after the jump

As much as the drafting on Jonathan Stewart seemed to be a head scratcher at the time (only from the standpoint of round, not position) Fox, Hurney and co. quietly built the best RB tandem in the NFL. I say quietly because it wasn't until the end of the 2008 season that they started getting recognized. As other so-called ‘tandems' fall off the map in '09 (Johnson and White in Tennessee, Barber and Jones in Dallas, Tomlinson and Sproles in San Diego) Double Trouble remains resolute; the difference? Mutual trust. In all those aforementioned cases you have a clear short yardage back, or home run hitter and an every down back, in Carolina we have two legitimate every down RBs. When DeAngelo is having a sub-par game Stewart steps in and fills the void, conversely when Stewart is beating his head against a wall DeAngelo steps up and gets the yards. Sure, other teams may boast a ‘Three headed monster' to our two, but our monster is ten times bigger than anyone else's, and I couldn't be happier.

On the other side of the ball we have Ron Meeks. If you've read much of the optimist (or any of my posts) the past few weeks then you know I've developed a man crush the size of BoA for our new defensive coordinator. His defense isn't flashy, it doesn't make Sportscenter, but it is effective... drastically effective. At the start of the season a majority of fans chided his ‘bend but don't break' philosophy, and rightfully so; it appeared that we were allowing vast amounts of yardage, then breaking on the goal line and allowing points. I chose to hold out hope though, and believe that the players were still learning a new system; surely his defense couldn't be this bad? Well, I've drunk so much of the Ron Meeks Kool-Aid that I might as well burst though the end zone wall screaming ‘OH YEAH!' after every 3 and out. We held the dynamite New Orleans Saints beneath their yardage and points averages, and now we held the Falcons below their point's average. Did we give up too many yards? Sure we did. But, without Thomas Davis and an offense designed to target Davis' side we still held. Personally, I don't care if we give up 600 yards per game if we keep teams from scoring, and in my opinion our red zone defense is stouter than I've seen in a long time.

Optimistic

Jake Delhomme- Extremely Optimistic: He's back! During the slump I said the same thing numerous times "Jake is the most consistently inconsistent QB in the NFL. You get 4 terrible games, 4 great games and 8 middle of the road games every season" a quote I borrowed from Mark Packer. Looking back on Jake's history since arriving in Carolina this holds true and it seems to hold true thus far in 2009.

- Philly: Terrible
- Atlanta: Middle of the road
- Dallas: Middle of the road
- Washington: Middle of the road
- Tampa Bay: Terrible
- Buffalo: Terrible
- Arizona: Middle of the road
- New Orleans: Middle of the road
- Atlanta: Great

So, by this rudimentary, empirical system Delhomme is due to have 1 more terrible game, 3 more great games and 3 more middle of the road games. History shows that this will probably happen... so let's hope history sides with us. On Sunday, he was dynamic, showing zip on his passes previously unseen, hitting receivers in stride, running the offense with confidence while he barked out various alignments, blitz pickups and audibles. I'm not sure I put any stock in the notion he called his own plays on Sunday, but he made excellent adjustments at the line, more than we've seen all season.

Double Trouble- Extremely Optimistic: From their Matrix-esque TD celebrations to their look of mutual joy when each other score our RBs love their role in the offense. I bunch them together this week because they were the perfect tandem. While Stewart was statistically the more effective back, both were dynamic averaging for a Double Trouble 5.8 ypc. Great work from the guys!

Steve Smith- Extremely Optimistic: HEY GUYS! SMITTY'S BACK! I don't know if he ever really left, but just as 2004 Jake Delhomme returned to Charlotte so did Steve Smith. The tandem once thought to be one of the best QB-WR pairings in the NFL showed they were simpatico providing two scores. Smith didn't have the most yards, but he was the main scoring threat. It was great to see him again.

Muhsin Muhammad- Extremely Optimistic: MOOOOOSE! Was cried throughout BoA numerous times on Sunday, and for good reason! Muhammad was the ‘go to guy' on the majority of passing downs using his big body and sure hands to amass 91 yards receiving on 6 catches. More importantly, his performance opened up the game to Steve Smith, and vice versa. Great game.

Tony Fiametta- Extremely Optimistic: Potential nightmares about losing Brad Hoover were allayed with an amazing performance by the youngster. If you don't hear a fullback's name being called, it's normally a good thing. Fiametta proved why he was head and shoulders the no.1 FB in the 2009 draft making the Carolina offense look like it never lost a piece. He had key blocks allowing for big games, and outside of an early dropped pass played immaculately. The future is bright for our running game.

Sherrod Martin- Extremely Optimistic: The rookie run continues! 3 starts, 3 INTs from Martin. I love seeing him at FS and it will be tough to justify returning Charles Godfrey to the lineup. I know a coach isn't supposed to take a player's job due to injury, but when you have lightning in a bottle and a true playmaker, how do you justify doing ‘the right thing' when your job is potentially on the line?

Richard Marshall- Somewhat Optimistic: People know I'm not high on Marshall. Despite what statistics show, I think he's not an NFL caliber starting CB. That being said, I won't slight him for getting the late interception and playing Tony Gonzalez perfectly in the redzone (even if he should have caught the ball).

Jason Baker- Somewhat Optimistic: His punting was sub-par, but I can't ignore a punter who jacked up Eric Weems on a punt return. Weems will be hearing and seeing him get KO'ed by a punter for a long time.

Pessimistic

Travelle Wharton- Extremely Pessimistic: Wharton was not good filling in for Jordan Gross. I know it's tough to fill in for an absolute rock and all-pro, but he made some big time errors in pass protection. Thankfully, Jake was getting the ball out quickly or it would have been ugly in the second half. My thought: move Jeff Otah over to the left and shift Wharton to the right unless we find someone, because I don't like Wharton to protect Jake's blindside.

Julius Peppers- Somewhat Pessimistic: He's not on the stat sheet, at all. If we are going to keep this turn around rolling we need Peppers to return to dominance. He's dropped off the last two weeks, here's hoping he's back on Thursday.

Overall Analysis

I think we're seeing the start of something special. The rest of the NFC wild card hopefuls are self destructing while we are surging. Philly fans are doing their yearly ‘call for the head of Andy Reid', the Giants look worn down, the 49ers don't scare anyone and Michael Turner may miss significant time for Atlanta. Let's not forget, with the win vs. ATL we now hold the cards in a tiebreaker with the Falcons.

I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, because it's a long road... no doubt; and every game is a must win from here out. However, Sunday seemed to be the first time all season where all phases of the game played to their potential. 1-7 to the playoffs in 2004, 0-3 to the playoffs in 2009? Don't say it won't happen, because the second you do the Cardiac Cats are bound to prove you wrong.

Poll

Do you believe?

Carolina Panthers defeat Atlanta Falcons 28-19

2009-11-15T23:03:22Z

More photos » by Mike McCarn - AP

5 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Jonathan Stewart (28) runs past Atlanta Falcons' Mike Peterson (53) for a touchdown late in the second half of the Panthers' 28-19 win in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

Browse more photos »

Charlotte, NC- The Carolina Panthers proved there was life left in them yet with a definative 28-19 victory over the now 5-4 Atlanta Falcons.

Jake Delhomme had his best game of the season statistically throwing for 195 yards, 2 TDs finishing with a QB rating of 115.9. Coupled with a combined 173 yards and 2 touchdowns by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart there was a remarkable improvement from the Panther offense seen in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the Panthers' defense played well against a high powered Atlanta offense keeping Matt Ryan to 224 yards passing and intercepting the young QB twice.

It was a bright day in Charlotte, NC- except for one dark cloud.

More after the jump...

Midway through the second quarter all-pro LT Jordan Gross was hit awkwardly on a block resulting in a broken right ankle leaving a major hole in the offensive line with Travelle Wharton filling in, but doing a less than mediocre job throughout the second half. Though there is no official diagnosis on how much time Gross will miss, it's my guess he will be put on IR in the morning as the Panthers look to sign an OL with very little cap space.

On the field, however, the Panthers as a whole shone brightly over Charlotte. The Falcons struck first with a field goal on their first drive, but the Panthers quickly answered with a dominant drive in which Jake Delhomme threw for 75 yards and was capped off by a 1 yard Jonathan Stewart TD run. Panthers 7 - Falcons 3

After stopping an Atlanta drive the Panthers struck again with Delhomme leading the Panthers down the field and throwing a perfectly placed pass to Steve Smith in the right corner of the endzone for the Panthers' second touchdown of the day. Panthers 14 - Falcons 3

Atlanta weren't going to take this game laying down driving down the field and scoring on a 1 yard Justin Snelling run. Snelling was in the game due to a high ankle sprain to RB Michael Turner early in the second quarter. Panthers 14 - Falcons 10

Carolina excecuted a perfect 4 minute drive with Jake Delhomme again finding Steve Smith on a 4 yard TD pass squeezed between two defenders. Smith was hit hard on the play and was slow in getting up, but it didn't limit the WR who merely left the field for halftime early. Panthers 21 - Falcons 10

After the halftime break it was clear Mike Smith's Falcons made some adjustments on both sides of the ball, similarly it seemed the Panthers made adjustments, being forced to scheme their blocking differently with the loss of Gross on the left side. The aforementioned replacement in Travelle Wharton was not reliable as the Falcons pass rush looked much better in the second half.

The third quarter only saw one score, a 24 yard FG by Jason Elam. Panthers 21 - Falcons 13

In the forth it appeared that the Panthers were reeling as the offense could not effectively move the ball continually punting to the Falcons. The Falcons scored on a 3 yard pass to TE Justin Peele, but failed to convert the tying 2 pt conversion. Panthers 21 - Falcons 19

Again the Panthers offense failed and after a 3 and out the Falcons had the opportunity to take the lead on a Jason Elam field goal, but the combination of a bad snap and poor kick caused Elam to kick the ball wide left and the score stayed unchanged.

The Panthers were not going to let another game slip through their fingers as quickly after the missed FG Jonathan Stewart barelled though the Falcons' defense for a 45 yard TD run. Without a timeout the Falcons were forced to throw deep and the Panthers managed to close out the game 28-19.

The 4-5 Carolina Panthers face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night football, and hope to keep their hopes of a wild card alive, against the odds.

Poll

Who deserves the game ball from the Panthers' victory vs. the Falcons?

Falcons vs. Panthers Game Day Thread

2009-11-15T17:00:44Z

It's time for the back half of our annual home and home with the Falcons. The Panthers fell to the Falcons 28-20 in the first clash at their nest so the Panthers at the very least are looking to avoid the sweep. The bigger emphasis must be to beat a quality team while playing well, gain some confidence and focus on making a second half run.

We have sunny skies today and that makes me happy. Sure the weather in Charlotte could be very different from mine here 3 hours away. My point is that my satellite ISP has sucked for the past few days with the storms and cloud cover. Maybe I will actually get to participate in this thread the entire game. I can only hope.

It's the Falcons we play this week Panther fans, which means we ignore everything else that has happened in previous games, we ignore the records and we focus soley on pummeling the red and black!

This is now an Open Thread!

Pondering the Panthers vs Falcons Game, the Matchups within, and the fate of the Panthers Season.

2009-11-15T04:50:29Z

Somehow, I get the feeling that with the injury to Thomas Davis it's going to take a pretty big bite out of a potent Panther defense. When we look back on this season 10 years from now, what are we going to remember it as? For myself, I'll remember this season as a season that could have led to a deep playoff run and maybe even a Super Bowl, but instead became the biggest letdown in franchise history. Yes, that's including the 2004 8-8 season following the year the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl.

The Panthers are 3-5 right now. We have three DT's on IR, and now our star linebacker Thomas Davis who ((Thanks R3)) led the team in tackles has joined them all as well. We suffer from a one-dimensional offense which succeeds well in the running game, but can't do anything at all in the other. We're like the offense of the Arizona Cardinals last year, but backwards. We suffer from a offensive coordinator who gets away from what works in the middle of a game, an inept special teams unit, and a QB that continues to throw high in the air and out of reach of any potential receivers. We also fail at the 2 minute drill. The memories of guys flying to the offensive line is still very fresh in my mind, especially during the final drive against San Diego in the first game of 08. Now they're just waddling, so it's kind of sad.

Overall, that's a lot of problems on our team. They're also easily fixable, if the right buttons are pushed in the off-season.

But enough of rain clouds and dark thoughts, it's time for football! This week the Carolina Panthers go up against the Atlanta Falcons, and they'll be seeking revenge for the earlier 28-20 debacle that occurred before Jeff Davidson realized with a gasp that the Panthers are built to run the football.

On Offense: Good luck trying to figure out what the Panthers will do this week. With both of our wideouts crying out that they aren't getting the ball enough, he might just give in and let Jake air it out a bit this week. The biggest question in our minds right now is whether or not Deangelo Williams will be on the field. He had a knee injury going into this week, and he was kept off the practice field on Friday. He joins a list of questionable's that include Tony Fiametta, Moose, Daunte Rosario, and Jonathan Stewart all of whom are expected to play.

If Deangelo Williams takes a seat for this game, the Panthers might end up using Jonathan Stewart as their every down back. Sure, we kicked Goodson onto the field a little bit these last few weeks when they were having injury troubles, but with Goodson being especially fumble-prone during the pre-season I expect to see Stewart to have most of the playing time on the field. It'll probable force Jake to throw the ball a bit more, but we can't run the ball every single play with just one guy. He'll start huffing and puffing, and by the time he's made it to the goal line you'll be able to blow him down. So expect Jake to awaken the passing game and try to get the ball to Steve and Moose if Williams doesn't make it to the field. And if Deangelo Williams does start, forget everything I just wrote.

On Defense: The big story here is how we're going to change our defensive scheme now that our Pro-Bowler linebacker Thomas Davis is on IR. How good is Landon Johnson going to be? That's the big question we have to ask ourselves here. If Landon Johnson was so good, if he was so awesome, then where was he during the pre-season? He only had 4 tackles during those 4 games, while James Anderson had 25 and Dan Conner had 19. In my mind, either one of those two deserve the start over Johnson. They put in the work, they got the tackles, so they should get the job.

In the waning moments of the Saints game, Landon Johnson immediately proved to be a liability on defense. The vast majority of that final drive that gave the Saints the 23-20 lead was running plays to Johnson's side of the D-line. He couldn't make the plays, and it was a huge reason why the Saints gave us our 2nd half rickroll. If we have that transition to the entire game tomorrow, then it's going to give us a lot of problems. We already have one invisible linebacker on the line that doesn't do much in Na'il Diggs, whom only has 16 tackles for the season. We don't need another one.

Nevertheless, even without Davis our defense is still very improved since the beginning of the year with the additions of Hollis Thomas on the D-Line and Sherrod Martin at FS. These two additions will help offset the presence of Davis at our OLB spot. If we can shut down Turner the Burner and keep Matt Ryan throwing the football, we'll have plenty of chances for turnovers. Here's a statistic, Matt Ryan has thrown at least one interception in the last 5 games. Good ol' Matty Ice won't seem so ice cold anymore when he's giving presents to our defense. He might as well dress up as Santa Clause during Christmas, he has the red color of his jersey to show for it. Hohoho! Merry Christmas Panthers! Merry Christmas to you all! I hate to be the Grinch, but that's how I see it.

On Special Teams: Don't fail. That's all I'm going to say: Please don't fail. Let's have a full game where our return team gets the ball out to the 20 yard line and John Kasey makes his field goals, and I'll be happy. I'll be happy. If we don't, I'll just laugh in Crossman's general direction.

And now, time for the top offensive matchups of the week!

Jake Delhomme vs Himself

I've told you guys I'm going to keep this up. Until balls stop sailing on Jake and forcing Steve Smith and Moose to jump up and make these impossible catches that they can't make, this matchup is going to continue again and again. At this point, I don't think faith in Jake can ever be restored with the fans. He can honestly play like Peytan Manning for the next 8 Weeks and miraculously take the Panthers to the playoffs and I promise you we're STILL going to be taking our heart medication every time he touches the football. Regardless, the ball is still in Jake's court. He has a powerful running game to take the heat off of him, and two great targets in Rosario and Smitty. If he can't make plays with them, then it is his fault. That is all.

O-Line vs D-Line

That is, if the offensive line can give him some protection. Now, we have a pretty decent line so far this season. We've been blessed with no injuries along our O-line, and they've done a pretty great job at opening holes for Deangelo Williams. Look for that to continue against the Falcons this week. Since his impressive campaign in 08, John Abraham has disappeared. Whether by age or another reason, he's simply not the same player he was. That makes the left side of the D-Line, a place that the Panthers already love to hit with the running game, particularly beneficial to hit again and again. Now if they could hold their ground in pass protection better, especially Keydrick Vincent, the Panthers will have the advantage over the Falcons no problem.

Steve Smith vs The World

Steve Smith is probably the angriest man in the world right now. The thing about Smith is that he's always had a chip on his shoulder. Someone is always looking him down, someone is always telling him that he can't play football, something is always looking him in the eye and telling him that he's too short, which only inspires him to get angry and prove everyone wrong.

That couldn't be more evident this year. He has an offensive coordinator that has phased him out of the game, a QB that won't throw him the football, and a football league that has forgotten about him. Whether or not these things are actually true, this is the mindset that he has himself in and he's pissed. Is this the game where he breaks out for 100 yards? That will be up to the Falcon corners to decide, and they aren't as good as him.

Daunte Rosario vs My Expectations

I love this guy enough to call him the Ghost of Wesley Walls. This is the perfect time to have Daunte Rosario break out for a big game. Just like Steve Smith, he'll often be covered by guys that cannot cover him. Mike Peterson may have been good at the beginning of the season, but he's too old! About this time in the season it's time for old seasoned veterans like him to get tired and break out the rocking chair. You see my friends, this is what you call blind faith. I know that Rosario has the potential to be the passing tight end we need to live up to the Legend of Wesley Walls. If the coaches don't see it, then it's their loss.

Jeff Davidson vs Our Expectations

We, as a fan base, expect Jeff Davidson to make the calls needed to win the game. Players will always complain that they aren't getting the ball enough after you lose a game. It's been a staple of the NFL, always has been and always will be. Jeff Davidson needs to make the calls necessary to win the game, and if that means making Deangelo Williams beat 8 or 9 players in the box in the running game, then let him do it! If that means throwing the deep ball to Smitty, then let him do that too. Just do not take what is working, and suddenly do the opposite in the middle of a game. If the running game is working, don't cease until the Falcons prove that they can stop it.

Finally, my prediction.

Taking Davis away will damage the Panthers blitzing ability. The Panthers should get a little bit into this game, and if Julius Peppers isn't lighting it up then it should be time to let Beason and Johnson fly down the line. See how that works, and Meeks will edit his defensive game plan from there. On offense, ram the ball down their throats. That's all they need to do. I'm running out of ways to say this. The battering ram on offense is better than the catapult. Do you guys get that? Good.

Panthers win 24-17

CSR Fantasy League Update

2009-11-12T22:01:05Z

Let's talk fantasy my fellow Panther fans. Here is a mid-season report on the Official CSR FFL League tracked using Fleaflicker. A screen shot of the standing is provided after the jump (though not a good one I agree). You might not recognize some of the owners listed as they used different screen names when signing up but they are all regular readers of this site.

The current leaders are the all-powerful Zeus12888 and his Four Horseman and the equally imposing if not funny Spaceballs (Little King), both at 8-1 but luckily (for the rest of us) in the same division (Blue). In a solid third position and leading the Silver division we have the crispy but Smoldering Tatertots brought to the table by who else, Tater596.

Leading the Black division is Revshawn who calls himself the Genius (we shall see) who sports the Rioting Rabbits at 5-4. Your fearless leader at CSR (that would be me) and my Cardiac Cats are clinging to the #6 seed in true cardiac fashion at 4-5. Will Parkers Warriors are also in the mix, also at 4-5 but they have a tough match-up this week in the Horsemen X4.

I have to give a special shout out to r3 and his 1-8 Fairy Queens. It's no surprise they really suck! At 3-6 it must be noted that defending champ JaTuck and his Agents of Matriculation might just be out of the equation. That #12 pick in the draft must be hard to compute!

(Sorry the resolution of this screen shot sucks. If someone else knows how to convert a screenshot to a JPEG without first going through Adobe please advise or email it to me and I'll put it in).

What I always find interesting to do at mid-season is to compare the 1^st round picks with the players that are actually leading in scoring at this point to see who made good picks and who sucked it up.

Let's start with our first round picks and their overall rank in points:

(1st overall)Will's Warriors Adrian Peterson RB MIN (#17 in Points)

(2nd overall)Spaceballs Maurice Jones-Drew RB JAC (#9 overall)

(3rd overall)Suicidal Penguins Michael Turner RB ATL (#22 Overall)

(4th overall)Southern Beat-Down Matt Forte RB CHI (#80 overall)

(5th overall)Man on Fire Steven Jackson RB STL (#53 Overall)

(6th overall)The Smoldering TaterTots DeAngelo Williams RB CAR (#20 Overall)

(7th overall)Four Horsemen Chris Johnson RB TEN (#8 Overall)

(8th overall)The Rioting Rabbits Steve Slaton RB HOU (#67 Overall)

(9th overall)Cardiac Cats Brandon Jacobs RB NYG (#87 Overall)

(10th overall)Danube Fairy-Queens Brian Westbrook RB PHI (#240 Overall)

(11th overall)BlackRockFury Frank Gore RB SF (#42 Overall)

(12th overall)Agents of Matriculation Andre Johnson WR HOU (#36 Overall)

One thing that jumps out at me is the fact zero QB's were picked yet look at the Top 12 leader board. I've included where each of the Top 12 were picked in the draft:

1. QB A. Rodgers Will's Warriors (#25)

2. QB M. Schaub Suicidal Penguins (#51)

3. QB P. Manning Spaceballs (#23)

4. QB T. Brady The Smoldering TatorTots (#19)

5. QB D. Brees Four Horsemen (#18)

6. QB T. Romo Agents of Matriculation (#61)

7. QB B. Roethlisberger Cardiac Cats (#88)

8. RB C. Johnson Four Horsemen (#7)

9. RB M. Jones-Drew Spaceballs (#2)

10. QB P. Rivers Danube Fairy Queens (#34)

11. QB B. Favre Agents of Matriculation (#180 the last pick in the draft!)

12. QB K. Warner Southern Beatdown (#45)

So do you think we’ve under estimated the importance of having a good QB? You will also notice that the two top leaders (Zues & Little King) have two players in the Top 12. JaTuck has two as well but they are both QB’s meaning he can only play one at a time. Me thinks he should have traded one of them.

How about those 1^st round picks? Boy I got burned with Jacobs, he was sucked this year. R3 should have known Westbrook would never last a season without getting hurt as he does every year so I can’t feel bad for him. I’m surprised Matt Forte is not doing better and the same with Frank Gore. I’m not surprised Slaton and Steven Jackson were not worth their slots though.

I think you will see a different strategy from me next year! What does everyone else think?

Panther Paw Prints - Passing Game Blues Edition

2009-11-11T17:37:56Z

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

11 days ago: Carolina Panthers coach John Fox reacts near the end of a 30-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints in their NFL football game in New Orleans Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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I've got another spicy batch of Paw Prints today...

So now we've come full circle on the Panthers passing game. Just a few short weeks ago we begged the Panthers to stop throwing the ball in order to reduce the INT's QB Jake delhomme was chucking on a record pace. The Panthers seemed to oblige and it worked against lesser opponents. Yet when down late against one of the top team in the NFL the Panthers needed their passing game (or did they?) and it was a shell of its '08 self:

Refusal to air it out does Panthers no favors | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
Delhomme has been on the field the last two weeks in body only, because the game plans for those haven't reflected the spirit or the abilities he has brought to the position the last six years. And while it got the Panthers a win in Arizona, and nearly one in New Orleans, it has really gotten them nowhere fast. Save for about four throws, it's true what some say that Matt Moore, or A.J. Feeley, couldn't have done any worse. Because plans built to protect might suit some, but they run counter to what Delhomme has done his entire career.

I would say they did air it out a couple times but the Panthers WR's couldn't haul it in. Call it inexperience (in the case of Jarrett) or rustiness (in the case of Smith) but it was quite apparent there was no confidence in the passing game, except by OC Jeff Davidson. Darin Gantt offers a solution:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
What they have to do is trust Delhomme to throw it downfield, trust Smith to make a play. And if you're not going to do that, then you have to wonder what the plan is.

Isn't this exactly what led to 13 INT's? I think this guy has it wrong too.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Panthers' collapse leads to more questions about Fox
It's understandable that Fox would be cautious about allowing QB Jake Delhomme — who still leads the league in interceptions with 13 despite not throwing one in his past two games — to throw the ball, but he took caution to a ridiculous extent, as Delhomme only attempted 12 passes in the first three quarters. The running game was having success vs. the Saints, but eventually it slowed down as the Saints didn't have to worry about the pass and focused on stopping Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Maybe what was really missing against the Saints was sitting back in Charlotte:

Panthers felt Hoover's absence | The Dispatch | Davidson County's News Source | Lexington, NC
Not only was Hoover out but so was Chris Fiammetta, the reserve fullback and Hoover's eventual replacement. That meant 308-pound guard Mackenzy Bernadeau lined up as the fullback in the goal-line situation. When quarterback Jake Delhomme took the handoff on first and goal, Bernadeau bumped into him. Delhomme stumbled backward, bobbled the ball and was dropped for a 6-yard loss.

I still can't believe we lined up Bernadeau at FB and Sutton at tailback. Why not on 1st down put Williams in the single back set and hand it off to him and let him do his thing? Doesn't work, try the same with Stewart. In 3 tries one of those two will get that 3 yards.

Instead of sticking with what was working the Panthers went to the pass. So what are the Panthers going to do to improve the passing game?

Panthers notebook: passing game still a work in progress | progress, charlotte, work - Sports - The Star Online : The Newspaper of Cleveland County
Coach John Fox was asked again Monday what the Panthers need to do to improve in that area. "The same things we did a month ago to get better in our running game -- just continue to work at it, and do everything we can do get better," Fox said. "We had some big plays -- obviously not enough -- but we had some big run plays. We just weren't able to capitalize when we got down there (in the red zone). I think they (the Saints) had some of the same malfunctions."

Might that be because you stopping running the ball? I think the 'less than 20 passes per game' mantra would work for this team.... By the way, did you find yourself making uncontrollable outbursts Sunday? You weren't the only one:

Thoughts on WR Smith’s sideline outburst this past Sunday - Reeder's Take : Gaston Gazette
Is this Smith’s fault? No. His decline in numbers is largely due to the folks around him not that he’s turned 30. Simply put, when you have a weapon like Smith you find a way to GET HIM THE BALL. That’s up to the offensive coordinator, the quarterback, the offensive line (to block better) and the other receivers/tight ends (who need to become bigger factors in the passing game and take pressure off him). I also blame it on the front office for not going out and getting a No. 2 receiver this off-season or trading for a quality TE like Tony Gonzalez.

That may be true Mr. Reed but isn't there a better way of addressing this than on the field? I wonder about the lines of communication on offense. If Davidson is losing the feedback from the players he very well could end up out of a job at the end of the season similar to how Mike Tyrgovac's tenure came to a close.

Someone whom I expect to stick around a long time in spite of his ACL tear is LB Thomas Davis. I admit though I'm curious about the return of RB Decori Birmingham.

Panthers place Davis in IR; call up linebacker from practice squad | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
The Panthers filled their practice squad vacancy by bringing back running back Decori Birmingham, who spent most of last year on the practice squad and was in training camp with Carolina this year.

Could Birmingham be the next FB if Fiammetta can't go yet again? He is supposedly better in pass protection than Sutton. We shall see.

Carolina Panthers' Hump Day Prognostication (Atlanta Falcons edition)

2009-11-11T17:06:38Z

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

12 days ago: Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez reacts after catching a touchdown pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Good afternoon Panther faithful and happy hump day! While we pick ourselves up from the narrow loss in New Orleans and mourn the football loss of Thomas Davis, it's now time to look forward to Sunday as the Carolina Panthers (3-5) face the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) in their second contest of the year; the first being in week two when the Falcons beat the Panthers 28-20.

After a horrendous start to the season the Panthers seem to have regained some of their identity in recent weeks, and while they have shown flashes of brilliance, they have also not pulled everything together yet. Meanwhile, the Falcons have won all the games they should have won against weaker opponents and lost games against New England, Dallas and New Orleans

In this writer's mind the Atlanta Falcons are very similar to the team the Panthers saw in week two, but this is a completely different Panther team to what Atlanta saw. Divisional matchups are always tough, so let's break it down

After the jump...

Atlanta run offense vs. Carolina run defense

What was thought to be one of the best running games heading into 2009 has slightly underperformed expectations for the Atlanta Falcons. While Michael Turner has been very effective and is on pace to rush for 1,440 yards it seems Turner will finish the season with less yards than the 1,599 he put up in 2008. In recent weeks Turner has shown dominance with stout performance against New Orleans and Washington running for over 150 yards in both contests.

Meanwhile, the Carolina run defense which looked porous early on has slightly solidified improving to 23^rd in the NFL. A vital piece of this run defense was the addition of Hollis Thomas in the middle to allow MLB Jon Beason to make more plays; the Panthers did not have Thomas when the two teams last played. Thomas Davis is vital to the run defense also, but is more suited to taking down backs who like to find the edge. Turner is the definition of a North-South back so it will be incumbent upon Jon Beason to make the plays, and I think he's up to the task.

Edge: Push

KEY MATCHUP: Atlanta pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

The Panthers #1 pass defense was mocked by the Saints especially on big plays to drop it to 6^th in the NFL at this time. The last contest was dominated by future hall of fame TE Tony Gonzalez who brutalized the Panthers secondary. Following the Atlanta matchup Thomas Davis became the Panthers primary weapon to counter the dominant TEs the Panthers faced, forcing Jason Witten, Kellen Winslow, Chris Cooley and Jeremy Shockey to have below average days. In this regard the loss of Davis hurts the Panthers the most. It will be incumbent upon Captain Munnerlyn to likely take on this duty representing the best tackling in our secondary. My guess is that he'll be the man to shadow Gonzalez on Sunday, but it is unlikely he'll be able to shut down, or limit Gonzalez. Roddy White is a major threat to, especially in the YAC where Chris Gamble's tackling has been suspect at best.

Edge: Atlanta

Carolina run offense vs. Atlanta run defense

DeAngelo Williams has been running like a man possessed the last few weeks, but his success is highly incumbent upon the coaching staff getting the ball in his hands. Williams is now on pace to rush for 1,536 yards and 14 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stewart's production is slightly off pace but still on target for 768 yards and 8 TDs. The Falcons are 24^th in the NFL against the run, and the way DeAngelo has caught fire (running for 548 of his 768 yards in the last 4 games) he'll be tough to stop; provided he gets the ball.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina pass offense vs. Atlanta pass defense

Jake Delhomme hasn't been throwing interceptions. That's about the most positive thing you can say about Carolina's passing offense at this point. Everyone seems out on synch at the moment. Smith isn't running his routes as crisply as he normally does, key passes are being dropped and the coaching staff seem to be calling pass plays when the feel like it, rather than when they have a reasonable chance of success. If Muhsin Muhammad is able to play the Panthers should get a much welcomed boost and a big target who can hopefully take some pressure off Smith. The Falcons are giving up a lot of yards through the air, but ultimately it's the Panthers 24^th ranked pass offense against the Falcons' 27^th ranked defense, and until the Panthers show me they can score passing TDs I'm not buying it will be a factor.

Edge: Atlanta

Special Teams

The Panthers' special teams made strides vs. New Orleans, but they're still far from redeeming themselves. The Panthers are only averaging 19.7 yards per return, a paltry number, meanwhile allowing opponents an average return of over 30 yards. The Falcons are displaying some of the best kickoff coverage in the NFL allowing only 21 yards.

Edge: Atlanta

Coaching

Most Panther fans are well aware of the coaching decisions that have been made in recent weeks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The Panthers defense remains a solid and well coached defense, conversely the offense seems in shambles, particularly after half time.

Mike Smith is one of the best new(er) coaches in the NFL and his Falcons are playing to their potential. Their play calling is dynamic and they utilize the players they have to put them in a position to win, that's the difference right there,

Edge: Atlanta

Final Summary

Looking at this prognostication it would seem the Falcons have the Panthers' number this week. While that could very well be true, I think the Panthers know that they need to play each game now as if it were their last. The Panthers cannot afford to have control of another game going into halftime only to play scared in the second. In each of the areas where one team has an edge, I see it as a razor's edge... extremely narrow and very close. The Panthers could, and should be 5-3 right now, or at the worse 4-4. I still don't believe the Panthers look like a 3-5 team heading into this game.

While I think Tony Gonzalez will be a major factor in Sunday's game, but I also think Michael Turner will be mostly ineffective in Sunday's matchup. I think Carolina controls the ground and Atlanta controls the air, much like Carolina's game vs. New Orleans. The difference, however, is that Atlanta doesn't have the same big play potential in their passing game that New Orleans showed, and I think that's a major difference.

Carolina Panthers 21 - Atlanta Falcons 17

One Fans Panthers 2009 Mid-Season Report Card

2009-11-09T03:42:47Z

Hey There Panther Fans,

I know you are as down as I about this heartbreaker to the Saints, but thought it would be a good time (since it is the midpoint of our season) to evaluate our team and predict the last half. Please let me know what you think about my evaluation...too harsh...too lenient... just right? Also, give me your perspective on things, How do you think this team has played and where do you think this team is headed from here on out??? With that said, here is my....

Carolina Panthers 2009 Mid-Season Report: Evaluation & Prediction

The Carolina Panthers started their 2009 season off slowly, stumbling early and often. September was not a good month for the Cats, as they lost to Philly, ATL, and Dallas and could not find their identity. October was meagerly better, but only because the Panthers faced the easiest teams on their schedule, being Washington, TB, and Buffalo winning the former two and losing to the Bills. The loss to Buffalo must have stimulated something within this Panther team, because they completely transformed into a different team heading into Arizona. In Arizona, the Cats pulled out an upset and ran all over the Cards, who were one of the top rush defenses. Also, the Cats emerged into the #1 Pass defense and #7 Overall defense in the league, which has become a huge surprise. The Cats carried this momentum into Nola, where they put up a tremendous fight with the best team in the league and came away just a bit shy of a win. The Panthers at this point in the mid-season are 3-5, and are a lot better than their record shows. Even though the Cats have a losing record thus far, Panther fans have much to be excited about as this team has played like a playoff contender in the past 2 weeks.

Offense

The Panthers offense sputtered early this season, and didn’t really get going until the Arizona game in wk 6. Early on, the offense line played very poorly as did Jake. Jake has been much of the criticism for this season, as he has had only 5tds and 13 ints and has been a burden of the team. Double Trouble also were slow to get rolling, and put up very modest numbers for the first 6 wks. Smitty, a once feared and dynamic threat, has been suppressed.

The Panthers O’ in the past two weeks, however, has been radically different. The Cats have gotten their running game going back to the levels of 2008, as D-Will has ran for about 150 yds per game. Although the Panthers now have the 3rd best rushing attack in the league, they are almost completely one dimensional. J-Stew has again been a great complement, as he has a 4.4avg, 4tds, and about 400yds on the ground. Not much has been seen of Mike Goodson, which is suprising given how much he played in the preseason. I, for one, thought that Goodson was such a talent and threat that Davidson would introduce some wrinkles into the offense merely to get Goodson involved, but I have been wrong. Tyrell Sutton, the Panthers 4th back surprisingly saw a little bit of action against the Saints, having 3 runs for 15yds. The Panthers also have not used the Wildcat, or any trick plays very much, staying with the conservative pound up the middle scheme. Much of this success on the ground must be attributed to the Offensive line picking up their game as they have created more running space for the backs.

Smitty still hasn’t had a breakout game, and much of that is due to Jake. In the past two games, the Coaches have changed the philosophy of the offense, pilling up running yards in order to limit Jake’s throws, to limit INTs. Although no one has been able to stop our running game as of the past 2 games, the Cats have much to improve upon and look terrified to throw the ball. The ‘Moose’ has been out a couple of games, and Jarrett has filled in adequately for him, his best game being the Saints, in which he had 4 catches for 30 yds. Although this is not great, and not very good, it is adequate provided that Jarrett has had limited chances to make plays. Tight Ends have been very useful in both the running game and especially the passing game as Jeff King, Dante Rosario, and Gary Barnidge have added some spark to the passing game. Kenny Moore, although a standout in the preseason, has only had 4 catches for 47 yds, but much of his low productivity can be attributed to his limited playing time.

Overall, the Panthers Offense and running game in particular, although sputtered early, has improved through the first 8 games. But, if the Cats are to become a playoff caliber team, they have more to improve upon as they must find some passing game and get Smith involved.

Grade: C

Defense

Although the D was the weaker part of the team at the beginning of the year as they seemed unable to grasp Meeks Tampa 2 system, they have actually come together and have become the stalwart of the team, now being a top ten D and top pass D.

Although the pass D has gotten much better, much of the improvement on the D side of the ball has been at the line. Julius Peppers, although a no-show at the beginning of the year, has upped his game and now has 28tckls, 7scks, and 3 FFs. At the other end, Tyler Brayton looks much improved from last year and is a contributor in the pass rush, having 25 tckls, 2scks, and 1FF. On the interior, where the Panthers were woefully inept at the beginning of the year, Hollis Thomas and Tank Tyler have filled in quite nicely for what have been a slew of injuries at the DT position. Thomas and Tyler have most importantly been able to seal up the interior 2 gap, allowing the LBs to freely bounce around and make critical tackles. Altogether, D-Lew, Thomas, and Tyler have had 33 tckls from the interior, which is solid considering 2 of them have played only a limited # o’ games. Everette Brown, the Panthers 1st round pick (well, for what they spent on him) has been limited to some 3rd down plays and has been good thus far for a 3rd down lineman, having 8tckles, 1sck, and 2FFs. The much overlooked 3rd DE, Charles Johnson, has made a splash in his small amount of playing time as he has racked up 13 tckls, 3scks, and 2FFs. Overall the Panthers line has been pretty darn good, and Julius Peppers has called it ‘the best rotation’ he has been in yet!

The ‘Backers have been beyond excellent this year, they are super-awesome tackling machines! Thomas Davis has really adapted well to Meeks new system, having 61 tckls, 2 INTs and a sack. Jon Beason hasn’t been a slouch either though, contributing 63 tckls, 2 scks, and an INT. Diggs also has 16 tckls and a sack, and Anderson having 16tckles and sack. It is important to note that the Backers have the most tackles of the entire D, which ultimately means that they have been able to stop the run almost by themselves, without much need for the secondary to come down and play a role.

Although not many thought it at the beginning of the year, the Secondary has surprisingly become great, becoming the #1pass D in wk 8. Gamble, although has not been ‘lock down’ per se, has been a steady corner accumulating 24 tckls and 1 INT. Richard Marshall, the past year’s nickel back, has really upped his game as a starter, having 31 tckls and 2 INTs. Capt. Munnerlyn, the Cats 7th round pick, has been a great surprise at the nickel back position, having 23 tckls and really impressing people with his speed. Dante Wesley and CJ Wilson have been fine backups and fine fill in CBs thus far. Harris has been his usual self, a hard tackler, contributing 26 tckls. Godfrey has been adequate, but by no means great, contributing 21 tckles and a sack. The real surprise this year has been Sherrod Martin, the Cats 2nd round Safety, who in 2 games already has 10 tckles and 2 ints. Martin could replace Godfrey due to his stellar performances, but due to Fox’s tendency to stick with the vet, he’ll probably choose Godfrey. All in all, the Panthers secondary has been much improved over last year, as it was the weakness of many games, including the Arizona playoff loss.

Altogether, the Cats D really has adjusted to the Tampa 2, although it has taken some time. Meeks has these players playing fast and aggressive, flying to the ball and making plays now in the past couple of games. The Panthers D really has given the offense the chance to win the game and has been very good in the red zone. What is most interesting to me about this D is the new found flexibility that Meeks has implemented. Although the Cats stick to their usual 4-3 and Tampa 2, they refreshingly have been mixing it up lately, introducing the “Joker” package with 3 down lineman, 2 backers, a ‘Joker’ or ‘spy’, and 5 DBs. This flexibility has worked because the Panthers have fast players, which has enabled them to play packages like this. In addition, the D-line also has shown flexibility, moving Pep left and right, Brayton and Johnson inside and out, and rotating players like the rookie Brown. All in all, Meeks has implemented a wonderful D that has complemented our players ability very well.

Grade: B

Special Teams

The “Kicking game” this year has been fairly atrocious, but can be attributed to the inexperience that this group has. Kick and Punt returns have been average, and at times horrendous (I simply look away during punt returns hoping for the best!). Goodson, although very talented, has not been a breakaway threat on Kick returns and Kenny Moore has not great at punt returns either. My personal favorite at PR was Munnerlyn, being that he is very shifty, fast, and able to get to through the scrum, although he has a tendency to get nervous waiting for that ball to come down. You name it and the Panthers special teams has allowed it, a Punt block, kick block, letting the other team have a PR for TD, KR for TD…basically the Panthers ST has been pretty awful.

Grade: D+/C-

Conclusion & Prediction

At this point, the Panthers are 3-5, but as I have been saying, the Fans have much to be optimistic about, as Fox has righted the ship that ran astray, getting his players playing at a high level once again. The Panthers playoff hopes are pretty slim now that they have lost to Nola, mainly because the rest of their schedule is fairly brutal: ATL, MIA, NYJ, NE, MINN, NYG, and Nola once again. The good news is that the Cats play 5 at home and 3 more on the road. Because the Cats are playing at a high level once again, and are down from this last loss to Nola, I can envision a win over ATL, but am skeptical that it will happen unless the passing game gets together. So, unfortunately, I think we will lose another to the Falcons, though it will be close! Fox almost always has his players revved up for a big game, and I expect the Panthers to play big on natl TV versus the Fins. The home TB game should also be a win, but other than that the Panthers play a pretty tough stretch and I would not be surprised to see the Panthers win only 1 of the last four left mainly because they are a one dimensional team. Although the Panthers are playing well, they have dug themselves in a hole early in the year. In the last half of the year, the Panthers will probably only win 2-3 games, unfortunately. Although I originally stated that the Panthers would go somewhere between 7 to 9 wins, I think it is probably more realistic now to think that it will be between 6 and 7 wins. I still hold that the Cats won’t win the NFC South Title, and from here on out it is most likely that they won’t win a wild card due to the competition for those spots. I would absolutely love to be wrong, and the Panthers to go on a mean winning streak and sneak into the playoffs, but am doubtful of that at this point. The best the Panthers can do this year is try to break even at 8-8, but that won’t happen, it will be another losing season following a great season for the Panthers. At this point, it is too difficult to tell whether Fox will be fired, but one thing is for sure, and that is that Jake won’t be our starter next year (although I could be wrong, which I would hate to be in that case)….

Prediction: 6-10 or 7-9 season

Poll

In the 2nd half of the season, how many wins will the Panthers MOST REALISTICALLY (Mind you) have?

Panthers Place Davis on IR; Sign LB Smith from PS

2009-11-10T20:56:53Z

Panthers Place Davis on IR; Sign LB Smith from PS

Via Twitter from Andrew Mason:
#Panthers place LB Thomas Davis on injured reserve (torn ACL), sign LB Kelvin Smith from practice squad to replace him on 53-man roster

Smith should see work on special teams.