Carolina Panthers--Week 16

Being a Panthers fan out on the west coast, I don't get to see many of their games, unless they're playing the 49ers or Raiders, and that's a rarity. (They did get one of their two wins against the Niners this year.) The NFL-N offered me as a fan a RARE treat: a nationally televised game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perhaps it's time to stuff the Panthers back into obscurity after this game.

OH the horrah!! After a pretty decent start in which they moved the ball, the Steelers adjusted and the Panthers didn't. Therein lies the problem. Coaching, or lack thereof. The Panthers DO have talent on both sides of the ball, but they're not well-coached. Too many mental errors, breakdowns in coverages, poor tackling--they can be attributed to poor coaching. The players DO play hard and have no quit in them--that is a testament to John Fox.

Offensively, the Panthers have the WORST offensive coordinator in Jeff Davidson. No imagination, doesn't make adjustments, and doesn't put his players in a position to succeed. Plus no quarterback stability doesn't help. I'm ready for the Panthers to draft Andrew Luck IF he comes out. (Rumor has it IF Jim Harbaugh stays at Stanford, Luck will stay also.) Jimmy Clausen is NOT cutting it. The Panthers could very well be the first team since the 1992 Seattle Seahawks to NOT score multiple touchdowns in ANY game in a season, as they (mercifully) finish their season against Atlanta. One good thing, though: they ALWAYS give Atlanta a hard time. This is embarrassing: finishing up against two Super Bowl-caliber teams and not even showing up.

Defensively, they have an emerging stud in DE Charles Johnson. He has six consecutive games with a QB sack, tying the franchise record set by Kevin Greene WAY back in 1996. (He sacked Big Ben TWICE.) Now they need a BIG run-stuffer, a big oak tree in the middle that stops opposing runners in their tracks. I like how DC Ron Meeks makes adjustments, but sometimes he overthinks himself. The linebacking corps that was in there wasn't bad--Beason is a stud, but he had a couple of guys off the street alongside him. The secondary is PUTRID. THEY CAN'T COVER ANYONE!! Any one of the Lug Nuts could have made a big play on that secondary with Big Ben throwing to us!! GET RID OF THE WHOLE SECONDARY EXCEPT FOR CHRIS GAMBLE (He was out with an injury.)

As far as special teams, they have a good punt returner in Captain Munnerlyn. But they need someone that is a threat to make a house call on kickoff returns. A Devin Hester-type, if you will. Someone that strikes abject fear into the hearts of their opponents. The guys we have don't do that. Steve Smith USED to do that when he returned punts and kickoffs way back in the day. Kicking wise, John Kasay is old, not as accurate as he used to be, and doesn't kickoff any more due to his decreased length on kickoffs. Jason Baker is atrocious as a punter. Granted, the wind was swirling and was consistently between 15-20 MPH. It even knocked down the Steelers' punter's punts.

Overall, the game was unwatchable. What made it unwatchable was how atrocious the Panthers' offense is, aside from Jonathan Stewart. Even Smith dropped a few balls, which is uncharacteristic of him.

My take on the Panthers is this: they need an identity. Mr. Richardson needs to hire someone to handle ALL the football operations and pay him HUGE jack. John Fox won't return; that's pretty much the worst-kept secret in the league. I'm torn about whether or not hiring Bill Cowher is a good move. On the surface it is. But does HE want to subject himself to the grind of coaching again? AND would he want total control of the operations? What about his emotions in dealing with his late wife's passing over the summer? Those are questions that Mr. Richardson and Cowher would have to answer. IF Mr. Richardson is going to hire someone to control the football operations, he NEEDS to trust him and let him do his job.

As the GM, I'd be inclined to hire a coach that stresses discipline and character, and who would want to bring in good character players. Then let him hire his own coaching staff. (But getting rid of Davidson is A MUST.) I'd make recommendations and suggestions, but the final decision would be the head coach's to make. If the new coach requests, I'd draft Andrew Luck (if he comes out) first overall and bring Jake Delhomme back as that veteran QB and mentor to Luck. I'd dangle Clausen as trade bait. A functional movement coach would be hired to reduce the amount of injuries to the players. NO detail would be unattended.

The Panthers DO have talent, they just need an overhaul of the coaching staff, plus an identity.

Are the Carolina Panthers stuck on "suck" this year?

From the performance against the woeful Buffalo Bills, they certainly are! The Panthers dominated in every facet but the scoreboard. They outgained the Bills 425-167 in total yards, held a 2 to 1 advantage in time of possession, but FOUR turnovers killed them. I can give several reasons why the Panthers are stuck on suck.

1. Turnovers. Jake Delhomme threw three more costly interceptions, two of which led to the Bills' touchdowns. When is this guy going to get benched? It's a race between him and JaMarcus Russell to see who's going to set the NFL record for most interceptions in a season, as both QBs are on that kind of pace.
2. Coaching. Mistakes, both mental and physical, are a reflection on the coaching staff's performance in the week leading up to the game. A well-prepared team makes FEW mistakes, and when they do, they correct them in practice the next week, or even later in that same game, and they have the team that can overcome them. The Panthers are STILL committing the same mistakes that should have been remedied by the end of TRAINING CAMP. Jumping offsides, forgetting the snap count, blowing coverages, etc. Perhaps the players have tuned out John Fox. Perhaps it's time for some new blood. Bill Cowher, are you listening?
3. Injuries. That part, even the best teams have to deal with. Injuries are a part of the game, and losing your best run stuffer, Maake Kemoeatu, in the first minute of training camp put the Panthers behind the 8 ball. But the good teams overcome those injuries. The good teams have minimal injuries. Remember the Patriots of 2007? They had very few injuries for the whole season. The Patriots very nearly overcame Tom Brady's devastating injury and made the playoffs last year.
4. Confidence. Or a lack thereof. Good teams KNOW they can win every time they step out on the field. Do they? A vast majority of the time. Consequently, bad teams know they can lose, and very often do.
5. Personnel. The Panthers have two beasts at RB in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Why NOT average 40 rush attempts a game between the two? With 40 attempts at a 4.5 ypc average, the Panthers should average 180 rushing ypg. Build up depth in the offensive line. Don't rely on Delhomme to win the game, for crying out loud! Bench Delhomme. Put Matt Moore in there and see what he can do. AJ Feeley is NOT your long-term starter.

Now what should the Panthers do the rest of the season? I have some ideas.

1. Bench Delhomme for the rest of the season. Park his ass on that pine and tell him to get comfortable there, because that's where he'll be. Put Matt Moore in as starter.
2. Use Williams and Stewart more often, with a little bit of Mike Goodson thrown in.
3. Develop a #2 receiver to complement Steve Smith and eventually succeed Muhsin Muhammad.
4. Get healthy. The bye in Week 3 couldn't have come at a better time for the Panthers, as they had a long list of injuries. Last season, the Panthers were relatively healthy en route to winning the NFC South, although near the end of the season, the D-line was banged up significantly. This season, there is no continuity due to the injuries. Captain Munnerlyn got injured in the game against Buffalo.
5. Establish an identity that we're going out there to kick your ass up and down that field, and that you're going to be in for a LONG day. Maybe they don't make the playoffs, but they can build for next year.

Now I'm done with my little rant.

2009 NFL Predictions--NFC South

Today, I'm doing things a bit different than all the other football mags. Instead of profiling the NFC North, I'm profiling the NFC South. (A FAR better conference than the NFC North, IMO.)

NFC SOUTH

Carolina Panthers: already, this team is facing injury issues. Maake Kemoeatu is out for the year with a torn Achilles' tendon. Jon Beason is nicked up. So is Steve Smith. So are Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, aka Smash and Dash. They have 21 of 22 possible starters returning. (Ken Lucas was cut.) Jake Delhomme has a lot to prove. Muhsin Muhammad, although 36, still has some good years left. The defense is solid, although Richard Marshall has to make the adjustment to being a starting CB. The schedule makers did the Panthers NO favors, although most of their tough games are at home. (1st)

Atlanta Falcons: their offense is first-class, with Matt Ryan proving to be a franchise QB. Michael Turner proved he was no fluke last season. Roddy White broke out big-time. They added future Hall of Fame TE Tony Gonzalez, who looks rejuvenated and is poised for a big year. However, the defense is very suspect. This team will be in their share of shootouts. The Falcons have almost as tough a schedule as Carolina, as they play a second place schedule. (2nd)

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees will once again have a huge season, perhaps setting the new standard for pass yardage. It's a wonder his arm didn't fall off last season. Reggie Bush is poised to have a huge year. Now if only the Saints' coaching staff knew HOW to use Bush, the team would be MUCH better for it. We all know the Saints can move the ball and score. The Saints' defense is a question mark; like the Falcons, they'll be in their share of shootouts. (3rd)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: this team is a shell of what it once was. Ronde Barber is one of very few players left on the 2002 team that shellacked the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl. New coach, new system, new personnel. This is a big-time rebuilding process. Raheem Morris has to wonder sometimes what he got himself into. But, they do have young talent on both sides of the ball. They have an up and coming franchise QB in Josh Freeman. They got Derrick Ward via free agency, so there's some good building blocks there. But WHO'S going to catch the ball? On defense, WHOLE new system. Monte Kiffin's gone, he's with his son Lane at the University of Tennessee. Gone is the Tampa 2, replaced by a physical, pressing defense that emphasizes man to man. It'll take a couple of years, but I think the Bucs are on the right track. (4th)

TOMORROW: THE NFC NORTH.