SB Nation - Matt Moore

All We Want for Christmas Is...

ericj69 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:58:40 -0000

She's been very naughty, but the Vikings have been nothing but nice this year.

Dear Santa,

Sunday is Minnesota's last game before Christmas. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to write you this year; I have my holiday party for work tonight and a family Christmas tomorrow. I would have written to you last night, but I was too busy watching my fantasy playoff dreams getting crushed by Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark. So rather than give you a full analysis of the upcoming Vikings/Panthers game (I know you're an avid reader of the Daily Norseman now that the North Pole has Wi-Fi), I'll give you my wish list for the game and the rest of the Vikings' season:

I really wish that you could send some good medicine to Percy Harvin for those migraines he's been having. He really wants that Rookie of the Year trophy as a belated Christmas present, and he deserves it. It'd be a shame for him to miss out on his gift just because he missed games at the end of the year. And of course we need him down the stretch and in the playoffs!
I wish that Matt Moore plays just like Jake Delhomme and sends lots of gifts to our secondary on Sunday night.
I wish that the Vikings will capture the #1 spot in rushing defense yet again. It's becoming a holiday tradition! And if we can stop DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, it will go a long way towards getting the top rushing defense and winning the game on Sunday.
I wish that we don't have a game like the last time we were in Carolina in 2005. You remember that game, don't you Santa? Steve Smith went wild on us, Daunte Culpepper played his last game as a Viking thanks to blowing out approximately 17 ligaments in his knee, and Minnesota lost 38-13. Can we make some positive memories this time around?
I wish that I could see some good ol' fashioned calf roping on Sunday from Jared Allen. He's been a little quiet lately, and I'd like to see him make a late-season push for Defensive MVP. (Otherwise, Charles Woodson is probably going to win, and you know we don't want that to happen.) I just hope that Allen can outperform Julius Peppers and establish his dominance again.
I wish for a healthy Brett Favre down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. I know, I know--I spent 16 years wishing for the exact opposite thing to happen. You got me there. But you never came through on any of those wishes, so maybe this year you could take my wish into account. Just this once? I vividly remember watching Tarvaris Jackson in the Metrodome during the playoff game against the Eagles last year. There's a very real possibility of that matchup happening again this season, and I'd much prefer to have #4 behind center.
I wish that Chris Gamble will learn from covering Randy Moss and take most of the plays off this week. He should just let Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian roam free all day. Could you teach Chris that giving space is better than receiving any interceptions?

(More wishes and my Week 15 picks after the jump)

I wish I didn't have to think about the threat of a nude Pat Williams if we win the Super Bowl this year. Did he really say he'll "retire if the Vikings win the Super Bowl this season and will walk off the field wearing nothing but tights and socks"? Don't get me wrong, if seeing too much of Phat Pat ensures us victory I'm OK with it...but yeesh.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, I wish that this team wasn't compared to the 1998 Vikings so much. I see the similarities, but I still remember the t-shirt I had when I was a senior in high school. It read "All I Want For Christmas Is A Super Bowl". It pictured Randall Cunningham as you with our offensive line as the reindeer. Obviously that kind of blasphemy upset you. So I don't even want you to think that the two versions of the Vikings are the same, OK?
I wish that the Vikings will cruise to an easy win on Sunday to secure the 2009 NFC North title and all but lock up a first-round bye for the playoffs.

Thanks Santa! Merry Christmas everyone!

Prediction: Vikings 34, Panthers 13

Oh and one last thing: I wish that all of my Week 15 NFL picks will be right (home team in CAPS):

SAINTS over Cowboys: I wish the Saints would just go ahead and lose a couple games to give us a shot at the #1 seed. But the Cowboys winning in December is going to take much more than a Christmas miracle.

RAVENS over Bears: I wish that Jay Cutler will keep playing like this for years and years to come in Chicago. I never thought Favre's interception record would ever be in jeopardy, but maybe I was wrong...

Patriots over BILLS: I wish that I could turn on ESPN or sports radio and not have to listen to "what's wrong with the Patriots." It's a little drastic for a division-leading 8-5 team.

Cardinals over LIONS: I wish Arizona played like they did in San Francisco when we played them a couple weeks ago. I'd also wish that the Lions weren't such a train wreck, but I enjoy the two victories over Detroit each year.

CHIEFS over Browns: I wish that this game never even existed.

JETS over Falcons: I wish I knew for sure whether Matt Ryan and Michael Turner were playing at 100% this week, because that may sway my pick here.

EAGLES over 49ers: I wish there wasn't a real possibility of Eagles fans flooding Minneapolis for the third straight season. Hearing that "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" chant makes me want to repeatedly headbutt a pile of railroad ties.

Texans over RAMS: I wish the Texans wouldn't beat up on awful teams at the end of each season to finish 8-8 and be everyone's "sleeper team" the following year. I also wish Steven Jackson didn't have to waste the prime of an incredible career on a string of the aforementioned awful teams.

TITANS over Dolphins: I wish that both of these teams could make the playoffs, because they're a lot more fun to watch than the other AFC Wild Card options.

BRONCOS over Raiders: I wish the Broncos would win this game, because this is my Eliminator pick and I'm 14-0 so far this year. I also wish I could stop laughing at JaMarcus Russell because he can't even get the start over Charlie Frye this week.

CHARGERS over Bengals: I wish that Chris Henry was still with us, because the Bengals have already had enough to deal with this year after Mike Zimmer's wife passed away. I also wish that if I get one pick wrong this week it's this one. Cincinnati deserves some good news.

SEAHAWKS over Buccaneers: I wish this game took place two years ago when both teams were actually decent.

Packers over STEELERS: I wish the defending champions hadn't completely folded down the stretch so they would actually beat the Packers here.

Giants over REDSKINS: I wish the Giants would just make up their mind about whether they're actually good or not. I never know how to pick their games.

Last week: 11-5

Season so far: 144-65 (including correctly picking Indianapolis last night)

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (Minnesota Vikings edition)

James The Aussie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:01:01 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

7 days ago: Minnesota Vikings' Brett Favre (4) hugs Adrian Peterson (28) after Peterson's touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Minneapolis. The Vikings won 30-10. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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Good morning Panther faithful and happy hump day! Twelve lords a leapin'? Not quite. This is the current number of Carolina Panthers on injured reserve. It's been a horrible 2009 campaign for injuries, but it could be worse; both the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 18 players on the IR. After the loss Jeff Otah yesterday the injury ravaged Carolina Panthers (5-8) host the dynamic Minnesota Vikings (11-2) in the last of the Panthers' nationally televised games on Sunday night.

Though not officially announced at the time of this article it appears Matt Moore will be making his third start in a row under center for the beleaguered Carolina Panthers offense. So what does this week hold for the Cats? Find out:

After the jump...

Minnesota run offense vs. Carolina run defense

There's this guy who dons the purple every week. He's pretty good from what I hear... what is his name? Oh yeah, Adrian Peterson. If you aren't aware of Peterson's exploits you've been living under a rock for the last two NFL seasons. Peterson is easily one of the top 5 running backs in the NFL, and some want to anoint him as the next Walter Payton. I'm not willing to go quite that far, but Peterson is an outstanding running back.

Meanwhile, the Panthers' run defense is far from stellar allowing 137.3 yards on the ground each week (26^th in the NFL). If the Panthers want to make some plays in this area they will have to force Peterson to fumble, which isn't a wholly difficult prospect as he's put the ball on the turf 6 times thus far in 2009.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

In times of yore purple was reserved as a color for kings... so how fitting the Mississippi Methuselah wears the color for the season likely to be his swansong. Brett Favre has found the fountain of youth in Minnesota turning in a MVP caliber season. Thus far Favre has over 3,000 yards, 27 TDs, only 6 INTs while posting a QB rating of 106. A good reason for this resurgence is a veritable smorgasbord of effective wide receivers. Led by a product of the Carolina's- Sidney Rice, the Vikings also have rookie Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian rounding out their receiving corps. Couple this with Visanthe Shiancoe at TE and the Vikings are very deadly ranked 11^th in the NFL in passing.

Meanwhile the Carolina Panthers' 6^th ranked pass defense has been a bright spot in an otherwise dark season. We've seen the NFL's best and brightest and held the vast majority of passing defenses below their season averages. It would be nice to still have Thomas Davis to keep opposing tight ends honest, but all in all I think the pass D can step up again.

Edge: Carolina Panthers

KEY MATCHUP: Carolina run offense vs. Minnesota run defense

The Carolina Panthers' run offense is a wounded animal at this point. With injuries to both Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah, the normally calm edges do not provide safe harbor for Double Trouble. In the latter part of 2009 the Carolina Panthers' depth on the offensive line has been tested, and been found wanting for the most part. That being said, both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have big play potential every time they touch the ball. The Panthers still hold strong at 4^th in the NFL in rushing, despite slightly weakened performances the last two weeks.

Conversely, the Minnesota Vikings are boasting a very stout run defense. They have an extremely efficient group of LBs led by Chad Greenway who leads the team in tackles. Their run defense is currently ranked 4^th in the NFL and this battle of the number 4's proves to be the most intriguing aspect of Sunday night's game.

Edge: Push

Carolina pass offense vs. Minnesota pass defense

As we embark on week three of the Matt Moore experiment it's starting to look a little more like a 4^th grade science fair project than a Nobel Prize winner. Moore has been efficient, but not dynamic. After facing two fairly weak pass defenses in his first two outings he's up against a rough defense this week. If Moore and the Panthers' 28^th ranked pass offense hope to make any dents in the Vikings' armor he needs to get Steve Smith involved early, and often. Relying on the outlets again this week is not going to move the chains efficiently, especially when the run offense is in for a fight.

The Vikings' pass defense is ranked 11^th in the NFL for good reason. The Vikings don't have any true ball hawks in the secondary (only nabbing 6 interceptions this season) but while they lack in this area they more than make up for in coverage. It will be a rough week for Moore.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Special Teams

Special teams have been drastically improved since the early weeks of 2009, but they're far from a strong point. The Panthers only average 19.9 yards per kickoff to the Vikings' 24.4 and the Panthers are allowing almost 11 yards per punt return to the Vikings' 9.1.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Coaching

Each week this proves to be the hardest aspect to prognosticate. The Panthers' coaching has been so up and down in 2009 it's near impossible to guess what will happen on Sundays. We still need to run the ball more and be more inventive on the offensive end; conversely the defensive coaching has been outstanding. Ron Meeks was a real find for the defense.

The Vikings are getting it done on both sides of the ball. The Panthers are getting it done on one side of the ball. This alone makes it a clear choice.

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Final Summary

The Panthers are playing for pride, and to dampen some of the boundless excitement in the camp of San Francisco 49ers fans who await our 2010 1^st round pick. Carolina is evaluating the talent and depth they have to better prepare them for a 2010 campaign. I know there is a convoluted scenario that shows how we can make the playoffs, but it would require a Christmas miracle of Charlie Brown proportions to make that a reality.

Meanwhile the Vikings are playing to retain the 1^st round bye. The Vikings are a very, very good football team, but most people who read this article on a regular basis know I just can't pick against my Panthers... so my heavily biased prediction is:

Carolina Panthers 27 - Minnesota Vikings 24

Panthers Fold Against Patriots 20-10

Jaxon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:26:46 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

7 days ago: Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore (3) is sacked by New England Patriots defensive end Derrick Burgess (53) during the second half of an NFL football game in the rain in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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If you are searching for answers as to why the Panthers lost to the Patriots today you can't blame the defense. They held a potent Patriots offense to 20 points while creating 3 turnovers and denying 8 of 11 3rd down conversions. No, if you are looking for answers look at the offense

Back-up QB Matt Moore didn't have a bad day statistically speaking: 15 for 30 197 yards and a TD. But outside of a bomb to Steve Smith he misfired repeatedly throughout the day. In many cases he had a receiver wide open yet overthrew the player, sometimes badly. I'm not pinning this loss on Moore I'm just saying if he could have hit some of those passes he missed in the first half the Panthers might have made this more of a game. As it was the Panthers stayed close but it was only a matter of time before the Patriot offense got untracked.

The running game seemed to be effective at times but was mostly shackled by a lack of touches with only 20 carries between Williams and Stewart. Combine that with the 30 passes for Matt Moore and you have a team that lost in TOP. So if you want to throw a dart at the Panthers defense it has to be the run defense. They got gashed for 180+ yards that allowed the Patriots to control the ball.

The notable Panther performances are after the jump...

LB Dan Conner has 5 tackles and three assists and recovered a fumble in his first start at SLB.
LB Jon Beason led the team with 9 tackles
WR Steve Smith put up 83 yards and a TD on only two receptions. How did Smith not get more catches?
FS Chalres Godfrey chipped in 5 tackles, 3 assists and a FF
RB DeAngelo Williams had 82 yards on 13 carries (6+ yards per carry)
DE Everette Brown had a critical roughing the kicker call that prevented a possible Panthers game tying scoring drive. What were the chances of that really happening given how the offense was playing? One in ten at best.

Let's hear it Panther fans. Should Moore continue to start? What if Jake can start next week, put him back in? The Panthers are still not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs believe it or not.

Jets Flight Connections 121309

dvdvil — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:34:12 -0000

First of all, don't forget to check out "Jets 24/7" "Jets Flight Plan" on WCBS-TV New York at 11:30am.

Brian Schottenheimer explains why Kellen Clemens looked so bad against Buffalo.

Kellen is eager to start again at quarterback.

His coaches and teammates say they have total trust in the back-up.

Will Tampa Bay hurt our post-season push?

This article says bet on the Jets, while this one says bet on the Bucs.

With Robert Turner out and Alan Faneca recovering from illness, the Jets activated OT Ryan McKee from the practice squad.

Former Army HC and current Jets LB Coach Bob Sutton was at the Army-Navy game.

Buccaneers HC Raheem Morris and Jets Strength and Conditioning Coach Sal Alosi were teammates at Hofstra.

More connections after the jump.

Read about how well former Jets Jason Trusnik and David Bowens are doing with the Browns.

What's going wrong in New England is not Tom Brady's fault.

Maybe it's Adalius Thomas's fault, who will not play today.

Matt Moore will be the quarterback for the Panthers against the Patriots.

Do you remember when Carolina went to the Super Bowl? What if Kris Jenkins and the Panthers had won then?

The Dolphins will be playing without Jake Grove again, while the Jaguars will be without Mike Sims-Walker, John Henderson and Rashean Mathis.

Lastly, please keep voting for you favorite Jets to go to the Pro Bowl.

Here are some highlights of the last one, where we voted in seven Jets players:

Keys to Winning: Panthers @ Patriots

MaPatsFan — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:58:44 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

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4 late players sent home on Wednesday? One (Adalius Thomas) a healthy scratch for today? Tom Brady a little bruised and banged up? Trouble in paradise?

Much has been made of "Late Gate", of Bill Belichick's turning away of 4 players for tardiness. I'm sure our rivals will turn this into, "There they go. Here comes the downhill slide." Right. Like their own teams have never had discipline problems. Funny thing about speaking out on those matters. Chances are they're living in a glass house. Adalius Thomas was benched for today because Belichick thought someone else could give them a better chance of winning. It could be a little extra discipline for being the only one of the "Late Four" who spoke out about the incident. Randy Moss, considered by many rivals to be a hopeless curmudgeon, did the right thing and went about his business, keeping his mouth shut. Discipline stays in the building.

At any rate, this is about our upcoming matchup with the Panthers. More after the jump.

With QB Matt Moore in for Jake Delhomme, the Panthers have to rely on their backup QB to matchup against a riled up New England Patriots team...in their own house. This won't be easy for Carolina, hopefully. After 2 heart wrenching losses on the road (the first, a dismantling by New Orleans and the second, a heartbreaker to division rival Miami) I'm betting on Belichick being aggravated and unloading on his players this past week.

Carolina is going to pound the rock with QB Matt Moore under center. Running back Jonathan Stewart is freight train on legs at 5-10 235 lbs. And 120 yards, even against Tampa Bay, is nothing to sneeze at. And New England is ranked 15th in rushing yards per game. It would make no sense for the Panthers, ranked 27th in the passing game, to air the ball out. Yup, pound the rock with their 3rd rated rushing offense.

On our side, Julius Peppers is going to be a problem. Whether he's motivated or not by a huge franchise paycheck this year, I think he'll be interviewing for a job today. He knows there was talk about him moving to the Patriots this season, but the price tag was just too high. Julius would also have to be thick as a brick to be unaware of our troubles putting together a consistent pass rush. Great pass rusher and a team who desperately needs a good pass rush... hmmm.

You can bet the Panthers have been watching game film, especially the Miami matchup. Shutdown Randy Moss and you take away the deep ball, for the most part. Yeah, there was that 81 yarder to Sam Aiken, but it's almost a forgone conclusion that Brady will try to force the ball to Randy at one time or another. We need to spread the ball around a LOT more. Of course Wes Welker will be one of the primary targets. But is Moss the right early look? Sam Aiken needs to be in the picture and I believe Benjamin Watson needs to play a big role in this game. He's been underutilized this year, but has delivered consistently when asked to. I've said many times in these stories that he's our secret weapon, but always seems to get few looks from Wonderboy. Bill, are you listening? Throw to "Big Ben"!!

We're playing at home, the team is fired up, and we need this win to keep Miami at a distance. I'll go into serious mourning if we lose another Division title to the Dolphins with a tie breaker.

Prediction: Patriots, 28-17.

NFL Sunday TV Viewing Guide

John (obviousman) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:07:34 -0000

Do you have DirecTV and the NFL Sunday Ticket package? Do you work at, or spend your Sundays at, a bar that does? Do you have a laptop computer so that you can watch scores while watching the game?

Well, here you go. This is the first installment of your NFL Sunday TV Viewing Guide. This is to let you, the Chargers fan, know how to plan your day and which games to keep an eye on. I'll also add in the reasons to watch, and any potential storylines.

1pm EST Games to Watch

There are six(!) games that you should keep an eye on as you settle into that groove on your couch this Sunday.

Broncos at Colts - This is simple enough. The Chargers have a 1 game lead in the AFC West. If the undefeated Colts can keep their winning streak going, that lead can either stay at one (with a SD loss) or grow to two (with just 3 games left). The Colts are the best regular-season team in the league, and they absolutely love playing at home. Their starters will go because they're still playing for that playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The only possible reason for concern is that Peyton Manning does not play his best football against 3-4 defenses.
Jets at Buccaneers - Chargers fans could use a Tampa Bay victory, and there's reason to believe it may happen. The Jets are starting backup QB Kellen Clemens, and the young Bucs have been playing decent football since Josh Freeman took over as the starting QB. A good game by Freeman, as well as TB winning the turnover battle, and Raymond James Stadium will be rocking.
Bengals at Vikings - The Bolts main competition at this point of the season is Denver and Cincinnati. Cincy has the same record as San Diego, and both teams are competing for the last available playoff bye. A win against the Bengals next week would certainly help the Chargers chances, but there's no harm in getting started this week. The Vikings will also be a good barometer for just how good the Bengals are, and will hopefully find some holes in a very good Bengals defense.
Dolphins at Jaguars - I really don't know how this factors in, but it does. A Jacksonville win helps the Chargers clinch the playoffs just that much quicker. I've found the Dolphins to be a fun team to watch this season, and Chad Henne looks like he could be a heck of a QB in the future. The Jags have been a roller-coasted of a team all season, but they appear to finally be playing good football every week.

Anyone notice anything? Those are probably the four most important non-Chargers game for Chargers fans this week, and we're rooting for all home teams. I feel good about that.

Panthers at Patriots - This time we're rooting against the Patriots (what else is new?). Stories swirling out of New England this week lead me to believe that this locker room will either explode, or everyone will suddenly get on the same page and become a winning football team. Even though Matt Moore is playing QB for the Panthers, an outright chemistry explosion for the Patriots leaves any and all possibilities on the table. I don't recommend watching this one, but definitely keep an eye on the score.
Lions at Ravens - Chargers fans should be rooting for the Lions. Yikes. I think Dante Culpepper is going for this one instead of Matthew Stafford, which is good news for the Lions and Calvin Johnson. I don't expect this to be a blowout by any means, but the Ravens basically need to win out to make the playoffs so they'll be playing with a monstrous chip on their shoulder.

4pm EST Game to Watch

Chargers at Cowboys - If you needed me to tell you this, you've found your way to the wrong blog. There's no need to watch them, but I'll be rooting for wins by the Raiders (against the Redskins) and the Rams (against the Titans) just as a way to see the Chargers future opponents get a little bit weaker.

Has Panthers Delhomme Made Final Start of 2009?

Jaxon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:00:23 -0000

by Chuck Burton - AP

13 days ago: Carolina Panthers' Matt Moore (3) prepares throw a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. Moore was a winner in his first start of the season for the Panthers, and likely will remain Carolina's quarterback for another week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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Does anyone else find it slightly incredulous that Panthers coach John Fox calls Jake Delhomme day-to-day following a fracture of his middle finger on his throwing hand? That easily sounds like a three or even four week healing process. I'm pretty sure it took Tony Romo three to four weeks to recover from a similar injury last season. Four weeks until being able to throw without pain sounds reasonable and besides, why would you want to rush back a QB with 18 INT's in 11 games? Wouldn't you want to make sure Delhomme's finger is a 100% before risking another loss at this point?

So if we assume Delhomme is out four weeks then why not just sit him the final two? If in these next two games Matt Moore leads the Panthers back to .500 at 7-7 they are suddenly back in the wildcard hunt. Removing Moore from the line up after resurrecting the season against teams like the Patriots and Vikings would certainly put Fox in the hot seat if Delhomme tanked...again.

If the Panthers instead lose the next two games the season is dead and so again I ask why start Delhomme. Let him go ahead and start his planning for next season. With his contract the Panthers will at the very least have him back in camp and competing.

If the Panthers do lose and Matt Moore fails to impress then why not give AJ Feeley a shot? I'll stop there and not suggest we elevate Hunter Cantwell as tempting as that sounds. Fans pay good money to see these games and they should see the best the Panthers have on the roster. The Panthers know ultimately that need to keep a competitive team on the field to keep the wine and cheese crowd happy. Besides, even if Moore tanks you can hardly fault Fox for sticking with the kid, he obviously doesn't better options.

If the Panther are eliminated from playoff contention then I say it's time to figure out if our future starting QB is already on the roster. I would really applaud John Fox if just went ahead and told Moore he going to start at least two more games. See how the kid responds to the pressure. I will agree that Moore wasn't overly impressive in his start against the Bucs. Mediocre stats but I thought he made some good decisions under pressure, made some crisp throws and good rid of the ball quickly. Again, not an overly impressive performance but a solid (and winning helps). Honestly if there is one characteristic that has impressed me the most it was his poise. Moore doesn't appear to get rattled in the pocket, sheds hits, and appears focused on the at all times. That said, here's three things I would like to see Moore improve on in his next start.

Let's start with his pocket awareness. The Patriots will certainly bring pressure to rattle the youngster and the Panthers offense line hasn't exactly been a fortress. I'm looking to see if he can sense the pressure and move around in the pocket a little to buy him that extra second he needs.
Let's see if he takes more shots down field. The Patriots Achilles heel on offense is its secondary. WR Steve Smith will certainly want to build a rapport with Moore and there is no better way to do that then connect for a couple big plays. Remember Smith's miraculous catch in the freezing cold last season in Green Bay? Smith would love nothing more than to do that in Foxboro under similar conditions.
Finally let's see if the kid uses his wheels this week. It seems there is always at least one point in every game when a QB is better served to run for the that 3^rd down conversation if they could only see it. Moore has run the ball very little in his short career but that needs to change. If I'm going to invest in a young QB then I need a guy who can also pull the ball down and run three yards for that first down if the opportunity is there. We have all seen the danger of having a statue for a QB in the pocket. The pass rushers start running to a spot and it's only a matter of time before that ball gets knocked out.

Now that the Panther defense is playing better this team can keep itself in games to the end if it will only protect the ball on offense. Putting any QB coming off an injury to his throwing hand back into the starting line-up prematurely is a recipe for disaster, much less one having a season such as Delhomme's. Sticking with Moore for the remainder of the season only makes sense no matter the win-loss record. Only then will the Panthers be able to properly formulate an offseason plan for the QB position, something many fans on this site wished had happened last offseason...

I can't end on such a stale note. There STILL remains that last glimmer of hope that these Panthers with their young, fearless leader somehow infiltrates the Patriots, conquers the Vikings, squashes the Giants and excommunicates the Saints. If that miraculous scenario should happen then how excited would we be? Just think about that for a moment......I can't even go there. Positive vibe gone...

Poll

Should Panthers QB Jake Delhomme get another start in the 2009 season?

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots

MaPatsFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:31:31 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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Bill Belichick is aggravated. After a dismantling in the Big Easy and dropping a squeaker in Miami, he's miffed, PO'd, in a bad mood, grumpy... you name it. None of it's good, especially for the players. Like I've discussed before, Bill Belichick didn't suddenly have a brain fart and forget how to coach. As some of you have posited, it's possible there's some coaching issues with the OC position and Bill might be taking on too much, but I think we have a talent issue here. Looking specifically at our defense, they're young and lack the experience to keep points off the board, especially in the second half. The offense? They're simply not scoring enough points. That and some blown 4th and whatevers, but we've beaten that to death.

Moving on to the Panthers...

Belichick's peaved, so peaved he sent four players home. He's upping the ante and making sure players are listening. This is it right here, I tell you what. We need to win out to prevent Miami from crawling all over us:

Here's where the issue is -- The Patriots have four games left. If the Dolphins run the table, and it's not outrageous to think they could, then New England can't afford to lose another game. Because then, Miami will hold tiebreakers, as it did last year, and repeat as division champs.

We can't let that happen, which is why it's is so important to set a tone after 2 losses on the road. This Sunday at 1pm ET, we face off against another NFC South team, the Carolina Panthers. We know our AFC rivals far better than those from the NFC. Matching up every 4 years, it's hard to get a handle on the Panthers as a rival.

Looking at their last game against the Bucs, Matt Moore struggled to establish an air game against a decent Buccaneers passing defense, going 14/20 and 161 yards, no TD's and one pick. Rookie RB Jonathan Stewart picked up a significant number of yards, 120 and a TD, against a bottom-of-the-barrel Tampa Bay run defense. Looking at Carolina, they're 6th in pass defense and 26th in run defense. What does that say?

Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

There'll be more to come. For now, let's start learning a bit about this team. Look for more info in the coming days and make sure to use the Q & A FanPost our fine rival blogger has setup.

Panthers Pick Apart Bucs 16-6

Jaxon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:35:15 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

14 days ago: Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, right, is congratulated by teammates Travelle Wharton, left, and Mackenzy Bernadeau, center, in the closing seconds of their 16-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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The Panthers took care of business today beating a one win Bucs team that is still breaking in a new QB. The game featured two young QBs trying to rally their teams. The Panther defense made sure their new starter got off to a good start intercepting Bucs QB Josh Freeman 5 times on their way to their fifth victory.

Here's some quick hits with further analysis coming:

LB Jon Beason led the defense with two red zone INTs and 6 tackles
RB Jonathan Stewart got his first start of the season and responded with 120 yards and TD on 26 carries
QB Matt Moore was a pedestrian 14 of 20 for 161 yards with one INT but more importantly he limited his mistakes
WR Steve Smith was mostly silent (3 for 78 yds) outside of a big catch late in the game (66 yards)

CB Richard Marshall led the defense with 9 tackles but had trouble covering Bucs WR Antonio Bryant (5 for 116 yds)
K John Kasay was 3 for 3 on FGs
Back-up RB Terrel Sutton played well (6 for 38, 6.2 ypc) showing good moves on some inside runs
With PR Captain Munnerlyn sidelined from a concussion CB Chris Gamble muffed his only punt return catch giving the Bucs a short field
SS Chris Harris had 5 tackles and an INT and led the run support from the secondary. He also short circuited a pass by Freeman on a blitz where he hit the QBs arm as he was throwing
The Panthers were a paltry 3 for 11 (27%) on 3rd downs, an on-going trend in 2009

The biggest question from this game is did you see enough from Matt Moore to let him start next week even if Jake Delhommes finger is better? Should he start the remainder of the season?

Poll

The Panthers game ball in the win over the Bucs should go to:

Time for the Road to the NFC Championship to Take a Detour

ericj69 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:58:09 -0000

After Sunday night's game, they'll need to stick these outside of University of Phoenix Stadium if people are looking for the road to the Super Bowl.

View full size photo »

The Arizona Cardinals, defending NFC Champions, are well on their way to winning their second consecutive NFC West title this year.

If you would have read me that sentence two years ago, I would have told you to send me the link to the rest of the article from The Onion, since it was obviously a joke. (If you had read me that sentence in 2001, I would have just assumed you knew nothing about the NFL since Arizona was obviously in the NFC East. You hypothetical dumbass from the past.)

But it's true. Arizona somehow made the Super Bowl last year. The same team that Tarvaris Jackson torched for an easy Minnesota 35-14 win in Arizona last year. And even after Vince Young gave Matt Leinart an acid flashback of the 2006 Rose Bowl last week, the Cardinals are still perched atop their division by two games. (Note: I totally didn't mean to make the lame "Cardinals/perched" pun there, but I'm not surprised that I accidentally did.) Technically, the road to the NFC Championship still runs through Glendale, AZ.

But only until Sunday night, if everything goes well for the Vikes. A win for the Purple means the road to Super Bowl XLIV takes a detour away from Arizona.

If the Vikings prevail in the desert, they'll guarantee that Arizona would get the third seed in the NFC at the very best, assuring the Cardinals will have to go on the road to make it back to the Super Bowl. (Yes, I realize they won a road game to get there last year, but they still won the NFC Championship at home. Just stay with my flimsy detour theme here. I posted a picture of a sign and everything.)

But just like creating real detours, we shouldn't expect this one to go smoothly. Yes, Favre is exponentially better than T-Jax. However, we're not the only team that has a Social Security-eligible quarterback that's still playing well. I know Kurt Warner missed last week's game, but I'd be surprised if he didn't play based on what I've heard this week. We have a strong core of receivers in El Sid, Percy, B-Twice, and Shank. But Larry Fitzgerald is still the best receiver in the game (you can mention Andre Johnson here, but he's tied with Fitz at the very best). Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are nothing to sneeze at either. If ever there was a game for Antoine Winfield to make his glorious return to the field, it's this one.

And would you look at this--the Cardinals even brought a little bit of a running game this year. They even average more than 2.3 yards a carry! Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower aren't greatest backfield committee ever (that's Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen, of course) but they've added a dimension to Arizona that wasn't really there last year.

Most of us know that stopping the Cards' offense will be tough. But what about the D? From what I've seen of Arizona and learned from the guys over at Revenge Of The Birds, they're better than the numbers show. They're 24th in total yards, but still in the top half of the league in points allowed and tied for fourth in sacks. Defensive lineman Darnell Dockett could give our line some trouble. Karlos Dansby leads the team in tackles and will be a tough test for our running game. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is not only annoying to type out, he's also annoying to play against. If Favre can't duplicate his zero-interception November, DRC is always a threat to take picks back to the house. I'd still take Minnesota's defense over Arizona's any day, but it doesn't mean we'll be able to duplicate the easy day in the desert we had last year.

While it would be nice to take another step towards Dome-field advantage, it would also be good to get another victory against a winning team. The only issue the critics have taken with Minnesota this year is "who have they played?" To be honest, the critics have a point. As Bill Simmons said today in his article:

Combined record of the nine teams they've defeated this season: 39-71. Let's give them 2009 Winston Wolf Memorial "Don't Start Sucking Each Other's Popsicles Yet" status.

A win on the road over the 7-4 Cards would give us a little more credibility heading towards the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the detour from Arizona might go south to New Orleans even if Minnesota is victorious on Sunday. I'm sure most of you saw the Saints absolutely disassemble the Patriots on Monday night. The Saints offense is formidable to say the least, but that's not what worries me most about N'awlins. That Superdome crowd was absolutely BONKERS the entire game. Could you imagine them in an NFC Championship Game with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance on the line? My ear drums are throbbing just thinking about it. Let's hope the Saints drop a couple games down the stretch so we can show them how loud the Metrodome can get in late January. But first thing's first--let's start the construction for the detour on Sunday!

Prediction: Vikings 31, Cardinals 24

The rest of my Week 13 NFL picks (home team in CAPS):

COLTS over Titans: These teams are six games apart in the standings, yet they may be the best two teams in the AFC right now. The Titans make an intriguing upset pick here--until you realize it's still Vince Young vs. Peyton Manning. Young is a winner, but he still throws like Uncle Rico.

Texans over JAGUARS: Would you ever pick either of these teams to win a game if your life depended on it? This game could a blowout either way and I can honestly say I wouldn't be surprised. Let's just move on before I change this pick like I already have six times.

Broncos over CHIEFS: The Chiefs as a team are as broken as Tiger Woods' Escalade. But don't tell that to Jamaal Charles, your 2009 Late-Season Fantasy Pickup From A Terrible Team MVP!

STEELERS over Raiders: The Steelers are on a three-game losing streak. If you had to pick an NFL team to play at home to break a three-game losing streak, wouldn't just about everyone pick the Raiders? I sure would.

Saints over REDSKINS: Yeah, that whole "Detour to Minnesota" theme of my column isn't going to get any help from Washington this week.

BENGALS over Lions: My Eliminator pick of the week--still alive at 12-0! If the Bengals lose two games in the easiest stretch of scheduling ever (Oakland-Cleveland-Detroit), they should be relegated to the UFL.

BEARS over Rams: Two weeks ago, the Seahawks came to the Dome and got pounded. They got to play the Rams the following week. Last week, the Bears came to the Dome and got embarrassed. They get to play the Rams this week. Call it the "NFL Scheduling Mercy Rule".

PANTHERS over Buccaneers: Jake Delhomme is out this week. Does that help or hurt Carolina's chances? Really, I'm serious. I've never even heard of Matt Moore until this week, but I can't imagine he'd be any worse.

Eagles over FALCONS: No Matty Ice for Atlanta this week. Which means they'll have to switch to McNabbelob Golden Light.

Chargers over BROWNS: I literally ran out of jokes to make about the Browns. So instead, I'll treat you to the best NFL theme song ever:

As a bonus, I'll also treat you to the Charger cheerleaders:

There--I bet you've forgotten all about those rotten Browns by now!

GIANTS over Cowboys: It's December. You know what that means Cowboy fans! Time for some melting down!

49ers over SEAHAWKS: Meh. I just need Vernon Davis and Frank Gore to have big weeks for me to clinch the regular season title in one of my fantasy leagues. So I'm picking San Fran.

Patriots over DOLPHINS: The Patriots don't lose two games in a row. I think it's a league rule or something.

Ravens over PACKERS: I have a bunch of Packer fan friends that are heading to Lambeau for this game. Please oh please, Baltimore, ruin their day for me!

Last week: 11-5

Season so far: 123-54 (including getting Thursday's game wrong)