SB Nation - Charles Johnson

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Carolina Panthers Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:14:53 -0000

The Panthers enter this game with a top five pass defense, giving up only 185 yards per game under first year coordinator Ron Meeks. Meeks is a disciple of Tony Dungy and favors the Tampa 2 defense. This scheme depends a lot on the front four to generate a pass rush. There is very little blitzing. In fact, the Panthers only have 2 sacks all year from non linemen. It is primarily an execution based defense. You more or less know what is coming, but it is not all that easy to beat.

Julius Peppers is Carolina's best pass rusher. The 6'7" 283 pound end could probably fit on the line in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 system. He leads the team with 7 sacks on the year. He is being slowed by an undisclosed hand injury, which has limited his playing time recently. His play has been somewhat up and down this year. Tyler Branton also plays end for the Panthers. He has 2.5 sacks and 16 pressures. Rookie Everette Brown from Florida State will also see time at end. He spent a lot of time subbing for Peppers last week. Charles Johnson, a part of Carolina's nickle package on the pass rush, is battling a pectoral injury. His status is unclear. No Carolina tackle has a sack this year. Based on this, the key matchup will be Peppers against D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Peppers has 7 of his team's 18 sacks this year. If D'Brickashaw does his job, there's a good chance the Jets will keep Mark Sanchez clean.

Linebackers and secondary players in a system like this play a lot of zone coverage. The middle linebacker in particular must be very athletic and cover a lot of ground. The safeties are playing Cover 2 deep, which means everything in front of them in the middle of the field falls to him. Jon Beason mans this role for the Panthers. He's been good near the line, leading the team in tackles and been solid in coverage. Carolina is thinner at outside linebacker. Standout Thomas Davis, who was excellent this year in zone coverage, is on injured reserve. So in backup Landon Johnson. Another starting outside linebacker, Na'il Diggs, is banged up with injured ribs and quite possibly could be out Sunday. That could leave young players James Anderson and Dan Connor outside. They both have been adequate against the pass, but it could leave Dustin Keller opportunities to find seams.

Carolina will likely start Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble on the outside at corner. They comprise a solid tandem. Gamble had a rough game against the Dolphins last week, but he has good cover skills. Marshall has been a solid performer all year. At safety Charles Godfrey is battling an ankle injury for the Panthers. If he can't go, he'll be replaced by rookie Sherrod Martin. Martin has started the last 4 games and arguably played better than Godfrey, who has struggled. Chris Harris, the other safety, has also had some lapses. Still, this defense is a Cover 2 with an emphasis on safeties playing conservatively to prevent big plays. I'm not sure I'd count on Braylon Edwards or David Clowney as vertical threats. A good route runner like Jerricho Cotchery will probably be the primary target working to find holes in the zone.

Brief Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Lions 34-12

Brandon — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:20:28 -0000

More photos » by Tony Ding - AP

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The game started out rocky: WR Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, and QB Matthew Stafford threw a TD pass to WR Charles Johnson for a quick 7-0 lead.

The rest of the game belonged to the Packers. Stafford attempted 39 passes after his TD pass, but he didn't throw another one (to his own team). He did throw 4 INTs, including a late pick 6 to CB Charles Woodson. Johnson was targeted on 10 more pass attempts, but only had 1 more receptions. Overall, Stafford finished with a 30.5 QB rating and a terrible 4.6 yards/pass attempt. Johnson was slowed by the injuries that kept him out of practice all week, but he also had Woodson following him around for the entire game. Woodson finished the game with 7 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass defenses, and 2 INTs (including the one he returned for a TD). I don't know if he really wanted whatever that turkey trophy is, FOX decided WR Donald Driver was the player of the game instead, but Woodson deserved. Just an outstanding game by the defense, which only allowed 272 yards of offense, grabbed those 4 INTs, and held Lion backs to only 3.2 yards/carry.

The defense was great, but the offense was very good in it's own right. As I mentioned above, Driver was the player of the game with 142 yards and 1 TD. The offensive line did a great job in pass protection, allowing only 1 sack by LB Julian Peterson after the Lions coverage shut down a 4th down play and QB Aaron Rodgers was trying to scramble. The only negative was that they only managed 3.0 yards per carry, but the Lions seemed to determine to stop the run by keeping their safeties up. Which helped to open up the big plays down the middle to Driver.

The big negative, and the factor that kept the game close in the 1st half, was the lousy Packer special teams. Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff, multiple penalties pushed the Packers back even further on kick returns, and K Mason Crosby missed a 43 yard FG attempt.

Overall a dominant victory to improve the Packers record to 7-4, and Mike McCarthy's record against the Lions to 8-0.

Grading the Offense: Cardinals vs Panthers

Andrew602 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:17:04 -0000

More photos » by Chris Puffe - AP

about 1 month ago: In this photo released by Chris Puffe, Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower (34) is stopped by Carolina Panthers cornerback Sherrod Martin (23) and Jon Beason (52) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-21. (AP Photo/Chris Puffe)

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With 7:28 left in the 2nd quarter of yesterday's game, Julius Peppers picks off a would-be Kurt Warner pass and runs it in 13 yards for the touchdown. That play alone should sum up the entire game. The Cardinals offense, widely due to Kurt Warner's 6 turnovers, seemed to blow every opportunity they had. The defense held its own in the second half, while the offense couldn't do much despite being down by only 10 at one point in the 4th quarter. The running game had it's moments but the Cardinals were forced to abandon any thought of handing off the ball and put the load on Kurt Warner's shoulders. That, was not a good idea and the Cardinals paid for it once the clock hit 0:00. The Cardinals offense needs an identity, which is an unusual thing to say considering the type of team this has been the last 2-3 seasons. Here's an evaluation and a grade for the offense for the way I see it.

Kurt Warner: If Warner was ever going to have a horrible game this season, he picked a bad time to do it. The Cardinals weren't in dire need of a win, but could have taken a stranglehold on the NFC West with the 49ers losing in Indianapolis. Despite throwing 46 passes, Warner only threw for 242 yards, which can widely be blamed on 6 turnovers. Warner will need to fix whatever problems he's having so far this year if the Cardinals want to improve to the offense they had last year. He'll also need to open up and have faith in his two pro bowl wide receivers.

Running Backs: Not a lot can be blamed on the running backs as they surprisingly had a good game. Beanie Wells rushed for 47 yards on 8 carries, while Tim Hightower had 8 carries for 39 yards and a score. Had the Cardinals not trailed by 21 points so early, we might have seen an even better rushing performance.

Wide Receivers: Tim Hightower led the team with 8 catches, which says something about his receiving skills, but shouldn't be a positive note. Warner has consistently checked down the ball when opposing teams stack more defenders in coverage this season. Teams were able to do this throughout the playoffs, yet the Cardinals overcame it, and aired the ball out. That tells me that Kurt Warner isn't the same as he was a year ago, or Todd Haley is a very good offensive coordinator. Either way, receivers played no role in this game.

Offensive Line: The offensive line continues to improve, but also shows why we all worry when facing talented defensive ends. Levi Brown hasn't been able to establish himself has a 1st round draft pick, and he may never show it. The rushing lanes were also there for the time they ran the ball. Aside from the 2 sacks allowed, Kurt Warner was given a good amount of time in the pocket considering they faced Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson.

Offensive Grade: F

The Cardinals receive an F for two reasons - turnovers and lack of production. The turnovers were the main fault, because when you hand the ball to the Panthers six times, you can never expect to win a game. The lack of production stems from turnovers, but when the Cardinals were driving the ball, the check-down passes hurt them and kept them from converting key third downs. If the Cardinals want to make a run later in the season, the offense will need to develop a more consistent base of chemistry. What grade did you give the Cardinals offense and why?

Poll

What is your grade for the Cardinals offensive effort on Sunday?

A

2 votes

B

2 votes

C

17 votes

D

68 votes

F

117 votes

206 votes | Poll has closed

Ask the Expert: Cardinals vs Panthers

Andrew602 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:11:55 -0000

More photos » by Nell Redmond - AP

This is a sight we might see on Sunday.

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Today we sit down with Cat Scratch Reader lead blogger, Jaxon, who gives his insight on the team we face this Sunday, the Carolina Panthers. He was nice enough to take the time out of his day to answer five questions, and you can check out the five questions he asked me over at there site. So to continue on, let's look at how he answered my questions.

1. Obviously you had to see question 1 coming - Do you think that Jake Delhomme's struggles stem from the playoff loss last year and if so, how?

To a degree I think the answer is yes. That loss provided the first crack in his confidence that he admits carried over into this season. I think his continued struggles stem deeper than that though. I think for an NFL QB the mental aspect is just as important as any physical gifts. If Delhomme can’t get his head back on straight this might be the end for him.

2. Steve Smith was a receiver that we had all grown accustomed to seeing make big plays and put up fantastic numbers. So far this year he's projected to finish with 72 catches for 954 yards and 1-3 TDs, which would be his worst year since '03 minus the injury year. Do you feel Delhomme is to blame or is it the offense entirely?

Smith’s lack of production is mostly due to Delhomme. He is unable to hit to hit the long ball which is what makes Smith dangerous. The bracket coverage he commands limits his effectiveness in the short game. Some blame goes to the play calling too. Very little would I place on Smith himself.

3. Getting back to Delhomme, what do you see the Panthers doing with their quarterback position in the future? You guys traded your first round pick next year to San Francisco and it seems that Delhomme's career is done. Could you see them make a trade? a la Jay Cutler type trade?

Fox and GM Marty Hurney prefer to look for and sign young free agents like Delhomme and groom them. I don’t expect them to draft a QB early though given how deep the upcoming draft is at QB this year might be the exception. A trade is a possibility but nothing of the ‘blockbuster’ variety. They are too cautious for that.

4. What's going on with Julius Peppers? He does have 6 sacks (5 against bad teams) but we haven't heard his name as much and in the off season he wanted to play for a different team. Will he remain a Panther or end up with a different team next year?

He started slow but has played better the past few games. I expect him to play well this weekend and he loves to match up with Cardinals LT Levi Brown. If there is no salary cap this off-season the Panthers may franchise him again and try to trade him. I can’t see them paying him $20M for one season. They just might let him walk if Peppers again indicates he won’t sign the tender until after the draft.

5. What's your impression of Everette Brown? 7 tackles and 1 sack doesn't scream rookie of the year. Is he being groomed to take over for Peppers or just struggling in his first year?

He hasn’t played a lot so the stats are misleading. He’s played well when in there but the Panthers have two other young DE’s playing well in front of him, Charles Johnson and Hilee Taylor. Regardless, rookie of the year he is not but I’m still okay with the trade, unless the Panthers continue to tank and that pick ends up being a top 5 pick. Then it would look like a really stupid move by the Panthers. If Peppers does leave then he is the obvious heir-apparent to play the right side.

Dear Patrick Kerney, an End Is Not a Set of Legs

John Morgan — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:56:14 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Sanchez - AP

Seattle signed Patrick Kerney to a backloaded contract. His first season and through the half season that followed, he was a steal, but Kerney is getting expensive just as he is getting injured and inadequate.

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At the end of the quarter, Nick Reed substituted for Patrick Kerney. I didn't initially notice it was Reed, but caught on in time to scribble this note "Reed looks slow as shit." He was attempting backside pursuit. Kerney is faster than his young disciple. That doesn't bode well for Reed, but it's also not a backhanded compliment of Kerney. Kerney still has some quicks. His point about regaining his burst off the edge to regain his pass rush prowess is instructive. Kerney can still jump around an offensive tackle, it's everything else that is starting to worry me.

1. 1-10-IND 20 (11:47) 18-P.Manning pass short left to 29-J.Addai to IND 37 for 17 yards (51-L.Tatupu, 27-J.Babineaux).

Kerney's pressure is slow developing because of confusion instead of inability. The Colts line swelled and flexed, consuming the Seahawks other three linemen and not presenting Kerney an avenue of attack until the play had developed. That's when Kerney cut in and pressured Manning and that's when Aaron Curry did something stupid. He dropped cover on Joseph Addai and rushed Manning. Manning lobbed it to Addai and Addai ran for 17.

Kerney displayed his quickness on the next snap, getting backside pursuit and contributing to a Kelly Jennings run stuff. Then started a series of plays that alarmed me. The next two plays, Kerney got around end only to be washed out or knocked down turning the corner.

A quick aside. I never bought into Tony Ugoh. He always looked bad to me. I don't mention this because a bloggers' work is his credibility, though that factors, I mention this to gauge the quality of Kerney's matchup. Indianapolis replaced Ugoh with Charles Johnson. Johnson is a different profile of Ray Willis. The Colts selected him late and have practiced him into an NFL regular. But I see no proof he is good. Manning makes everyone look good, so Johnson isn't dissimilar to Pierre Garcon in my mind. If Marcus Trufant was active, Seattle would need Trufant to shut down Garcon whenever the two were matched. Seattle wasn't going to stop Manning from making his teammates look good, but on certain matchups, Seattle's best had to win-win-win for Seattle to survive.

So Kerney shouldn't have battled Johnson to a draw. He shouldn't have created occasional edge rush that was quickly nullified by a step into the pocket and a well-timed shove by Johnson. But that's exactly what happened here

2-7-IND 40 (10:32) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short left to 29-J.Addai to IND 45 for 5 yards (51-L.Tatupu)

and here

3-2-IND 45 (9:52) (Shotgun) 18-P.Manning pass short left to 44-D.Clark to SEA 45 for 10 yards (31-K.Lucas, 92-B.Mebane)

--the very next play. A play later, Gijon Robinson sealed him off and Addai ran for five. Then he was washed out again, and sealed twice more on the final three plays of the quarter. Three runs, all successful, the final to score the touchdown.

Kerney was right. He got his speed back. But Kerney is wrong. An end needs more than quickness to be good. He needs strength to separate and strong arms to anchor on an inside move. He needs a bull rush, even Freeney has one, and needs and edge rush that doesn't redirect five yards behind the quarterback. If he's going to get sealed out by tight ends, half backs and full backs, he better be a terror rushing the passer, and Kerney isn't anymore. For one quarter he wasn't, anyway.

Panthers Fall to Steelers 21-10 in Preseason Finale

Jaxon — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:13:30 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

3 months ago: Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Reilly (13) is brought down by Carolina Panthers players Charles Johnson (95), Everette Brown (91), and Nick Hayden, left, during a preseason NFL football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

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Going 0-4 in the preseason isn't exactly the preferred way to prepare for a season but the Panthers will start season just like that none the less. Preseason game 4 mean absolutely nothing so I will spare the doom and gloom because in the end I think our 1^st team offense would put up more points if they played the entire game. Instead here are my capsules from the game which as I look it over it looks like a repeat from the previous two preseason games.

The Good:

When talking about the Good there is no better place to start than rookie RB Mike Goodson. He again looked brilliant running (15 for 79 yds, 5.3 TPC) and catching the ball (2 for 13 yds) but still made some rookie mistakes. He got run over trying to block DE James Harrison which led to a sack and fumble and then had a costly fumble in the red zone. I know the coaching staff wants to get this kid on the field but the turnovers have to be a concern.
I feel like a broken record in my praise of WR Kenny Moore (6 for 59 yds) but he again delivered big time. After watching Moose stone hand a pass I started to think Moore could be the #2 on this team by the end of the season. That off-season work with Steve Smith has paid off big time. I even loved his post game interview in that he wasn't happy with his performance (he had an illegal motion penalty). This guy is a keeper.
WR Dwayne Jarrett finally showed something getting 4 catches for 44 yards. With a long of 11 yards though I wonder why the Panthers don't try to use his height downfield.
DE Charles Johnson recorded 1.5 sacks as he showed nice speed coming off the edge. He should see increased PT in 2009.

DT Nick Hayden had his best game as a Panther. He had 3 tackles, half a sack, a QB hurry and a nice tackle for a loss. But was it enough to stay with the team? Probably but more help at DT is needed.
New Panther DT Louis Leonard got significant action and he appeared to play well ringing up a tackle for a loss.
Rookie RG Duke Robinson had some nice blocks when pulling to support outside runs

The Bad

Neither QB Matt Moore (49 rating, pick 6 INT) or Josh McCown (11 for 15, fumble) distinguished themselves from the other in my view. McCown had a decent rating of 86 but he missed a wide open Jeff King for an easy TD. Overall it's a toss up in my view meaning for the #2 McCown holds his spot.
The PR coverage was horrid in giving up a 80 return for a TD for Stefan Logan.
RG Keydrick Vincent got run over by LB Kenyaron Fox for a sack. He's got 80 lbs on the guy but went down like a domino.
The back-up offensive line got pushed around a lot, gave up too much penetration and didn't inspire anything but doubt. It will be interesting to see who sticks.
Sideline reporter Pete Yannity called WR Kenny Moore a UDFA during the broadcast when he's actually a 5^th round pick in 2008 of the Lions. He then repeated his error during his post game interview with Moore. Moore coolly corrected Yannity in his response and then conveyed his dismay with his own performance right after Yannity praised his game. So he's cool and mature too. What's not to love about him?

The Bubble Watch

RB Jamal Lee finally got significant playing time and he responded fairly (11 for 37 yds). You can tell he has some potential with his size and speed though he does still run a little upright. Look for Lee to make the practice squad.
RB Decori Birmingham and T Patrick Brown didn't get on the field and it cannot be good for their chances. Time for them to cut bait.
S Joe Fields missed a couple tackles so I'm bearish on him. Look for Quinton Teal to be the back-up SS.

Poll

Do you think the Panthers still need to add another veteran defensive tackle?

Yes

169 votes

No

33 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed

Panthers Release Depth Chart with a Few Surprises

Jaxon — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:20:30 -0000

Panthers.com has now posted a depth chart and it has a few surprises worth discussing. I agree it doesn't mean too much at this point but I think it does reflect some things we have already seen in Training Camp. Let's start with the offense:

Offense:

WR1 — Steve Smith, Ryne Robinson, Jason Carter, Kevin McMahan
LT — Jordan Gross, Patrick Brown, Mackenzy Bernadeau
LG — Travelle Wharton, Jonathan Palmer, C.J. Davis
C — Ryan Kalil, Justin Geisinger, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Keith Gray
RG — Keydrick Vincent, Duke Robinson, Justin Geisinger
RT — Jeff Otah, Geoff Schwartz, Gerald Cadogan, Garry Williams
TE — Jeff King, Gary Barnidge, Dante Rosario, Andrew Davie
WR2 — Muhsin Muhammad, Dwayne Jarrett, Kenneth Moore, Marcus Monk
QB — Jake Delhomme, Josh McCown, Matt Moore, Hunter Cantwell
FB — Brad Hoover, Tony Fiammetta
RB — DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Goodson, Decori Birmingham

In spite of the high praise sent his way in TC C/G Mackenzy Bernadeau is still 3rd string at center and is not listed at guard anywhere. He is instead listed 3rd string at LT (huh?). Justin Geisinger is #2 at center and has obviously improved his stock given he can play multiple positions.
T Gerald Cadogan is listed as 3rd string RT behind Geoff Schwartz. Patrick Brown is slated as Jordan Gross back-up on the left side where I thought Cadogan would compete. This doesn't bode well for Cadogan.
TE Gary Barnidge has passed Dante Rosario (no surprise there)
WR Ryne Robinson remains ahead of Jason Carter.

Defense:

LDE — Tyler Brayton, Charles Johnson, Everette Brown
LDT — Nick Hayden, Marlon Favorite, Lonnie Harvey, George Hypolite
RDT — Damione Lewis, Corvey Irvin, Lorenzo Williams
RDE — Julius Peppers, Everette Brown, Hilee Taylor, Casper Brinkley
OLB1 — Na’il Diggs, James Anderson , Landon Johnson, Kelvin Smith
MLB — Jon Beason, Dan Connor, Jeremy Leman
OLB2 — Thomas Davis, Mortty Ivy, Anthony Heygood
LCB — Chris Gamble, Dante Wesley, Captain Munnerlyn
RCB — Richard Marshall, C.J. Wilson, Sherrod Martin, D.J. Clark
SS — Chris Harris, Nate Salley, Joe Fields
FS — Charles Godfrey, Quinton Teal, Paul Chiara

The biggest surprise here is LB James Anderson is listed above Landon Johnson. Cutting Johnson might save some cap space if Mortty Ivy can fill the #7 back-up LB spot.
DE Tyler Brayton is still listed over Charles Johnson
DT Corvey Irvin is slotted behind Damionne Lewis at RDT and not LDT. It looks like until a vet DT is brought in Nick Hayden and Marlon Favorite will battle for the Kemo's spot.

Special Teams:

K — John Kasay, Rhys Lloyd
P — Jason Baker, John Kasay
H — Jason Baker, Josh McCown
PR — Ryne Robinson, Larry Beavers, Captain Munnerlyn
KR — Ryne Robinson, Mike Goodson, Larry Beavers
LS — J.J. Jansen

Robinson is still getting the benefit of the doubt in kick returns. Beavers over Munnerlyn so far and Goodson over Beavers in KO's.

Any other surprises for anyone else?

Ten Players to watch during the Pre-Season

Revshawn — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:00:17 -0000

Through the Pre-Season, there are ten players I am going to be keeping an eye on. Five on offense, and five on defense. I thought that today I would share them with you, so that you can keep an eye on them too.

Matt Moore

Until the Panthers decide otherwise via the NFL Draft, Matt Moore is the future of this franchise. He has shown at times that he can get the job done, especially during the latter half of the 2007 season when he started three games for us, winning two of them. He followed that up with a horrible 2008 Pre-Season showing, but he will get another chance in 2009 to show us that we can depend on him to lead this franchise. He has the arm strength, but can he be accurate?

Dwayne Jarrett

All eyes are going to be on Jarrett throughout the whole game. His confidence has been reported to be rising during training camp, and his play along with it. Can Dwayne Jarrett push Moose to start at flanker? A good showing would help him, especially if he stops dropping those easy passes. We don't need a Braylon Edwards on this team, we need an Andre Johnson. Jarrett has two strong veterans in Moose and Smith to train him into the player we know he can be, but he needs to step up in Pre-Season and show us that he has potential.

Jason Carter

Another wideout that you will need to keep an eye on. For those that don't already know, Jason Carter is one of the kings of training camp. He showed tremendous potential during the 2008 training camp, but we lost him for the season due to injury. This year he seeks not only to make the roster as a 4th or 5th receiver, but to secure a position at slot receiver once Moose retires and Dwayne takes over at flanker. We'll see how far he has come.

Ryne Robinson

3rd receiver in a row I know, but we need to see how Ryne is doing in his kickoff return duties. He has been inconsistant in previous years, and in 2008 due to Ryne's injury in Pre-Season the Panthers were forced to bring in Mark Jones whom performed pretty well. He averaged 24 yards a kick return, and every now and again he would break off a big return to start the Panthers off in their opponents territory. Had the Panthers not had the Julius Peppers situation, they may have opted to resign Jones and cut Ryne altogether. But because of it, Ryne has another opportunity to step up and take the job. He will not get it without a fight, he faces competition in newly signed Jason Chery, and Larry Beavers, as well as our 3rd RB Mike Goodson.

Tony Fiammetta

Hoover finally has some competition, and he's only the best fullback in the 09 draft. The Panthers could save some money by cutting the Hoov, but it's a shame considering how long he has been with our team. I suppose times change, and people grow older. It's rare for a team to carry two fullbacks, so if Tony performs well expect for Double Trouble to have a new guy clearing up the running lanes in front of them.

Corvey Irvin

With Kemo out for the season, Corvey is going to be pushed into a much bigger role than he would be before. Never mind Nick Hayden, I still don't believe that he'll start over him. At worst, Irvin may slowly take the role bit by bit as the regular season progresses as John Fox slowly works him into the role. He'll need to improve quickly if we're going to make up for the loss of Kemo.

Dan Connor

With a strong need at DT and our LB core loaded, Dan Connor may end up as trade bait if he performs exceptionally well in the Pre-Season. Even if he isn't traded, if he manages to overcome Na'il Diggs and take over at OLB we may have the best crew of linebackers in the league. Jon Beason is an absolute beast, Thomas Davis is the best player at our team at blitzing the QB, and Dan Connor reading the mind of the QB to pick off his passes. If it happens, it's going to stink of awesome.

Richard Marshall

With Ken Lucas being signed by the Seahawks, Marshall is going to have a big target on his back. Gamble on the other side is being portrayed as a shutdown corner, so expect Marshall to be tested early and often. He needs to prove that he is able to stand his own as well, or else you'll see QB's pick on him in the regular season.

Sherrod Martin

Expects to convert to corner and serve the same kind of nickel DB role that Marshall served in the previous seasons. How good will he be, and how fast is he going to develop? He's been a rather quiet and unwatched player during training camp, and his play remains to be seen by many fans.

Charles Johnson

In his limited play last year, Charles Johnson did something that Tyler Brayton failed to do the entire season even though he was the starter: Get to the QB. Despite Tyler starting all 16 games, Charles still beat him in the sack category by 1.5 sacks. I read a little more into this than most people. Charles Johnson will compete against Tyler Brayton for the starting DE spot beside Julius Peppers, with Everette Brown the rookie thrown into the fray as a wildcard.

Those are the players I will be keeping an eye on when the Pre-Season kicks off this Monday Night at 8PM. You should keep an eye on them too.

Panthers vs. Giants 2009 Preseason Game Preview

Jaxon — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:00:10 -0000

Finally, the Panthers get to hit someone from another team rather than each other. It's about time. Also, be sure to chime in on Open Game Thread Monday Night at 7pm.

Panthers Offense:

We can expect the Panther first team offense to play at least two series but not maybe much more. Josh McCown will be the first off the bench and expect to see RB Mike Good son early and often. Matt Moore will get a chance to atone for a horid 2008 peseason that ruined his momentum. An early measure of this offense will be how well the 1st team o-line manages to run the ball against the Giants first team d-line. Here's the state of the Giants d-line from the Bleacher Report:

I have no idea how the defensive line will shake out. There are at least eight guys that could be starting on many teams (Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, and Jay Alford).

Some of these guys are coming off injuries. Might the Panthers make a bid for one of these cast-offs? Other players to watch on offense include WR Dwayne Jarrett, FB Tony Fiammetta and WR Jason Carter. I will also key on how well the Panther srun the ball late in the game when the back-up o-linemen are in the game.

Since these two teams meet later this season don't expect too much trickery. The scheme should be fairly vanilla from both offenses as they focus on execution of the basics.

Panthers Defense:

I'm excited about seeing this new, more aggressive defense we've heard so much about. Expect a lot of rotation across the front line and hopefully they can keep the Giant running game in check. LB Dan Conner should get in the game early as our second team LB's will get plenty of action. Rookie DE Everette Brown should replace Peppers on the right side early as well. Let's see if the kid is the real thing and gets pressure on whatever Giant QB is out there. Another battle to watch is DE Charles Johnson trying to outperform Tyler Brayton, a hybrid DE/DT who could become a 3^rd down specialist.

The secondary should get plenty of work as the Giants try to figure out what they have at WR. The Giants Steve Smith won't be playing either so the Panther secondary can expect opportunities to make plays on the ball in the red zone. Without Plaxico Burress the Giants have no established red zone receiving threat. This should give S Quinton Teal an opportunity to continue his good work and who knows, maybe an INT in a live game.

Once we get in the 4^th quarter let's see if there is a drop off in intensity. A couple UDFA's are making a bid for the practice squad, including LB Jon Leman and DT Marlon Favorite. Also 7^th round pick Captain Munnerlyn will probably play a lot and hopefully show how to play the bump and run. I will be curious to see how much man-to-man the Panthers will show the Giants just to give them something to think about when they meet again when it counts.

Special Teams:

Both the kick return and punt return competitions are wide open. Expect to see some rotation as Goodson, WR Larry Beavers and WR Jason Carter take turns. On punts it will be WR Ryne Robinson, Beavers and Munnerlyn getting looks. It should be an adventure.

On kick coverage many of the Panthers second team will be trying to show the added value of good special teams play. I'm predicting Conner, Munnerlyn and Sherrod Martin excel against the Giants.

Panther Paw Prints - Thursday Edition

Jaxon — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:24:50 -0000

This edition of Paw Prints starts with a view on TE Dante Rosario:

TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW: Panthers will look to run the ball behind solid line - CarolinaGrowl.com
Rosario’s job is not as secure as it might seem. Sure, he had a 100-yard receiving game in last year’s season opener vs. San Diego, but was largely invisible the rest of the year. He also committed a number of false start penalties. Throw in the fact that he’s returning from back surgery and he could find himself in a battle with Brock and Davie for the third tight end spot.

If this happens I thinks its more because Barnidge raised his game more than Rosario messed up. But in the end it would not matter.

Could this be the Panthers Achilles Heel?

Offensive line reserves enter camp with much to prove - CharlotteObserver.com
As long as the Panthers stay healthy along the line, as happened during their 2003 Super Bowl season, depth won't be an issue. But if they have a year anything like last season, when backups combined for 13 starts, depth will be critical to their chances of success.

This rookie is still saying the right things:

Camp Countdown: Defensive end
"When they are pass rushing and getting after the quarterback, they are going to do whatever it takes, and that's what Coach Meeks wants," Brown said. " That fits exactly into my style. That's what I believe. That's how I play every down."

Here's one of my 'favorites' (oun intended) to make the team:

Camp Countdown: Defensive tackle
"I took a look at the depth chart and the coaches were telling me about how they really needed a nose guard and how they wanted me to come in and compete," Favorite said. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I didn't hesitate." Favorite's advantage as he attempts to claim a spot on the practice squad or 53-man roster rests in a college environment afforded him the chance to study professional defensive concepts while playing both nose and three-technique defensive tackle. "Coach Meeks' defense is extremely familiar, so (learning it) is not really a hard process for me," Favorite said. "So far, learning the defense has been pretty easy after the past years."

I like the thought of having a guy of Kemo's size backing him up. When Kemo went down with injury last season the Panthers had no comparable replacement.

Who's missing from this scenario?

Carolina Panthers: Five Position Battles to Watch at Camp | Bleacher Report
Brown has good speed that will fit better in a Ron Meeks system, but Brayton is the better all around player and the Vet, so this one could get very interesting, especially if Brayton knees Brown in the groin.

I bet Charles Johnson has something to say about this.

Let the Michael Vick rumors begin:

Mr. Vick goes to Washington? Redskins-Vick rumors heat up - Shutdown Corner... - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
One of which was a Tweet from Chris Cooley's(notes) brother that asked why Vick was seen near Redskins Park last night. Another was a thinly-sourced item from PFT (are there any other kind?) that said there are "subtle indications" that the Redskins are interested in Vick. (I may call shenanigans on that one, as the Redskins front office usually has the subtlety of a jackhammer.) Not exactly concrete stuff, but interesting nonetheless.

He's a perfect fit in Washington. The Panthers won't see Vick on the field if this scenario pans out as they play the 'Skins week 4 (Vick has a six game suspension).

Does this sound familiar?

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
"It was definitely not a good game for us, it was something to remember about how you don’t want to finish the season," tackle Jordan Gross said. "So it’s in the back of our mind. ... It’s definitely something we want to make sure doesn’t happen again." "Yeah, it’s difficult," quarterback Jake Delhomme said of stewing through the offseason after such a thorough and dispiriting loss. "You feel like you didn’t do your part, you feel like you let your teammates down, and that’s something, as any kind of professional, if you have any kind of heartbeat inside of you, you want to do well for your teammates. "It was just a day, ... I didn’t play well. We didn’t play well, plain and simple."

If you think its from aftet the Cardinals game you would be wrong. It's after the loss to the Seahawks in 2006. Rather than acknowledge the pattern I'm hoping that instead this will provide the drive to win it this year!