SB Nation - Na'il Diggs

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.

Week 5 Defensive Key Match-ups: Carolina Panthers versus Washington Redskins

LittleKing — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:47:17 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

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Bad news, the Panthers rank last in rush defense. Good news, the Panthers rank 6th in pass defense. Although I do admit the 6th in pass is partly because everyone can just run the ball, but I would give the secondary a bit more credit than that. A large number of the points given up by the Panthers has not been the fault of the defense. Specials teams and offensive turnovers hold a lot of the blame.

In addition, it appears we should have both S Chris Harris and LB Na'il Diggs back from their injuries and of course we added yet another new defensive tackle in Hollis Thomas since the Panthers last took the field. With that in mind, two of the three start off my top defensive key match-ups:

Carolina Panthers Defensive Team Stats

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Def	29.0	362.3 (23rd)	179.7 (6th)	182.7 (32nd)

Washington Redskins Offensive Team Stats

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	14.0	325.3 (17th)	225.3 (15th)	100.0 (21st)

Panthers DT Hollis Thomas vs Redskins C Casey Rabach and LG Derrick Dockery

Finally a veteran DT. However, the question remains does he have anything left in his tank. The Redskins' offensive line is far from elite, but right now so is our defensive line. Even if Thomas has a great game, it will be hard to say he'll be successful this season, but it will be a good start. If Thomas starts demanding doubles teams because of his size, he can free up those around him to make the key plays.

Panthers S Chris Harris vs TE Chris Cooley

Harris returning could be bigger than I had originally thought. I'm going to guess most already knew this, but i didn't realize he had the field headset and called the plays and with him out Godfrey had the headset and I think Beason called the plays. Harris' experience could have a major impact on how the D plays this week.

In his first game our D will be facing another well known TE in Chris Cooley. While the Panthers have always had trouble defending TE, this year has been extremely bad. Cooley leads the Redskins in receptions and is second in total yards. While not in the elite TE category, since he is targeted so frequency by Jason Campbell, he will have to be stopped to end the Redskins drives with a punt.

Panthers RE Julius Peppers vs Redskins Chris Samuels

Will Beason's Pepper pep talk help? I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm not saying he shouldn't do it, but when Jerry Richardson called on Peppers to be a leader he disappeared that season. While slightly different approaches the purpose is still the same, to get Peppers to play with more desire, heart, passion, whatever you want to call it.

Hopefully in addition to the Beason's verbal spanking, having wide body Hollis Thomas (hopefully getting double teamed) will free Peppers to cause a bit more damage than he has. Just to add fuel to the argument, if there is any game this season where Peppers will show it would be this one, in the fact that the Redskins could be a considered a weaker opponent.

Panthers Coaches and Game Plan

During the first half of the Dallas game, the coaches showed their willingness to blitz and commit to getting a more pressure on the QB. Jason Campbell can do well without pressure, but much like Delhomme, if you start getting in his face and knocking him to the ground a few times then he can get rattled. If the front four are not getting it done, the coaches should be prepared to bring additional help. Since the Redskins are not known for lighting it up down field, if there is any time to not be shy about bringing pressure this would be the type of game.

Panther Paw Prints - Early July Edition

Jaxon — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:00:20 -0000

With little news coming forth I have a short addition of Paw Prints for you this week and then a bit of commentary on blogging to follow that I think you will find interesting.

Lets start with a unknown rookie OT who has at least one fan in the area, Panther LT Jordan Gross:

Rookie OT Patrick Brown picks his spot
"We have the same agent (Ethan Lock) and he told me to take care of him (Brown) because he’s a guy with kind of a similar story to my own," Gross said. "I think he's definitely got potential. His head’s still spinning a little bit – as it is for all the rookies – but I’ve definitely been impressed with what I’ve seen so far."

Let's hope Gross' impressions are correct. Besides, I don't think Geoff Schwartz has the back-up job at tackle nailed down at all.

I always tell people coming to the Carolinas from the north that the heat and humidity takes some getting used to:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
I knew Juergens might be a short-timer here during OTAs. We spoke one afternoon walking off the practice field, when he was dripping with sweat and I wasn't far behind. Having been raised in Denver and playing his college ball at Wyoming, he wasn't accustomed to the heat and humidity, and couldn't believe Spartanburg was more damp, once I told him where Spartanburg was. "I can't imagine it being much worse than this," he said

So another snowbird melts in the summer heat!

That's all the Panther posts I could find worth discussing this week. To follow is a topic I've been wanting to post on but didn't feel it was worthy of a separate story. It is essentially the bloggers role in sports as compared to traditional media, that it can be a double edged sword as far as gaining acceptance. You may have seen similar discussions on other sites in this regard, most recently on Canal Street Chronicles and user Stugo4 which you can piece together the story starting here.

The issue is whether you want your favorite Panther blog to have access to locker rooms and sidelines and report similar to what traditional media does. OR...do you want objective opinions? The premise is that by gaining the access via club permission you in essence are checking your credibility at the door. I have to admit that if I was in the locker room talking to players and had hopes of doing it regularly that I would certainly be more careful in how critical of was of that player. Seriously, I admit I'm less likely to clamor for Na'il Diggs benching if I think Diggs might corner me in the locker room next Sunday wanting an explanation as to what was said on my blog. You think I'm being silly? Go to TC in August and when one of the guys is signing autographs by the fence after a hot practice ask him a critical question and see how it goes over."Hey Diggs, how come that rookie FB got the best of you on that 3rd down play? Better tighten up!" They can be pretty darn intimidating even when they are not trying to be. A probably better example is questioning free agent signings and draft pick strategy. If Panther management should take offense you might be on the outside looking in and I wonder if that is a Pandora's Box I do not want to open. Once getting locked out it would be hard to recover from that.

So you can see why I might be reluctant to wish for access like the Darin Gannt's and Steve Reeds. You will notice those guys are not as critical of the players or management as we can get on this site. Fortunately I can't get anyone with the Panthers to respond to my requests for access so I guess I'm kind of safe. Don't get me wrong, if I was granted access I would take it without thinking, at least once. I think I would take the 'fly on the wall' approach at first, just watch, listen and take mental notes. There is also the whole 'team secrets' thing that the team will most certainly be concerned about but I would have no problem not divulging specific plays and the such. Even with some stringent rules I think i could operate effectively in the locker room and on the sideline but without having to stick a mic in a players face and try to come up with some electrifying question. Yet I cannot say that it would not impact how I report what heard and saw while there for fear of losing the access.

So I guess in summary what I'm asking my readers is that if I should somehow start to get this type of access do you think it would affect my credibility with the readers of this site? I do admit I would probably be more careful with my words regarding players and management but I don't think I would become a 'tool' of the team like many people suggest. Do bloggers really need an arms distance from the team they are covering to remain objective? Try to put yourself in our shoes. I look forward to your comments.

Projected Panthers 2009 Depth Chart: Linebackers

MichaelProcton — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:56:50 -0000

Recently, the Panthers have had one of the deepest LB corps in the league, full of guys with speed and ability. It's clear that the team values the position, as they've not only had up to eight roster spots used on the position (nine if LS Jason Kyle is counted), but also have shown they're willing to pick up talent there even if the depth chart has them blocked initially. Both Jon Beason and Dan Connor were drafted early with no regard for the fact that neither seemed to have a starting spot available to them. Beason, however, took the reins early in his 2007 rookie season after a Dan Morgan injury, and Connor showed he could be a valuable contributor on special teams even if he wasn't getting defensive playing time, leading the team in ST tackles prior to a torn ACL while covering a kickoff in the third game of the season against the Vikings. After the jump, we'll take a look at how this year's LB depth chart is shaping up.

LOLB	MLB	ROLB
Na'il Diggs	Jon Beason	Thomas Davis
Landon Johnson	Dan Connor	James Anderson

Last season, the Panthers carried seven linebackers on their 53-man roster (not including Jason Kyle, who was listed at the position, but was exclusively a long-snapper). All six of the players listed above were members of the opening day roster, but the Panthers also saw a couple players who were on the active roster leave in the offseason. Adam Seward, a backup MLB who played exclusively on special teams in an injury-riddled '08 season, signed a one-year deal with the Colts and is currently listed as their top backup at MLB. Donte' Curry, a special teams ace who found a roster spot after Dan Connor's season-ending knee injury, was second on the team in special teams tackles in just 13 games, but was not resigned by the Panthers and is currently a free agent.

Now, a look at the players on the current 80-man roster.

Jon Beason (3rd year, University of Miami) - 6'0", 237: Beason has been a sensation since he entered the league. He set a Panthers record for tackles in his rookie season and engaged in a very close Defensive Rookie of the Year race with Patrick Willis of the 49ers. In his second year, he showed an even more diverse range of skills, increasing his interceptions from 1 to 3, including two important picks that helped close out wins against Arizona and Green Bay. He also had an interception in the playoff loss and total of 9 PDs on the year, showing he is primed to be a force in coverage under Ron Meeks, who has shown a willingness to let his linebackers get involved in the passing game in the past. Perhaps most impressively, though, he played most of the season with a torn labrum suffered in the week 8 win against the Cardinals, an injury that occurred just two plays before the aforementioned INT. As Beason put it,

I was basically playing with no strength. When I tackled someone it was almost like throwing a pillow at them. I had no grip in that arm, no way to stop someone. I played like that the rest of the season, just fighting to get the job done. It took away my range of motion. But I know my teammates would do the same for me.

Impressive willpower and drive on his part. He's only 24, and should only continue to get better as Carolina's rock-solid MLB for years to come.

Thomas Davis (5th year, Georgia) - 6'0", 240: Davis was moved to the third position of his NFL career last year, and he may have finally found a home at weakside linebacker. He was able to establish new career highs in tackles, sacks, and PDs as the coaching staff found a way to take advantage of Davis' speed and reaction instincts while finding a way to minimize his occasional struggles in coverage which were more apparent at safety and LOLB. This coming year will be an important one for Davis, as the Panthers have allowed him to reach the final year of his rookie deal. With a young gun in Dan Connor likely ready to take over next year, Davis will be playing for a job one way or another.

Na'il Diggs (10th year, Ohio St.) - 6'4", 240: Diggs arrived in Carolina before the 2006 season as an affordable veteran who could add depth to the position and perhaps compete for a starting spot, but Diggs had other ideas. He's started 35 of the last 45 games at OLB for the Panthers, and is currently the starter at strong-side LB. Last season, he fought off a challenge by Landon Johnson, a free agent with a much bigger contract than Diggs, and he will likely have to fight for this job against both Johnson and Dan Connor, but at this point, his steady play likely makes him a clear favorite to win the position. Diggs is a solid player and a good special teams contributor, if not a flashy, big-impact player (involved in just two turnovers in his three years here.) I'd say he'll probably win this job unless Johnson or Connor very clearly outplay him during the preseason or camp, but even if he doesn't, he'll likely be kept around, as he's under contract for a very cap-friendly average of $1.25 million over the next two years.

Landon Johnson (6th year, Purdue) - 6'2", 232: Johnson was the Panthers' biggest free agent signing of the '08 offseason, but was largely a disappointment in his first year as a Panther following a successful start to his career in Cincinnati (average of 13 GS and 100 tackles.) He had shown the ability to start at all LB positions, but struggled to pick up the defense here, and made most of his contributions on special teams, including a forced fumble on KR Skyler Green of New Orleans which was recovered and returned for a TD by Dante Wesley, points that proved crucial in a 33-31 victory that secured the division crown. Johnson was considered a candidate to be released this offseason, but restructured his deal in a way that allowed the team to keep him and save the same amount. He will continue to be a special teams stalwart and will compete with Diggs and Connor to start at LOLB.

Dan Connor (2nd year, Penn St.) - 6'2", 231: Connor was a surprising third-round draft pick by the Panthers in 2008, who already seemed to be set at the linebacker position. As a projected first round pick by some, though, his value was simply too high to pass up when the Panthers pick came at #74 and Connor was still on the board. Connor rewarded their diligence, too, leading the team in special teams tackles as a standout on both kick and punt coverage through the first two-plus games. However, during the third game against the Vikings, Connor tore his ACL while covering on a kickoff and required season-ending surgery, although he actually covered one more kickoff after the injury. Connor was profiled as a solid, instinctive player with the ability to play any of the LB spots, and there was actually some talk early last summer that he could take over the MLB spot and the team would move Jon Beason to the outside, where he began his career before a Dan Morgan injury moved him to the inside. Connor should continue to be a presence on special teams and will compete to start at LOLB.

James Anderson (4th year, Virginia Tech) - 6'2", 235: Anderson is a former third-round pick who has never quite lived up to expectations, although the talent in front of him has had much to do with that. He was retained with the low RFA tender offer ($1.01 million) which would have returned a 3rd-round pick to the team had he been signed away, but received no interest on the FA market. Anderson only played defense in two games last year, and has started just three games in his three years here, so he is the most likely of our veteran linebackers to be cut, to which his non-guaranteed salary also contributes. Still, he should have a leg up on the remaining candidates to make the roster, who are all undrafted free agents with fewer than two years of experience in the league.

Jeremy Leman (2nd year, Illinois) - 6'2", 240: Leman is a former college All-American who went undrafted in 2008 and spent the preseason with the Vikings before being released in the final round of cuts. He was regarded as an instinctive player with high football IQ who lacked the physical attributes to be an NFL player. Chance of making team: 3.75%

Anthony Heygood (rookie, Purdue) - 6'1", 225: Heygood is a former running back who converted to linebacker and started for two years. He was considered a draftable prospect by some sources, and despite his inexperience at the position, he was a productive player due to his athleticism and instincts, and was voted the team's MVP by his teammates this past season. His future in the NFL--if he has one--is likely as a special teams demon and at the weakside LB position. Chance of making team: 6%

Mortty Ivy (rookie, West Virginia) - 6'1", 239: Ivy was another possible late-round pick who was a three-year starter. He likely projects as an OLB in the pros, but he also got some experience in the middle, and could conceivably play there in the NFL if he improves his football awareness. He was a first team All-Big East player for the 2008 season, and once came back from a torn ACL in April to play in 11 games for WVU. Like Leman, and unlike Heygood, he is considered a player who has used his intangibles to overcome a lack of extraordinary physical abilities. Chance of making team: 4%

EDIT: A girl I work with who's a WVU fan says, and I quote, "He's good." So I think that tells me two things: relatively casual fans of the team are aware of his existence, which means he was making plays, and they don't hate him. So those aren't bad things. :)

EDIT: These next two guys have been cut as of 6/30, but I'll leave their profiles for posterity's sake.

Brit Miller (rookie, Illinois) - 6'0", 243: After playing alongside Leman on the outside, he took over the MLB spot last year and was incredibly productive, leading the Big Ten in tackles per game at 11+. He is an experienced (38 career starts), huge LB, but there are concerns about his tackling technique, conditioning ("He's one of the only LBs in FBS with a gut"), and work ethic. A message board post compared Leman and Miller thusly:

J (Jeremy) was just a very emotional and smart player, but he has physical limitations. Brit is built better, he's much faster, he's better in coverage, and he's more versatile.

Chance of making team: 3.5%

Mike Juergens (rookie, Wyoming) - 6'3", 230: Juergens was a two-year starter at OLB who led the Cowboys in sacks last year. He posted decent numbers in the agility tests at his pro day with a 7.16 three-cone drill time, a 4.27 short shuttle time, and a 12.00 in the long shuttle. Chance of making team: .01%

Poll

Will we see any of the rookie linebackers make the team in favor of a veteran?

Yes

64 votes

No

154 votes

218 votes | Poll has closed

Top 5 starters in danger of losing their job next season

Revshawn — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:03:14 -0000

1. Brad Hoover FB

Don't get me wrong, in spite of his mistakes during the season Brad Hoover had this job locked up. Then in round 4 of the NFL Draft the Panthers picked up Tony Fiammetta, whom most scouts had declared the best fullback in the draft. He's a solid player with strong blocking, rushing, and pass catching abilities. I believe that if he impresses in camp that the Panthers will go for the younger, cheaper talent. Brad Hoover will be 33 in November, and by cutting him the Panthers will save 540k against the salary cap.

2. Tyler Brayton DE

With Everette Brown being taken in the 2nd round as a result of a trade, Tyler Brayton is going to have to put his rear in gear in order to keep his spot. Unless he pulls off a miracle in training camp and turns himself into a modern day Rocky, the Panthers are going to go with the smaller rookie in an effort to turn him into another Dwight Freeney.

3. Richard Marshall CB

Richard Marshall will start Week 1 with Ken Lucas gone, but other teams are not going to be impressed with him right off. Until he proves himself, he's going to be a guy with a big x on his back. Teams will throw to his side of the field early and often, and I wouldn't be suprised if the team yanks him in favor a bigger corner like Sherrod Martin if he struggles on a consistant basis. We might even see the two corners splitting time on the field, who knows?

4. Na'il Diggs OLB

Here's where things start to get a bit iffy, but irregardless this is a Top 5 article. We have arguably 5 starting caliber linebackers. Jon Beason and Thomas Davis are two young locks right off the bat, and Na'il Diggs is your old, experienced veteran. The two wildcard players that could be starters are 2nd year player Dan Connor, and Landon Johnson. Dan Connor has a chance to rise up and prove to everyone that he is the next Dan Morgan (minus the injuries). If he can do that, he just might take down Na'il Diggs and secure his spot. He might have done so last year, but he was injured for the season in Week 3 so we never got a chance to see if he could do it late in the year.

Dan Conner is pretty much the successor of Na'il Diggs in the future, but it's a matter of time. Diggs is still a tremendous player and he still produces, it's only a question of whether he can maintain it or not over a 16 game schedule. If he cannot, then Connor might sneak in there late in the year and get some playing time.

5. Dante Rosario TE or Muhsin Muhammad

Arguments can be made on both sides. Moose is getting old and Dwayne Jarrett is in his 3rd breakout year, so he might rise and take control. On the other hand TE Gary Barnidge was known as a great pass-catcher coming out of college, and if his skills have matured in the next level we might have another target on the field for Jake Delhomme. I'm going to open this one up for a poll. Your thoughts please!

Poll

Which player has the better chance of being replaced?

TE Dante Rosario

715 votes

WR Muhsin Muhammad

187 votes

902 votes | Poll has closed

Greg Ellis is Released; Diggs Misses Peppers; Corey Williams in Cleveland; and Thompson vs. Matthews

Brandon — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:31 -0000

After a few weeks of speculation, Dallas finally released LB Greg Ellis. He's tallied 8 or more sacks in 5 of the last 6 seasons, so he provides a good pass rush. Also, the former DE has been playing outside LB in a 3-4 defense the last three seasons, so he would have some familiarity with the Packers' new defensive scheme. GM Ted Thompson pursued free agent DE Jason Taylor back in May, so he is looking for another pass rusher. The only reliable pass rusher currently on the roster is DE/LB Aaron Kampman, and his strange silence at last week's OTA might be due, in part, because he's unhappy with his contract. Unfortunately, the Packers can't guarantee him a starting job while teams like New England or Miami might, so I doubt they'll actually sign him.
Yesterday I was surprised to read that ex-Packer S Mark Roman still has a starting job in the NFL. LB Na'il Diggs is another ex-Packer who I never expected to see starting again in the NFL, but he's managed 35 starts over the last three seasons in Carolina. Rumors of trading Kampman for disgruntled DE Julius Peppers have been floated recently, but that's not what Diggs wants to happen. He "Misses The Hell Out Of" him.
One of the big moves in 2008 was the trade of DT Corey Williams to Cleveland for a 2nd round draft pick. The pick was used on QB Brian Brohm who didn't play in a single game last season. Maybe they could have used Williams last season as injuries to DE Cullen Jenkins and DT Justin Harrell stripped a poor run defense of depth. Except Williams had a poor 2008 season, and foreshadowing to 2009, he wasn't good in Cleveland's 3-4 defense. Since Williams' acquistion cost Cleveland a lot (a high draft pick and a big signing bonus), they are going to give him another chance, and he's hoping to make the best of it.
Although LB Jeremy Thompson started at outside linebacker in place of LB Clay Matthews, he sat out part of the practices with a strained hamstring, I doubt he's any competition. Thompson didn't show much in 2008 and seems to be just another version of DE Michael Montgomery. Now he has to learn how to play LB, and despite Matthews' similar learning curve, I expect it's a bigger adjustment for Thompson.
Another victim of the bad economy; ShopKo's Packers luxury box.
"My instincts are still very instinctive."

Panthers Extend Diggs Contract

Jaxon — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:00:56 -0000

In another salary cap move the Panthers extended the contract of LB Na'il Diggs through 2014 like they recently did with DT's Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu.

He likely received some guaranteed money to be prorated over the life of the new contract and thus provide salary cap relief. His '09 base salary dropped by $725,00 from $1.65million to $925,000, and went down from $2million in 2010 to $855,000.

So it looks like neither Landon Johnson or Dan Conner will be given a free pass to the starting line-up. Diggs has held off challengers the past 2 off-seasons and I'm betting he does it again one more year.

Panthers @ Saints: Defensive and Special Teams Scouting Report

Saintsational — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:00:06 -0000

Team Rankings

Team	Yds. / Game	Yds. / Play	Rush Yds. / Game	Rush Yds. / Play	Pass Yds. / Game	Pass Yds. / Play	Int. Rate	Sacks / Pass Att.	First Downs / Game	Punt Return Avg	Kickoff Return Avg	3rd Down Pct	4th Down Pct	Red Zone Pct	Goal to Go%	Pts. / Game	Pts. Differential / Game	Yard Diff. / Game
CAR	325.5	5.06	124.1	4.42	201.3	5.94	2.17%	6.89%	18.3	6.7	21.8	38.83%	42.11%	51.11%	80.00%	19.9	5.5	15.7
Rank	13	10	22	23	11	7	26	10	12t	7	9	15	8	15	25	8t	7	16

Rushing Defense

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 53

Plays: 46

Plays: 27

Plays: 152

Plays: 21

Plays: 40

Plays: 69

NFL Rank: 14

NFL Rank: 23

NFL Rank: 26

NFL Rank: 5

NFL Rank: 30

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 3

Avg Gain: 6.15

Avg Gain: 4.04

Avg Gain: 4.37

Avg Gain: 4.55

Avg Gain: 5.71

Avg Gain: 2.45

Avg Gain: 4.68

NFL Rank: 26

NFL Rank: 16

NFL Rank: 22

NFL Rank: 27

NFL Rank: 30

NFL Rank: 2

NFL Rank: 16

Passing Defense

Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right	Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right




















Plays: 129	Plays: 104	Plays: 190	Plays: 28	Plays: 23	Plays: 34
NFL Rank: 21	NFL Rank: 13	NFL Rank: 4	NFL Rank: 21	NFL Rank: 15	NFL Rank: 17
Avg Gain: 5.19	Avg Gain: 5.46	Avg Gain: 5.02	Avg Gain: 14.00	Avg Gain: 11.35	Avg Gain: 9.97
NFL Rank: 6	NFL Rank: 5	NFL Rank: 6	NFL Rank: 26	NFL Rank: 11	NFL Rank: 15

Individual Stats

Interceptions	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
J.Beason	3	52	17.3	44	0
C.Gamble	3	23	7.7	19	0
K.Lucas	2	74	37.0	43	0
C.Godfrey	1	16	16.0	16	0
R.Marshall	1	11	11.0	11	0
N.Diggs	1	0	0.0	0	0

Punting	No	Yds	Avg	Net	TB	In	Lg	B
J.Baker	71	3169	44.6	37.7	5	29	63	3

Punt Returns	Ret	FC	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
M.Jones	38	20	440	11.6	55	0
N.Salley	1	0	0	0.0	0	0
D.Wesley	1	0	0	0.0	0	0

Kickoff Returns	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
M.Jones	35	846	24.2	59	0
J.Stewart	15	349	23.3	38	0
D.Rosario	2	26	13.0	18	0

Field Goals	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+
J.Kasay	0/ 0	6/ 6	8/ 8	9/ 9	1/ 3

Lighting Up The Scoreboard -- Week 15 -- Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers

Ted Bartlett — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:00:06 -0000

A lot of you have read my stuff on here before, and I'm kind of niche-less, really. For the most part, I have historically just written about stuff that I was thinking about, but I feel like I should use these last few weeks of the season to establish a new recurring feature.

I'm an offense guy, so I decided that my recurring stuff should be about offense. I am also a professional (financial) analyst, so I thought that something analytical in tone would be good. Also, I am a big believer in trusting what my eyes see, so I watch past games, and try to divorce myself of any preconceived notions which may taint my evaluation.

So the idea is this. I shall write specific thoughts about offensive strategy, and its application in practice against the defense we expect to see. And I shall call it Lighting Up The Scoreboard. And if it is well-received, it shall appear every Friday before games. So let It be written, so let it be done.

How The Panthers' Defense Looks On Video

(Author's Note: New Rule: I watch games on DVR or streaming internet video, not film. Therefore, in my features, video shall be called video.)

The Panthers are sound, but nowhere near dominant. HT had a great analysis of their talent here which I want to build off of. I watched 2 games last night (Week 2 vs. Chicago and Week 6 at Tampa Bay,) and saw a tremendous amount of varied zone defense. I saw some zone blitzing, some cover 2, and some cover 3. All 3 linebackers play 5 yards off the line, and MLB Jon Beason and WLB Thomas Davis pursue very fast sideline to sideline. SLB Na'il Diggs is pretty ordinary.

The D-Line (Tyler Brayton, Maake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, and Julius Peppers) are a pretty average bunch in total. Peppers is outstanding, as we know. I watched the Bears and Bucs both have a lot of success running North-South against them, with Matt Forte getting 92 yards, and Warrick Dunn 115 himself. I also saw outside runs consistently fail due to the speed of the pursuit. You can definitely run inside on the Panthers.

The good news is, you can also pass on them. They have 3 good players at CB in Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, and Richard Marshall. Their Safeties are very ordinary though, and one is a rookie. The middle of the field can definitely be had.

To back up what I was saying, the stats also indicate that the Panther are pretty average against both the run and the pass, and they can be had either way.

Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	24.8	336.5 (13th)	190.5 (22nd)	146.0 (4th)
Def	19.5	318.8 (15th)	208.0 (14th)	110.8 (18th)

Attacking This Defense

The best way to attack a base 4-3 defense is to pass when they think you're going to run, and to run when they think you're going to pass. Mixing in some misdirection is helpful, and play action is good for getting downhill LBs out of position. If I had to think of who the Panthers remind me of, scheme-wise and personnel-wise on defense, I'd really have to say it's the Raiders. In Week 1, we saw a dismantling of that kind of defense, and more recently, we saw the Raiders more than hold their own.

I favor a lot of 3-wide packages against Carolina. I'd really like to see Scheffler or Stokley going up against Na'il Diggs, or forcing the Panthers to take him off the field. I especially want to run against the Panthers' nickel defense. The running game must stay north and south, which is not a problem when Bobby Turner is your RBs coach.

The Broncos O-Line is the best one that Carolina has seen this year, and needs to get hats on Beason (#52) and Davis (#58) on the second level in the running game. I wouldn't be opposed to running a little bit of Iso stuff with Pinnock being assigned to hit Beason either. I am very optimistic that the Broncos run offense will be fairly successful this weekend, even with the loss of Peyton Hillis. Tatum Bell and Cory Boyd will have opportunities to make chunks of yards.

In the passing game, I think Jay Cutler can have a really big day. The CBs are good enough to contain WRs when there is a lot of pressure, but I can nearly guarantee that there won't be, unless Carolina wants to blitz. If they've watched any film (assuming that NFL types stil watch "film" rather than just use the word film,) they'd see that blitzing has been pretty ineffective against the Broncos, and their best bet is to try to play coverage. The bad news for them is that Jay has been steadily improving against zones.

The key, from HT's analysis yesterday:

I trust the Denver OL to protect Jay, and trust Jay will get away from most of what gets through. But because Jay will be throwing against a defense that is in zone much of the game, he'll need to tone down his aggressive when he does get flushed.

Strategically, I like a lot of crossing stuff for Marshall and Royal, mixed with Scheffler and Graham challenging the seams of the zones. I also like WR screens in this game against the zone looks. Royal, Scheffler, and Marshall can all do damage running after the catch.

It will be tough to get deep on a 2 or 3 deep zone, but I think there is a lot which can be done in the intermediate areas. If the running game is going good enough to get an 8th man in the box, I could see something deep coming off of play action.

A Bonus Observation

In both games I watched, the Panthers' first punt of the game was blocked and returned for a TD, and a quick lead for the opposing team. Jason Baker also had a 3rd punt blocked somewhere along the way, and no other punter in the league has more than 1 this season. I am sure this has not escaped the Broncos' coaches' attention, and it will be interesting to see if a decision is made to go after their punt protection package.

Poll

How many points will the Broncos score Sunday?

0-10

18 votes

11-20

24 votes

21-30

141 votes

31 or more

86 votes

269 votes | Poll has closed

Official Carolina Panthers/Minnesota Vikings Injury Reports

Gonzo — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:14:45 -0000

Well, folks, it's Friday, and that means it's time for a check of the injury reports for both of the teams involved in this Sunday's clash at the Metrodome. Oh, and there's one name on the injury reports that Vikings fans probably aren't going to like too terribly much.

We'll start with the visiting Carolina Panthers.

Player	Position	Injury	Friday Practice	Game Status
Matt Moore	QB	Fibula	DNP	Out
Travelle Wharton	G	Knee	DNP	Out
Ryne Robinson	WR	Knee	Limited	Doubtful
Chris Harris	S	Thigh	DNP	Questionable
Tyler Brayton	DE	Ankle	Limited	Questionable
Na'il Diggs	LB	Shoulder	Limited	Questionable
Chris Gamble	CB	Shoulder	Limited	Questionable
Ma'ake Kemoeatu	DT	Illness	Limited	Questionable
Richard Marshall	CB	Thigh	Limited	Questionable

That's a LOT of folks to have listed as "Questionable." I'm trying to find a little more information on which of those guys are going to play and which are going to sit out, and as soon as I can find something I'll pass it along to everybody.

Now, on to the Beloved Purple. The injury list is significantly longer than it has been over the past few weeks, and that's never a good sign when you're preparing to play a team as physical as the Panthers.

Player	Position	Injury	Friday Practice	Game Status
Madieu Williams	S	Neck	DNP	Out
Adrian Peterson	RB	Hamstring	Limited	Questionable
Sidney Rice	WR	Knee	Limited	Questionable
Maurice Hicks	RB	Foot	Full	Probable
Ellis Wyms	DT	Concussion	Full	Probable
Aundrae Allison	WR	Foot	Limited	Probable
Bernard Berrian	WR	Foot	Limited	Probable
Artis Hicks	OL	Elbow	Limited	Probable
Darren Sharper	S	Shoulder	Limited	Probable
Tarvaris Jackson	QB	Coaching Ignorance	Limited	Doubtful

Hey. . .any names stand out to anybody there? (Besides that last one, which I may or may not have made up.)

Yes, folks, Adrian Peterson is going to be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury that he got in last week's loss to Indianapolis. If I were a betting man, I would guess that he was going to play and that they're just being cautious with him, but at this point I know just as much as you do.

More on this game over the course of this evening and into tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the rest of your Friday, and we'll see you back here again soon!