SB Nation - Chris Gamble

Game Recap: Patriots defeat Panthers, 20-10 and find new identity

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:57:10 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

"We knew he was going to shut it down," Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble told me after the game. "That's what we wanted to do him. That's what we did. ... He'd just give up a lot ... Slow down, he's not going deep, not trying to run a route. You can tell, his body language." Gamble continued ... "I know everyone who plays against him, they can sense that. Once you get into him in the beginning of the game, he shuts it down a little bit."

Uhmm... Didn't Chris Gamble's team, like, LOSE?!? These are very tall words from a guy who contributed yet another L to his team's record. When he's watching the Patriots in January, maybe he can take solace in Randy Moss' bad day against the Panthers. Yeah, that's the ticket. Until then...SHUT.YOUR.PIE.HOLE!! My personal opinion? Moss doesn't dog it so much as change his speed and rhythm to throw DB's off. Did he have a rough day against the Panthers? Yep. How about Miami? Sure. But when you're the ONLY deep ball threat on a team, the opposition comes gunning for you. That's a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. Doggin' it? Please...

It was an ugly win but a win none the less. Would I have preferred stellar, blowout, 2007-type play? You betcha. Would I have loved to see Moss connecting with Wonderboy on a long bomb or two? Sure. Is it going to happen this year? I don't think it will. So what do we have? What's going on that leads us to a glimmer of hope for the current incarnation of the New England Patriots?

I wrote at the beginning of training camp that I was so tired of all the hoopla surrounding Tom Brady's return. I was so sick of the ESPN/SI/Whatever... lovefest that I wanted to vomit. Every rival blogger I corresponded with would ask me what I thought and my catch phrase was, "Cautiously optimistic." The media billed the return of Tom Brady as the Return of the King (my guess is the Hobbits were named Wes and Julian, but I digress). Bleh. In reality, this is a team that for the first 2/3 of the season struggled to be a 2007 incarnation of itself. The difference? There were many, but I'll give you 2: Jabbar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth.

Neither of them is a stellar receiver, but they were lethal as #3 and #4 guys. Put Moss, Welker, Gaffney, and Stallworth on the field and you likely witnessed grown men on the opposition soiling themselves. Technically, it's called "spreading the field". I called it a freakin' JSF aerial assault. The biggest threat today? Well, other than Wes Welker, who's making a case for the best wide receiver of 2009, you have ~~special teamer~~ Sam Aiken and rookie Julian "Broken Forearm" Edelman. Hmm... What could be wrong, what could be wrong?

I had every intention of writing a full fledged game recap with stats and play-by-play analysis and things and stuff, but my ADHD brain got in the way (did you know the third of an Aminor is a C?). Where was I... Recap, things, stuff... Oh Yeah! This is a team that has struggled all year to find its identity. The absolute "broadside of a barn" misses with Greg Lewis and Joey Galloway cost us dearly. The loss of veteran RB Fred Taylor cost us dearly. Playcalling lost its creativity. I truly felt like this team was a ship without a rudder. Until this past Sunday, that is. No, I'm not delusional enough think the ship has been righted, but I do think they're beginning to find their way. Why? Read on, my captivated friends.

For most of the season, we have complained this team can't finish a game. They wrack up a crapload of points in the first half and then fizzle out in the second. We've seen it time and time again in big games against the Colts and Dolphins, to name a few. And it was true. Our New England Patriots seemed to have ZERO staying power. This past Sunday, however, I saw something that gave me hope. It was a running game. Bill Belichick has finally realized that his passing attack is not what it used to be, that Tom Brady bombs to Randy Moss are not going to work. So he put Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk to work. They ate turf, they fought, they grinded to the tune of 187 yards and 1 TD. Finally, coach Belichick didn't abandon the running game. Oh, and did I mention TE Benjamin Watson scored the other TD? I have been whining that Brady needs to find Watson more often and gets the ball to him for 6. Coach? Call me anytime. Keep it coming, would be my advice.

Only time will tell, but I think they're finally finding their identity. They're abandoning 2007 and facing the cold, hard reality of what they have to work with. Let's hear it for the 2009 Patriots!!!

Jets Ground the Panthers 17-6

Jaxon — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:31:42 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

16 days ago: Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) is sacked by New York Jets linebacker David Harris (52) in the first quarter during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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This story line is getting old: The Panther defense plays well enough for the win but the offense turns the ball over repeatedly and can't finish drives when they do manage to get in the red zone. The Panthers tried a new wrinkle this week as they opened the game using the no huddle. It makes me wonder if they Panther brass has been reading this blog as many here have been asking for that. Of course if that were true Jake wouldn't be the starter week to week. Yet rather than create an edge for the offense it created confusion, last minute play changes and sloppy play.

So here's the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good

The good was the defense holing the Jets offense to 10 points for the game. Though they were constantly being put back ont he field due to turnovers they limited the Jets to 154 yards passing and created 3 turnovers. Chris Gamble had a very nice INT and Julius Peppers and Chris Harris forced fumbles. Though the rush defense was not spectacular giving up 138 yards on the ground they played well enough, giving up a long run of 16 yards to the #2 rushing offense in the league.

The Bad

The bad has to go to the Panthers offense line, where Double Trouble managed only 75 yards between the two of them. They also allowed three sacks and let defenders get penetration all day. I'm sure part of the blame falls with the offensive game plan but in the end simply running the ball would not have been enough today. The Jets played fast on defense and seemed to always have the underneath routes well covered. In spite of the absence of Kris Jenkins the Panthers still cound not manage much running off the guards.

The Ugly

The ugly is obvious and that is the QB play of Jake Delhomme. The Panthers again chose to let Jake heave it long and every time he did it got picked as the ball was underthrown. Sure the first one, a pick 6 was a fluke bounce, but the point is it was a busted route due to play change at the LOS. What aggravated me most was the chinese fire drill at the LOS constantly which in the end didn;t seem to fool the Jets at all.

So the Panthers season is all but dead at 4-7 and playing like total crap on offense. It is time for the Panthers to look inward and start planning for the future. Once this last disappointment is digested the Panthers will have some tough decisions to make on both sides of the ball. The first has got to be who starts under center because this is gettong too painful to watch, but of course I will watch it anyway.

Honorable Mention

Captain Munnerlyn had a very nice punt return of 37 yards as special teams played well on returns and coverage outside of one kick off return for 38 yards. A better day for special teams.

DE Tyler Brayton had one of his best days as a Panther with 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

So what else does Panther Nation have to say about this latest defeat?

Poll

The Panthers game baal int he loss to the Jets goes to:

Jon Beason - 11 Tackles

58 votes

Tyler Brayton - 7 Tackles, 1.5 sacks

42 votes

Dante Rosario - 4 Rec for 62 yards

13 votes

No Game Ball for a Crappy Loss

145 votes

258 votes | Poll has closed

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Carolina Panthers Pass Defense

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

More photos » by Greg Trot - AP

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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.

Panthers vs. Saints Highlights Discussion

Jaxon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:24:17 -0000

As I was watching the NFL.com highlights from the game I had the urge to point out some of the keys to the big plays that are being discussed or I just have a question that you may be able to help me with. As I watched the embedded clip (after the jump) I was left with the impression that our secondary gambled too much on the INT or simply just blew the coverage, something they had avoided pretty well most of the season.

So take a look at the clip and then my comments and lets see if we can agree on some of the fault or clear up some questions:

So for each of the key plays here's a tidbit that is not discussed shall we say:

1. On the D-Will 66 yard TD Williams stiff arms the DE who should have made the tackle. Great blocking from the o-line that just silences the crowd

2. The Brayotn sack and FF was just a great example of a non-stop motor, nice play

3. On D-Will 2nd TD the announcer correctly poitns out that C Ryna Kalil drove the NG out of the play. Kalil has been a star performer and could be a future PBer.

4. On J-Stew's fumble, how many times do you see a RB fighting for that last unneeded yard only to lose the ball. Just go down Stewart and take the loss!

5. CB Chris Gamble INT was made possible by the fact he knew he had deep coverage so he could gamble, no pun intended. Unfortunately Gamble rolls the dice later with no so good results.

6. On the Colston 45 yd catch down the sideline someone goes for the INT (Martin?) but misses. Gamble then makes the tackle. This play essentially allowed 3 points before the half.

7. On the 63 yard Henderson catch Chris Gamble got caught playing off on the slot receiver who then split the safeties who were out of position. Who more to blame for this one, Gamble, Harris or Martin?

8. On the Thomas 10 yd TD run someone runs up and whiffs on the tackle but I couldn't get a number? Harris or Martin is my guess.

9. On the 54 yd TD pass to Meachum Gamble does just that, gambles on the INT and misses. Did he think he had deep help but didn't? What annoyed me about the play was Gamble didn;t even make sure he had the tackle if he did miss and then he just continued to back peddle out of the play.

10. On the game winning drive Meachum again made a key 21 yd play, this time surprisingly wide open. Who blew the coverage? Its hard to say from the tape but hoping someone else can clarify.

11. On the Hargrove fumble recovery and TD he is obviously touched by Jeff King when on the ground but since the Panthers didn't have a TO they couldn't challenge. Not that is probably would made a difference but you never know.

I await your comments my friends...

Saints Offensive Player Grades vs. Panthers

saints-nation — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:00:49 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

about 1 month ago: New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem (17) scores on a long touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of their NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. New Orleans won 30-20. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Below are the offensive players grades against the Panthers. The letter grade represents the player's performance in the game and the GPA in parentheses represents their cumulative performance for the season.

Drew Brees: B- (3.09) Prior to the drive just before halftime, I was seriously considering whether or not Brees was worthy of the first "F" I've given out. He fumbled inside his own 20, threw an interception in the red zone, botched a snap that cost his team, and was settling for little passes underneath. But of course I knew he would turn it around and he was nearly flawless in the second half, so he saved his grade. He wasn't helped by a few Colston drops, including two in the end zone. Brees finished 24 of 35 for 330 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception and 1 lost fumble. He also converted a 3rd and 1 on a 5 yard sneak.

Reggie Bush: B+ (2.42) Bush did all the little things very well. He carried the ball twice, rushing for 9 and 7 yards respectively. On both carries he hit the hole and showed a nice burst. He was heavily involved in the passing game, finishing with 7 catches for 37 yards. He helped the Saints convert big 3rd downs when they needed it. He returned one punt for 4 yards, avoiding his backpedaling tendency. His best play of the game was chasing Chris Gamble downfield after an interception to save a touchdown return. Despite being blocked by a couple Panthers on that play he was able to catch Gamble, and as low as the Saints were at that point in the game he helped limit the damage already done.

Mike Bell: C+ (2.95) Bell converted twice on 3rd and short, so give him credit for powering through with his aggressive running style. Otherwise he just had 5 carries for 17 yards. Quiet day.

Devery Henderson: B+ (3.12) Henderson came up with a HUGE 63 yard reception on3rd down to set up the Pierre Thomas score. He finished with 3 catches for 93 yards. He also had another 3rd down conversion and made the most of his opportunities. He had no chance on an end around that went for a 3 yard loss as Thomas Davis read the play perfectly.

Marques Colston: D+ (2.92) Colston had at least 4 drops and had by far his worse game of the season. While a couple of those were gimmes, a couple of those were admittedly tough catches to make. None the less, we've come to expect Colston to make those spectacular catches and he just didn't show up. Poor performance for the Saints' star receiver who finished with just 1 catch for 45 yards. His one catch did set up the field goal before halftime, which was important for the Saints' momentum going into the locker room, but the bad overshadowed the good. He specifically had two drops in the end zone on plays I've seen him make countless times.

Robert Meachem: A- (2.83) Meachem was the most targeted and reliable Saints' receiver on the day. It was a nice surprise to see him so involved and performing well. He finished with 5 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown was a 54 strike from Brees where he was able to show off his terrific hands and speed, and it was crucial as it tied the game at 20.

Pierre Thomas: B+ (3.22) Thomas was off to a slow start, especially in the first half, but played a terrific second half when he got more touches. Finished with 50 yards on 13 carries, none bigger than the 10 yard touchdown run that pulled the Saints back within 4 to start the second half. As the game wore on he refused to go down and was seen shedding two to three tacklers before going down. He also had 5 catches for 31 yards.

Jeremy Shockey: C- (3.21) Shockey had his worse game of the season. He didn't block particularly well, and he wasn't looking on a pass in the end zone that Brees threw to him. A little embarrassing, considering Fox analyst Brian Billick spent the better part of a drive talking about how Shockey and Brees were finally on the same page. He was flagged for an offensive pass interference call that was suspect, and finished with 3 catches for 26 yards.

David Thomas: D+ (1.89) Thomas played a decent amount of snaps at fullback, but didn't seem to throw great lead blocks. He did throw a couple good blocks on screen passes to the running backs, but he was never targeted in the passing game. His low grade is mostly due to the fact that I saw him beat by Thomas Davis and pushed around by Jon Beason.

Jermon Bushrod: A- (2.81) Brees got little pressure from Bushrod's edge all game, and when he did he was able to step up in the pocket. Bushrod did an admirable job in both pass protection and run blocking. While it seemed like he went out for a portion of the game with an injury, Julius Peppers had just 1 tackle and was almost non-existent in the game. Give Bushrod credit, Jammal Brown has never kept Peppers that quiet.

Jahri Evans: B- (3.29) Hard to forget about the most costly penalty of the game. On a screen pass to Thomas that converted a 3rd down inside the Panthers' 5, Evans was called for a hold, forcing the Saints to settle for a field goal and a 23-20 lead. The Saints were fortunate it didn't come back to haunt them, but Evans picked a crucial time to make a mistake. Otherwise, he was pretty solid but not as dominant as usual.

Jonathan Goodwin: B (3.04) Goodwin was back to pulling on screens and showing a nasty streak inside. He showed no ill effects from the knee injury that forced him to leave the game early last week. The shotgun snap that was dropped by Brees was not his fault.

Carl Nicks: B (3.00) Nicks was terrific run blocking, mauling ex Saint Hollis Thomas on a couple of occasions. Thomas is a load, so it was fun to see Nicks bullying the hefty veteran. I only remembered him get beat once on a passing play.

Jon Stinchcomb: C+ (2.88) Stinchcomb was responsible for the sack and strip in the 1st quarter. There was a lot of pressure coming from his edge, but Brees was able to step up in the pocket to avoid most of it. Stinchcomb did spring one of Bell's 3rd and 1 conversions, but he also did a bad job containing linebackers bringing backside pursuit.

Offensive Player of the Game: Robert Meachem

New Orleans Saints defeat Carolina Panthers 30-20

James The Aussie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:47:25 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

about 1 month ago: Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) sits on the bench near the end of a 30-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints in their NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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New Orleans, LA- The Carolina Panthers looked like a team not ready to be leading 17-6 going into halftime in Sunday's game at the New Orleans Superdome. A dynamic Panthers offense looked aenimic in the second period failing to muster anything more than a field goal as the Saints scored 24 unanswered points on the hapless Panthers.

More after the jump...

Carolina asserted their will early in Sunday's game with a blistering 66 yard TD by DeAngelo Williams which silenced the Superdome and left the Saints reeling. This was quickly followed by a forced fumble by DE Tyler Brayton to set up a second Williams TD run, scoring twice within ten minutes.

The Saints offense could not deal with the Carolina defense in the first half getting stopped on three redzone drives leading to two John Karney field goals and an interception by CB Chris Gamble.

Going into the break the New Orleans crowd was silent, and the Panthers looked nothing like a 3-4 team fighting with a 7-0 juggernaut, rather they looked like a team who knew they were the better team on this Sunday and stepped up to the occasion, this would all change in the second half.

The best desription for the second half was that the Panthers failed to play like a team wanting to win a football game, rather, everyone merely wanted to keep their jobs and the team took no risks on offense. Richard Marshall blew coverage allowing a 63 yard gain by Saints WR Devery Henderson, setting up a 10 yard Pierre Thomas TD run.

Despite the Saints' score, the Panthers remained in the driver's seat engineering a brutal 19 play drive that ate almost ten minutes off the clock and gave the Panthers the ball on the 1 yard line. After a questionable time out Jake Delhomme bobbled the handoff from Ryan Kalil and was sacked, pushing the team back and after a questionable run plays by Tyrell Sutton, and a dropped pass by DeAngelo Williams which would have surely been a TD the Panthers were forced to settle for a short FG, their last score of the game.

The Saints answered back quickly the next drive with another passing TD caused by blown coverage by Richard Marshall, and poor tackling by Chris Gamble. This time it was a 54 yard pass to Robert Meachem. Despite their lack of fire the Panthers only allowed another field goal by the Saints, now the offense was severely letting the team down.

Even after a Jake Delhomme fumble the Panthers remained in the game for one final two minute drill starting at the Carolina two yard line. On the first play of the drive DeAngelo Williams fumbled the ball and it was recovered for a touchdown. This play sealed the Panthers fate on Sunday. The Panthers were two different teams on Sunday, there was the first half team who was dynamic, opportunistic and hungry, much like the Panthers were against Arizona, then there were the second half Panthers who looked remarkably similar to the Panthers who played Buffalo; it was tough to watch.

The Panthers return home to face the Atlanta Falcons on November 15th at 1:00p.m.

Notes : LB Thomas Davis sustained a leg injury in the third quarter and did not return.

Poll

Who do you blame for the Panthers loss to the Saints?

Jeff Davidson

139 votes

Jake Delhomme

78 votes

DeAngelo Williams

53 votes

Richard Marshall

25 votes

Other (please specify in comments)

58 votes

353 votes | Poll has closed

Happy Days in Fantasy Football, and a deep look at the Cowboys Game.

Revshawn — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:27:51 -0000

Today I am a happy man. My teams in Fantasy Football have finished shooting themselves in the rear and have decided to live up to the reason I drafted them. Today, The Dukes of Hazard have pulled off amazing win after being the worst scoring team in the ESPN league that we here at Cat Scratch Reader play in. My other team, The Rioting Rabbits, should also pull off a win as well, providing that Kurt Warner and Steve Smith don't completely blow up and have amazing statistics for the other team. The play of my teams have been so amazing, so terrific, that it makes the rest of the guys in our league look like mere mortals compared to the gods that I drafted to my team. I would go into more depth if you want, but I'm not going to bore you guys too much, so I'm going to let you know my thoughts on the game tomorrow and give you a good look at the present and the future of our football team for not only this season, but the seasons yet to come.

Tomorrow night the Carolina Panthers go up against the Dallas Cowboys for all the marbles. It may not seem like that way to the rest of the NFL, but in Carolina this may be the defining point of our entire season. If we lose this game, the Panthers go 0-3, and their chances of making the playoffs go from moderate to slim. If we lose this game, it sends us into the Bye week with plenty of time to consider how much we truly suck.

However, if we win this next game we may just have all the ingredients of a big winning streak on the table. The schedule gets a whole lot easier with games against the Redskins, the Tampa Bay Bucs, and the Buffalo Bills in consecutive weeks, all after a Week 4 bye that gives us a chance to get all of our little nicks in our team out of our system. As far as our team is concerned, we could very well go 4-2 after a very uplifting win against the Dallas Cowboys.

As much as teams hate the early bye, it will do wonders to help the Panthers discern between themselves the players they have, and how they can best operate a defense around them. We don't have a defensive line, and Julius Peppers seems intent to show up on the field but not play, whether intentional on his part or not.

That puts the pressure back on our linebackers and our secondary. And while we have a talented LB core led by Jon Beason, our secondary play like the wideouts are covered with poisonous spikes. They simply won't go near them. You can blame it on a lack of pressure on the QB if you want, but Chris Gamble didn't live up to the 'shutdown corner' label put on him during the preseason, and our coverage units constantly play several yards off their guys. Even if we were able to bring pressure, it wouldn't matter anyway because our corners constantly give up these short little 9-10 yard receptions. How hard is it to just fling the ball to the sidelines and have your WR do his work while the corner is busy trying to get to him from 15 yards away? You can have an entire team blitzing you and still complete a sideline pass.

Things like this can be looked at during the Bye Week, and hopefully with a win we can fix these problems and make a serious drive for the playoffs.

Then again, what if we lose?

Let me bring up another little chin scratcher for you guys. Julius Peppers. Is it time to trade him and enter rebuilding mode in Week 3? I know it sounds crazy at first glance, the typical fan angry that his team is losing. Thing about this though: There is no guarantee that Peppers is not going to pull his holdout stuff and screw us again during the 09 off-season, when plenty of key players on our offense go up for FA and the Panthers will have to shell out several large contracts to keep our team together. At the cost of not completely failing this season, we may be forced to either let Peppers walk or have our team knocked out of the elite group for a few years to come.

In addition, there will be plenty of rookie QB's like McCoy from Texas, Tebow from Florida, Bradford from Oklahoma and Rusty Smith from Florida Atlantic. The elite tier of QB's will not be available after the 1st round, and the Panthers need their QB of the future, if not now than very soon. Peppers is more than worth a 1st/3rd rounder, and with those extra picks we can trade into the slot we want to get the QB that we need for the future of our franchise.

Does it not then make sense for the Panthers to trade Peppers in Week 3, after hopes of a playoff run have been dashed and we still control the fate of arguably the best player on the Panthers defense, one who does not want to be here and could care less whether we win or lose? I hate to return to this issue again and again, but we need that 1st round pick. Otherwise Jake Delhomme will implode sometime in the future for good when he's old and his arm is weak, and the Panthers will have no one else to turn to because we never selected his successor.

It's a legitimate worry.

I enter this game tomorrow with a feeling of uneasiness. My greatest hope is that the Panthers will pull off the most amazing win that we have ever seen, that they will blow the Cowboys out of the water and show me that I have just been worrying to myself for nothing. However, at the same time I will be holding my breath every time Jake has the ball, and give a groan of displeasure whenever Barber runs the ball up the middle.

I'll see you tomorrow guys, hopefully to cheer rather than to boo.

Regular Season Week 1: Panthers Offense vs Philadelphia Defense

Revshawn — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:15:30 -0000

On Sunday afternoon at 1PM, The Panthers face off against the Eagles at home in Bank of America Stadium to start the season. No more preseason, this is the real deal now. The depth charts have been set, the fields painted, and on Sunday the start of the 2009 Carolina Panthers season will finally begin.

However, the Panthers have many questions going into Week 1. How effective will our new 3rd receiver Kenny Moore be? Whom will be the punt and kick returners for the Panthers now that Steve Smith and Chris Gamble's names have been thrown into the competition? How will the Panthers recover after a 0-4 start during the preseason? All of these questions will finally be resolved.

There is a cause for hope. There is a cause for faith in our team. I believe the Panthers starters held back during the preseason. I believe the coaching staff called very conservative plays with loose coverage in order to keep the defense healthy. I believe that the players were instructed not to go all-out against their previous opponents, hence all the missed tackles. That is what we have to hope after a 0-4 start during the preseason. In addition, Linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis among our other starters were lining the bench to keep them from being injured during the cursed offseason. They will be back. Safeties Chris Harris and Sherrod Martin were nursing injuries right up into this very week before being declared good to go for Week 1. Besides our players on IR, the Panthers are healthy going up against the Eagles this Sunday.

Expect for the full fury of our defense to be released on game day. Like I said, you cannot judge the Panthers for their preseason. They calling a conservative game in order to minimize contact and prevent injuries to our players. The Panthers will change that on Sunday. Expect Panthers to blitz like crazy and carry a 4 man D-Line rotation in order to account for the losses of Corvey Irvin and Maake Kemoeatu to IR. The Panthers may have a huge weakness at DT, but our linebacker core are one of the strongest in the league. They will not, and cannot let us down.

And let's not forget the injuries of the Eagles as well. They lost their starting MLB early this year to IR. They throw Omar Gaither in there and he's a capable fill-in. But his backup, Joe Mays, is done for the game due to shoulder injury. The LB core of the Eagles are one injury away from a major disaster. That's bad news for an Eagles defense trying to discover how to stop a star running back like DeAngelo Williams and to prepare for a playoff run.

In addition, the Eagles lost two key cogs in their O-Line with their starting LG and RT out. That's going to hurt their offensive line and help nullify a weakness the Panthers have at our DT Position. On top of that, Westbrook is coming off an offseason ankle surgery, has hit the magical age of 30, and didn't practice the entire preseason. We all know that when RB's hit the downturn of their career, they hit it hard. Will he still have the game changing speed that he has had in the past? Is it time for him to hang up his cleats and retire? These are all questions that will be answered on Sunday.

Now let's move on and see how our offense matches up against the Philadelphia defense.

Introduction

The Eagles have fielded one of the most dominant defenses in the league the last couple of years. However, a big cause of that success was the brilliance in their former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, whom has sadly passed away to cancer. This year the Eagles struggled defensively during the preseason, giving up 30+ points in their last couple of preseason games to the Jags and the Jets. Don't be surprised if you see an entirely new defense under Jim's successor Sean McDermott.

With the final game in 2008 in mind, the Eagles are going to blitz until Jake Delhomme proves himself in the passing game. They are going to stack 7 and 8 players in the box until he can start feeding the ball to Smith, Moose, and Moore. If they start pulling that stuff on the opening drive, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Jake Delhomme the ball to prove himself the first drive after a horrible game against the Cardinals in the postseason. Then they can go on to call a balanced offensive game, have a good day, and the Panther fans can return to their homes victorious and looking forward for the rest of the season.

Jake just needs to keep from turning the ball over.

Jeff Otah vs Victor Abiamira

For the past three years, Juqua Thomas has been a good starter at right defensive end. He's gone for 5 and 6 sacks a season, and the Eagles find that they depend on him down the stretch. Yet during the offseason, the Eagles have decided to go with the 2 year veteran in Victor Abiamira, a 2nd round pick from the university of Notre Dame from the 07 draft. He's never played extensively in a game before, so it'll be up to Jeff Otah to be able to give him a very rude welcome into the league. Victor Abiamira should be able to be a good player in the league, but Jeff Otah should be able to delay his success for at least another game.

Jordan Gross vs Trent Cole

The star on the Eagles D-Line is unquestionably LDE Trent Cole. Two years ago in 2007 he made it to the Pro-Bowl for the first time in his career. He had 12.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 49 tackles, and was consistently a threat for the QB to keep an eye on at all times. However, he will be going up against another star in Jordan Gross, whom made it to the Pro-Bowl for the first time in his career just last year. Needless to say, it will be an interesting battle going on along both sides of the D-Line today.

Jake Delhomme vs Eagles D-backs

Jake will need to come out and prove himself once more after his horrendous play during the Cardinals game last year. This match-up could very well be renamed Jake Delhomme vs himself simply because the fans need to learn to believe in him again. At the same time, the coaching staff needs to not overly depend on Jake Delhomme like they did during that game. Call a balanced game with a mix of run and pass, and acknowledge that Jake Delhomme is not Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, even though he's being paid like it.

Jake also needs to be more effective on 3rd down, which has traditionally been a struggle for the Panthers with him under center. He has some help with year with Moore providing a better 3rd WR than Hackett or Jarrett last year. If Jake spreads the ball around, our offense should have a good day.

Brad Hoover vs Eagles LB's

DeAngelo needs to pick up where he left off last season and start breaking off those huge runs we all know and love him for. He is the star on our offense, and if he and Stewart suddenly fled to Canada our offense would not be effective at all.

So Brad Hoover needs to get out there and have a good game in the second level, blocking and fighting to give our backs room to run. He's coming off a year where he blew a few key assignments last year on special teams that led to a couple of blocked punts. A good performance by Hoover in taking away that extra LB up the middle would do wonders for springing DeAngelo into the backfield.

We have a special running game in Carolina. Williams is always a threat to break free at any time. Stewart makes for a good power back to keep him fresh, and Mike Goodson could be a brilliant, speedy change of pace back if he can cut down on the fumbles and the Panthers choose to utilize him. They are the reason I'm pumped for the start of the regular season. The Panthers running game is close to unstoppable.

And behind the scenes, the Hoov will do all the dirty work in helping them be that great.

Game Prediction

I look into the future, and I see a high scoring game by both teams. The defenses stand strong during the 1st and part of the 2nd quarter, but they completely collapse during the stretch. It will come down to the Panthers running game against the Eagles passing game, and DeAngelo Williams will not disappoint. The Panthers win 38-28.

Defensive Key Matchups: Panthers vs Eagles

LittleKing — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:18:45 -0000

When looking at the key match-ups from week to week it is easy to always pick the big names (Peppers, Gamble, Beason), which I try to shy away from, instead choosing players that I think will have to step up their game for the Panthers to win. Yet saying it's the first game of the season I thought I'd start with the usual suspects as there are plenty of questions to go around.

1. DE Julius Peppers vs T Jason Peters

After the offseason showdown, and now receiving $1+ million per game, everyone is expecting Peppers to produce. He lack of production during the preseason is a concern. He has stated he prefers to lead by example instead of words. Well, now is the time to produce and lead in his own way.

He will primarily line up against All-Pro LT Jason Peters. Peters was acquired from the Bills during the offseason and although he gave up a league high 11.5 sacks last season, he will be formidable first opponent for Peppers. The Eagles have a great line coach in Juan Castillo, having coached four lineman to the Pro Bowl in his career. He has also has created several offensive line starters from rookie free agents, including current start C Jamaal Jackson. Jason Peters was already good, but his coach could make him that much better.

However, also starting Sunday on the other side of their line is backup T Winston Justice. The regular start, Shawn Andrews, is out with back problems. Justice is a very questionable in his ability and whoever plays left end, or if Peppers moves to LE during the game, could be poised for a big day.

Peppers is on a short leash with the fans and he will need a stellar performance to hold of his detractors.

2. MLB Jon Beason vs RB Brian Westbrook / TE Brent Celek

Beason is on the list because he's been injured and is the leader of the defense and we all know the D didn't look strong during the preseason. They say they are ready to play and that they haven't all played together won't make a difference and they feel confident at with their abilities. There will be a lot of hard games this year but Beason will have a lot to watch for during this first game.

With the west coast offense the Eagles use, the short yardage passes could definitely cause problems. Westbrook is a key player for the Eagles. His durability has been questioned saying he hasn't completed a full season of games in his career. He had two offseason knee surgeries and just turn 30, the magical age for RB. However, since he is used often in screen it will probably be a bigger match up with LB Thomas Davis.

Another concern for Beason will be new starter TE Brent Celek. This is his second NFL season and there are indications he could be a significant fixture in their plans. Beason will have to account for him coming across the middle as well as protecting against the run.

3. CB Chris Gamble vs WR DeSean Jackson

Gamble received a huge contract at the end of last season. During the preseason he didn't play like a quality starter, let alone a shutdown corner that he is now paid to be. Some of this falls on the defensive scheme, playing soft zones, but there is no question he was badly beaten during the Baltimore game. If the Panthers expect to win on Sunday, Gamble will have to have a much better game.

To do so he will have to face second year WR DeSean Jackson, who last year broke the Eagles rookie receiving records for total yards and their leading receiver in 2008. With a year under his belt he is expected to fill a huge role in the Eagles plans.

Like Peppers, the fans are looking for Gamble to play up to his contract or we won't be happy about it.

4. Panthers DTs vs RB Brian Westbrook

Not that Westbrook is known as a power runner but saying our middle has some large (pun intended) questions it could be several games into the season before we truly know how they will perform. If the Eagles don't test the the middle of our defensive line, I would seriously question their game prep. Until our DT's prove themselves on the field, every team is going to press the middle. If our they don't play well it will be a long night and season.

However, the Eagles will also be missing their starting LG Todd Herremans. It is being reported that backup C Nick Cole will most likely replace him. Yet Cole is also on the injury report as probable. I don't know much about Cole, but the Eagles though enough of him to offer him a restricted FA contract that he signed. Saying the Eagles offensive line is a mess it could be just enough for our defensive line to look okay and take care of business this week. Also giving new DT Loius Leonard and Re'Shon Harris a week to get their feet under them.

5. CB Richard Marshall

Marshall was suppose to be the only new starter until Kemo was injured. Many are happy to forget the player that he is replacing, but Marshall is still an unproven starter and will have to prove his abilities on the field. Unless they always put Gamble across from Jackson, Marshall will see his share of him as well. This is his chance to shine and we will all be watching closely.

Basically take your pick this week about which defensive player you have questions about and most likely they are valid. But these are the one I think will be the most important this week as we prepare to start our season on a positive note.

5 questions with a Carolina Panthers blogger

JasonB — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:17:47 -0000

by RICK HAVNER - AP

I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions, and I want to have them answered immediately! (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

View full size photo »

The Eagles begin their 2009 season on the road against the Carolina Panthers, and so we start this year's 5 questions series in the same place. This week I exchanged questions with Jaxon, who blogs about the Carolina Panthers over on Cat Scratch Reader.

You should find my answers to his questions over there sometime today.

First, let's start with injuries. Both the Eagles and Panthers got hit with a slew of injuries this summer. How bad have the injuries in Carolina been? What guys will be back, who won't be back, and which guys may not be at 100%?

We’ve been mainly worried about the status of MLB Jon Beason (MCL strain) and RB Jonathan Stewart (Achilles) but we just got word on Wednesday that both practiced so it appears both will play. SS Chris Harris is sitting out practice with a leg bruise and FS Charles Godfrey is playing with a wrap on a broken hand surgically repaired last week. We’ve already lost two DT’s to IR for the season in Maake Kemoeatu and rookie Corvey Irvin but otherwise it looks like the Panthers will enter the game fairly healthy.

Frankly I was surprised to learn that the Eagles are 2 point favorites this weekend. Is that simply Vegas buying into Eagles hype, or do you they're down on Carolina?

Everyone is down on the Panthers except the diehard faithful. The divisional match-up with the NFC East and AFC East plus the #1 divisional seed have reaped the 2^nd hardest schedule in the league. Combine that with the Delhomme playoff meltdown and I can understand the skeptics. Plus the Eagles bring a strong squad fresh off a playoff run to the NFC Title game. We welcome the underdog role.

When I talk to people about Carolina's chances this year, their level of confidence in the team is tied directly to their level of confidence in Jake Delhomme. Do you agree that he's the key to this season and what is your outlook on Delhomme?

He’s the primary key to the offense but the run defense was also a major liability down the stretch. Many vocal ‘Jake Haters’ as we call them want to run him out of town but it’s clear his team mates feel just the opposite. Jake still commands the huddle and has many 4^th quarter comebacks on his resume to prove he has the mettle to guide another stellar season. A poll I ran over the offseason showed 75% of fans still trust Jake to guide this team.

This is probably not something you want to remember... but that loss at home to the Cardinals last year seems like one of those losses that sticks with you and can hang over a team. Have the Panthers seemed to have forgotten than loss, will they use it as motivation, or might it actually still bother them?

That loss has not been forgotten at all and is being used as a source of motivation. Jake has taken full responsibility for his play and has emerged re-energized in the preseason. He has in turn looked fairly sharp in his throws and appears to have more confidence in his additional weapons available. If there is any issue lingering from that loss to the Cardinals it is only mentioned as a reason to focus on the goals for 2009.

This is my standard question that people love to hear opponents answer... If you could steal one Eagle and add him to your roster who would it be?

Good question. After kicking around a few names in my head I have to say CB Asante Samuel. Finding playmakers in the secondary is hard to do and Samuel is one of the best. Putting Samuel across from Chris Gamble would be fun to watch for Panther fans.

Bonus question.... What Panther that we've never heard of is going to surprise us with a big game this Sunday?

My money is on WR Kenny Moore, a 5^th round pick by the Lions last season who the Panthers stole off their practice squad. The Panthers have struggled to find a #3 WR ever since Ricky Proehl retired but Moore has impressed in the preseason. I think he will make a few key 3^rd down catches to keep drives going and confound your pass defense.

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