SB Nation User Blog: James The Aussie

RIP Chris Henry

James The Aussie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:19:45 -0000

RIP Chris Henry

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cinncinati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry who died this morning in Charlotte, NC.

Henry was 26.

Cat Scratch Reader Facebook

James The Aussie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:18:53 -0000

Cat Scratch Reader Facebook

CSR is growing more and more every day, and some of our newer members might not know that Cat Scratch Reader content is linked on Facebook as it happens.

If you are a Facebook user, become a fan today!

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (Minnesota Vikings edition)

James The Aussie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:57:55 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

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

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

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

After the jump...

Minnesota run offense vs. Carolina run defense

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

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

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

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

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

Edge: Carolina Panthers

KEY MATCHUP: Carolina run offense vs. Minnesota run defense

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

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

Edge: Push

Carolina pass offense vs. Minnesota pass defense

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

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

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Special Teams

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

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Coaching

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

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

Edge: Minnesota Vikings

Final Summary

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

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

Carolina Panthers 27 - Minnesota Vikings 24

Jeff Otah placed on injured reserve

James The Aussie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:30:14 -0000

Jeff Otah placed on injured reserve

Just when you think the Panthers can't get any more injury ravaged, Otah is done for the season with a knee injury.

Tip of the hat to PantherPride for breaking the bad news on CSR.

Carolina Panthers’ Monday Morning Optimist- 12/14/2009

James The Aussie — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:13:41 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

5 days ago: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) scrambles as he tries to elude Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers (90) during the first half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Good morning Panther faithful! Realistically, who thought we were going to beat the Patriots on Sunday? I always think the Panthers have a shot, but with a banged up o-line, a decimated D-line and a young QB it was always going to be an extremely tough game. Wes Welker demonized the Panthers' defense showing why he's one of the pre-eminent wide receivers in football; this coupled with a near 100 yard game from Kevin Faulk and the Patriots were near guaranteed a win, especially with how bad the Panthers' offense played on Sunday.

However, it wasn't all bad on Sunday. There were a few standout performances and some that were lacking. So join me when I break it all down:

After the jump...

I would be remiss if I didn't again spend time looking at the performance of Matt Moore. After all, for the majority of Panthers' fans this is the main focus during these final games down the stretch. As you may have guessed already if Moore is being mentioned here, he's not being mentioned in the rest of the article. Much like last week he turned in a run of the mill performance against the New England Patriots. Not good enough to deserve distinction, and not poor enough to garner being berated Moore had both extremely positive aspects to his game, and some worrying ones on Sunday.

The definite highlight was his 41 yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith in the first quarter. It certainly helped that Brandon Meriweather was caught in no mans land after cheating in far too much, but it was a pretty play. Sadly, there wasn't another play of note from the third year quarterback.

Early and often Moore was throwing high and away from his receivers. Though he got his arm under control midway through the second quarter he still displayed some poor decision making in his throws. There were four passes that should have been intercepted by the Patriots secondary after hitting them in the hands and being dropped. Moore had 9 lives on Sunday, and used up 8 of them.

Now that we have two games to analyze I think I've come to a fairly good conclusion of how Matt Moore plays as a QB. He isn't playing to win games; he's playing not to lose them. This isn't inherently a bad thing, but it's a little disheartening. For all Jake Delhomme's faults (of which there were many) he could never be accused of not doing everything in his power to try and win the football game. This oftentimes led to horrible throws, bad decisions, and numerous interceptions. Moore on the other hand seems too nervous to take a shot, or try and make a big play. Ultimately this gives him a pretty QB rating (82.2) but it won't necessarily result in wins.

What I'm talking about is this: of Moore's 30 attempts on Sunday he only targeted a wide receiver 12 times. The rest of the time he threw short passes to tight ends, or checked down to a running back. This is not how you play quarterback in the NFL. We do not have an Antonio Gates or Jason Witten on roster, and our running backs are not pass catching threats the caliber of a Ray Rice or LaDanian Tomlinson. Moore needs to put more faith in his wide receivers; particularly Steve Smith who he only threw to 5 times on Sunday. As it stands now, Moore is getting flustered in the pocket far too quickly and making the throw that is tantamount to giving up on the play; going to a check down too quickly. This may make your stats look good on a superficial level, but you don't put a drive together with these throws.

The other role that speaks to a QB's ability is a leadership one. Moore does not yet have the ability to read opposing defenses, call effective audibles or identify blitzing players. Of course it isn't all on Matt Moore, and somewhat expected with a young player; however, with Jake Delhomme at QB the Panthers averaged 151.3 rushing yards per game. With Matt Moore under center the Panthers are averaging 141.5. While that might not seem like a lot of a drop off, the last two games have been against quite poor run defenses. The team simply doesn't look as dynamic on offense with Moore taking the snaps.

The reason for these shortcomings could be myriad, but I think a strong case could be made for fear of reprisal by the fanbase. Moore saw how Jake was dragged over the coals for his poor performance and may want to avoid the same fate. This isn't the time to play it safe though. Much like Moore's QB play over the last two weeks he needs to play to win the starting QB job, not play to simply keep it. I know we've become accustomed to horrible play at the quarterback position in 2009, but I think some are overrating Moore's performance because they're comparing him to Jake Delhomme alone. I see Moore as a long time backup for this franchise in the mold of a Jim Sorgi or Charlie Batch who will always be ready to step in when needed and who can manage a game. I do not see him as a future answer at the position, or a long term solution.

That being said, I wholly believe Moore needs to remain the QB for the rest of the season. There is no reason to put Jake Delhomme back in for the final games unless he's planning to retire and these games can be his swansong. Moore should play out the season and we'll see if there's been any growth. I think it's improbable that he'll become a different QB, but crazier things have happened.

OPTIMISTIC

DeAngelo Williams- Extremely Optimistic: D-Will proved why he's one of the best RB's in the league. Sure he only had 82 yards on the day, but he ran at a pace of 6.3 ypc. The only question is ‘Why didn't get get more carries?' Williams was the only Panther who consistently moved the chains.

Chris Harris- Extremely Optimistic: CSR's own Chris Harris played a great game on Sunday. 6 tackles, 1 FF- he was a leader and a performer on defense. Great game.

Chris Gamble- Extremely Optimistic: Gamble did an excellent job covering Randy Moss and limiting him to 1 reception. Couple this with an INT and he deserves kudos.

Ron Meeks- Somewhat Optimistic: Meeks drew up another great defense Sunday that kept the Patriots below their season averages. The defense were on the field for 34:15, which is entirely too long. The offense couldn't stay on the field.

PESSIMISTIC

Offensive Line- Extremely Pessimistic: The line is still a major concern. The decision to give Jordan Gross that giant contract extension is being justified each week.

Gary Barnidge- Somewhat Pessimistic: C'mon Barnidge. Why did you drop to your knees 2 yard before that 1^st down? That's about the only bad thing I can say, but it was a bad football move.

Everette Brown- Somewhat Pessimistic: You picked a bad play to have a bad play, Everette. The roughing the punter penalty sealed the Panthers' fate... it was a bad rookie mistake.

Overall Analysis

The Panthers are now 5-8, and we're playing to see what the future holds. There are some good aspects that a losing season brings. It lets the coaching staff take some risks with the roster that they normally wouldn't, which ultimately puts you in better stead for the future and understanding your talent. The downside is, however, you're losing and the fan base may grow apathetic.

We have Minnesota on Sunday night in what looks to be another extremely tough game. Knowing the Panthers proclivity to look horrible on national games it doesn't bode well for this week.

45% Optimistic about the future as we face the Minnesota Vikings

Charlotte Bobcats #25 in Forbes list of NBA franchise value.

James The Aussie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:35:17 -0000

Charlotte Bobcats #25 in Forbes list of NBA franchise value.

The team lost $15.1 million in 2009, but on the plus side the team was 29th in the NBA last year.

The NFL's biggest rip-offs

James The Aussie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:11:54 -0000

The NFL's biggest rip-offs

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com looks at the NFL's worse contracts. Surprise, surprise the Panthers come in #1 and #1-a.

Thanks for univonc and Davejinxer for the link

Delhomme Contract has Panthers on the hook.

James The Aussie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:54:14 -0000

Delhomme Contract has Panthers on the hook.

Andrew Brandt of nationalfootballpost.com examines the Delhomme Contract extension.

Thanks for univonc and Davejinxer for the link

Carolina Panthers’ Hump Day Prognostication (New England Patriots edition)

James The Aussie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:29:13 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

12 days ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (81) speaks to quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Good morning Panther faithful and happy hump day! This Sunday's game between the Carolina Panthers (5-7) and the New England Patriots (7-5) proves to be one of the biggest tests of the Panther's season. The Patriots may be 7-5, but most agree they're far more dangerous than their record shows, meanwhile, the Panthers are 5-7, but like the Patriots most agree that they have the potential to be far more dangerous than their 5 wins suggest.

This 2009 Pats team is not the same as previous iterations. While still dangerous in every phase of the game they're not nearly the juggernaut in every phase that we've seen during their dynasty run. This leaves the door slightly open for Matt Moore and the Carolina Panthers to press the advantage. So, how do we match up against the Pats? Find out:

After the jump...

New England run offense vs. Carolina run defense

The Patriots run offense isn't quite an afterthought, but it's not a focal point of their offense. The Pats have only run the ball 337 compared to 473 passing attempts. This bodes well for a Carolina Panther defense which has struggled against the run, especially against strong North-South runners. New England have a strong back in Lawrence Maroney, but he's never really reached his full potential. They also feature Kevin Faulk, a NE institution who is as reliable as the day is long.

The Pats are 16^th in the NFL running the ball, and the Panthers' run defense is 23^rd in the league, despite this disparity I think it'll be pretty evenly matched on Sunday as New England won't run the ball very much.

Edge: Push

KEY MATCHUP: New England pass offense vs. Carolina pass defense

This is the area the Patriots scare me. They're 2^nd in the NFL in passing, and their pass offense is a bonafide monster. This is week 13 and not only to the Pats have two 1,000 yard receivers in Randy Moss and Wes Welker; they're also no.1 and no.2 in the league respectively. Brady might not have all the physical tools you want in a QB, but he has every single intangible and then some. Brady is completing over 65% of his passes, and he won't make the mistakes Josh Freeman made last week. If our corners struggle with Antonio Bryant, there's no telling how they will deal with Moss and Welker. I don't see the pass defense hanging with New England's attack this week.

Edge: New England

Carolina run offense vs. New England run defense

The Carolina Panthers should have DeAngelo Williams back this week and he and Stewart should give the Pats a little dose of Double Trouble. Stewart proved last week that he can carry the load when needed, and I have no doubt he would have had a better day with an effective offensive line. The Panthers' rushing attack hinges on the ability of the offense line to get some push and open some holes, which they haven't been doing effectively enough lately. Despite all this the Panthers are 3^rd in the NFL in rushing, the Pats are 16^th in run defense and I think Carolina will dominate the ground in this area.

Edge: Carolina

Carolina pass offense vs. New England pass defense

The Matt Moore era has officially begun. While Moore was an effective game manager against the Buccaneers, he certainly didn't set the world on fire. While the Patriots are a statistically worse pass defense than Tampa Bay's (13^th compared to 11^th) they do have all their players healthy whereas TB was without their no.1 corner. The Bucs had 11 interceptions on the season, the Pats have 14. This will be a much greater test for Moore on every level. Steve Smith has the talent to take over his opposite number, but ultimately I'm not sure a young QB in Moore will be able to handle the Patriots secondary.

The Patriots also feature a defense that pressures the quarterback from a lot of different angles. They have 8 different players who have recorded sacks, and 6 players who have recorded multiple sacks. They will throw a lot of different looks at the Panthers offense and likely show a lot of exotic blitz packages. I don't know if our piecemeal offense line can hang.

Edge: New England

Special Teams

We're improving, but we're still terrible. The Panthers are allowing almost 30 yards per KR and 13.1 per PR. The Pats have Wes Welker returning punts, and that's a dangerous prospect.

Edge: New England

Coaching

Love him, or hate him- Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches in the history of the NFL. Despite losing an unheard of amount of assistants and coordinators over the years to other teams he still manages to make the Pats compete each and every week. His game plans are also second to none. The Panthers' coaching may be getting better, but it's still a far cry from the Patriots' staff.

Edge: New England

Final Summary

This is another one of those ‘intangible' games. On paper, the Pats will tear us apart. However, like we proved against the Saints these Carolina Panthers will rise to the occasion. It's easy to be intimidated by Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker; but this is a Panther team not easily intimidated. I think it's going to be a very, very hard fought game with the Panthers showing more fight than people previously thought.

This game has all the makings of an upset shocker, especially with DeAngelo Williams back in the offense. If Matt Moore can provide some offense and the red zone defense show what they're made of I think this is a winnable game.

Carolina Panthers 13 - New England Patriots 10

Poll

Who do you think will win Sunday's game?

ESPN's John Hollinger predicts playoffs for Bobcats

James The Aussie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:15:17 -0000

NBA writer John Hollinger does this every year starting around this time. Using a computer simulation run 5,000 times ESPN predicts the results of the 2009-10 NBA season and prognosticates who will make the playoffs this season.

You can find a link to the predictions here.

Essentially what the Hollinger predictions say is this:

- There is currently a 74.6% chance the Bobcats will make the playoffs.

- The Bobcats will likely finish 41-41. Due to a weak year in the Eastern Conference this will lead to the 6th seed in the playoffs having us face Cleveland in the opening round.

- The best case simulation had the Bobcats finishing 58-24, getting 3rd in the East.

- The worst case simulation had the Bobcats finishing 24-58, getting 14th in the East.

- We only have a 0.3% chance of winning the division, a 6.1% chance of reaching the NBA finals and a 3.7% chance of being NBA champions.

Of course this is only a computer simulation, but its promising!