SB Nation User Blog: Jaxon

Panther Paw Prints - Passing Game Blues Edition

Jaxon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:14:45 -0000

2 days ago: Carolina Panthers coach John Fox reacts 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)

Browse more photos »

I've got another spicy batch of Paw Prints today...

So now we've come full circle on the Panthers passing game. Just a few short weeks ago we begged the Panthers to stop throwing the ball in order to reduce the INT's QB Jake delhomme was chucking on a record pace. The Panthers seemed to oblige and it worked against lesser opponents. Yet when down late against one of the top team in the NFL the Panthers needed their passing game (or did they?) and it was a shell of its '08 self:

Refusal to air it out does Panthers no favors | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
Delhomme has been on the field the last two weeks in body only, because the game plans for those haven't reflected the spirit or the abilities he has brought to the position the last six years. And while it got the Panthers a win in Arizona, and nearly one in New Orleans, it has really gotten them nowhere fast. Save for about four throws, it's true what some say that Matt Moore, or A.J. Feeley, couldn't have done any worse. Because plans built to protect might suit some, but they run counter to what Delhomme has done his entire career.

I would say they did air it out a couple times but the Panthers WR's couldn't haul it in. Call it inexperience (in the case of Jarrett) or rustiness (in the case of Smith) but it was quite apparent there was no confidence in the passing game, except by OC Jeff Davidson. Darin Gantt offers a solution:

Darin Gantt's Panthers Blog | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
What they have to do is trust Delhomme to throw it downfield, trust Smith to make a play. And if you're not going to do that, then you have to wonder what the plan is.

Isn't this exactly what led to 13 INT's? I think this guy has it wrong too.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Panthers' collapse leads to more questions about Fox
It's understandable that Fox would be cautious about allowing QB Jake Delhomme — who still leads the league in interceptions with 13 despite not throwing one in his past two games — to throw the ball, but he took caution to a ridiculous extent, as Delhomme only attempted 12 passes in the first three quarters. The running game was having success vs. the Saints, but eventually it slowed down as the Saints didn't have to worry about the pass and focused on stopping Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Maybe what was really missing against the Saints was sitting back in Charlotte:

Panthers felt Hoover's absence | The Dispatch | Davidson County's News Source | Lexington, NC
Not only was Hoover out but so was Chris Fiammetta, the reserve fullback and Hoover's eventual replacement. That meant 308-pound guard Mackenzy Bernadeau lined up as the fullback in the goal-line situation. When quarterback Jake Delhomme took the handoff on first and goal, Bernadeau bumped into him. Delhomme stumbled backward, bobbled the ball and was dropped for a 6-yard loss.

I still can't believe we lined up Bernadeau at FB and Sutton at tailback. Why not on 1st down put Williams in the single back set and hand it off to him and let him do his thing? Doesn't work, try the same with Stewart. In 3 tries one of those two will get that 3 yards.

Instead of sticking with what was working the Panthers went to the pass. So what are the Panthers going to do to improve the passing game?

Panthers notebook: passing game still a work in progress | progress, charlotte, work - Sports - The Star Online : The Newspaper of Cleveland County
Coach John Fox was asked again Monday what the Panthers need to do to improve in that area. "The same things we did a month ago to get better in our running game -- just continue to work at it, and do everything we can do get better," Fox said. "We had some big plays -- obviously not enough -- but we had some big run plays. We just weren't able to capitalize when we got down there (in the red zone). I think they (the Saints) had some of the same malfunctions."

Might that be because you stopping running the ball? I think the 'less than 20 passes per game' mantra would work for this team.... By the way, did you find yourself making uncontrollable outbursts Sunday? You weren't the only one:

Thoughts on WR Smith’s sideline outburst this past Sunday - Reeder's Take : Gaston Gazette
Is this Smith’s fault? No. His decline in numbers is largely due to the folks around him not that he’s turned 30. Simply put, when you have a weapon like Smith you find a way to GET HIM THE BALL. That’s up to the offensive coordinator, the quarterback, the offensive line (to block better) and the other receivers/tight ends (who need to become bigger factors in the passing game and take pressure off him). I also blame it on the front office for not going out and getting a No. 2 receiver this off-season or trading for a quality TE like Tony Gonzalez.

That may be true Mr. Reed but isn't there a better way of addressing this than on the field? I wonder about the lines of communication on offense. If Davidson is losing the feedback from the players he very well could end up out of a job at the end of the season similar to how Mike Tyrgovac's tenure came to a close.

Someone whom I expect to stick around a long time in spite of his ACL tear is LB Thomas Davis. I admit though I'm curious about the return of RB Decori Birmingham.

Panthers place Davis in IR; call up linebacker from practice squad | The Herald - Rock Hill, SC
The Panthers filled their practice squad vacancy by bringing back running back Decori Birmingham, who spent most of last year on the practice squad and was in training camp with Carolina this year.

Could Birmingham be the next FB if Fiammetta can't go yet again? He is supposedly better in pass protection than Sutton. We shall see.

Panthers Place Davis on IR; Sign LB Smith from PS

Jaxon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:56:53 -0000

Panthers Place Davis on IR; Sign LB Smith from PS

Via Twitter from Andrew Mason:
#Panthers place LB Thomas Davis on injured reserve (torn ACL), sign LB Kelvin Smith from practice squad to replace him on 53-man roster

Smith should see work on special teams.

Panthers vs. Saints Highlights Discussion

Jaxon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:01:37 -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...

Q&A with a Panthers Blogger

Jaxon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:56:01 -0000

Jaxon here again Falcons faithful from Cat Scratch Reader. If you have any questions I will stop by periodically this week to answer them. Be sure to hit the Rec button so this post remains on top for the week. You can read Dave's answers to questions from my readers here.

I'll try to get some of the obvious ones out of the way:

At 3-5 we haven't given up hope just yet but we are on life-support
The coaching staff has shown this is Jake's team to lead and no matter the effect he is not going to get benched. Yes he's improved his play the past couple weeks but he still seems to present limitations to the passing game which limits the possibility of a comeback when down late in a game
DE Julius Peppers had been playing better but disappeared again last week against the Saints. Who knows if he will show up this week...
The defense is playing better but the secondary gambled too much against the Saints and got burned
I still expect a big crowd this week, after all it is the Falcons! Beating you guys will make some of the hurt go away!

I'm ready for your questions...

Panthers Await News of LB Davis Injury - Update: Torn ACL

Jaxon — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:18:49 -0000

Panthers Await News of LB Davis Injury - Update: Torn ACL

Update via Twitter from Darin Gantt: Torn right ACL for #Panthers LB Thomas Davis. Out for the season

Fox offered no update on Thomas Davis (knee), but did say: "I feel bad for him and his family." Doesn't sound good.

I'm not going to say it but we should be braced for the worst Panther fans. The turf has claimed many injuries in the same fashion.

Panthers vs. Saints Game Day Open Thread

Jaxon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:35:24 -0000

It's that time Panther fans for what is a critical early match-up for the Panthers. Win his game and they get back to .500 at 4-4 and show that they can compete with any team int he NFL. Lose this game and the resulting 3-5 hole may be too much to overcome to make a serious run at a wildcard playoff spot.

We've got your injury update here (and it doesn't look good). We will need WR Dwayne Jarrett to step up and add to his three catches from last week. No idea if rookie FB Tony Fiammetta will play but if he can't that has to limit the Panther play calling in some situations.

I'll get the inactives list when announced.

This is now an Open Thread!

Homers vs. Haters: Peppers Report Week 8

Jaxon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:58:28 -0000

A few weeks back after the Falcons game I summarized in detail on Panthers DE Julius Peppers play-by-play performance to quantify his impact. Given Peppers started the season slowly the timing of the report could be considered slanted to make Peppers look bad. I think it's only fair to issue a similar report after game 7, one of Peppers better games in several seasons.

Peppers had two highlight film plays in last Sunday's victory over the Cardinals. He intercepted a pass and returned it for a TD and he sacked the QB and caused a fumble that was recovered by the Panthers. But beyond the two big plays what was his impact throughout the first half when the Panthers built a 28-7 lead?

The following are play-by-play details of the Panthers 1^st half defensive plays looking at Peppers and his impact. I'm using three categories of evaluation (I'm keeping this simple) ‘Impact' means he had opportunity and seized it; ‘Missed impact' obviously means he should have made an impact but didn't; ‘No Factor' means that based on the play run Peppers would not have responsibility for making an impact.

1^st Defensive series - 1^st play; Peppers lines up on the right side this entire series; rushes a passing Warner and gets a hit on him just after he throws the ball on a dump off. Might that hit have had a psychological impact on Warner? (Positive Impact)

1-2; Warner quick pass to the other side (No factor)

1-3 Direct run at Pep, he holds his ground, assists on a 1 yd gain (Pos Impact)

1-4 Run left at Pep, he goes inside as the RB gets the edge for a 1^st down (Missed Impact)

1-5 RB goes right away from Pep (No factor)

1-6 Quick pass to other side (No factor)

1-7 3^rd down rushes QB and forces QB to step up, Pep gets a hand on him, pass completed for 2 yds (Pos Impact)

1-8 on 4^th down RB pitch to Peps' side but he doesn't attempt to cover the edge, 1^st down (Missed impact)

The next two plays Pep is on the sideline as Brayton and Johnson are the DE's

1-11 Pep back in, throw to other side TD (No factor)

2^nd Defensive Series

2-1 Quick pass over the middle (No factor)

2-2 Pep rushes QB gets hands on Warner just after pass, incomplete (Pos Impact)

2-3 3^rd down, Pep rushes and is doubled by Hightower who looks like he trips Pep before going into the flat and catching the pass (No factor)

3^rd Defensive Series

Pep is on the sideline the first two plays, the first is replayed due to a penalty

Pep in on 3^rd down from the rt side rushes the QB but gets doubled by G & T; Pass to RB dump off over Pep; Pep actually catches up, assists on the tackle and contributes to 4^th down; Pep gets the wind knocked out of him on the tackle and takes a few minutes to get off the field (Pos Impact)

4^th D - From the right side, Pep intercepts the dump off pass and returns is for a TD (Pos Impact)

5^th D

5-1 RB runs left at Pep, Pep gets sealed, 8 yd gain (Missed Imapct)

5-2 Pep rushes drop back QB, runs over LT and gets a hit on QB just after pass goes incomplete (Pos Impact)

5-3 Quick pass to other side (No factor)

5-4 Pep out this play

5-5 Pep in on rt side, Pass the other way (No factor)

5-6 Pep is double teamed on a pass play (No factor)

Performance Summary

Number of plays that went away from him: 7 of 21 or 33% (This was 24% after week 2 last time)
Number of plays where Pep had no effect though he had at least a slight opportunity to do so: 3 of 21 or 14%. If you don't count plays on the sideline or non-factor plays due to play call its 33%. (This was 52% last time)
Number of decent or good plays with positive results: 6 of 21 or 29%. If you don't count the plays he's on the sideline or plays he was a non-factor its 6 of 9 or 67%. (The second calculation was 12% last time).
Number of plays on the sideline: 5 of 21 or 24%. (This was 17% last time)

Homers Analysis:

The numbers support the notion that Peppers is not only making a big plays but he is making positive impacts at a higher rate when the opportunity is there. Teams are running plays away from Pep at a higher rate though if the right play is called you can get the edge on him. Overall based on his recent play he will command double teams or will be able to pressure the QB at least once every two pass plays. That is the type of impact Panther fans have grown to expect from Peppers though few DE's in the league have similar impacts every game.

Haters Analysis:

I'll leave that one to you my readers...(MP?)

CSR Sunday Early Game Open Thread

Jaxon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:23:47 -0000

I've got the Dolphins vs. Patriots on in my area. Should be a good one.

If you have anything to discuss about the Panthers as we wait for our match-up lets hear it. I've have the game thread open at 3:00pm.

This is now an Open Thread!

Dockett Gets Docked for Hit on Williams

Jaxon — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:46:09 -0000

Dockett Gets Docked for Hit on Williams

He should have received a 15 yd penalty too:
Also from that game, Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett was fined $5,000 for "impermissible use of the helmet (helmet-to-helmet contact)."
That one was for a shot to Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams.

Cheap shot for sure!

Panthers Inch Up SBN Power Rankings - #21

Jaxon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:45:33 -0000

Panthers Inch Up SBN Power Rankings - #21

I can't agree with some of the teams ranked above us but a win this weekend will solve some of that. Here's the write-up which is intended to torque Panther fans up a little:

The Panthers have found their winning formula: run nearly every down, and then every now and then, bomb one deep to Steve Smith. In other words, make your $42.5 million quarterback as much of a non-factor as possible.