SB Nation User Blog: LittleKing

Panthers End-zones Painted Black

LittleKing — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:08:16 -0000

It appears the stadium will be in total blackout for the game. The Panthers will wear their black jersey, the fans are asked to match the jersey color, and the end zone has been painted black.

From the Charlotte Observer:

That hasn’t happened since the team’s last home playoff game against Dallas in 2003. It happens that seldomly because the paint kills the grass.

If you remember there was talk of a new all black helmet design right before the Tampa Bay game. While it turned out to be rumor, I created a sample of what it might look like. I wouldn't mind seeing something like this on the field.

Anatomy of a Play: Carolina Panthers

LittleKing — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:05:05 -0000

Anatomy of a Play: Carolina Panthers

I found this an interesting look at the Panthers play-action passing game.

Confirmation, I'm Going to the Game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LittleKing — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:54:47 -0000

I didn't have to beat anybody on the phone lines last Thursday nor navigate through ticketmaster's system, but I did have to wait 5 extra days to know for sure that I would be able to go. A friend from my parents church has bought season tickets from a PSL holder in Charlotte who no longer attends the games for the last 3-4 years . I asked him last weekend if he was getting playoff tickets and if I could have one. He said yes provided his source bought them and didn't use them. I've been anxiously waiting since and this morning around 9:30 my cell phone rang. I finally had confirmation the tickets are in the mail and one was for me. Guys I'm stoked.

This will be my fourth time seeing the Panthers in person, second trip to Bank of America Stadium (1st game was at Clemson and most recent was on the road versus the Titans last season). I will be in section 512, row 5.

I do have a question since I'm not a regular to sporting events. Since there is a possiblity of rain, for those that go to open stadiums, what suggestions do you have to possiblity stay dry? I'm prepared for cold weather but the rain brings a new element for me.

If I think of any additional question, which I'm sure I will, i'll post them in comments.

Cardinals vs Panthers, Impending Doom or Paranoia?

LittleKing — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:28:01 -0000

I enjoyed last week, knowing we were in the playoffs with a bye week and watching the other teams fight it out. I didn't really care which teams we would face, but of course did have preferences. Arizona was on top of that list, that is until Monday.

Now knowing we will face the Arizona Cardinals this weekend I believe my self preservation kicked in. Yesterday, I had this feeling of impending doom. As Jaxon pointed out the last time we faced Arizona we had to make a comeback being down 17-3 into the 3rd quarter. At which point we scored finally scored three touchdowns. I also vividly remember Charles Godfrey's heads-up play in stopping the fake field goal that would have resulted in a Arizona 1st down right before half-time.

Then, seeing the Cardinals take care of business against Atlanta only added to my pessimism. Their defense stepped up and played like the game mattered and of course their offense is always lethal. They even found their running game. Giving the ball back to Edgerrin James has breathed new life into their ground game. It doesn't hurt that he's probably fairly fresh after seeing very limited carries for several weeks.

Our defense hasn't been the same down the stretch. In week 7, our defense was ranked 3rd overall and 2nd against the pass. We know rank 18th and 16th respectively. The last two games we were ahead and couldn't put the game away, although we did pull it out against the Saints.

So now I've had an extra day to ponder this uncoming game and the immidate feeling of impending doom has subsided. I won't say this game will be easy, but here are several reason I expect our Panthers to win:

Jake Delhomme: With all the talk here lately about Jake, I figured I start here. At times Jake can be a liability to the Panthers, but definitely in the playoffs I'm happy he's on our team. I'm right between the opinions of Jamie and Jaxon on this one, yet lean more towards Jaxon. Jake Delhomme is a key part of the Panthers offense, replace him and this team is no where near as dangerous (see last season). He bring many intangible to the table that can't be measured. He's a clutch player and will step up to the challenge.

Health: This is why the bye week is so important. We've been missing several key players over the last two weeks as well. This extra week should have allowed them to heal. Provided Kalil and Otah get back on the field our offense should be clicking, and Kemo has been missed stuffing the middle.

Run Defense: Our boys have had an extra week to get healthy and prepare for time game. They fought hard all season to get to this point. Early in the season our run D was tough but had gotten a little lax down the stretch. I expect the playoffs to provide plenty of motivation to get back to form. While the Cardinals are not a running team, Edgerrin can be dangerous. Yet, I expect our front seven will be able to hand him.

Offensive line: Again, injuries here are key, but provided we are back to full strength, our running game has been steller with a healthy front line. The Cardinals will have to sell out against the run or either/both Williams and Stewart will have a field day. The first time we faced them our O-line wasn't completely healthy and hadn't hit their stride. That has now changed and will play a big part in securing the win.

Double Trouble's Response to LenDale White. I know Jaxon posted a link, but it's to good not to get...

LittleKing — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:12:25 -0000

Double Trouble's Response to LenDale White. I know Jaxon posted a link, but it's to good not to get a second look.

Where They are Now: Atlanta Falcons

LittleKing — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:22:09 -0000

Last of our first playoff team is the Atlanta Falcons. Of course we know Atlanta pretty well as we had to face them twice a year. Yet if anybody, even the players and coaches for the Falcons, said they thought the Falcons would make the playoffs and end the season at 11-5 are lying. As we all know the Falcons have proven everybody wrong.

One of the better ways to describe the Falcons this year is consistent, good or bad, they've played pretty consistent all season. The only games they didn't score double digits all season was in weeks 2 & 4 when they played the Bucs and Panthers. Expect for those two games they were never blown out and expect for our second game against them they really never blew anybody else out. They also didn't lose two games in a row. If Matt Ryan threw more than 30 pass attempts they lost, less they won. And if they scored first in a game they won if they
didn't they lost.

Their offense finished the season 10th in points per game (24.4), 6th in total Yards (361.2), 14th in pass yards (208.5), and 2nd in rush yards (152.7). On Defense 11th in points allowed (20.3), 24th in total yards (347.9), 21st in passing yards (220.4), and 25th in rush yards (127.5).

The main reason I wouldn't want to face the Falcons is because they are a division rival. Yes they are a good team, but I feel that we are the overall better team and can beat them. We both had dominating wins this season with Atlanta putting on a major hurting in our second match-up, so if we have to face them again our D will want to correct that mistake.

We only have a few hours left before our opponent choices are down to two. I'll be watching intently.

Where They Are Now: Arizona Cardinals

LittleKing — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:50:17 -0000

Next on the list, seeded at #4, are the Arizona Cardinals. When we saw them last in week eight they were just peaking. I mentioned seeded at fourth as they actually have the lowest winning percentage of any team in the NFC side and 2nd lowest in all teams that made the playoffs (AFC & NFC). During the first half of the season they where scoring on average 29.3 points per game and holding their opponents to a 23.0 point average. In their last eight games their average was 24.1 points score compared to 30.3 allowed. Here's a breakdown of their game averages from each half of the season:

Arizona Cardinals Season Stats
			Offense				Defense Allowed
	Tm Points	Opp Points	1st Downs	Total Yards	Pass Yards	Rush Yards	1st Downs	Total Yards	Pass Yards	Rush Yards
1st Half	29.3	23.0	22.9	386.9	293.5	93.4	17.1	308.3	216.3	92.0
2nd Half	24.1	30.3	18.1	344.6	290.8	53.9	21.9	354.8	226.3	128.5

Now I admit I haven't been watching the Cardinals play and can't say for sure why their production fell, but I do find it interesting they struggled, especially in the running game, once they took the main rushing duties away from Edgerrin James. Yet despite the all of this, if the Cardinals get back to their first half form they are very dangerous. Another thing they have in their favor this weekend against Atlanta is they are 6-2 at home while the Falcons are 4-4 on the road.

How do they currently match up against the Panthers? I think a comparison to the Denver Broncos would be fairly accurate, which for us is a good matchup. But if they can find their running game against Atlanta their threat level increase. However, I'd still favor the Panthers in this match-up.

PS. On a side note, I hope everyone is having a great New Years Day and enjoying/enjoyed the bowl games. Go Clemson!!!

Where They Are Now: Minnesota Vikings

LittleKing — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:31:21 -0000

We have faced all three teams we could face in the first round of the playoffs, which I would say is an advantage. We also played all three away (and Atlanta once at home). Saying they will have to come into our house for the divisional round, I definitely think is a definite advantage. Since we faced Minnesota so long ago I want to review them first.

When we first saw Minnesota we didn't see Tarvaris Jackson but newly named starter Gus Frerotte, as Jackson was only leading the team in one direction, down. Now, Jackson has been given the reigns yet again after Frerotte was sidelined due to injuries. This time however, his play has changed and Minnesota is sticking with the hot hand through the playoffs. He's taken those reigns and won 3 of their last four games . They started the season off a little slow at 4-4, yet only lost two more during the second half of the season to finish 10-6 and winning the NFC North. They finished the season ranked 17th in overall offense, 25th in passing and 5th in rushing. Yet I don't put a lot of weight into those stats. Changing QB would be the first reason, but the second would be those rankings are just based on yards per game; short fields, turnovers, scoring field goals, etc. all affect those stats; and second, at the end of the day they are 10-6 and in the playoffs. They did something right.

Yet despite their low ranking in the passing game, their running game is solid. Adrian Peterson is a force and can change the game on a single play. He's had ball control issues through the season which is definitely a liability. He walked around with a football all last week because of this.

Not taking anything from their offense, but their defense is a big reason they got to this point, specifically their rush defense. They allowed a league "low" of 76.9 yard per game on the ground. Only five teams had over 100 yards and in turn didn't allow a 100 yard rusher all season. The pass defense is ranked 18th, but compare it to our 16th ranked pass defense. I believe our secondary is our defensive strength and we are only ranked 16th. Yet because their rush defense is so good they don't have to stack the box leaving their secondary to cover as they see fit (something we don't have the luxury of doing).

Yet when we faced them last, our offense wasn't playing to their current level. Our O-line was without, I believe, two starters. It was also Steve Smith's first game of the season, Delhomme was sacked a total of five times during the game and we all remember the sack/fumble and returned for TD right before the half. That pretty much closed the door on that win. Yet, once our O-line became healthy in the second half of the season the offense took off. In additional Steve Smith has become Steve Smith again. Hard to cover and still makes the plays even when double/tripled team.

Taking this all into account, if we face the Vikings in our first game, I feel pretty confident we should win. Our running game is on fire and Steve Smith is making key plays. Of course you can't forget about Moose, he's had several decent games the last few weeks and has always been a big part of the running game. The defense does worry me some, but provided we get everyone healthy enough to play, then we should be back to our bend but don't break ways.

The Panthers, Only Two Games Away From Big Game

LittleKing — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:28:10 -0000

That's right; we only have to win two more games in order to play in Superbowl XLIII on February 1, 2009. In Cardiac Cat fashion the Panthers needed a game winning field goal as time wound down. Yet leaving one second on the clock gave the Saints one additional play. To top it off, the ball had to travel out of bounce to set them up not their 40 yard line, while not easy, easier than on their own 20. If anybody thinks Fox wanted to give Drew Brees one more pass at history think again. Did anybody else have a flashback to the 2003 Superbowl? I did. Yet, this time we got the win.

As we all know we are setup as the 2nd seed in the NFC. The only team we can't play in the first round will be the Eagles and they play the last game of wildcard weekend. I'm with Jaxon in that right now the Eagles seem the most dangerous of the group, but maybe it's because we haven't faced them this season. But I'm not delusional, all the teams in the playoffs are capable of big games.

We have five days to review each team. For starters however, we played Minnesota in week 3, Atlanta weeks 4 and 12, Arizona week 8, and the NY Giants week 16. Minnesota has changed a bit since we saw them, Atlanta has been a threat all season, Arizona seems to have fallen, and the Giants, expect for a few games, are pretty solid. The playoffs should be fun.

Our game the following weekend is Saturday night, January 10 at around 8 pm. I'm trying to convince my wife we should attempt to get tickets. They go on sale Thursday at 10 am.

PS. If anybody wants to purchase a hospitality package, I would gladly take one of those tickets off your hands. :)

Week 17: Panthers D versus Saints O

LittleKing — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:34:15 -0000

The last week of regular season football is here. It's with mixed emotions that I will be watching. Glad the playoffs are almost here, expecially since we are at least guaranteed a spot, but sad the season is over and in 1 1/2 months we will be left waiting for next season.

There are several things on the line this week, we all know about Drew Brees attempt at Dan Marino's passing yard record, and most Carolina fans know about DeAngelo Williams attempt at least to tie Hall of Fame Jim Brown's record for most 30+ yard TD runs in a season. Williams has six on the season and needs one more to tie. There is also the best home record of any division, although it also depends on Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The NFC South currently is tied with the best winning record for a division. With at least one home team win this weekend the NFC South will have the record.

With that said, lets examine this week's key match-up between the Panthers D and the Saints O.

Panthers CB Richard Marshall vs WR Saints Lance Moore

Many people are calling for Ken Lucas to be benched in favor of Richard Marshall. I can't say I completely disagree, however, I would add that we know Lucas can play at a higher level than he has been and we are not sure exactly what we will get from Marshall. Although Lucas could definitely become a cap casualty after the season. Yet I would prefer to have all three on the team again. But I digress.

I pose this question as this would not be the time to make a change like this for several reasons. This weekend both are going to have considerable playing time. The Saints are a pass happy team, meaning we will see plenty of 3, 4, and 5 receiver sets. With the single season passing yard on the line they may try to pass more than usually. But...

Panthers D-Line vs Saints O-line

The Saints offensive line is pretty much at full strength. The same can't be said for our defensive line. While the passing record is on the line and that's pretty much all you read about regarding this game, the Saints do want the win. With Sean Payton's rear end felling a little warm as of late, he would prefer to win and finish the season over .500.

With a good possibility of both our starting DT missing this game our run defense is vulnerable. Something the Saints would be wise to take advantage of. However, while their O-line is healthy, the same cannot be said of their RB. Reggie Bush is on IR, Pierre Thomas is Questionable, which pretty much leaves Deuce McAllister to fend for himself, but he hasn't been the same this year. Luckily we have a solid LB crew and they will be a big help in stopping the run.

Panthers DE Charles Johnson vs Saints T Jonathan Stinchomb

Specifically along the Panthers D-line, I will be looking for Charles Johnson to make a statement at the end of the season. The Panthers only had one sack in our first match-up (from Peppers) but if the Saints do end up throwing as much as people are talking about then Johnson should see plenty of playing time. He's been hot and cold throughout the season but he's shown he can be a legit pass rush threat.

---

I'll state it simply, the Panthers should win this game. I don't say this because we are still fighting for the 2nd seed, but rather the Panthers have come a long way since the first half of the season. Our rushing has become dangerous and anybody worth their salt should at least give DeAngelo Williams a thought for MVP. He's been outstanding this season and has turned it on late in the year.

The Panthers have faced all three top current passing teams (Saints, Cardinals, Broncos) and have defeated each of them. If the Panthers are going to be lose a game, as much as I hate to say it, it will because of our run defense. I don't see this being that week.

Prediction: Panthers 28, Saints 17