SB Nation User Blog: Revshawn

Great Job on the win Panthers! Now here's why I still think we should fire Jeff Davidson.

Revshawn — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:46:56 -0000

What is there to say?

I'm going to repeat the same thing that I've said since the beginning of the season. This is a championship caliber team. It always has been, and they've proved it yesterday against the Vikings. We have too much talent at too many areas of the game to not be able to slaughter anything the NFL throws at us. At the beginning of the season, we only had 3 small holes in an otherwise superb unit. QB, WR, and DT.

We solved the hole at DT in Week 3 or 4 by signing Hollis Thomas, and our defensive line has been unstoppable ever since. If Matt Moore can consistently have the day that he had against the Vikings, we'll also have a answer at QB. The only other hole we have is at WR, but we have an uncoverable receiver in Steve Smith so that nullifies our weakness there a good bit. As long as we can hit Steve Smith on the deep ball 2-3 times a game, we should be good to go.

Yet in spite of our win against the Vikings, as wonderful as it was, we still have to blame the people upstairs for placing us in a position to not make a serious run at the playoffs. Just imagine how it would feel right now if we had Matt Moore as our QB and our record was 8-6 or 9-5 instead of 6-8? We'd all be throwing fits right now. The Panthers would be in perfect position for a Wildcard, a remake of the 2003 run to the Super Bowl. Our storyline would be perfectly written out.

But instead we're 6-8, and regardless of our win against the Vikings, we still have to place full blame on the offensive coordinator, and John Fox for not being able to pull him aside and slap him in the face a few times.

Settle down for a moment after this big win, and ponder with me for a moment. Ponder this: What would have happened if Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart had been given 20 more carries against the Cowboys, the Bills, and the Dolphins. We came into those games with a pass heavy offense where Jake threw a combined 119 passes for 2 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. In spite of Jake struggling, we still decided to give the ball to him time and time again. He rewarded us by killing drives, and Jeff Davidson in turn rewarded him by giving him the ball to throw yet again the next drive.

I don't want to cry over spilled milk here, but doesn't that sound kind of stupid to you? Doesn't there reach a point in time where you realize that you don't have a Quarterback, and you start to depend more on the running game?

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that our team has risen to the heights that I believed they could go. I am. I'm proud of them, and it brings me a great amount of joy to see them thump Brett Favre and his Vikings. But at the same time, we deserve so much more than this. If we had been calling the plays off our team's strength for the entire year, we'd be 8-6 or 9-5 right now and ready to make a run at the playoffs. Instead, Jeff Davidson was too stubborn to change his playcalling, and he continued to pass the ball no matter who was behind center. It was almost as if he felt like he should call his game plan regardless of whether it worked or not, as if he cared about the mere principle of running it more than actually winning the football game.

In the end he let the NFL, a passing league, define us instead of allowing the Panthers to define themselves. That is why we have a losing record. That is why we are not going to the playoffs.

And that is why Jeff Davidson needs to be fired.

I'll cheer our victory tomarrow and the rest of the week though! Just thought I'd get my own personal opinion out there first. I just finished off my last high school credit by the way. I'm a high school graduate.

The Panthers place DT Tank Tyler on IR

Revshawn — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:18:45 -0000

The Panthers place DT Tank Tyler on IR

The injuries just keep piling on. This latest one hurts the depth of the Carolina Panthers D-line yet again, but with Hollis Thomas and Damione Lewis entrenched as starters with one decent backup in Nick Hayden, it won't hurt our run defense as much as you think.

It's a shame though, the Panthers had to give up a 5th rounder to pick up the Tank. Landri will replace him. Don't expect him to see the field much, he is heavily undersized at the position.

"...Steve Smith owners should be doing cartwheels right now." -Rotoworld on Matt Moore starting...

Revshawn — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:00:39 -0000

"...Steve Smith owners should be doing cartwheels right now."

-Rotoworld on Matt Moore starting for the Panthers.

Can Matt Moore be the Spark?

Revshawn — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:45:40 -0000

-Video courtesy of SteveSmithTD89 from Youtube, check out his channel at the following link.

My friends, there are times where that football fans or fans of any sport in the world makes a kneejerk reaction to a tough loss. There are times where we hate on players that have been loyal to franchise for a good long time, just to have them prove to us the next week that they don't deserve it.

However, the only thing in the world that Jake has been consistent at this season has been his inconsistency. While some of us will point the finger at Jeff Davidson at the cause of this debacle, others will say that his confidence is not there, and still others will blame at John Fox, the bottom line is that the Jake Delhomme of 2009 has been nothing like the Jake Delhomme of 2008. He's been downright horrible, and has been one of the greatest reasons that the Panthers have a losing record.

However, with Jake Delhomme incurring a broken finger during the loss against the Jets, the Panthers will be forced to make a change at QB. This is an important move, and it has already changed the fate of a couple of franchises in the NFL. Here's a couple of examples.

1. Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre is a beast. Need I say anything more?

Seriously though, the Vikings are 10-1 with 5 games to go. They're going to win their division by a large margin, and they went from being a borderline playoff team to a Super Bowl contender. To make it simple, Brett Favre simply makes everyone around him better. You can't explain how he can retain such a strong arm at 40 years of age. He makes all the throws that he needs to make, even in clutch situations where the game is on the line. Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice have been transformed into legitimate receivers, proving once more that sometimes receivers are only as good as the QB throwing to them.

In essence, last year the Vikings hosted a powerful running game without even a average QB to compliment it. Sound familiar? This year they got a Pro-Bowler, and it's placed them in good position to get to the Super Bowl.

2. Tennessee Titans

How much can you say about the turnaround of this team? For whatever reason, Kerry Collins had a similar backstroke from last year just like our Jake Delhomme. Similar age, similar statistics, it's pretty damn eerie at how closely related the two situations really are. And yet after being replaced by Vince Young after 6 straight losses to start the season, the situation suddenly flipped.

5 wins in a row. Vince Young has completed 83 out of 132 passes for 1,010 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He's quickly become the leading candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year award, and he's put his team in position to make a late run at the playoffs. If the Titans can pull it off and run the tables, this will possibly go down as the single best decision ever made by a head coach, ever.

For the Panthers, they need to hope and pray that Matt Moore can pull a similar turnaround. We face the Bucs next week with Matt Moore at the helm, a situation that the fans been begging for weeks. We don't need a Pro-Bowler like a Brett Favre, or even a duel threat QB like Vince Young. What the Panthers need is an average QB that can be solid against the blitz and effective enough to stop other teams from stacking 8 and 9 players in the box.

After the Bucs, we face the Patriots, the Vikings, and the Giants in rapid succession. If the Panthers have any chance of making the playoffs, they have to annihilate the Bucs. They have to slaughter them. They need to run the ball down their throat. But in order to eventually win the Super Bowl, we need to do a little more than that. The Panthers need a QB that can be consistent, and all eyes will be on Matt Moore this week to see if he can be that guy.

For the sake of our franchise, I sure hope he is.

Steve Smith involved in Car Wreck.

Revshawn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:59:17 -0000

Steve Smith involved in Car Wreck.

No worries Panther Fans. It's just a minor bump on his car. Steve Smith is not injured. Word is that he's helluva pissed though, watch out Miami!

The Carolina Cats plot for the game against the Miami Dolphins.

Revshawn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:26:55 -0000

The Carolina Cats plot for the game against the Miami Dolphins.

Carolina Panthers vs Miami Dolphins Preview: Top Matchups for Thursday Night

Revshawn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:18:20 -0000

More photos » by Mike McCarn - AP

The real Jake Delhomme has returned. The cause of his success? He's calling his own plays on the line of scrimmage. Whoda thought? (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

Browse more photos »

The game against the Atlanta Falcons may mean more than any of us had ever imagined once you look down the road at the hunt for the Wild Card. The very first rule for determining the two wildcard teams when they compare teams with identical records is the head-to-head rule against opposing franchises within the same division. With the Sunday's victory the Panthers are 1-1 against their division rival, making determining the wildcards that much trickier if they were to finish with identical records at the end of the year.

With that interesting thought out of the way, let's talk about the Miami Dolphins.

Two big injuries highlight Thursday Night Football: the injuries to Miami RB Ronnie Brown and the other to Panthers LT Jordan Gross. An interesting argument here would be which of these two players are the bigger lost to their respective team? On Miami's side, they lose not only their top running back, but also the player that they designed their wildcat offense around. On Charlotte's side, they lose the crucial blindside blocker that has been starting on the O-Line since his rookie year in 2003.

Both teams will expect good production out of their backups. The Carolina Panthers will be moving Travelle Wharton to LT and let his backup Mackenzy Bernadeau slide in at guard, while Miami RB Ricky Williams taking a bigger role in the offense than he had before after maintaining a 5.6 YPC in his change of pace role with Ronnie Brown. Backup RB Lex Hilliard will also be called upon for the first regular season carries in his NFL career. Can he step up and be a competitor? The production of the replacements will be one of the biggest keys to the game.

And here are the key matchups for the game!

Jake Delhomme vs Jeff Davidson

Last week Jake Delhomme made me laugh. I laughed. After half a season of mediocrity, Jake Delhomme had the best game of the year against the Atlanta Falcons completing 15 out of 24 passes for 195 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and posting a 115.8 passer rating. That's all fine and wonderful, but here's the good part. He did it by calling his own plays at the line of scrimmage in a no huddle offense, while Jeff Davidson stood on the sidelines and twittled his thumbs.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? After all, Jake Delhomme has been in Carolina almost his entire career. He knows this offense like the back of his hand. If he can perform better by calling in own plays, then let him! By god, let Jake Delhomme exercise his natural leadership ability and run this offense! Give him the keys to the car and let him drive our team all the way to the playoffs. This surprising and somewhat random development couldn't have come at a better time. I sincerely hope that the Panthers make this a regular part of their offense for the rest of the season.

Deangelo Williams vs Miami Rushing defense

The Miami Dolphins rank 7th in defending the run, as much comfort as that will give them. The Panthers ran the ball for 270 yards against the Arizona Cardinals, who ranked 1st in the league at that time. Establishing the run will be key to helping Jake Delhomme continue his success at throwing the ball, and bringing home another win against Miami. And as is the case when you're facing a 3-4 defense, penetration by our O-line is key. Our guards and Tony Fiametta have to be able to penetrate and get to the 2nd level to block those linebackers. If Deangelo Williams can get his blocks, he'll shred this defense no questions asked.

Panthers D-Line vs Ricky Williams

Without Ronnie Brown to help balance the rushing attack, Miami will be forced to rely on a speedy scatback in Ricky Williams to give the Panthers hell on Thursday night. He's proven to be successful in a change-of-pace role, but can the 32 year old maintain the production in an every-down role? Can he maintain the speed that drives his game all the way to the goal line? He did it against Tampa Bay, gaining over 100 yard with 20 carries, but can he do it against an improving Carolina Defense?

Carolina Special Teams vs Ted Ginn Jr.

Not going to get into a big discussion here. The special teams of the Carolina Panthers just make you shiver at times, and Ted Ginn Jr, is one of the upper tier returners in the league. Case rested.

That's it for the matchups. I've said earlier in the year that I liked Chad Henne to be the eventual starter of this team, but that he was also one of those guys that needed a few years under his belt to learn the system. With that being said, the Panthers need to change up in their play calling on defense and send this sophomore QB plenty of exotic blitzes in order to rile him and force him to make mistakes. Let Sherrod Martin pick off a couple more passes and turn them into touchdowns, and we'll have a good game.

On offense, just stick with the running game. Let Jake run the offense in the no-huddle. It's the ultimate statement that you trust the QB and his decision making, and it worked extremely well last year. Let him do it again.

In a perfect world, the Panthers sell out against the run and pressure Chad Henne into mistakes. Ricky Williams starts out strong, but as the game wears on he shuts down in the 4th quarter. Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart take over the game and rush for 200+ yards, Jake Delhomme gets the ball to Steve Smith deep a few times, and the Panthers grind out a victory in dominant fashion that revives the fanbase and gets us all to believe in the Cardiac Cats one last time.

Panthers win 30-24, in overtime

Pondering the Panthers vs Falcons Game, the Matchups within, and the fate of the Panthers Season.

Revshawn — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:44:49 -0000

Somehow, I get the feeling that with the injury to Thomas Davis it's going to take a pretty big bite out of a potent Panther defense. When we look back on this season 10 years from now, what are we going to remember it as? For myself, I'll remember this season as a season that could have led to a deep playoff run and maybe even a Super Bowl, but instead became the biggest letdown in franchise history. Yes, that's including the 2004 8-8 season following the year the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl.

The Panthers are 3-5 right now. We have three DT's on IR, and now our star linebacker Thomas Davis who ((Thanks R3)) led the team in tackles has joined them all as well. We suffer from a one-dimensional offense which succeeds well in the running game, but can't do anything at all in the other. We're like the offense of the Arizona Cardinals last year, but backwards. We suffer from a offensive coordinator who gets away from what works in the middle of a game, an inept special teams unit, and a QB that continues to throw high in the air and out of reach of any potential receivers. We also fail at the 2 minute drill. The memories of guys flying to the offensive line is still very fresh in my mind, especially during the final drive against San Diego in the first game of 08. Now they're just waddling, so it's kind of sad.

Overall, that's a lot of problems on our team. They're also easily fixable, if the right buttons are pushed in the off-season.

But enough of rain clouds and dark thoughts, it's time for football! This week the Carolina Panthers go up against the Atlanta Falcons, and they'll be seeking revenge for the earlier 28-20 debacle that occurred before Jeff Davidson realized with a gasp that the Panthers are built to run the football.

On Offense: Good luck trying to figure out what the Panthers will do this week. With both of our wideouts crying out that they aren't getting the ball enough, he might just give in and let Jake air it out a bit this week. The biggest question in our minds right now is whether or not Deangelo Williams will be on the field. He had a knee injury going into this week, and he was kept off the practice field on Friday. He joins a list of questionable's that include Tony Fiametta, Moose, Daunte Rosario, and Jonathan Stewart all of whom are expected to play.

If Deangelo Williams takes a seat for this game, the Panthers might end up using Jonathan Stewart as their every down back. Sure, we kicked Goodson onto the field a little bit these last few weeks when they were having injury troubles, but with Goodson being especially fumble-prone during the pre-season I expect to see Stewart to have most of the playing time on the field. It'll probable force Jake to throw the ball a bit more, but we can't run the ball every single play with just one guy. He'll start huffing and puffing, and by the time he's made it to the goal line you'll be able to blow him down. So expect Jake to awaken the passing game and try to get the ball to Steve and Moose if Williams doesn't make it to the field. And if Deangelo Williams does start, forget everything I just wrote.

On Defense: The big story here is how we're going to change our defensive scheme now that our Pro-Bowler linebacker Thomas Davis is on IR. How good is Landon Johnson going to be? That's the big question we have to ask ourselves here. If Landon Johnson was so good, if he was so awesome, then where was he during the pre-season? He only had 4 tackles during those 4 games, while James Anderson had 25 and Dan Conner had 19. In my mind, either one of those two deserve the start over Johnson. They put in the work, they got the tackles, so they should get the job.

In the waning moments of the Saints game, Landon Johnson immediately proved to be a liability on defense. The vast majority of that final drive that gave the Saints the 23-20 lead was running plays to Johnson's side of the D-line. He couldn't make the plays, and it was a huge reason why the Saints gave us our 2nd half rickroll. If we have that transition to the entire game tomorrow, then it's going to give us a lot of problems. We already have one invisible linebacker on the line that doesn't do much in Na'il Diggs, whom only has 16 tackles for the season. We don't need another one.

Nevertheless, even without Davis our defense is still very improved since the beginning of the year with the additions of Hollis Thomas on the D-Line and Sherrod Martin at FS. These two additions will help offset the presence of Davis at our OLB spot. If we can shut down Turner the Burner and keep Matt Ryan throwing the football, we'll have plenty of chances for turnovers. Here's a statistic, Matt Ryan has thrown at least one interception in the last 5 games. Good ol' Matty Ice won't seem so ice cold anymore when he's giving presents to our defense. He might as well dress up as Santa Clause during Christmas, he has the red color of his jersey to show for it. Hohoho! Merry Christmas Panthers! Merry Christmas to you all! I hate to be the Grinch, but that's how I see it.

On Special Teams: Don't fail. That's all I'm going to say: Please don't fail. Let's have a full game where our return team gets the ball out to the 20 yard line and John Kasey makes his field goals, and I'll be happy. I'll be happy. If we don't, I'll just laugh in Crossman's general direction.

And now, time for the top offensive matchups of the week!

Jake Delhomme vs Himself

I've told you guys I'm going to keep this up. Until balls stop sailing on Jake and forcing Steve Smith and Moose to jump up and make these impossible catches that they can't make, this matchup is going to continue again and again. At this point, I don't think faith in Jake can ever be restored with the fans. He can honestly play like Peytan Manning for the next 8 Weeks and miraculously take the Panthers to the playoffs and I promise you we're STILL going to be taking our heart medication every time he touches the football. Regardless, the ball is still in Jake's court. He has a powerful running game to take the heat off of him, and two great targets in Rosario and Smitty. If he can't make plays with them, then it is his fault. That is all.

O-Line vs D-Line

That is, if the offensive line can give him some protection. Now, we have a pretty decent line so far this season. We've been blessed with no injuries along our O-line, and they've done a pretty great job at opening holes for Deangelo Williams. Look for that to continue against the Falcons this week. Since his impressive campaign in 08, John Abraham has disappeared. Whether by age or another reason, he's simply not the same player he was. That makes the left side of the D-Line, a place that the Panthers already love to hit with the running game, particularly beneficial to hit again and again. Now if they could hold their ground in pass protection better, especially Keydrick Vincent, the Panthers will have the advantage over the Falcons no problem.

Steve Smith vs The World

Steve Smith is probably the angriest man in the world right now. The thing about Smith is that he's always had a chip on his shoulder. Someone is always looking him down, someone is always telling him that he can't play football, something is always looking him in the eye and telling him that he's too short, which only inspires him to get angry and prove everyone wrong.

That couldn't be more evident this year. He has an offensive coordinator that has phased him out of the game, a QB that won't throw him the football, and a football league that has forgotten about him. Whether or not these things are actually true, this is the mindset that he has himself in and he's pissed. Is this the game where he breaks out for 100 yards? That will be up to the Falcon corners to decide, and they aren't as good as him.

Daunte Rosario vs My Expectations

I love this guy enough to call him the Ghost of Wesley Walls. This is the perfect time to have Daunte Rosario break out for a big game. Just like Steve Smith, he'll often be covered by guys that cannot cover him. Mike Peterson may have been good at the beginning of the season, but he's too old! About this time in the season it's time for old seasoned veterans like him to get tired and break out the rocking chair. You see my friends, this is what you call blind faith. I know that Rosario has the potential to be the passing tight end we need to live up to the Legend of Wesley Walls. If the coaches don't see it, then it's their loss.

Jeff Davidson vs Our Expectations

We, as a fan base, expect Jeff Davidson to make the calls needed to win the game. Players will always complain that they aren't getting the ball enough after you lose a game. It's been a staple of the NFL, always has been and always will be. Jeff Davidson needs to make the calls necessary to win the game, and if that means making Deangelo Williams beat 8 or 9 players in the box in the running game, then let him do it! If that means throwing the deep ball to Smitty, then let him do that too. Just do not take what is working, and suddenly do the opposite in the middle of a game. If the running game is working, don't cease until the Falcons prove that they can stop it.

Finally, my prediction.

Taking Davis away will damage the Panthers blitzing ability. The Panthers should get a little bit into this game, and if Julius Peppers isn't lighting it up then it should be time to let Beason and Johnson fly down the line. See how that works, and Meeks will edit his defensive game plan from there. On offense, ram the ball down their throats. That's all they need to do. I'm running out of ways to say this. The battering ram on offense is better than the catapult. Do you guys get that? Good.

Panthers win 24-17

Injury Report

Revshawn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:44:32 -0000

Injury Report

The Panthers will be without Daunte Rosario and Moose, who didn't make the trip to New Orleans.

Among the many questionable players that did make the trip but did not practice on Friday include Tony Fiametta, Charles Godfrey, John Kasey, and finally Brad Hoover who has been declared out for next game.

Update: Charles Godfrey is out, and did not make the trip to New Orleans as well.

Navy vs Notre Dame

Revshawn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:27:33 -0000

Jimmy Clausen of the Fighting Irish had 37-51 pass attempts completed for 452 yards, two touchdowns, 1 INT.

Navy wins the game, 23-21.

Something just seems wrong with that. Something seems terribly, unmistakably wrong.