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Coming Unhinged: Carolina Panthers


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from charlotte.com http://www.topix.net/content/kri/2007/10/coming-unhinged

 

For the better part of three hours, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers slapped the Carolina Panthers around Bank of America Stadium. Then, in their dismal locker room, the Panthers got hit with the knockout punch.

 

It came from one of their guys and it came with as much honesty and emotion as a scratchy-voiced Kris Jenkins could deliver in a five-minute speech (in which he wasn't even asked a question) that might have rattled the locker-room walls.

 

'This is our issue as a team: As a team collectively, we have no heart. We have no energy. We have no drive,' said Jenkins, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. 'Football is about pride and passion. I'm going to repeat that again. Football is about pride and passion. The pride and the passion that you have for this game makes you want to win.'

 

Their pride and passion were in question after the Panthers' 20-7 loss. After falling behind 17-0 in the first half, fans were booing the Panthers throughout the second half and the scene became reminiscent of the end of George Seifert's Carolina coaching days in 2001.

 

There have been plenty of boos through the years and especially as the Panthers have lost their past four home games dating to last season. But the criticism and questioning of heart always have stopped at the doors to the locker room.

 

That changed as Jenkins asked reporters if they were ready and then proceeded to call his team out for the second time in a week. He challenged his teammates to handle prosperity better after last week's victory in Atlanta. Jenkins apologized to the reporter who wrote that story and said he regretted not going even deeper into the issues plaguing a team that's gone 10-10 since appearing in the NFC Championship Game in the 2005 season.

 

'I think the players owe the fans an apology,' he said. 'I would be as upset as they are if I had to sit in the stands for four hours and look at that garbage. I'm going to be honest with you. That's what it was, garbage.'

 

The defense gave the Bucs a 14-0 first-quarter lead and allowed 365 yards of total offense (189 on the ground). Meanwhile, the Panthers offense came within 23 seconds of being shut out for the first time since 2002.

 

You can make a case that the Panthers were playing without their offensive and defensive quarterbacks as Jake Delhomme and middle linebacker Dan Morgan sat out with injuries.

 

In his first start for the Panthers, David Carr completed 19 of 41 passes for 155 yards, was intercepted once and had a 54.4 quarterback rating. But the problems went much deeper than a missing quarterback and linebacker.

 

Jenkins took the lead, but some normally tight-lipped teammates didn't argue his points and let out some of their own frustrations.

 

'If that's what you want to call it, that's not wrong,' defensive tackle Damione Lewis said. 'Coming out flat, not coming out with a spark, when you're playing defense, it's 90 percent attitude. We know we have talent, but we're not getting it done. What we're putting out on film right now is terrible.'

 

Even defensive end Mike Rucker, who usually follows the company line, admitted there are major problems.

 

'There are four games out of 16 right now,' Rucker said. 'If we don't correct it, it's going to be a long, long season. We have the opportunity to correct it, but we don't have a lot of time to be fooling around with that. We've got to be on the same page. We can't have some guys on this page and some guys on another page.'

 

In the locker room, the Panthers were finally on the same page about their problems and it's a page Jenkins said belongs in the trash.

 

'It doesn't matter how many skills you have,' he said. 'It doesn't matter how good you look when you catch a pass or when you run the ball or when you tackle somebody or cover somebody. It's not going to matter if you don't have (heart and passion).'

 

At least they seem to understand that you're missing something. That the spark is obviously not there, and there's no place to point the fingers, but within.

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Maybe...just maybe.....it is time to give, I dunno, last year's first round pick a shot and see if he can bring some life? He did score the TD for an offense that couldn't move the ball otherwise. Just a thought.

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Maybe...just maybe.....it is time to give, I dunno, last year's first round pick a shot and see if he can bring some life? He did score the TD for an offense that couldn't move the ball otherwise. Just a thought.

you know..you're preaching to the choir here...BUUUUT....Foster has played well. It hurts me to say it, but he honestly has played pretty good. Relatively speaking of course. His upside is no where near the upside of Williams, but Wiliams floor seems to be alot lower right now. I can't believe I said it, and PantherDave will probably ask Big John to catalog it for later drubbings, but for now, I admit it. Foster has been playing pretty well. Especially for the play at QB being so hit or miss. It's either a huge pass play to Smitty, or incomplete to someone else.

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it wasnt too long ago...panther dave was raving about the panthers dominating the rams...calling the patriots cheaters and calling into question the career of tom brady....that was about a month ago

2 out of 3 aint bad my friend.

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maybe you and the sarge can private message each other and fight for the title of "most diabolical patriots hater"

actually, i didn't see the big deal with them video taping the signals. I still dont.

 

But you called out PD for saying the Cats were a force to be reckoned with AND for calling the Pats and Brady cheaters. The latter 2 have NOTHING to do with the first, and you were merely rubbing in the fact that the Panthers suck to ease your own pain of his saying the Pats/Brady were cheaters.

 

Again, the 2 have nothing to do with each other, and you shouldn't call people out, if you can't handle the rebuttals.

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hahah i can handle the rebuttals...but the rebuttal is not even from the guy im calling out

 

and in reality...when you are bragging about your team...and also dissing somebody elses team(whether or not they are in the same post...they are still on the same board) you should be prepared to take something

 

of course you should be prepared to "take something" but you should also be prepared for pointless flames, and Seahawks37 posts too. We're all prepared for the nearly unwatchable dry-humping that every Patriot fan commences at every win, and the absence of said fans, at the first loss, too. Having to prepare for them, doesn't make them right.

 

Instead, you could've said "i know a 'photographer' that could help your offensive game play. the pats just cut him" or something such. :D

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of course you should be prepared to "take something" but you should also be prepared for pointless flames, and Seahawks37 posts too. We're all prepared for the nearly unwatchable dry-humping that every Patriot fan commences at every win, and the absence of said fans, at the first loss, too. Having to prepare for them, doesn't make them right.

 

Instead, you could've said "i know a 'photographer' that could help your offensive game play. the pats just cut him" or something such. :D

 

oh..so you think beating a dead horse is funny and original? i seeeeee... well lets agree to disagree

 

"and the absence of said fans, at the first loss, too".........riiiiigggghhttttt...yeah theyll all go into hiding....well...dont hold your breathe waiting for that first L pal

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it wasnt too long ago...panther dave was raving about the panthers dominating the rams...calling the patriots cheaters and calling into question the career of tom brady....that was about a month ago

 

 

OOOOOOOOOOK :D What does one have to do with the other :D This proves only one thing....I pushed someones buttons really bad in order for them to attempt to connect the two :wacko: Also, I mentioned the Panthers sucking and agreeing(sp) with Jenkins yesterday :wacko: Sorry In Debt, all this has done is make you look very, very Toolish my good man.....very toolish indeed.

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The main problem with the Panthers is that their D can't stop a thing. Their O was never stellar. Teams are moving the ball and scoring against the Panthers D at will

 

I completely agree with this. Here are a few telling stats on the team:

 

Offense

22nd - Passing @ 209.2 yds / game with 9 TDs and 2 INTs

20nd - Total O @ 322.2 yds / game with 8 Fumbles and 5 lost

3rd Down efficiency - 20 / 53 = 37.7%

ToP = 28.75 minutes / game

15th in scoring @ 20.5 / game

13th with 9 sacks

 

Defense

21st - Rushing @ 118.8 yds / game with 3 TDs

13rd - Passing @ 232.8 yds / game with 5 TDs

23rd - Total D @ 347.8

3rd Down efficiency - 24 / 56 = 42.9%

ToP = 31.25 minutes per game

17th in scoring @ 21.75 / game

31st with 2 sacks

24th with 2 INTs

 

The home losses have been especially troubling as both were quite bad. The team had a hard time running the ball and a worst time at stoping the opponent.

 

Texans game ToP in the 34-21 loss - 34:48 vs. 25:12

Bucs game ToP in the 20-7 loss - 34:40 vs. 25:20

 

So we had the ball for 9 minutes less than both teams that we played at home. The D gets too tired from being on the field too long. Can't get off the field when they need to and is not getting pressure with the rush indicated by are measly 2 sacks and 2 INTs. The misleading stat I posted above is our ranking against the passing game and that is simply because we are losing so badly the opponent rarely throws the ball in the 3rd and 4th quarters helping that stat at the expense of our rushing D getting whacked at the end of our losses. I haven't even looked into the stats for our STs as they have been horrible too as we have NO return game whatsoever giving the Offense longer fields to get into scoring position.

 

Overall, you can NOT expect to be a playoff team with the stats shown above with our team being in the bottom third an nearly all stats (especially defense). So, unless the team shows some fire and starts playing better I see a 6-10 season in store and a new GM and new Coach in the horizon as anything less than 8-8 with the home play being so abysmal Jerry will be forced to clean house.

Edited by PSULions
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hahah i can handle the rebuttals...but the rebuttal is not even from the guy im calling out

 

and in reality...when you are bragging about your team...and also dissing somebody elses team(whether or not they are in the same post...they are still on the same board) you should be prepared to take something

 

 

Well, I know my fav team is mediocre right now...there 2-2 and have work to do on both side of the ball.....I have openly stated this as of yesterday.

 

Now, YES, I still feel the rep of your fav team is tarnished. The fact that the Panthers are 2-2 and the Pats 4-0 has nothing to do with my statements on the Pats earlier in the season, and why should it??? :D , or has it changed at all my views of the Pats. So, once again, try to have your post/rebuttals actually fit into the topic of the post...it helps one not to look very toolish(as stated before). Heck, I'm loving the fact that I got under your skin so bad...it's fuggin great!!!!!! :D

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OOOOOOOOOOK :D What does one have to do with the other :D This proves only one thing....I pushed someones buttons really bad in order for them to attempt to connect the two :wacko: Also, I mentioned the Panthers sucking and agreeing(sp) with Jenkins yesterday :wacko: Sorry In Debt, all this has done is make you look very, very Toolish my good man.....very toolish indeed.

 

Don't argue with him PD, it's worthless.

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Panthers article

 

Here is a shorter summary of his main points:

 

The reality here is the Panthers are in complete disarray heading into the second quarter of the season.

 

And here’s why:

 

1. No heart. Jenkins called out his teammates on Sunday, saying what everyone else in the Carolinas was thinking. “As a team,” he said, “we have no heart, we have no energy, we have no drive. Football is about pride and passion. I’m going to repeat that again — football is about pride and passion. The pride and the passion that you have for this game makes you want to win. It’s not about the money.” Amen, Kris. Amen.

 

2. No leadership. A few weeks ago, the Panthers appointed five captains – Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, Dan Morgan, Julius Peppers and Nick Goings. Of those five, do you know how many spoke in the locker room after the game? Zero. Smith reiterated that he’s not talking to reporters for the remainder of the season. Peppers, Morgan and Delhomme were nowhere to be found after the game. Granted, Morgan and Delhomme did not play, but it still would have been nice to get an update on their injury status since they are the play-callers. (Delhomme did talk Monday). Goings didn’t talk because he had a concussion.

 

3. Poor scouting and drafting decisions. This is a column unto itself and I’ll get more in-depth later in the week. But will someone explain to me how it is you spend years scouting these guys in college and have so many not work out? I mean, c’mon. Keary Colbert (2004). Eric Shelton, Evan Mathis and Atiyyah Ellison (2005). Rashad Butler (2006). Dwayne Jarrett, Ryan Kalil and Charles Johnson (2007). All of these guys are either second or third round draft picks and they are a.) no longer here, b.) not playing at all, or c.) not contributing.

 

4. No pass defense. You can say what you want about the Panthers giving up nearly 200 yards on the ground to the Bucs, but the bottom line is Jeff Garcia won this game on the first two possessions on the strength of his arm. Like Matt Schaub and Joey Harrington before him, Garcia worked the middle of the field and made dissecting this defense look easy. Again, someone tell me why the Panthers didn’t address the safety position this off-season? And please don’t tell me that adding Deke Cooper qualifies as addressing the safety position.

 

5. No No. 2 wide receiver. Remember now, the Panthers had this problem solved, but they decided it would be a good idea to release Keyshawn Johnson after drafting Jarrett. Boy, that sure has worked out well. Keep this in mind – Steve Smith is only human. He can’t do it all by himself. He needs help. Jerry Rice had John Taylor. Lynn Swann had John Stallworth. Smith has… Keary Colbert?

 

6. No special teams. I’m still wondering how Danny Crossman has a job. How can Carolina’s return teams go from awful to dreadful? He may not have been well liked while he was here, but this team misses Scott O’Brien.

 

7. No pass rush. The Panthers have two sacks in four games. People keep asking me what’s wrong with Peppers. I just don’t know. Fox doesn’t know either and said it’s not a physical problem. I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems odd that Peppers has gone into hiding ever since Richardson called him out at training camp and basically told him it’s his time to step up. How else do you explain how he’s gone from being a dominant player the last five years to an average one this year. When asked to talk Monday, Peppers replied, "Gotta go to a meeting."

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What is up with frontrunners on this site. I dont get it. you got to the college forum, this fraud has to brag about LSU in every thread. same thing here with the pats.

 

This pats team reminds me of USC a few yrs back, before they played someone in the NC game. All Hype, and loudmouth fan base pounding their chests. ONly difference is R Bush got caught accepting money, and the pats got caught cheating.

 

Hell my Boys are 4-0, and Im not on top of the rafters running my mouth. I expected it, and Im glad I was correct.

Edited by Sgt. Ryan
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oh..so you think beating a dead horse is funny and original? i seeeeee... well lets agree to disagree

 

"and the absence of said fans, at the first loss, too".........riiiiigggghhttttt...yeah theyll all go into hiding....well...dont hold your breathe waiting for that first L pal

who's beating a dead horse? you brought it up kid. There's nothing to agree to disagree on. You tried to tie the two posts/situations together, because you're still hurting from the embarrassment of your team being called out. So when the Cats start sucking, you say "wow. wasn't it just a month ago that PD was saying the Pats were cheaters and Brady's career was in question?" :D One has nothing to do with the other, and I called you out on it. You should be prepared for that, based on your earlier post.

 

and yah, I am right. Ugly Tuna doesn't show up for years until they start looking good. In fact, he's showed up, about to make a comeback, then when Indy whips their ass, he doesn't show up again that year. Sure, he's one fan, but he's the epitome of a typical New England fan. Others are not so bad, but typically, yah, they're that bad.

 

"dont hold your breathe waiting for that first L pal"? yah, because that has EVERYTHING to do with Carolina sucking, and PD saying the pats were cheaters, and you comparing the two. :D Let me know when you want to make a point, and if you could, point it out to me, because i'll probably miss it.

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panther dave...i hope you can enjoy "getting under" my skin....tell me again how "fuggin great" it is...lol...cuz see..im going to have the last laugh...you can call me a tool all you want...but the thing is...i think anyone who tries to discredit what the patriots have done, are tools....and you and the rest of the world have actually lit a fire under my team(as if they really needed that)....and you can see from monday nights game..they are no longer content with running out the clock...they are making statements

 

and sgt ryan...please tell me who you are alluding too...ive never made a post in the college forum about lsu...im not an lsu fan

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who's beating a dead horse? you brought it up kid. There's nothing to agree to disagree on. You tried to tie the two posts/situations together, because you're still hurting from the embarrassment of your team being called out. So when the Cats start sucking, you say "wow. wasn't it just a month ago that PD was saying the Pats were cheaters and Brady's career was in question?" :D One has nothing to do with the other, and I called you out on it. You should be prepared for that, based on your earlier post.

 

and yah, I am right. Ugly Tuna doesn't show up for years until they start looking good. In fact, he's showed up, about to make a comeback, then when Indy whips their ass, he doesn't show up again that year. Sure, he's one fan, but he's the epitome of a typical New England fan. Others are not so bad, but typically, yah, they're that bad.

 

"dont hold your breathe waiting for that first L pal"? yah, because that has EVERYTHING to do with Carolina sucking, and PD saying the pats were cheaters, and you comparing the two. :D Let me know when you want to make a point, and if you could, point it out to me, because i'll probably miss it.

 

hahah cmon guy get a grip....yeah this guy made a big post about discrediting my teams dynasty and my qbs hall of fame career...and also bragged about his team thrashing a trash st louis squad...so yeah imma make a post about it and if i feel like linking the posts together to make my point..i will...i dont really care how it comes off to ya

 

i dont feel the least bit "toolish"..i think somebody bragging about a team with alot of question marks, after week 1, is toolish...and discrediting a great football team with a great coach and qb is "toolish"...lolol

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What is up with frontrunners on this site. I dont get it. you got to the college forum, this fraud has to brag about LSU in every thread. same thing here with the pats.

 

This pats team reminds me of USC a few yrs back, before they played someone in the NC game. All Hype, and loudmouth fan base pounding their chests. ONly difference is R Bush got caught accepting money, and the pats got caught cheating.

 

Hell my Boys are 4-0, and Im not on top of the rafters running my mouth. I expected it, and Im glad I was correct.

 

It's called a dynasty team. I thought you knew what one of those were.

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