Julius Peppers: My Worst Nightmare Coming True in Carolina

Julius Peppers.

Where do I start? Where can I start? I’ll start at the beginning.

Peppers was John Fox’s first draft pick as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. The city of Charlotte, already excited about having George Seifert out of town and the prospects of Fox turning the franchise around, were ecstatic when then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that the Panthers had selected the University of North Carolina’s own Julius Peppers with the second pick in the 2002 draft.

The love affair continued through Peppers’ spectacular rookie season. “Pep” tallied 36 tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception on his way to earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He accomplished all of this in 12 games.

Peppers was suspended the for the last four games of the 2002 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Peppers insisted that the reason for the positive test was linked to a diet supplement he was given by a friend, and Panthers fans—for the most part—believed him. As then-defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said, “Julius wasn’t trying to beat the system, he’s a good kid who was a little naive.”

When Peppers’ numbers slacked off in 2003 it went largely unnoticed as the Panthers made their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.  Following the 2003 season, he recorded three straight 10-plus sack seasons while reaching the Pro Bowl in each of them. The Panthers experienced intermediate success and Peppers was considered the key cog in a defensive unit that was known as a decisive force around the NFL.

Then came the 2007 season. Peppers’ numbers diminished dramatically as he recorded only 2.5 sacks and 38 total tackles while, for all intents and purposes, completely disappearing. The local media, fans, national media, and even Peppers himself were all befuddled by the drop off. Was Peppers sick, hurt, or was he just lazy? Rumors swirled and people around Charlotte started to ride his back about his poor performance.

He missed the final two games of that season with a knee injury but the damage had already been done. The Panthers’ fan base, frustrated by a second straight season without a playoff appearance after making it to the NFC Championship game in 2005, began to question Peppers’ heart and determination. 

He was accused of taking plays off, not having his heart in the game, and quitting on the team. He was a popular topic entering the 2008 season—his contract year.  He turned down a long-term contract from the Panthers that would have made him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL, adding fuel to the fanbase’s fire. 

When the lights came on for the 2008 season, however, Peppers was back to his old form. He notched a career-high 14.5 sacks and was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.

Still, Peppers was the target of plenty of negativity from fans who insisted he was a slacker and that he was taking plays off.  His effort was questioned on a nearly week-to-week basis and it seemed as though any game that Peppers didn’t put up Pro Bowl numbers, he was the main topic of conversation for the week in between games.

When the Panthers were eliminated from the playoffs in January of 2008 by the Cardinals, things turned ugly for Peppers and Carolina.

Peppers made it clear that he was not interested in returning to the Carolina Panthers for the 2009 season and was hell bent on playing as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 system somewhere else. 

The Panthers’ decision to place the franchise tag on Peppers with their knowledge of his desire to go elsewhere is one of the most debated and heated topics in the history of this franchise. 

Signing Peppers to the franchise tender would mean that the team would owe him about $16.7 million for the 2009 season, or roughly $1 million per regular season game.

The Panthers decided that Peppers was too valuable to let him walk out of the door with no compensation, and handicapped their offseason flexibility by applying the franchise tag to him.

The Panthers, following a 12-4 season that saw their rushing game burst onto the national scene behind a very solid offensive line, watched as the depth that made that line what it was slowly disappeared. Players who were free agents realized that their services could be used elsewhere for more money than the Panthers could offer and took those opportunities. 

The organization was faced with a decision at the outset of the offseason to ink Peppers or Gross to a long term deal and franchise the other. Gross was much more receptive to the long term deal since Peppers was virtually uninterested, and the Panthers, rightly so, took that route.

To put Peppers’ franchise tag cost in perspective, he accounts for roughly one-eighth of the Panthers salary cap for their 53-man roster.

After being stuck with the franchise tag, Peppers refused to sign the tender. He demanded out of Carolina by whatever means necessary. Peppers went as far as to make a list of four teams that he would accept a trade to, a list that included the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

Neither the Patriots or the Cowboys, despite the rumor mill running rampant, ever made a serious offer for Peppers or displayed any real interest in acquiring the disgruntled defensive end.

Peppers was ripped to shreds in Charlotte through all of the possible outlets. You couldn’t mention the team without somebody offering their two cents about the situation.

I was on the side of the organization at the time. You can’t let a guy like Peppers walk out of the door with nothing but a lighter wallet. Especially not if he is planning on finding his way onto a roster of a team like Dallas, who is a contender (until December) year in and year out in the NFC, and a team the Panthers would see more often than an AFC team—the most likely destination in a trade.

In the end, Peppers reluctantly signed the franchise tender and declared that he was happy to be in Carolina for the 2009 season and that he was looking forward to building on last year’s success.

This is where the story goes from ugly to disgusting. And then from disgusting to sickening.

Peppers entered training camp as the hottest topic for the Panthers. He characteristically ignored the media most days and offered vanilla responses when he decided to speak. 

When the Panthers played poorly in their first couple of exhibition games, Peppers proclaimed that it was “just preseason” and that the team would be able to hit the switch when the regular season kicked off. 

As it stands while I write this, we are three weeks into the regular season and I, along with 99.9% of Panther Nation, have yet to see any switch hit. If it has been hit, I believe it’s time to call Duke Energy and pay the bill to get the power turned back on, because this team, particularly this defense, has looked like a junior varsity team thus far.

I could sit here and rip the entire team for their play so far this season, but I won’t.  I’m going to put the crosshairs right on their most expensive asset.

Julius Frazier Peppers.

For those of you who aren’t aware, I am a lifelong North Carolina Tar Heels fan and have been a fan of the Panthers since I knew what football meant. You can scroll through my article archive if you need an idea of how deep in my heart my ties to this team go.

I can remember watching Peppers play for the Tar Heels in college. I used to watch the games as a young kid with my dad, who would always point out No. 49 and his intensity.  He recorded the second-most sacks in Tar Heels history behind Lawrence Taylor—pretty elite company if you ask me. 

In the winter, when football was over with, Pep would suit up for the Tar Heels’ basketball team as a walk-on. Imagine the Incredible Hulk in a basketball uniform, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what he looked like on the court. His enormous hands, rebounding ability, and thunderous dunks were just a few of the reasons that fans in Chapel Hill couldn’t wait for the mediocre football team (minus the 2001 Peach Bowl victory over Auburn) to finish up so that Peppers could come off the bench for the Heels. 

Peppers playing two sports—and playing them well—for the Tar Heels led me to actively cheer for him seven months out of every calendar year. From September to March, Peppers was a staple on the television set every week. 

Imagine my level of excitement when the Panthers drafted Peppers in 2002. My favorite Tar Heel was staying in North Carolina and playing for the hometown Panthers. It just doesn’t get any better.

For the last seven years, I have watched and pulled for Peppers twice as hard, being a self-admitted Tar Heel homer. When his numbers took a nose dive in 2007, I stood behind him. He had to have been sick or injured. As I can remember telling friends at the time, “He’s Julius Freakin’ Peppers, he just doesn’t have a season like this for no reason.”

I proved my point while watching him amass his career high in sacks last year, and defended him against those who called him out for taking plays off. I endured argument after argument about how Peppers was still the best defensive end in the league, and how he seems like he is lazy because he is double and triple teamed by every opponent the Panthers see.

The offseason drama leading up to this season was painful for me. You’re telling me that the guy who I have pulled for the hardest for the last ten years of my life wants out?  We aren’t good enough for him anymore? He can’t maximize his potential in Carolina?  He’s Tar Heel born and Tar Heel bred, and when he dies he’ll be Tar Heel dead…and you’re telling me he wants out?

Hard to accept.  But, as they say at least once a day in the wide world of sports, it is a business. If he needs to go elsewhere to be happy, then go. With that being said, I also couldn’t watch him walk away without the Panthers getting something in return. 

If I knew then what I know now, I would reverse my position completely. 

As a sports writer in any capacity whether it be for USA Today, ESPN, a local newspaper, or a blog site, it is common to have to sit at the table and eat a nice healthy plate of crow from time to time. 

I refuse to eat this plate.

Its not that I or anyone who has an opinion on the topic is wrong about Peppers, it’s that he just plum doesn’t care. 

Here is Julius Peppers’ situation in every day terms we can all understand.

Imagine yourself at your job. You feel like you are overqualified for the job you have, and want to move on to something bigger and better. Your boss tells you that he isn’t willing to let you go at the moment, but he’ll pay you $1 million dollars a week for the next 16 weeks and basically give you a chance to audition for any company in your field that would have a use for you in their organization.

I, for one, would bust my ass to make sure that I made a good enough impression on somebody I wanted to work for that they would offer my current boss a deal to acquire my services that he couldn’t refuse. 

Peppers played well on opening day. Five tackles, two pass deflections, a sack and a forced fumble were credited to Julius in the team’s ugly loss to the Eagles.

Peppers disappeared in Atlanta. He put virtually no pressure on Matt Ryan, he was owned on the offensive line, and he looked lost on several plays as the Panthers took another loss. Okay, a bad game. Happens all the time.

Monday night took the cake for me and completely changed my view on Peppers and his status here in Carolina. All week, and frankly since the schedule was released, it was a given that Peppers would go off in Dallas in front of Jerry Jones on Monday Night Football. Remember that Peppers included the Cowboys on his list of four teams he would accept a trade to in the offseason. Jones has been known to go after high priced, high risk players in the past and Peppers fits right into that mold.

I believe Peppers is still in Dallas, sitting in the locker room waiting for the game to start. I don’t believe that I watched Julius Peppers play on Monday night. I watched the shell of one of the most gifted athletes I have ever seen absolutely go through the motions as if the season were already over. 

Peppers was absent on short yardage situations, standing on the sideline with his helmet off looking like he was upset not to be on the field. In one of the few bright coaching moves by the Panthers so far this season, they took Peppers off the field in serious situations because he flat out didn’t look like he cared what happened one way or the other.

I saw Peppers on at least one occasion tag a Cowboys’ player with two hands on his way by him like he was running around his neighborhood where Mom’s call for dinner is the final whistle. I saw Peppers get blown up off the line of scrimmage, then release his engagement with the offensive lineman assigned to him and allow the guy to go block a linebacker, cornerback, or even a safety to pick up a couple of extra yards.

Julius, you have got to be kidding me. 

If you don’t pick it up, you’re going to be stuck in Carolina forever (or at least as long as Marty Hurney is here). If you really don’t want to play here, convince somebody else to give you a chance. Obviously nobody is sold on you or your natural talents because if they were, you wouldn’t be wearing the uniform you are disgracing. 

You are picking the wrong time in your career to be turning an indifferent cheek to the organization you are contractually tied to. For $1 million dollars a week, don’t you think you could at least pretend like you care?  Don’t you think you could at least fall down every now and then to make it look like you gave it a half-ass effort?

Would it kill you to show just a little bit of emotion, or to act like losing phases you?

What makes the situation worse for the Panthers is that they have Peppers teaching Everette Brown the ropes of the NFL. This is a kid we gave up our first round pick in 2010 for…in the second round.  He’s got a big enough hill to climb to earn approval in the eyes of the fans and pundits without having Peppers in his ear teaching him how to pout and act like a 230-plus pound baby.

Enough is enough, Pep. If this isn’t the most difficult thing I’ve written while covering the Panthers, it certainly doesn’t leave the top three. This goes deeper than the Panthers. Since I was 11 years old, I have looked up to you as one hell of an athlete, and a guy who is successful wherever you go.

Right now, I’m trying to figure out which jersey I should purchase to replace the No. 90 that I usually sport on my back each week.  In fact, I think I’ll mail it to you with a copy of this article.

Believe me, I would like nothing more than to sit in this exact spot and write a retraction of this piece at the end of the season, but I don’t see it in the cards. 

Pick it up, Pep…please, pick it up.

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The Elevator: Panthers Stutter Into Bye Week After Loss To Cowboys

The Carolina Panthers continued their depressing start to the 2009 season by losing their third consecutive game on Monday Night Football in Dallas.

The Cowboys overcame a shaky first half to score 21 unanswered points in the second half and beat a Panthers team that is nosediving quickly less than a quarter of the way through the season.

For Panthers fans, Monday night’s loss was likely the most disconcerting of the young season to date as the team played uninspired football in the second half against a Cowboys team who was begging to be beat.

The numbers are startling from any angle you choose to look at them. 

Let’s get right into ‘The Elevator’ and try to figure out just what in the world is wrong with this team.

Going Up…

/\  Dante Rosario. Rosario leads all Panthers receivers with two touchdowns on the season. The catch? They are the only two that Jake Delhomme has thrown compared to his seven interceptions.

/\  DeAngelo Williams. DeAngelo averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 11 carries against the Cowboys. It’s a shame he didn’t have any more than 11 carries against the weak Cowboys run defense. Williams, one of the league’s elite running backs, can’t be impressed with the effort put forth thus far by the Panthers.

/\  Jon Beason. Beason had 11 total tackles and a sack on Monday Night, but is still a shell of his old self after a knee injury in the preseason. The bye week will help him get back to full speed.

Going Down… (hope you have a minute)

\/  John Fox. There is absolutely no reason why the Panthers ran only six rushing plays in the second half. After the Panthers allowed Dallas’ first touchdown to make it 13-7, there was one rushing play in the next two drives for a one yard loss.

There comes a time when a losing team loses faith in the head coach and turns a deaf ear to the strategy and motivation he is trying to relay to the team. That time has apparently come in Carolina.

\/  Receivers. All of them. Muhsin Muhammad gave up on Delhomme’s first interception and gave an unnecessary push in the back on a play that would have been at least a first down, if not the touchdown that was called back.

Steve Smith spent most of his time on the sideline jawing at Delhomme instead of trying to find a way to solve a simple Cowboys defense. When it was his turn to make a play, he took matters into his own hands and ran the wrong route trying to turn nothing into something, leading to Terrence Newman’s game-clinching interception return for a touchdown.

Dwayne Jarrett still hasn’t gotten off of the team bus, much less the line of scrimmage.  Kenny Moore is the only receiver who did anything commendable, catching both passes thrown to him for a grand total of 19 yards.

You can knock on Delhomme all you want but when his receivers aren’t attempting to catch the balls he’s throwing, or are unwilling to bail him out on bad throws, he’s in a position that will not allow him to succeed.

\/  Offensive line. Delhomme has taken a beating so far this year, and the line simply isn’t creating the holes it did last year to allow the Panthers to establish their running game. If the Panthers are going to call more passing plays per game in a close contest than rushing plays, the offensive line has to give Delhomme some protection.

\/  Charles Godfrey. Charles, your jockstrap is still on the field in Dallas.

\/  Ability to score points. The Panthers have scored 37 points in their first three games-one point shy of the total that Philadelphia put on the Bank of America Stadium scoreboard on opening day.

\/  Effort. Can you remember the last time a team took a 7-0 lead into the half, made no adjustments and came out for the second frame like they had already lost the game?

\/  Julius Peppers. Stay tuned.

\/  Cheering for this team. Make no mistake about it, I’m one of the biggest Panthers fans you will ever come across. I eat, sleep, breathe, drink, and live for this team.  From Sunday to Sunday I chomp at the bit for the chance to watch this team, my hometown team that I have grown up watching since I figured out what a football was.

As embarrassing as it is right now to admit the above, its true. I watched all 16 games of the 1-15 season in 2001 and never once reached this level of frustration and anger.  At least that team acted like they cared.

At least they fought during most games and lost at the bitter end. Sure, Seifert sucked in his last year here, but there was never a point in that season when I wished that any one of the other 31 teams was my team.

Now? I’m not so sure. My allegiance to the Panthers has been pledged and will never change, no matter what, but right now it is downright painful to sport the black, blue, and silver that I and many others were proud to display.

The bye week in the NFL is normally a time for teams to take a bit of a mini vacation in the middle of the season.  The players spend some time with their families or in the community, practices are light, and injuries are allowed some time to heal.

For the Panthers, they will lick their wounds and endure a relentless flurry of anger and disgust from both the local media and the fans.

Beason should heal up some, Chris Harris should be ready to go after the bye, and perhaps some soul searching for a week will do this team good.  The only chance that the Panthers have, realistically, is to win their first three games out of the bye.

They face Washington, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo in those three before the schedule kicks into fifth gear and they spend the rest of their season in a street fight. 

The good news for Panthers fans is that I can guarantee the team won’t lose this weekend. The bad news just keeps coming.

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Carolina Panthers’ Defense Must Allow Double Trouble to Punish Dallas

The Carolina Panthers’ season has not started quite the way they envisioned it would. 

Last year’s NFC South division champion and the recipient of a first round playoff bye has opened up 2009 in far from impressive fashion.  Back to back losses, albeit to playoff teams from 2008, has fans in Charlotte up in arms and calling for heads across the board. 

Regardless of which name you choose to drag through the mud, be it Jake Delhomme, Julius Peppers, John Fox, Marty Hurney, or even Jerry Richardson, chances are there are valid points out there to backup your case.

That’s what this team has been reduced to.  Instead of showing up on Sundays to pull for the home team, or flocking to the local bars in droves to outnumber opposing fans for away games, this fan base has morphed into a pessimistic group of head hunters. 

The Panthers made strides between their season opener and their loss last week in Atlanta, but that fact was overshadowed by the fact that Julius Peppers, making roughly $1 million per game, didn’t have a sack and only recorded two tackles. 

A victory in Dallas has the potential to completely turn the tables in Charlotte and across Panther Nation. 

Wade Phillips, Tony Romo, and the rest of “America’s Team” have their own questions swirling around them.  Much like the Panthers, their first two games have been riddled with a poor pass rush and shaky quarterback play.  The only glaring difference is that the Cowboys were graced with Tampa Bay in Week One and were able to notch a victory.

The Panthers defense will be the key on Sunday night but not necessarily because of their production.  The defense will be instrumental in making sure the Panthers’ most effective weapon can reach its maximum potential.

That weapon, of course, is none other than the double-edged sword that has been dubbed “Double Trouble.”  The running back combo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart burst onto the scene last year and is widely regarded as one of the top duos in the game.  The two combined for over 2,300 yards last year while punching in 28 touchdowns.

The two have picked up where they left off last year but have not had the chance to shine because the Panthers have been playing from behind for most of the year.

Williams has two touchdowns in two games while averaging 3.9 yards per carry, while Stewart is averaging about 5.0 yards per carry but hasn’t reached the promised land yet.

The Panthers’ best chance to come away from Dallas with a tally in the win column lies in the hands (or legs) of this tandem.  The only way they will get the chance to lead the team to victory is if the defense can keep Romo and friends from jumping out to an early lead. 

Though the Panthers put forth a better offensive effort last Sunday in Atlanta, the team was forced to call 41 pass plays compared to just 25 run plays due to the balance of the scoreboard being tipped in the Falcons’ direction.  Williams averaged 4.9 yards per carry and Stewart averaged over seven, but the flow of the game wouldn’t allow the running backs to be featured like the Panthers would have preferred.

The Cowboys’ defense is giving up an average of 135.5 rushing yards per game in 2009, and is giving up 4.7 yards per carry.  Tampa Bay ran wild on Dallas, and although they were able to keep Brandon Jacobs pretty much in tact, the Giants were still able to control the ground game.

If the Panthers can score first for the third straight week, then put together a couple of solid defensive possessions to keep the Cowboys from responding right away, then Double Trouble should be able to hunker down and put in a solid body of work.  Establishing the running game would take unneeded pressure off of Delhomme and would allow the play action pass to be a viable option as the game grinds on.

It is also important that the Panthers’ coaching staff play into their strengths on Monday.  The lights will be bright and the building will be packed, but nerves cannot interfere with the gameplan.  A three and out on the opening drive does not mean that Delhomme needs to come out slingin’ on the second. 

For this team, the running game is the bread, the butter, and the knife that spreads it.  Delhomme isn’t the kind of guy who can take the offense under his wing and win games week in and week out. 

John Fox and his play-calling cronies have been notorious for abandoning the running game early on in recent memory.  Keeping the ball on the ground is the main key to winning this game for Carolina, and to get away from that too early will spell doom and could lead to another Delhomme meltdown if we’re not careful.

The Panthers’ defense has been unimpressive  to say the least this year, but playing with a lead would be a welcome change of scenery for those guys.  Perhaps this scheme will click and the light bulb will come on if they have a chance to go out on the field with something to protect rather than trying to keep the situation from getting worse.

Whichever way you slice it, the Panthers need to establish the ground game to be successful not only in Dallas, but every week.

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The Elevator: Panthers Defense Allows Ryan, Falcons to Flourish

The Carolina Panthers suffered their second consecutive loss to open the 2009 season on Sunday, but did so in a manner that was far less depressing than their Week 1 debacle against Philadelphia.  The Atlanta Falcons, donning throwback uniforms from the 1966 season, beat the Panthers 28-10 in the Georgia Dome.

The main issue for the Panthers on Sunday was their defense.  Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan could likely get away with not washing his uniform after he was relatively unaffected by the Panthers’ fruitless pass rush.  Ryan finished the day with 220 yards on 21-of-27 passing with three touchdowns and an interception.

The Falcons were also able to move the ball on the ground, gaining a team total of 151 rush yards—105 of which were picked up by Michael Turner. 

The Panthers’ main problem on the day was, as is apparent by the above two paragraphs, the defense.  Again, for the sixth consecutive game including the preseason, the opposing team was able to catch the ball, turn and move up the field before encountering a Panthers defender.

When the opposing quarterback only has six incomplete passes for the game, one of which being an interception, you know that something is wrong in the pass defense.  Coupled with a pass rush that simply could not apply pressure, Carolina was left with little chance of victory.

The good news for the Panthers is that it doesn’t appear that there are any hangover effects from the Week 1 performance that had fans edging closer to various ledges throughout the city. 

Jake Delhomme rebounded nicely with 308 yards while completing 25-of-41 pass attempts with a touchdown and a relatively irrelevant interception.  The touchdown pass to Dante Rosario gave the Panthers a fighting chance at the end of the game to come back and tie.

Double Trouble put together an impressive performance, combining for 144 yards on 25 carries.  DeAngelo Williams had the lone touchdown, a three-yard run early in the second quarter.

Jonathan Stewart averaged 7.2 yards on his nine carries and notched the game’s long run of the day with a 28-yarder off of a draw play.

Let’s take a ride on the elevator to see what positives the Panthers can take from this loss and what needs to be addressed in the long week leading up to their Monday Night Football affair in Dallas.

 

Going Up…

/\  Jake Delhomme.  Delhomme’s performance on Sunday provided Panthers fans with a collective sigh of relief.  While most were likely again thinking, “there’s no way that can happen again,” I’m sure they were more skeptical of that phrase after seeing last week’s performance.  Delhomme didn’t force the ball too much. He made one very boneheaded play, where instead of throwing the ball out of bounds, he threw it lazily into the air where only Falcons defenders could reach it.  Luckily, no Falcons defender was able to make a play and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf.  Delhomme led the offense to a touchdown when he had to and took the team down the field to set up an opportunity to tie at the end of the game.  A solid performance is just what the doctor ordered for Delhomme and the Panthers’ offense.

/\  Dante Rosario.  Rosario caught three of the four balls that were thrown his way on Sunday including the lone touchdown pass from Delhomme.  He averaged over 10 yards per catch.

/\  Steve Smith.  Smitty returned to his usual form on Sunday, catching eight balls for 131 yards.  He made two great sideline catches and was Delhomme’s primary target, as usual.  He was able to gain separation from the Falcons defense and catch the ball in-stride to pick up yards after the catch.

/\  Thomas Davis.  Davis has been on a tear since this season began.  He notched his second straight 10-plus tackle game to start the season, finishing with 12. 

/\  Quinton Teal.  Teal has filled in nicely for Chris Harris in the first two games of the season. He recovered a fumble on Sunday after a long drive on the first Atlanta possession of the second half while adding three tackles. 

/\  Louis Leonard.  Leonard started in place of the injured Nick Hayden at defensive tackle on Sunday and was pretty effective in stopping the run until a fractured ankle knocked him out of the game.  It’s unclear at this point how much time he is going to miss.

 

Going Down…

\/  Defense.  I could use a different section to blast each defensive unit, but I’ll give them their lashing as a team.  When you’re only making a play on six out of 27 balls thrown, something is clearly wrong.  No opposing receiver had to do any more than run to a soft spot in the zone, sit and wait to get the ball.  Where is the defense that the organization was so excited about in the offseason?  Where are the players collapsing towards the ball?  Where are the strips and the gang-tackles?  I haven’t seen any of that.  The defense got their second interception in as many games and also recovered a fumble, but that doesn’t count for anything if you allow the opposition to run and pass all over you throughout the rest of the game.  For the second week in a row, the defense started the game off with a three-and-out, then disappeared.  I’m sure Drew Brees has the two Panthers games circled on his calendar at home.

\/  Punt team.  In the season opener, this unit had a punt returned for a touchdown against them.  In the second game of the year, they had one blocked.  Yes, Jason Baker took too long to get the ball off.  But from what I saw, the snap wasn’t on point either.  When a punter receives a snap it should be a tight spiral that the punter can catch on a level angle so he can rotate the ball to put the laces up and drop it directly onto his foot.  The snap looked like it was at an awkward angle, which threw Baker off of his rhythm, causing a snowball effect.  The bigger problem is the missed block that allowed the Falcons defense to be in the face of Baker.  The protection guys made a half-hearted attempt to get in the way of who was coming, but didn’t sustain the block long enough for him to have gotten the kick off even if the snap was perfect.  Games can be won and lost with the punt unit and the Carolina unit certainly hasn’t helped their team’s case in the first two weeks.

\/  Rhys Lloyd.  I like Rhys, but he got embarrassed by Michael Koenen in the kickoff department yesterday.  The Panthers did not get the opportunity to return a single kickoff on Sunday.  Lloyd had five kickoff attempts, of which only two were touchbacks.  That is a relatively good day for a normal kicker, but when you are consuming a roster spot for the sole purpose of kicking the ball off deep to prevent returns, you have to do better.  The problem is magnified when the Panthers coverage allows the opposition to return kicks for an average of 34 yards.

\/  Injuries.  The team lost Brad Hoover, Na’il Diggs and Louis Leonard on Sunday to injuries.  Hoover’s absence meant that rookie Tony Fiammetta had to step in. He dropped the only pass that came his way.  With the lack of depth on the defensive line, the loss of Leonard will hurt for weeks to come.  For a team that obviously hasn’t grasped their new scheme on defense, they need their starters in there as much as possible.

\/  John Fox.  Fox has major work to do if he wants to make another trip to Spartanburg as Panthers head coach.  If this team continues to lose, he will find his seat quickly heating up—especially because there are so many reputable coaches out there right now.  Terry Bradshaw brought up the Bill Cowher conversation on Sunday during the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show—a realistic option if Fox gets the boot.  His sidestepping in press conferences, shady information on injuries and team news and inability to show passion, win or lose, has frustrated fans in Carolina for a long time.  It’s starting to reach a boiling point.

 

The Panthers performed better on Sunday than they did the week prior, but 0-2 is no way to start a season.  Next week’s game doesn’t get any easier. The Panthers will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in their brand new, billion-dollar stadium, which will make its first ever Monday Night Football appearance.  The defense will have to step up and keep Tony Romo from picking them apart the way Matt Ryan did.  If that doesn’t happen, regardless of how the offense plays, they could be staring 0-3 right in the face.

 

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Breaking News: Panthers Sign QB A.J. Feeley, McCown Headed To IR

ESPN.com is reporting that the Carolina Panthers have come to terms with free agent quarterback A.J. Feeley and have placed Josh McCown on injured reserve, ending his season.

The Panthers reiterated Monday that Jake Delhomme was the team’s starting quarterback despite his atrocious performance on Sunday afternoon. 

Delhomme threw four interceptions and lost a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown in the Panthers’ 38-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

McCown was hurt while playing for Delhomme, who was pulled in the third quarter. 

His official injury is a sprained left knee and foot, but he was in a boot on Monday and was walking with the assistance of a crutch. 

He was placed on IR later in the day.

The signing of A.J. Feeley gives the Panthers their best option at backup quarterback in recent memory. 

The signing of David Carr before the 2007 season was supposed to provide the team with a solid option to challenge Delhomme, but he ended up being a major bust when he was thrust into action following Delhomme’s season ending Tommy John surgery.

Matt Moore and Josh McCown were heading into their second season as the Panthers’ backup quarterback tandem, a duo that has been criticized for not pushing Delhomme to get better. 

Despite reports from Panthers training camp that Delhomme had improved his footwork and accuracy, nothing of the sort showed up on Sunday. 

Feeley’s last regular season action was in 2007.  He played in three games and threw for 681 yards and five touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions.  In  his career, he’s thrown for 4,070 yards, 27 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in 23 games.

It is likely that Feeley will be the number two quarterback, and Moore will remain the team’s third and emergency quarterback.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Opening Day Sparks Quarterback Controversy in Carolina

The Carolina Panthers season could not have opened on a more disappointing note Sunday, as they were manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles and saw the scoreboard read 38-10 at the end of the day.

The Eagles’ victory can be attributed mainly to the play of Jake Delhomme.  For the second straight meaningful game, Delhomme was painfully bad, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble.

Delhomme started out crisp on the team’s first drive, but things quickly turned sour.  The first interception of the afternoon came on the Panthers’ next drive and was followed by a Delhomme fumble that was recovered for a touchdown.

The first drive was quickly overshadowed, and Delhomme threw another interception before the first half came to a close, which led to another Eagles touchdown.

After halftime, Delhomme’s downward spiral sped up, as he threw interceptions on the Panthers’ first two drives. 

Then, a moment that some Panthers fans have been waiting for for a long time happened. 

Jake Delhomme was benched by John Fox.

Josh McCown came into the game and was very unimpressive.  McCown finished 1-6 for two yards and took a sack.   To make things worse, McCown left the game after taking a hard hit in his left knee. 

That meant that the Panthers would have to go to Matt Moore, the emergency quarterback.

Moore was perhaps the brightest spot of the day for the Panthers’ quarterbacking crew.  His numbers aren’t overwhelming but, considering the other options available, they are the most enticing.

Moore finished 6-11 for 63 yards and an interception while taking a sack as well.  The positives come from the last Panthers drive of the game, where Moore was 5-8 for 58 yards and had four consecutive completions at one point. 

The Panthers now have the one thing they were adamant about not having in training camp, a quarterback controversy. 

Whether the coaches choose to believe it or not, it is upon them. 

Delhomme desperately needed at least a decent game on Sunday afternoon to rid the bad taste of January’s playoff debacle once and for all. 

He did not get that, and his performance was nearly as deflating as it was in that game.

There has been a smattering of Panthers fans who have continued to call for Delhomme’s head all postseason but it is hard to believe that anybody envisioned a day quite like today to open the season.

Expect John Fox to stick with Delhomme for the time being and to downgrade the importance of his benching.  The thing is, it is a huge deal for this team, as Delhomme has never been benched in all the poor performances he’s suffered through in his time as a Panther.

The bigger problem for the Panthers is that there is not another established quarterback on the roster.  McCown and Moore are both shaky at best when it comes to talking about starters. 

It is likely that we will see Delhomme start in Atlanta next Sunday, but you have to think his leash will be pretty short.  Hopefully its just another one of Jake’s classic breakdowns, but the fact that it happened on opening day is a startling idea.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Carolina Panthers-Philadelphia Eagles Game Guide: Eagles Visit the Bank

The Carolina Panthers will kick off the 2009 season on Sunday with a visit from the Philadelphia Eagles, last year’s NFC runner-up.

Both of these teams met a similar fate last year, falling to the Arizona Cardinals amidst their Cinderella-esque run to the Super Bowl. 

The Panthers and Eagles both head into 2009 with high expectations—Philadelphia more because of its reputation and Carolina because of their 12-4 record a year ago.

Success will not come without hard work for either club.  Both have questions about their defense and will be looking to maintain a high powered offense. 

The Eagles have already lost starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley to a season ending knee injury, while the Panthers lost their monster-sized run stuffing defensive tackle in Ma’ake Kemoeatu to an Achilles injury on the first day of training camp.

Coping with and adjusting to these losses are the focal point of the coaching staffs as they look for a way to replace key cogs in their defensive units. 

The Panthers have not been able to do much in the absence of Kemoeatu with Nick Hayden being the only serviceable option for much of the preseason.  Hayden led a core of inexperienced reserve linemen with two career games played.

The Panthers have since traded an undisclosed draft pick for DT Louis Leonard from Cleveland.  The 6’4″, 325-pound Leonard recorded 25 tackles for the Browns a year ago in 16 games.

Carolina also signed Ra’Shon “Sunny” Harris, a rookie defensive tackle from Oregon after Pittsburgh cut him.

 

Series History

The Eagles hold a 4-2 series lead against the Panthers, and have displayed dominance since Carolina’s win in the 2003 NFC Championship Game. 

Philadelphia won the last meeting between the two teams, a 27-24 victory on Monday Night Football in the 2006 season.

The last time these two teams met at Bank of America Stadium was during the 2003 regular season, with the Eagles winning 25-16.  The overall series at “The Bank” is tied at one game a piece.

 

What To Watch For

Panthers’ D-Line vs. Eagles’ Running Game – The Panthers will find out what kind of success their rotation of reserve defensive tackles will have against one of the elite running backs in the league, when healthy, in Brian Westbrook.

If the Eagles are able to establish the run early, they could wreak havoc on the Panthers’ secondary throughout the game.  Penetration from the front four will be key for Carolina in this game.

 

Philadelphia LB’s vs. Panthers Running Backs – Omar Gaither will start in place of Bradley, and the Philadelphia linebacking corps could be in for a long afternoon against the outstanding double-headed rushing attack of the Panthers.

The Eagles linebackers will see a lot of “Double Trouble”—the nickname given to the combination of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart—because of their uncanny ability to make the first man miss.

 

Donovan McNabb sans-Vick – McNabb will have two games to play without the shadow of Michael Vick behind him.  Although McNabb insists that he is comfortable with Vick as his back up, you can’t help but wonder what a couple of lackluster games might bring him once Vick is reinstated. 

McNabb may be comfortable, but will Philadelphia’s fans be as patient?

 

Jonathan Stewart Returns – After not seeing the field during the preseason, Stewart practiced towards the end of last week and is ready to go for Sunday’s game.  It will be interesting to see how he reacts to the first few hits of the season, seeing as how he hasn’t taken a lick since January.

Williams will continue to get the bulk of the carries, but the burst that Stewart gives off the bench fuels this Panthers offense.

 

Can Brian Westbrook Stay Healthy? – Brian Westbrook is the most dangerous threat on the Eagles roster, but he has been unable to stay healthy in the last couple of years.  Westbrook was limited in practice during the week, and if he isn’t healthy then LeSean McCoy will have to shoulder the load which will cause a noticeable drop in effectiveness.

 

Offensive Rhythm for Carolina – The Panthers need to establish the rhythm of their offense early so as not to leave their defense in positions where they could be easily exposed.  The running game is the anchor of the unit, so chewing up yards on the ground is a must out of the gates.  Once the running game is established, Jake Delhomme will be able to go to work finding Steve Smith and his other receivers.

 

Injury Report

PHILADELPHIA

OUT- OT Shawn Andrews (back), G Todd Herremans (foot), LB Joe Mays (shoulder)

CAROLINA

QUESTIONABLE- S Chris Harris (knee), CB Sherrod Martin (knee)

 

There is nothing like opening day in the NFL, and the Panthers are lucky to be able to open the season at home.  Carolina was undefeated at home last year in the regular season with an 8-0 record. 

There is a lot of negativity and doubt surrounding the Panthers in Charlotte, and a victory against the Eagles would be the easiest way to erase some of those clouds and boost the morale of the fans. 

Regardless of the outcome, the season is upon us.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Happy New Year, NFL Fans: Please Buckle Your Chinstraps

I’ll open with the five words that made Bruce Buffer famous:

“Let’s get ready to rumble!”

The wait is over, my friends.  Since the waning moments of the Pro Bowl in February (and for some, a month earlier) we have all been looking forward to the coming weekend with sad, puppy dog eyes.

Seven months. Seven entire months of speculation, predictions, assessments of unproven players, rankings, and an endless search for relevant news on our teams.

Some of us resorted to “America’s pastime,” digging into the division races and the steroids fodder, searching for the sleepiest of the sleepers for our fantasy baseball leagues. Exciting? Sure. Football? No.

Some of us vacationed to exotic lands or warm beaches with excellent scenery in more ways than one.  Relaxing? Sure. Football? No.

Some of us worked on our golf swing or our jump shot. Needed? Definitely. Football? No.

Some of us continued to gather at the local sports bar or, more conveniently, our local couch on Sundays to cheer for some of our favorite athletes. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Derek Jeter (no, this isn’t sponsored by Gillette). Thrilling?  Absolutely. Football? No.

Nothing compares to the NFL football season in the sporting world, at least in this country.

‘Tis the season where friends and enemies alike are made in the trenches of your local sports bar or in the stands at the stadium. Where joy can turn to sorrow before your wings come out, and where the reverse can happen between the exit and the car.

No more poring over preseason statistics, over-analyzing a player or unit’s output in those games, speculating on old injuries, or tearing apart the league schedule looking for a sleeper prediction.

It’s time to buckle the chinstraps, adjust your shoulder pads, and hit the gridiron. 

The storylines are overflowing the cup of every fan, as they do every year about this time. 

Will top pick Matthew Stafford be able to perform in Detroit after beating out Daunte Culpepper for the starting job?

Will Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco duplicate and improve upon their impressive rookie campaigns?

What will Tom Brady do coming off of a horrendous knee injury?

Will Matt Cassel be able to perform at the level he did in Brady’s absence with his new teammates in Kansas City?

Will Josh McDaniels be able to right the ship in Denver before its too late?

How will the Wildcat formation work out for Miami this year, or for any team that installed a version of it?

Michael Vick is back, but Plaxico Burress is now the resident NFL star locked behind bars as a season kicks off.

Peyton Manning will go sans-Dungy for the first time since he broke out as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

I could go on for days. Each team has at least a couple of topics for sports bar conversation this weekend and each team will develop a few over the coming weeks.

We can predict, break down, and simulate until the blue in the face, but the fact remains the same that none of us know what is going to happen. 

That is the beauty of this game. That is why the phrase “any given Sunday” rings so true.

Football affects us all—I don’t care what type of fan you are.

To the persistent pessimist, the relentless homer, the hardcore fan, the casual supporter, and the uninterested observer, I have a challenge for you.

When you watch the players burst out of the tunnel and the fighter planes fly over the stadium, then listen to the crowd rise to their feet and realize that kickoff is upon them, and that realization creeps into your bloodstream, I dare you to keep the hairs on the back of your neck from standing up.

The wait is over, and kickoff is upon us.  Here’s to the return of normalcy.  Here’s to football.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Elevator: Carolina Panthers Drop Preseason Finale To the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Carolina Panthers wrapped up a forgettable preseason at home on Thursday night, losing to defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10.

This loss was unlike any of the other three the team has endured this offseason, mainly because they pretty much dominated the stat sheet.

After looking at some of these numbers, it’s hard to believe the Panthers lost this game. 

The Panthers ran 74 total plays—30 more than Pittsburgh—and picked up eight more first downs than the Steelers. There was also a 109 yard difference in total yardage, again favoring the Panthers.

Carolina picked up 123 more yards in the air than Pittsburgh, and just about leveled with them in the ground gain. The Panthers converted almost 44 percent of their third downs, while the Steelers converted 20 percent.

The Panthers had a more than 10 minute advantage in time of possession, and both teams scored one offensive touchdown.

How, then, do you explain the 21-10 loss? 

For starters, I’ll introduce the Carolinas to one Stefan Logan, who scorched the Panthers punt coverage team for an 80-yard return for a touchdown after the team’s first possession.  Logan would also tack on 27 rushing yards on two carries.

Logan, a former player in the CFL entering his second year out of South Dakota, looked like the created player that we’ve all created at least once in our lives on Madden. You know, the one with 99 speed and 99 agility that is just about impossible to catch or even lay a hand on.

A Josh McCown fumble led to the Steelers’ only offensive touchdown, a 10-yard bulldozer-esque run by Isaac Redman, who disposed of both Julius Peppers and Chris Harris on his way to the endzone.

The Panthers managed a one yard touchdown rush by Jamall Lee in the third quarter before Matt Moore was hit on a play and had his pass picked off by Ryan Mundy and returned for a touchdown.

A John Kasay field goal in the fourth would cap the scoring.

Now that the preseason is over, the time where the questions are supposed to be answered and the wrinkles ironed, the Panthers are left with an 0-4 record, a banged up group of starters, and several glaring questions as they await their Sept. 13 showdown with Philadelphia in the regular season opener.

The good news, though scarce, is that the Panthers again looked better. I think it is safe to say that the Panthers made improvements from each preseason game to the next, no matter how small. Often times in the game of football it can be the smallest improvements that spark the most important ones.

Let’s take a look at what happened on Thursday night at Bank of America Stadium in the final preseason version of ‘The Elevator.’

 

Going Up…

/\  Mike Goodson. It was tough to decide between the up and down for Goodson, but I think I have a pretty strong case for putting him on the up side.  Goodson averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 15 attempts on Thursday night, finishing the preseason with just under 200 total yards.  No other Panthers running back tallied more than 80, and although the success came with the annoyance of three fumbles (one Thursday on the goal line), it is clear the team will have a helluva rushing attack for opposing teams to deal with.  Goodson also poses a threat from the slot receiver position, adding another dimension to a Panthers offense that came into the preseason pretty much ready for live bullets.

/\  Nick Hayden. Congratulations, Nick. You have worked your way out of my personal cellar, and have earned a spot near the top of the elevator.  With three tackles tonight—including a hit-stick type blow delivered to Rashard Mendenhall on the Steelers’ first offensive possession—and half of a sack, you may have done enough to find yourself in the starting lineup next Sunday. Keep up the improved work.

/\  Charles Johnson. Yes, he is still on this team. That might have been hard to tell for most of the preseason, but Johnson made his name known with a sack-and-a-half on Thursday night. The Panthers will need to put pressure on the quarterback with the front four this year, as the secondary looks as though they should be playing on Friday nights at this point.

/\  Dwayne Jarrett. Call off the amber alert and throw away the old milk cartons—Dwayne Jarrett has finally shown up. Jarrett caught four passes for 44 yards on Thursday night, doubling the total number of receptions he had in the first three preseason games combined. I realize that a lot of his production Thursday came against reserve defenders, but seeing him making plays period is an improvement.

/\  Kenneth Moore. The bad news for Jarrett, however, is that Kenneth Moore is looking more and more like he could be the Panthers number three starter heading into the regular season. Moore, who was plucked off of the Lions’ practice squad last season, came into training camp this year to battle for the fourth receiver position with Ryne Robinson, Jason Carter, and Jason Chery. Robinson and Carter—the two most likely candidates—have already been cut. Enough said. Moore caught six balls for 59 yards on Thursday.

/\  Third down conversion rate. The Panthers were 7 of 16 on third down on Thursday night, a week after going 0 for 7 against the Ravens. A good sign from the Panthers offense.

/\  Sustaining drives on offense. The Panthers had the ball for over 35 minutes Thursday night, and at one point put together four 10-plus play drives. This is good news, but Carolina needs to finish a few more of these long drives.

 

Going Down…

\/  Special teams. Whether its the punt team getting embarrassed, or the vast array of kick/punt returners stricken with a bad case of the butter fingers, the special teams units have got to improve. They are called special for a reason.

\/  Turnovers. The Panthers committed nine turnovers this preseason. This team has to hold on to the ball, especially with all of the questions surrounding the defense. Carolina will not be able to afford any gift points to opponents.

\/  Backup quarterback play. Perhaps its just me, but I believe the Delhomme debate can be safely put to rest until we acquire another quarterback, one who has a realistic chance of touching the seasoned Cajun vet. McCown likely wrapped up the number two spot on Thursday night, but I will still be starting a collection fund for a human bubble for Jake to reside in Mondays-Saturdays.

\/  Pass defense. I’m not sure if the Steelers game planned to run three times as many running plays as passing plays, or if they just got tired of being so successful through the air and resorted to something a little more challenging. The three Steelers quarterbacks who saw the field Thursday combined for 74 yards on 8 of 10 passing.

\/  Momentum. The Panthers will limp into the season opener next Sunday, with a good portion of their fanbase standing firmly on the proverbial ledge. The first team defense forced a three-and-out on their first possession, a good way to end the preseason for a club that has been ridiculed for their lackadaisical play all preseason. However, the powers that be sent the first team ‘D’ back out for a second go-round, and they gave up a touchdown on a marquee display of poor tackling.

 

Up next for the Panthers is the season opener on Sept. 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Bank of America Stadium. There are no more exhibitions to be played or lessons to be harmlessly learned for this squad—it’s showtime.

Panthers Preseason Spotlight: Kenneth Moore

There isn’t a better definition of a hometown hero on the Panthers roster than Kenneth Moore. 

Moore grew up in Charlotte and attended Butler High School in Matthews, NC before heading to Wake Forest University for college in Winston Salem, NC. 

A standout at Wake Forest, Moore was on the Demon Deacons team that won the ACC Championship from out of nowhere as a junior and was a large part of the reason. 

As a senior, Moore had 98 receptions for 1,011 yards–setting a school and conference record for most receptions in a season. 

He also came within 42 yards of former Panther Ricky Proehl’s school record for receiving yards.

Moore’s college successes caught the eye of the Detroit Lions, who selected Moore in the fifth round with the 136th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.  Moore made the practice squad with the Lions, but had a dream come true in October.

The Panthers plucked Moore off of the Lions practice squad, and Kenny got to come home to play for his hometown team, something very few players ever get to do.

Moore spent the rest of 2008 on the Panthers squad and came into camp with an outside chance at making the roster for 2009. 

That outside chance has quickly moved inside, as the two players with whom Moore was battling for the Panthers’ fourth receiver spot have been cut since the preseason began.

Moore’s chances of earning a spot on the 53-man roster have increased dramatically, as has his level of play.  Though the numbers aren’t eye-popping, Moore has six receptions for 76 yards through three preseason games for the Panthers, and has been the first option for starting quarterback Jake Delhomme on numerous occasions.

In Saturday night’s loss to the ravens, Moore had three catches for 40 yards, including one ball he nabbed just past the line of scrimmage and took 19 yards.

Look for more to be a viable option in the slot on occasion for the Panthers this season.

 

Spotlight Update

+  Jeremy Leman has now posted a total of 12 tackles this preseason, and has not lost a bit of the intensity we saw in the Giants game.  With Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, and Landon Johnson all having suffered injuries during training camp, the longevity of the linebacking corps could be in question, which is potentially good news for Leman.

+  Captain Munnerlyn notched three tackles on Saturday night against the Ravens, and continued to look impressive with his tackling and aggressiveness on defense.  He didn’t get a chance to return any kicks, as the Ravens only punted twice and didn’t offer a return on either, while Mike Goodson handled kickoff return duties.

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