Why Jake Delhomme Makes Me Want to Cut My Ties to His Team and Football

It’s all a blur.

For the first time in my seven-year Panthers fandom, I had a hard time getting pumped up for a home Panthers opening week game. 

I was excited, but mostly because I thought I had kept down my cold enough overnight to be able to go to the game. I would later find out that I hadn’t.

I went through all the motions of a traditional game day. I put on my newest Panthers jersey, a beautiful bright blue No. 52 Jon Beason jersey I got at Fan Fest.

I played the NFL Films music that usually gets me going. I read all the game previews and picks. I even took a long, hard look at the stadium as we passed by it on the light-rail.

No excitement whatsoever. But I was so focused on going to the game that I ignored it.

I sat next to a couple of vocal, funny fans in the upper deck. There were more fans like them all around us. With these folks sitting around us, the game atmosphere was amazing.

Much better than anything I had ever experienced in the lower deck. As a matter of fact, I vowed to never sit in the lower deck at a pro football game again.

If I had truly been into the game (and not sick), the fun of being with the right fans would have been limitless.

The game, however, was a completely different story.

After a solid opening drive that spanned 13 plays and 70 yards, culminating in a nifty touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams, the Eagles didn’t just dominate the Panthers. They subjugated them.

At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers had the lead, 7-3. They still controlled the game. But in the second quarter, the Crumbling Cats reared their ugly heads as the Eagles scored 28 unanswered points.

The pathetic part of this ridiculous imitation of football by the Panthers is that the Eagles’ offense only had to get about 30 yards to score their four touchdowns. Thirty yards. You may be asking if it’s even possible for a team to gain 30 yards collectively to score four touchdowns.

Julius Peppers may be placing the blame for two of those touchdowns on himself and the defense, but the Eagles started the drives at Carolina’s 10 and nine. That’s a razor-thin margin for error. On the contrary, the defense surprised and was easily the Panthers’ best unit.

The Panthers said throughout the off-season that they’ve been looking forward to this game for months, since that dreary January night, and that they really wanted to get that bad taste from that game out of their mouths.

But it looks like they came back the same team the Cardinals slaughtered. Delhomme hasn’t fixed what was keying opposing defenses into him. The offensive line hasn’t figured out how to protect Delhomme.

And Double Trouble (plus Mike Goodson) will do the Panthers no good unless the passing game can keep opposing defenses from putting eight or nine men in the box.

If the Panthers continue to play football as uninspiring as the effort they gave against the Eagles, they will lose fans (even hardcore ones such as myself—or at least what I was) and attendance.

I fully expect that to happen. Carolina plays the Falcons next week. Fox has already announced Delhomme will start. Atlanta does not have a particularly strong secondary or pass rush.

They lost their top defensive back, Domonique Foxworth, in the off-season. Their top pass rusher, John Abraham, is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league.

He had 16 sacks last year and somehow flew under the radar. The Panthers should double-team him. That could partially solve the Falcons’ defense.

But even then, Delhomme will likely telegraph a pass or two, and then stupidly throw the ball to the spot several seconds after he first locks onto his receiver.

Both throws will at least get batted down, but more likely intercepted considering Delhomme’s lackluster velocity.

Then the defense, as improved as it is over the pre-season, will get run over by the Atlanta Express.

Then comes Week Three at Dallas. The Cowboys may only have an average secondary, but their extraordinary pass rush can make their entire defense look better. Mark my words: DeMarcus Ware will earn his season-high in sacks in this game.

The defense has a slim chance to chance to stop Tony Romo and Co., but don’t count on it.

Even after the Panthers’ Week Four bye, expect their opponents to watch game tape of the Cardinals and Eagles games, which will reveal the secrets to beating Carolina.

I have a couple tickets to the Week Five home game against the Redskins. But I don’t see a lot of improvement out of every facet of the team, I will not hesitate to sell the tickets. Heck, I might not even watch the Falcons game. 

I can use my time for something more worthwhile, such as going to the batting cage to hit. I actually enjoy baseball, and a strong gut feeling tells me I have a bright future in the game.

I think that’s part of the problem with my relationship with football. There used to be realistic goals that the Panthers could achieve. Milestones to look forward to and have fun trying to earn and surpass. 

Back in early January it was winning the Super Bowl. In the off-season it was re-signing Julius Peppers. In August it was making the playoffs. At dawn yesterday it was winning a game.

But not just the Eagles game. Panthers fans still believed their team could win. What goal do the Panthers have their fans believing in achieving now? Losing by fewer than 30 points?

I believe that I can go far in baseball. And I love the game. That’s why I love baseball. And it’s why I used to love football and the Panthers.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Top 40 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks: Nos. 21-25

Top 40 Fantasy Quarterbacks: No. 31-35

Top 40 Fantasy Quarterbacks: No. 31-35

2009 NFL Season Preview: Baltimore Ravens

Offensive Line

 

The offensive line’s run-blocking should improve with the addition of free-agent center Matt Birk and return of RG Marshal Yanda from injury. The Ravens drafted RT Michael Oher in the first round to fill the gap left by the retirement of Willie Anderson.  

 

Depth is a major issue since Chris Chester is the only backup center who has any experience. In his three years in the NFL, Chester has played in 43 games. He started 11 games for the Ravens in 2008.

 

The Ravens tried to get better at pass protection, an area in which they ranked 18th last season, by drafting Oher. But he doesn’t have Flacco’s blindside—Jared Gaither, entering just his second year as a starter, does. Gaither must continue to improve if the Ravens’ line is truly going to get better. 

 

 

Quarterbacks

 

After an unusually successful rookie campaign, Joe Flacco is back. He threw for 2,971 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2008. In addition, the Ravens made the playoffs and advanced to the AFC Championship Game under his leadership.

 

Flacco is well-insured by Troy Smith and John Beck.

 

 

Running Backs

 

The Big Three—Willis McGahee, Le’Ron McClain, and Ray Rice—return from their breakout 2008 season. But McClain has been moved back to fullback.  

 

Jalen Parmele, whom the Ravens plucked off of the Dolphins’ practice squad on December 10, 2008, could be a No. 2 or No. 3 running back on a lot of other teams. According to his player profile on the Ravens’ official Web site, Parmele is a “smooth, aggressive athlete who can gain the tough yards and is sure-handed out of the backfield.”

 

But because he’s on the Ravens, he will have to fight for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart against draft pick Cedric Peerman, about whom Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta had this to say:

 

“He’s as tough as they come with good hands. He’s been a very productive special teams guy. He’s got a tough mindset. He’s a lunch-and-pail-type guy. He was another ‘red star’ for us this year. Guys who get this distinction have a temperament and countenance we want—toughness, high character and intelligence, leadership, and competitiveness.”

 

 

Wide Receivers

 

The defense and “Big Three” in the rushing offense stole the limelight last year, but No. 1 receiver Derrick Mason had an under-appreciated season, catching 80 passes for 1,037 yards and five touchdowns. However, one can’t help but wonder how many similarly productive years Mason has in him, considering he’s 35.

 

With a few more touches, Mark Clayton would have the potential to break out in 2009. But with a powerful rushing attack and a more reliable receiver above him on the depth chart, his production will still be limited.

 

After unsuccessful stints with the Bengals and Patriots, Kelly Washington, who has caught 73 passes for 896 yards and nine touchdowns in seven years in the NFL, signed with the Ravens in May. Washington is exactly what the Ravens needed to build some depth at wide receiver. The team now has two legitimate pass catchers beyond Mason and Clayton.   

 

 

Tight Ends

 

Stalwart Todd Heap is still the leader of this group. His production has dropped off the past two years (he was injured for 10 games in 2007). But when he’s on his game, he’s a force.

 

After six years as an Eagle, LJ Smith signed with Baltimore in the offseason. He’s certainly not going to threaten Heap, but Smith has enough pass catching and blocking ability to spell Heap for limited minutes when needed. He can also play more than one role in two-TE sets.  

Defensive Line

 

Haloti Ngata is perhaps the best young NT in the NFL anchoring what is one of the top three-man defensive lines in the NFL. He’s only played three seasons, but already he has accumulated 149 tackles.

 

Tackle Kevin Gregg has been a consistent presence on the Ravens’ defensive line since 2002, the year before Baltimore’s defense became perennially elite. After playing sparingly in his first two years in the league, Gregg has averaged about 58 tackles and two sacks per season since.

 

Tackle Trevor Pryce may be declining. He’s 33, and since he had his best all-around professional season in 2006 (46 tackles and 13 sacks), he hasn’t gotten after the ball carrier or quarterback as well.

 

The last two seasons, he has combined for 42 tackles and seven sacks. Furthermore, the extra effort required to make plays in a three-man line could be wearing him down faster than playing in a four-man line would.

 

Justin Bannan, Brandon McKinney, and Dwan Edwards are nice to have for insurance.

 

 

Linebackers

 

Bart Scott is now gone. However, the heart and soul of the Ravens’ defense, Ray Lewis, returns, as does Terrell Suggs, the other anchor of this linebacking corps.

 

Jarret Johnson and Tavares Gooden need to step up. Brendon Ayanbadejo, Jameel McClain, and Paul Kruger provide decent depth.

 

 

Cornerbacks

 

Domonique Foxworth arrived via free agency in the offseason. He had 38 tackles, an interception, and 11 pass deflections in 2008. His partner, Fabian Washington, has commendable ball skills—he batted down 15 passes in ’08, and he has 43 pass knockdowns in his career. This duo should work well together in 2009.

 

Samari Rolle and Frank Walker offer nice depth as well for the Ravens’ cornerbacks.

 

 

Safeties

 

Ed Reed, widely considered the best safety in the NFL today—and one of the best in NFL history—returns as usual. Reed ranks third in interceptions (43) among active players. He is second only to Darren Sharper and Ty Law, both of whom have been playing much longer than Reed.

 

Dawan Landry is coming off of a neck injury that kept him out of 14 games last season. He may be rusty at the beginning of the year, but by midseason, look for him to regain his form from 2006-07, when he combined for 146 tackles and 17 pass deflections.

 

Having a pair of skilled, ball-hawking safeties over the top should allow Foxworth and Washington to jam opposing receivers on the line of scrimmage without worrying if they’re going to get burned for a long gain or touchdown.

 

The Ravens just better hope neither Reed nor Landry gets hurt. Reserves Tom Zbikowsky and Haruki Nakumura are not ready to play more than severely limited minutes yet, except in the preseason.

 

 

Special Teams

 

Former NC State kicker Steven Hauschka will take over placekicking and kickoff duties. While he has little experience, he has great potential in his range. He has made one field goal in two attempts, but that successful try was from 54 yards.

 

Hauschka will need to prove his accuracy and poise are up to par, but the Ravens must think he will do well. Otherwise they wouldn’t have released longtime kicker Matt Stover in the offseason.

 

Punter Sam Koch is one of the best in the league, as well as one of the most underrated. He has a booming net average of 39.9 yards. He’s also a master of downing the ball inside the opposing 20-yard line, which makes him valuable in the field possession game. Koch is also the holder on placekicks.

 

Yamon Figurs and Ray Rice will share kick return duties, and Chris Carr will field punts.

 

Matt Katula will be the long snapper.

 

 

Coaching staff

 

The staff remains intact except for the departure of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the New York Jets. He has been replaced by Greg Mattison, who was the Ravens’ linebackers coach in 2008. Not much should change in any aspect of the way the team coaches.

How Jake Delhomme Compares to Matt Ryan

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan wowed the NFL throughout the 2008 season. The first pass he threw resulted in a 61-yard touchdown. He won four of his first six starts. With Ryan at the helm, the Falcons finished the season a surprising 11-5. They had also earned an NFC Wild Card playoff spot.

Although the Falcons bowed out of the postseason in the first round, it didn’t diminish Ryan’s regular season accomplishments.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme didn’t impress anyone in 2008. His job was to hand off to DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart and make sure he didn’t hurt the rest of the team too badly. The Panthers had a successful season, but that was largely because of a dynamic rushing attack which was among the best in the league.

But in their Division Round playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Panthers choked in their own stadium, where they had played so well for the entire season. Delhomme turned the ball over six times in this game, and although the porous defense had just as much to do with the loss as Delhomme, all the blame was placed on Delhomme’s shoulders.

It didn’t matter that the Panthers had had a great season. Delhomme had ended the Panthers’ first legitimate run to the Super Bowl since 2005 before it even got started. That one playoff performance stigmatized the Panthers’ entire season.

This upcoming season Matt Ryan is expected to have an even better season than in 2008, and many experts predict the Falcons to win the NFC South with Ryan under center.

Delhomme won’t be the focus of attention in the Panthers’ offense in 2009. But many still consider him the weak point of a team possibly on the cusp of becoming a true contender. This nit-pick isn’t justified. Let’s compare Ryan, the up-and-coming star, to Delhomme, the weak link in an otherwise strong Panthers offense.

 

Longevity

Ryan is entering his second season in the NFL after starting all 16 games in 2008.

Delhomme is entering his sixth season as Carolina’s starter. However, he missed 13 games due to injury in 2007. He was also hurt for three games in 2006.

Delhomme has technically been in the NFL since 1998. But before 2003, when he started everything but the first half of the season opener, he had started two games in his career. 2003 was his unofficial rookie year.

Despite the fact that Delhomme is 34, he doesn’t have years and years of NFL experience like most starting quarterbacks his age have. While Delhomme isn’t still learning to play in the NFL, he can’t make plays based on experience like other veteran NFL quarterbacks can. 

No. 17 also played professionally in Europe for a few years prior to breaking into the NFL. But foreign pro football isn’t the same as the NFL.

Because Ryan has less experience his mistakes are more forgivable. While Delhomme has been in the league longer, he still isn’t exactly a grizzled NFL veteran.  

 

Poise

Ryan has excellent composure. He led the Falcons on three game-winning drives in 2008. In addition, he always stood tall in the pocket and took hits to make plays.

Ask any Panthers fan who he wants to lead a drive that could score an important touchdown late in the game. He will say Jake Delhomme, who has guided the Panthers to 15 comeback wins on late drives since 2003.

Ryan had great poise for a rookie. But Delhomme is a proven reliable performer in crunch time.

 

Supporting Cast

Ryan had arguably the best running back in the league and one of the best offensive lines overall in the NFL. Michael Turner (and Jerious Norwood) helped keep defenses honest, and the offensive line gave him plenty of time to find open receivers. Most NFL receivers can get open if they get enough time.

Delhomme also had one of the best rushing games and offensive lines in the NFL. But he didn’t have his top receiver, Steve Smith, for the first two games of the regular season.

Both guys had more or less the same amount of support from his teammates.

 

Stats

Ryan completed 61 percent of his passes for 3,440 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) in 2008. He threw 16 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. Ryan completed 157 passes for first downs, and he had a passer rating of 87.7.

In his five seasons as a full starter, Delhomme has, on average, completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,324 yards (7.4 yards per attempt) 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. His mean passer rating is 84.7.

Ryan did well in his first year as an NFL starter. Delhomme’s average numbers aren’t great, but they are by no means bad.

 

Intangibles

As any Panthers fan will tell you, Delhomme has a true competitor’s attitude which infects all his teammates, inclining them to give their best each second of every game. He also has an uncanny knack for finding Steve Smith, Carolina’s best receiver.

Ryan has a quiet calm about him which keeps his teammates cool and collected in pressure situations. 

 

Matt Ryan and Jake Delhomme are a lot alike. The only differences between the two rival quarterbacks is personality and experience. Either Ryan is overhyped, or Delhomme doesn’t deserve all the criticism he deals with. 

New Training Approach Could Improve QB Delhomme’s Accuracy

Charlotte Observer staff writer David Scott wrote in an entry in the Panthers Notebook that the Panthers’ new quarterbacks coach, Rip Scherer, makes his quarterbacks throw passes into “targeted bags set in netting for passing accuracy drills”.

The Panthers’ old quarterbacks coach, Mike McCoy, made his QBs loft passes into a “stack of tires, or sometimes a barrel”.  This training technique sounds like it was designed to help Delhomme drop passes over the top to star wideout Steve Smith on deep routes, which happened often if the Panthers didn’t run the ball. 

The new training method used by Scherer is akin to throwing a football through a tire hanging from a tree by a rope, which is difficult.  The new challenge should help Delhomme improve his accuracy, which is his greatest weakness. 

In addition, the change may indicate a new approach to the team’s passing offense.  Instead of lofting the ball in Smith’s direction and relying on his athleticism to make the play, Delhomme could find himself making more short, safe, efficient throws to a variety of receivers.

Wrapping Up The Carolina Panthers’ NFL Draft Day Two

With their third round pick, No. 93 overall, the Carolina Panthers selected defensive lineman Corvey Irvin out of SEC powerhouse Georgia. 

The Panthers likely drafted Irvin, who is 6’3″ 301 pounds, to fill their need for depth at tackle. Irvin, pictured in the article photo, has second-round strength, as his 24 repetitions of 225 pounds at the NFL Combine showed, and above-average balance, and lower-body strength. The Augusta, GA native also possesses very good balance. Irvin had the fourth best 20-yard shuttle, which is an indicator of an athlete’s side-to-side quickness and burst in small areas, time of any tackle in the draft. 

Irvin’s NFL readiness could be in question however, as the only two notable defensive linemen Georgia has produced in the past ten years are New England Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcus Stroud.

The Panthers used their first fourth round selection, No. 111 overall, acquired in a trade with the 49ers, to take RB Mike Goodson out of Texas A&M.

Goodson could be a real steal. He has superb speed, tremendous lower-body strength, outstanding quickness, and explosion off of the line. He sounds like a Brian Westbrook,  with “Double Trouble”—DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart—mentoring him, who knows how good Goodson could be.

Texas A&M hasn’t had many running backs drafted into the NFL in the last ten years. The only two are Goodson and Dante Hall, who played professionally for Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams from 2000-2008 and is now an unrestricted free agent after the Rams did not re-sign him.

Fullback Tony Fiammetta was the Panthers’ second fourth round pick, drafted at No 128 overall. Considered the best fullback in the draft, Fiammetta was drafted to learn his position within the Panthers’ offense under veteran Brad Hoover so he can take over the starting job when Hoover, 33, retires.

Fiammetta runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, which is as fast as some of the better running backs in the draft, and bench-presses 30 repetitions of 225 pounds, the best workout of any back in the draft. The Syracuse graduate also has nice lower-body strength and explosion.

His lead blocking is what Fiammetta is famous for. He’s incredibly strong, and at just six feet tall, he has a low center of gravity that will allow him to keep his balance more easily. His blocking is what really makes him an ideal fit for the Panthers’ run-first offensive scheme.

The only true downside to Fiammetta is that Syracuse generally doesn’t turn out NFL-ready running backs and fullbacks. Only one guy who can run or block in the backfield has come out of Syracuse in recent memory, but only for washing out of the NFL or making little impact on the league. 

That man is Joe Morris, who was drafted by the New York Giants in 1989 and went on to rush for 1000-plus yards three times, including a 1,500-yard season in 1986.

Even though he plays a not-as-publicized position, Fiammetta was a real steal.     

The Panthers drafted offensive tackle Duke Robinson late in the fifth round. Robinson, a behemoth at 6’5” and 329 pounds, has the size to be the kind of interior offensive lineman the Panthers covet. The versatile former Oklahoma Sooner has strong hands that allow him to keep outside rushers in front of him. He also disengages from blocks as well as he picks up pass rushers and run stoppers alike.

Plus, his experience playing left guard in college should provide extra depth on the offensive line—and at a low cost. 

Robinson is sluggish on his feet however, which could make him struggle against quick, fleet outside rushers. In addition, his alma mater, Oklahoma, has done a poor job turning out serviceable NFL offensive tackles. Just two tackles have been drafted out of Oklahoma in the past ten years—Jammal Brown, a starter on the New Orleans Saints’ line, and Stockar McDougle, whose pro career lasted six years where he started 56 out of a possible 81 games.

It’s good to see the Panthers building on their formula for future success by bringing in Robinson.

With their final pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, whose speed, he runs a 4.51 40-yard dash, and vertical leaping ability should help him make up for his lack of size, 5’9” and 182 pounds. The former South Carolina Gamecock also possesses nice strength. 

Munnerlyn has decent speed on the outside pass rush, and is a solid special-teams player. His return skills are excellent, and he even blocked a kick or two in his college career. 

Munnerlyn’s downside includes; below-average explosion and poor lateral quickness. A solid line of recent South Carolina cornerbacks proceeds Munnerlyn, including such players as Houston’s Dunta Robinson and Philadelphia’s Sheldon Brown. Munnerlyn looks like a quality backup to either Chris Gamble or Richard Marshall.

There isn’t much to dislike about the Panthers’ 2009 draft class.  Carolina’s player scouts did a tremendous job of finding quality talent. 

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