After Georgia Tech ended it's seven game losing streak to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday nothing could upset me for the weekend. Even a last minute loss by the Panthers to the Packers would not have wiped the smile off my face. Yet my smile only got bigger because of this epic Panther tandem:

Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith

How many times have we praised this combo as the reason for victory over the past six seasons? The Panthers had no business winning that game against a Packers team that controlled every statistic in the game...except the one that counted... the score. The Panther defense did what it could in the building snowstorm, forcing early stops and preventing big plays. But they couldn't stop the dinking and dunking of the maddening West Coast offense once QB Aaron Rodgers got on track. Yet in the end the Cardiac Cats got it done yet again. More positive spin:

• RB DeAngelo Williams had his biggest fantasy day ever with 4 TD's and 72 yards rushing. All four were 1 yard plunges dispelling the notion he's not a goal line RB
• WR Steve Smith didn't score but put up 105 yards receiving, none bigger than the 54 yard game winner that put the Panthers on the one yard line. In case you missed his post game interview I was impressed. He didn't want to talk playoffs, only winning the next game and gave all the praise to his team mates. Maybe this guy finally does get it.
• QB Jake Delhomme wasn't pretty doing it but he got the job done. His 104 QB rating outshines the paltry passing numbers 12 for 17 for 177 yards and zero TD's. Jake did look good though on that bootleg for a TD in the 2^nd quarter. I didn't realize he could still run that fast!
• The Hustle Award goes to Travelle Wharton for following up a long run by RB Jonathan Stewart only to recover a fumble after he got (gasp) caught from behind. Stewart apparently caught a cramp on his way to the end zone and had the ball swatted out by a defender. Wharton avoided disaster for the Panthers with his hustle.
• DE Julius Peppers added to his sack total with 2 sacks. He also was close to being the goat as his out-of-bounds hit on Rodgers set up the Packers final TD. Honestly after it happened I wasn't pissed at all, I was like "Yeah, knock that a-hole out of the game!" It's not often you get a good lick on the QB like that and it was a borderline call in my opinion. Kudos to Rodgers for shaking it off because he got walloped.
• LB Jon Beason led the team in tackles...again with 11 and had the ‘lights out' INT to seal the victory. What was impressive about the play was it occurred 30-40 yards downfield. The guy is all over the place and a complete mad man.
• Last but not least is kick returner Mark Jones. Jones is simply playing at a high level these days. His returns set up the Panthers final two TD's as he went for 51 and 45 yards back-to-back in the 4^th quarter. I am still stunned that our return game was actually a weapon. On 4 returns he averaged 38 yards! Teams might actually start kicking away from him!!
• Update:
• How could I forget the big goal line stand at the end of the game to force a Packer FG instead of a TD. That was just as key to the win as the completion to Smith.

Check back for more analysis later!

Packers RB Brandon Jackson feels the pain of defeat...and a bruising tackle

Here we are Panther fans, another Panther game day and today is another big one. The Panthers travel to the frozen tundra to seek revenge on a Packer team that put a butt-whipping on the Panthers last season. I do remember that one, it was one of our worst losses last season.

The Packers are regrouping after getting out-pointed by the Saints Monday night 51-29. The Panthers should have plenty of tape to analyze the Packers weaknesses.

The Panthers on the other hand have plenty of work to do regarding their slow starts and it looks like one answer has been to speed up practice:

"We changed up some things at practice and starting practicing at a faster tempo," said Lewis. "We're trying to get it corrected. I think guys came out with the correct mindset today of working. Guys were flying around, making plays and being where they're supposed to be."

Lewis said the defense had to think quicker in practice because the offense was setting up faster.

"I think it's more game-realistic," he said. "It seems last week (in a 45-28 loss at Atlanta) we were getting beat out of the huddle and a couple of times we didn't have our hands down on the d-line when they were snapping the ball.

Well let us see how it works. Everyone will be focused on how the offense gets going on their first drive. Me personnally I'm hoping they mix it up on 1st down so if their first play is a run up the middle you might hear a scream resonating from Charleston.

Lets hear from you Panther fans, what are your keys to a Panther victory this week?

Go Panthers !!!

Here's some links to post analyzing the Panthers Sunday game in Green bay.

If You're a Betting Person

An 8-3 record doesn't get you mush respect these days. If you like to bet on Panther games the line is Packers (-3) with the over/under set at 45 points.

The Bottom Line: I know the Packers are usually money at home, but the Panthers have a great defense and Aaron Rogers is throwing up too many interceptions.

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Packers Must Win to Stay in the Race

Both teams failed to live up to their potential last week.

"Five games to play, we're not out of anything," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "It's right in front of us. We need to win football games. We know that. That's our focus."

The Packers beat the panthers pretty handily last season so I'm hoping for a little revenge. One more loss for them and that fat lady may have sung for the Pack.

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Panther Defense Looking to Reduce their YAC

If the Panthers want to beat another team this season they have to do better at limiting their opponent's yards-after-contact, meaning tackling.

Damione Lewis doesn't remember his Carolina Panthers' coaches ever bringing up the statistic "yards after contact."

So when the defensive tackle heard the eye-popping number of yards the Panthers gave up to Atlanta Sunday after making an initial hit -- 193 -- it was jarring. It only got worse when he and his teammates had to watch it on film.

"You see guys coming in and hitting a guy and he's staying up," Lewis said. "We're not wrapping up. We're going in getting big shots on them and they're bouncing off and making big runs out of it."

That's not what we had grown accustomed to earlier in the season.

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Let's See More Gang Tackling

The defense is getting back to the basics this week in practice.

"There was a lot more sense of urgency running to the ball," cornerback Richard Marshall said. "That was a big emphasis (Wednesday) -- getting to the ball, running to the ball, guys getting there, because on Sunday, there were a couple of plays where guys weren't getting to the ball and all 11 guys weren't running to the ball, and that's something we preach here. 

"Our defensive coordinator (Mike Trgovac) and head coach (John Fox) preach that everybody's got to get to the ball.  That's something we want to do on Sunday.  So there was a big emphasis on that (Wednesday)."

I'll just be happy if they don't whiff on some key tackles.

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Packer Secondary Looking to Rebound 

After all, they just got ripped by the Saints passing game. The Panthers expect them to rebound.

"Those are some playmakers," said Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. "They can catch the football. They've scored a lot of points. A lot of guys who play (defensive back) might have a little trouble handling the ball. But this guy Woodson has been doing it since college (when he won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan). The corners are just in your face and opportunistic, too."

I'm thinking they wait one more week for a rebound.

As a rule of thumb I don't draft Panthers for my fantasy teams because I'm such a Homer I always over-pay and then when on my team I always think they are going to have a good week. Looking at where Panther players stand in fantasy points show my strategy to be a pretty smart one this season. The Panthers do not have a single player in the top 10 for their position after week 12. With maybe one week left in the Fantasy regular season (depending which league you play in) there are still some Panthers that could score for you based on the match-up.

DeAngelo Williams is the 11th ranked RB (ESPN traditional scoring) with 145 points. Williams is averaging over 5 yards per carry on just under 16 carries per game. That number should go up over the next several games as the Panthers face a couple weak run defenses. Williams should be a good play the rest of the season outside of the Giants game. If the Giants have home field wrapped up then he may be a good play that week too.

You can read the rest of this post here via Cat Scratch Reader.

As a rule of thumb I don't draft Panthers for my fantasy teams because I'm such a Homer I always over-pay and then when on my team I always think they are going to have a good week. Looking at where Panther players stand in fantasy points show my strategy to be a pretty smart one this season. The Panthers do not have a single player in the top 10 for their position after week 12. With maybe one week left in the Fantasy regular season (depending which league you play in) there are still some Panthers that could score for you based on the match-up. Remember, you can get weekly fantasy advice at SBN's fantasy site Fake Teams.

DeAngelo Williams is the 11^th ranked RB (ESPN traditional scoring) with 145 points. Williams is averaging over 5 yards per carry on just under 16 carries per game. That number should go up over the next several games as the Panthers face a couple weak run defenses. Williams should be a good play the rest of the season outside of the Giants game. If the Giants have home field wrapped up then he may be a good play that week too.

Jake Delhomme is the 21^st ranked QB (114 points) who is sure to have a least a couple good fantasy days left in the season. The only problem is picking which games that might be as there is not rhyme or reason to his inconsistency. He has put up low scores against bad teams and good and vice versa. I'd like to think he could put up big numbers against the Packers and Broncos but who knows? Unless you have no other viable option I would stay away from playing Jake.

Steve Smith is the 12^th ranked WR (102 points), a low position for him until you consider he missed the first 2 games. Though Smith has been erratic too given he relies on Jake he should continue to be a good play most weeks. Smith is playing well, playing inspired and seems ready to put the Panther offense on his shoulders if Jake can just get him the ball. That will rely heavily on an offensive line that has struggled the past two weeks in spite of being healthy for the first time in a while. Honestly, if you have Smith on your team he's hard to bench and I would start him every game from here on out.

K John Kasay is the 13^th ranked kicker with 94 points and is essentially Mr. Automatic inside 52 yards. His point total is down from previous years because of the Panther ball-control offense that reduces the number of scoring opportunities. He is a good play against lesser defenses (Packers, Broncos & Saints) that should give the Panthers offense a higher number of scoring chances.  

Jonathan Stewart is the 31^st ranked RB (83 points) who suffers from limited carries that make him too inconsistent to start. He has had a few big games but it's hard to predict when that next big game will be. Stewart is also battling a toe injury and it's unclear how much it is bothering him. I would think the games against the Packers and Saints would provide the opportunity to play him but I wouldn't chance it unless you don't have a better match-up.

The Panthers have the 11^th ranked defense as they rely in low scoring and an occasional turnover. They have yet to score on special teams so there are not points coming from that phase of the game. They also don't put up a lot of sacks. Looking at their remaining schedule I think the only good play remaining would be the Bucs game on Monday night. I think the defense will be fired up for that one.

Musin Muhammad is the 30^th ranked WR with 78 points. At times Moose has put up big games but we've rarely seen it the past few weeks. Moose is good in the red zone though as Jake looks for the usually sure-handed Muhammad. Overall he might be worth a spot start against the Broncos or Saints.

Neither of the Panthers two TE's, Dante Rosario or Jeff King are ranked higher than 32^nd and therefore are not worth starting at any point remaining in the season.

So in summary I think Williams, Smith and Kasay are good starts most weeks and that Delhomme, Moose, Stewart and the Panther D might worth a couple spot starts.

Hello Panther fans. Today is one of my favorite Holidays for one main reason. No, its not the great food which would certainly surprise anyone that knows me (I like to eat) at home. No, its because its perfectly acceptable and expected to kick back on the couch and watch football after eating...all day. I absolutely love it.

So as we gear up for a key match-up on the frozen tundra this Sunday (aren't they all key now?) how is everybody feeling about the Panthers? I'm a little apprehensive given the way the defense has performed lately. I take comfort in knowing that the Panthers have responded with a win after each of their two previous losses. We are also facing a Green Bay team that may be down from a humiliating loss to the Saints on Monday night that was a big setback to their playoff hopes. At 5-6 the pack can really only hope to win the division as a wildcard may be out of reach (they would have to win out).

What about always having Detroit and Dallas play on T-day? Both games (Sea vs. Dal and Tenn vs. Det) could be real stinkers. Thank goodness they added the 3rd game at 8pm with Ari vs. Philly (if you get the NFL Network). Should both Dallas and Detroit get these homes games every year. Check my poll at the end of my post.

Continue reading this post »

I big Hello! to Packers fans here at Acme Packing Company. Jaxon here from Cat Scratch Reader to answer any questions you may have about the Panthers leading up to our show down on the tundra this Sunday. So far it seems the NFC South has not been kind to the Packers (0-3 I believe). Are you ready to concede the South as the best division in the NFC?The Packers have a tough hill to climb to get back in the division mix but are certainly still in it.

I'll be putting up a similar post for questions from my readers for your blogger (or anyone else who considers themselves a Packer guru) so please check that out. Both teams are coming off tough losses and have plenty of questions on both sides of the ball.

Go Panthers!

For four straight games a slow start by the Panther offense has been followed up with a yards porous defensive effort. The Panthers do well in forcing 3^rd downs at times but still end up giving up first quarter points. For the first time though against the Falcons, the defense couldn't come up with that game changing play, that key stop that ignites the offense later in the game.

John Fox felt that the key play to turn the momentum was the 69 yard reception by Falcons WR Harry Douglas. Actually the Panthers had a chance to redeem themselves a few plays later when the Falcons gave the Panthers one last chance to bail themselves out. Faced with 4^th and goal at the 2 yard line the Falcons lined up to go for it but then called timeout. If John Fox felt the momentum had shifted back to the Falcons then now would have been a good time to fire up the troops. Instead Turner scored over the left side pretty much untouched. They ran right at DE Julius Peppers and DT Damione Lewis, who if they had made the stop, could have given the ball right back to an offense that had just scored pretty easily.

Continue reading this post »

Here are some choice links to articles around the web on the Panthers loss to the Falcons:

The MVP of the game for the Falcons was easily Harry Douglas.

Early in the game, with the Falcons in an empty backfield set, Douglas took a handoff from a slot receiver position and scored against the surprised Panthers defense. Then in the third quarter, Douglas snagged a short pass, dodged a defensive back and went 69 yards to set up Turner's third touchdown. And to put the game away, Douglas returned the Panthers' punt 61 yards for another touchdown. Three plays, a massive impact and no way that the Panthers saw it coming.

I certainly never saw it coming. Maybe the Panthers should spend a 3^rd round pick on a return guy next year?

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John Fox is back to his ‘protect the players at all costs' mode

We're ready to play," Fox replied when asked about the slow starts. "Have we been more ready to play in the eight wins and less ready to play in the three losses? I don't know. I can't answer that. I'm just glad it isn't the other way around."

He always plays the positive spin after a big loss. You know, "never let your highs get too high, or your lows too low". Here's another classic Fox rebuttal to a probably negative question:

"I'm sure glad we were more emotionally and technically right in eight of them than the other three," Fox said, dismissing another question. "The other team practices, too, and it's hard to win all of them."

All I can say is let's see how they respond in Green Bay. Later on in this post I found something surprising:

Offensively, Delhomme recovered from a gash to his right elbow that had to be stitched up at halftime to throw for 295 yards, Williams had his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game and Steve Smith had 168 yards receiving. But the sluggish starts and key penalties remain a concern. "I felt like I threw better after the hit, so I think it might have helped," Delhomme said.

Jake had a gash on his elbow that got stitched at halftime? I never saw that. Weird that he actually thought it helped. Anyone else see it?

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The Falcons reinserted themselves into the NFC South dvision race in a big way Sunday. They took any early lead and never let it go. I'm not going to recap the game in this post, there's plenty of time as I will be doing a film review later. Instead I want to talk about the bigger picture.

The Panthers are still tied for the lead in the division so there's no reason to panic just yet. Winning on the road in the NFC South is proving to be a tough assignment this season. I believe they flashed a stat showing the division is 19-2 at home. This game was also closer than the score indicates, a quick look at the stat book for the game shows you that. There is still plenty of time to bounce back and the Panthers have shown us this season an ability to bounce back after a tough loss. In the end getting to the playoffs is the end goal, winning the NFC South would be a nice topper but is not necessarily required.

That said there are some disturbing trends in this game. DT Damione Lewis nails one right on the head.

"We are not getting off (the field) on third down," defensive tackle Damione Lewis said. "I mean, we're playing good defense on first and second downs and we're not getting out on third down. You have to get out on third down in this league. We had a very high percentage on third-down conversions and we haven't been doing it the last couple of weeks."

When the Panther defense needed a stop in the first half they couldn't get it. Consequently the Panthers dug themselves a hole while waiting for the offense to wake up.  If you flashback to the previous three games they all started the same way except this time the Panthers were unable to rally. Just when the offense got it in gear and got the Panthers within three points the defense gave up a big play to WR Harry Douglas.

This game more than anything left me feeling like the Panthers were outcoached. Maybe the stats don't support that assumption since you'll see the Panthers actually had more yards and time of possession. It comes from the Falcons offense seeming to call the right play on 3rd and long over and over. It comes from the Panther offense continuing to run the ball when the only thing working was the pass. It comes from a special teams unit that seems to give up a big play when we can least afford one.

So was it really that bad?

"As ugly as it was, I don't think it's as bad as it looked by the score," Lewis said. "I think when we get in and look at the film, we're going to see some adjustments we need to make here and there, and I think we'll be fine."

Let's hope so. The road doesn't get any easier looking ahead.

So I ask you my loyal readers, what impact does this game have on the big picture?

Falcons WR Michael Jenkins converts a 3rd down