Last Year:
The fact that pop celebrity Jennifer Lopez? newest marriage has persevered through a satisfactory amount of consecutive days to be called a month is a surprising feat, but not nearly as eye-popping as the Carolina Panthers achievements in 2003. Quarterback Rodney Peete began the season as the team?s starter, but after a porous season-opening first half against Jacksonville, 5-year depth charter Jake Delhomme finally moved up. He invigorated the group to a 24-23 win in week one, and then four additional wins, stating to the rest of the league that at 5-0 this team was not phony like Gigli. The Panthers love didn?t cost a thing, but even so, they were not embraced as a genuine contender all season long, even as they flash-danced into the playoffs. Impressive upsets and ephemeral heartbreak can best describe the Panthers post-season last year, but as their appetence grows in the novel season, how much more demanding will the task be now that everyone knows they are not just a Jenny from the block?
What we Learned from Last Year:
If you?re wondering what the newest fashions are nowadays, rolling rappers and affluent
athletes enjoy pushing the popularity of luxurious jewelry. While artists like the G-Unit can teach you how to stunt off-the-field, it is stunting on the field that is more pertinent to our talks. The Carolina Panthers model of success does not exhibit a lot of flash, but the formula of the team is a diamond in the rough which revolves around icing out the offensive and defensive lines. While teams such as the Cleveland Browns, and the Washington Redskins suffer with this concept, everything that Carolina carried out offensively and defensively last year chained from their interior lines.
On defense, a lot of fool?s gold was plated with a protective front four. Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker along with pro bowl tackle Kris Jenkins initiated all the needed pressure on opposing signal callers, combining for 24 regular season sacks. Their handwork facilitated the secondary?s job significantly, allowing blitzes to be used as a security opposed to a necessity. Linebackers, and additional defensive backs could comfortably drop into coverage to cloud passing lanes while the defensive line focused on the pass rush. The Panthers cornerbacks were concealed most of the season, and though the team finished with a 30th rank pass defense, without this d-line, the Carolina cast members would have become household names thanks to ESPN game-breakdowns.
?One man?s gold is another man?s treasure? was a frequent thought engraved in the minds of many Panther and Redskin fans last season. When Stephen Davis found out that he would be the silver choice to a ?faster? running back in the off-season, it wasn?t long before he found new work in Charlotte. Placed around a studded offensive line, the team realized Davis? brilliant abilities instantaneously. While Davis polished the offense, there was no greater beneficiary to his bling-blinging than young Jake Delhomme. Pure in his NFL nature, the combination of a brainy running back, and a brawny offensive line diverted pressure off the quarterback. A large part in Delhomme?s advancement was because he had the necessary time to make clear decisions and to gain confidence in doing so. The Panther?s offensive line allowed the 8th least amount of sacks in the NFL, and had it been any other way and this team?s gem season would have been a zirconium.
Evidence of a young squad backed by motivation of an excellent coach in John Fox can be found in their ability to consistently stay involved in the game, and prevail in tight encounters. Seven of Carolina?s eleven wins were by three points or less, and one has to wonders if charming overtime victories in Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay can be duplicated.
What Has Changed?:
George Costanza says ?If you look annoyed all the time, people think you?re busy? which in some facets construes the summer time for many NFL teams, but not this year?s Carolina Panthers. After failing the Super Bowl by only three points, a Kramer-like ?Giddy-up? is the approach the Panthers are employing this off-season. The aforementioned defensive passing statistics by me, and the ubiquitous media emphasis on the cornerbacks after the Super Bowl, was reason enough for the Panthers to spend their first-round pick (Chris Gamble) as well as some free agent money (Artrell Hawkins and Terrence Shaw) on defensive backs. To say this company will immediately improve may be a lie, but George, and Panther fans will argue ?It?s not a lie, if you believe it?. Ideally, Chris Gamble should be an upgrade to anyone who pretended to play cornerback last year, but he is still a rookie. Signing Terrence Shaw and Artrell Hawkins is nothing more than scraping the bottom of the barrel. Nonetheless, even if this cluster is mildly upgraded, that 30th rank will climb. The defensive line is where the Panthers were truly the Masters of their Domain and though no free agents have been added in that department, the Panthers will welcome back last year?s prized signing Kavika Pittman back to the lineup. As long as health doesn?t get in the way, expect the defensive line to remain active in disrupting the timing for rival quarterbacks. The linebacking corps will receive not one, but three big boosts when former Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead, Brandon Short, and Mark Fields return to the field. Short and Armstead will be reunited with their former Giants defensive coordinator John Fox from New York, and he?ll know how to keep them busy. Meanwhile Mark Fields has recovered from Hodgkin?s disease will likely start for this team once again. For a defense that ranked 8th in the NFL last season while diapering one of the worst passing defenses, things are really looking up.
I would love to yada, yada, the offensive situation, but unlike an Elaine Benes story, vital details cannot be brushed over. Starting from the outside working in, the Panthers should not have any noteworthy concerns with the production of their running backs. Stephen Davis is a Pro Bowler, and DeShaun Foster would be in the vicinity if he handled enough carries. Trepidations regarding wide receivers and quarterbacks should be few and far between, but one detail that is few, and is far between is that Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme have just signed fat contracts. Most players do excel in contract years, and underachieve after the check has been cut, but that will be open for discussion. Last but not least, the topic of the offensive line comes to the forefront. The forte of a season ago is the biggest anxiety heading into this season. Only two starters return, Jeff Mitchell and Jordan Gross. Three new faces enter, one being ex-Indianapolis Colt Adam Meadows who pushes Jordan Gross to left tackle. Between the three of them, part of the offensive line is constructed well, but the guard locations will be filled by two of three guys (Bruce Nelson, Travis Claridge, and Doug Brzezinski) who started a combined number of seven games last year. Scarce depth and a wealth of line juggling could paralyze everything that the Panthers perform offensively.
Regardless of how hungry this team is once again, and any ameliorations made to an already proficient defense, if the offensive line dissatisfies then it will be ?No soup for you!?
O/U 8.5:
For a team that had so many breaks and bounces go their way last season I hesitate to see a positive future. The Buccaneers supposedly improved their roster after winning the Super Bowl but they dropped off terribly. Expect the Panthers to walk around with a life-size bulls-eye on their back this season (something they are not accustomed to), and anticipating more injuries than last year should not be unexpected. Aside from divisional games, they play: GB, @KC, @DEN, @PHI, SD, @SEA, OAK, @SF, ARZ, and STL.
Fantasy Sleeper:
To the dismay of many, DeShaun Foster is not a sleeper thanks to his late season heroics and that jerk who nabs him six rounds too early. If you?re looking for somebody to slip through the cracks, try Muhsin Muhammad. He?s still a primetime target even if Steve Smith had his spotlight last year, and that may be a good thing as Muhsin should face less attention than his partner.
The fact that pop celebrity Jennifer Lopez? newest marriage has persevered through a satisfactory amount of consecutive days to be called a month is a surprising feat, but not nearly as eye-popping as the Carolina Panthers achievements in 2003. Quarterback Rodney Peete began the season as the team?s starter, but after a porous season-opening first half against Jacksonville, 5-year depth charter Jake Delhomme finally moved up. He invigorated the group to a 24-23 win in week one, and then four additional wins, stating to the rest of the league that at 5-0 this team was not phony like Gigli. The Panthers love didn?t cost a thing, but even so, they were not embraced as a genuine contender all season long, even as they flash-danced into the playoffs. Impressive upsets and ephemeral heartbreak can best describe the Panthers post-season last year, but as their appetence grows in the novel season, how much more demanding will the task be now that everyone knows they are not just a Jenny from the block?
What we Learned from Last Year:
If you?re wondering what the newest fashions are nowadays, rolling rappers and affluent
athletes enjoy pushing the popularity of luxurious jewelry. While artists like the G-Unit can teach you how to stunt off-the-field, it is stunting on the field that is more pertinent to our talks. The Carolina Panthers model of success does not exhibit a lot of flash, but the formula of the team is a diamond in the rough which revolves around icing out the offensive and defensive lines. While teams such as the Cleveland Browns, and the Washington Redskins suffer with this concept, everything that Carolina carried out offensively and defensively last year chained from their interior lines.
On defense, a lot of fool?s gold was plated with a protective front four. Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker along with pro bowl tackle Kris Jenkins initiated all the needed pressure on opposing signal callers, combining for 24 regular season sacks. Their handwork facilitated the secondary?s job significantly, allowing blitzes to be used as a security opposed to a necessity. Linebackers, and additional defensive backs could comfortably drop into coverage to cloud passing lanes while the defensive line focused on the pass rush. The Panthers cornerbacks were concealed most of the season, and though the team finished with a 30th rank pass defense, without this d-line, the Carolina cast members would have become household names thanks to ESPN game-breakdowns.
?One man?s gold is another man?s treasure? was a frequent thought engraved in the minds of many Panther and Redskin fans last season. When Stephen Davis found out that he would be the silver choice to a ?faster? running back in the off-season, it wasn?t long before he found new work in Charlotte. Placed around a studded offensive line, the team realized Davis? brilliant abilities instantaneously. While Davis polished the offense, there was no greater beneficiary to his bling-blinging than young Jake Delhomme. Pure in his NFL nature, the combination of a brainy running back, and a brawny offensive line diverted pressure off the quarterback. A large part in Delhomme?s advancement was because he had the necessary time to make clear decisions and to gain confidence in doing so. The Panther?s offensive line allowed the 8th least amount of sacks in the NFL, and had it been any other way and this team?s gem season would have been a zirconium.
Evidence of a young squad backed by motivation of an excellent coach in John Fox can be found in their ability to consistently stay involved in the game, and prevail in tight encounters. Seven of Carolina?s eleven wins were by three points or less, and one has to wonders if charming overtime victories in Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay can be duplicated.
What Has Changed?:
George Costanza says ?If you look annoyed all the time, people think you?re busy? which in some facets construes the summer time for many NFL teams, but not this year?s Carolina Panthers. After failing the Super Bowl by only three points, a Kramer-like ?Giddy-up? is the approach the Panthers are employing this off-season. The aforementioned defensive passing statistics by me, and the ubiquitous media emphasis on the cornerbacks after the Super Bowl, was reason enough for the Panthers to spend their first-round pick (Chris Gamble) as well as some free agent money (Artrell Hawkins and Terrence Shaw) on defensive backs. To say this company will immediately improve may be a lie, but George, and Panther fans will argue ?It?s not a lie, if you believe it?. Ideally, Chris Gamble should be an upgrade to anyone who pretended to play cornerback last year, but he is still a rookie. Signing Terrence Shaw and Artrell Hawkins is nothing more than scraping the bottom of the barrel. Nonetheless, even if this cluster is mildly upgraded, that 30th rank will climb. The defensive line is where the Panthers were truly the Masters of their Domain and though no free agents have been added in that department, the Panthers will welcome back last year?s prized signing Kavika Pittman back to the lineup. As long as health doesn?t get in the way, expect the defensive line to remain active in disrupting the timing for rival quarterbacks. The linebacking corps will receive not one, but three big boosts when former Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead, Brandon Short, and Mark Fields return to the field. Short and Armstead will be reunited with their former Giants defensive coordinator John Fox from New York, and he?ll know how to keep them busy. Meanwhile Mark Fields has recovered from Hodgkin?s disease will likely start for this team once again. For a defense that ranked 8th in the NFL last season while diapering one of the worst passing defenses, things are really looking up.
I would love to yada, yada, the offensive situation, but unlike an Elaine Benes story, vital details cannot be brushed over. Starting from the outside working in, the Panthers should not have any noteworthy concerns with the production of their running backs. Stephen Davis is a Pro Bowler, and DeShaun Foster would be in the vicinity if he handled enough carries. Trepidations regarding wide receivers and quarterbacks should be few and far between, but one detail that is few, and is far between is that Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme have just signed fat contracts. Most players do excel in contract years, and underachieve after the check has been cut, but that will be open for discussion. Last but not least, the topic of the offensive line comes to the forefront. The forte of a season ago is the biggest anxiety heading into this season. Only two starters return, Jeff Mitchell and Jordan Gross. Three new faces enter, one being ex-Indianapolis Colt Adam Meadows who pushes Jordan Gross to left tackle. Between the three of them, part of the offensive line is constructed well, but the guard locations will be filled by two of three guys (Bruce Nelson, Travis Claridge, and Doug Brzezinski) who started a combined number of seven games last year. Scarce depth and a wealth of line juggling could paralyze everything that the Panthers perform offensively.
Regardless of how hungry this team is once again, and any ameliorations made to an already proficient defense, if the offensive line dissatisfies then it will be ?No soup for you!?
O/U 8.5:
For a team that had so many breaks and bounces go their way last season I hesitate to see a positive future. The Buccaneers supposedly improved their roster after winning the Super Bowl but they dropped off terribly. Expect the Panthers to walk around with a life-size bulls-eye on their back this season (something they are not accustomed to), and anticipating more injuries than last year should not be unexpected. Aside from divisional games, they play: GB, @KC, @DEN, @PHI, SD, @SEA, OAK, @SF, ARZ, and STL.
Fantasy Sleeper:
To the dismay of many, DeShaun Foster is not a sleeper thanks to his late season heroics and that jerk who nabs him six rounds too early. If you?re looking for somebody to slip through the cracks, try Muhsin Muhammad. He?s still a primetime target even if Steve Smith had his spotlight last year, and that may be a good thing as Muhsin should face less attention than his partner.
