Panthers vs. Ravens: What Was Seen
August 31, 2009
First, the good points:
The score doesn’t matter.
The loss doesn’t matter.
It’s still just preseason.
There were no additional injuries to key players.
Mike Goodson is a workhorse and continues to impress.
Steve Smith was back and looked good.
Now the bad points:
Everything else.
Panthers vs. Ravens: What To Look For
August 29, 2009
This Saturday at 8pm the Panthers will be facing the Baltimore Ravens in their third preseason game. This, like all other preseason games has no bearing on their regular schedule and the final score won’t matter. What does matter is how well the team is progressing in their efforts to get themselves ready for the regular season that starts on September 13. The Panthers are looking strong going into the season in quite a few aspects of the game. There are, however, several areas that have been weak and need improvement if they are going to have back-to-back winning seasons.
Beason feeling a lot better by the day
August 26, 2009
Jon Beason shed some light on his knee injury Wednesday, posting an update on his website.
“I got my MRI results the other day and the doctors said it was an MCL sprain, no surgery required,” Beason wrote on JonBeason.com. “Now I just have to deal with this and keep moving forward.”
Panthers Mid – (Pre)Season Survey
August 26, 2009
The Panthers are midway through the games that do not matter. That hasn’t stopped panic from taking over a large segment of the fan base who can’t understand why the Panthers are holding back and are sure that the losses that have come are a sure sign of things to come. The Panthers do not typically develop elaborate schemes for the first couple preseason games and tend to run some very basic plays. This is more to see what the prospective players for their 53-man roster are capable of doing on their own. As Julius Peppers pointed out, this is just practice with a score and a timer. The games are not important. They can, however, show areas that need improvement and who, among those fighting for a position on the roster, can step into roles on the field and succeed on their own. The 0-2 preseason record is meaningless. That doesn’t mean, though, that there aren’t concerns which have to be addressed and things that need to be taken care of heading into the regular season.
Panthers vs. Dolphins: What Was Seen
August 23, 2009
First thing you need to keep in mind: it was only a preseason game. It has no bearing on our record this year and the final score doesn’t matter. It is only a chance for the vets to get a little more comfortable and shake the rust off while the younger players find their place or try to make a place for themselves. Losing is never a fun thing but it is better to get it out of the way now instead of letting it happen during the season.
This game was better than the previous game in New York, but still showed some glaring weak spots. There were improvements to ball security where it mattered and the passing game with the first team looked better. The run defense was horrible and the defense is weak against running backs all together. The secondary is still missing tackles, and the offensive line needs better depth.
Panthers vs. Dolphins: What To Look For
August 22, 2009
In 2008, no team surprised more than the Miami Dolphins. After a nearly perfect losing record (a feat accomplished by the Lions last year) the Dolphins went to an 11-5 season making it to the playoffs in a losing effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Many have said that they were the benefactors of an easy schedule and a Tom Brady-less New England Patriots team. The Panthers have received the same asterisk regarding their record last year in many people’s minds saying that an easy schedule made their 12-4 record possible. Both teams, this year, have something to prove more than many other teams. They have to rise above the criticism in a challenge to show that the previous year was not a fluke. Making that tougher to accomplish is that they have to do it facing, what very well could be, the two toughest schedules in the NFL for 2009.
Read more
Panthers Vs. Giants: What Was Seen
August 18, 2009
First the good news.
It’s only pre-season. The game doesn’t count. Panthers almost didn’t lose the game. There is a lot of good things about the team still. There is more than 3 weeks to work out the kinks.
Now the bad news.
There are a lot of kinks.
Game Grades – Panthers at Giants
August 18, 2009
Yes, it is only preseason. Yes this game was merely an overly glorified scrimmage. I won’t grade the defensive or offensive game plans, because there were none. However, the preseason does give us an opportunity to look at individual player performances and execution of the fundamentals…so on with the grades. Read more
Panthers vs. Giants, what to look for
August 17, 2009
Tonight the Panthers go back to the scene of one of the few but major heartbreaks from last year when they face the Giants in New York. While it may be tempting to get caught up in the game and too excited one way or the other at the outcome, just remember one thing. It does not matter. Looking back at last year’s preseason, undefeated champs the Detroit Lions will serve as a good reminder just how much weight these early games carry. What these games are useful for, however, is a chance to see how some newer strategies on both offense and defense will work with newer components and players. Another is to help in making decisions who will rise and fall on depth charts and, in some cases, have a roster spot at all.
Panthers release lack of depth chart
August 16, 2009
The Carolina Panthers have publicly released their depth chart, or as I like to call it, the “lack of” depth chart. This is the way it breaks down for now, heading into the preseason opener against the Giants on Monday Night (8 pm ESPN, WCNC in Charlotte).
