Some fans here seem to forget real quick the performance he had last year, winning 4 out of our last 5 games, with just one pick, when the team had nothing to play for against teams that had EVERYTHING to play for, including the Giants which we clobbered. And after that performance, the Panthers go and draft 3QB's, including hot shot with an apparent attitude problem Jimmy Clausen. Not exactly a vote of confidence for Matt, is it? And yes, while some veterans, and even *ahem* coaches can benefit from feeling the fire lit up under their seat, sometimes this type of pressure can get to anyone, including a QB.
So before you guys go on and ask for his head on a platter from a guy that has been feeling the sharp edge of the axe scraping the hairs off the back of his neck all preseason and throughout yesterday's game, why not take a moment and look at some positive facts about Matt.
1. First I re-iterate, he won 4 out of our last 5 games last year and only one pick!
2. He's being accused of floating deep balls, but I also saw some VERY accurate throws on Sunday as well, including the Touchown to Smith. While not the best decision to throw it in that crowd, he did place it spot on. If that was Delhomme, he would have thrown it high and made Smith go up and get it, where Smith would have taken some hard hits. Matt nailed it!
3. He's not afraid to take a hit. Obviously.
4. While unconfirmed, there are rumors his concussion could have taken place before that last interception. Those interception throws were purely a result of bad judgments, not bad ability. That can easily be fixed with practice and a bit of experience.
5. Twice he ran with the ball for positive yards, including a first down, when he had no receivers open. The O-line was also not giving him any time.
Before we all jump on the Jimmy Clausen bandwagon, realize this. Not only does that make us shitty, unsupportive fans of a guy that really busted his ass for us yesterday, but Jimmy is not a sure winner either. While I can't wait to see him play, the fact is if he really was that much better than Moore, he would be starting. Since he's not, I can only read that Moore was the better option for us, even if Jimmy turns out to be the better guy in the long run. And with him telling us "we made the best pick in the draft", it doesn't exactly say much about him maturing and working on his cockiness. He needs to prove himself that he is a team player, before we should let him lead a team, and expect our guys to respect him. That is NOT the attitude of a Panther QB, and a far cry from how our beloved Delhomme handled himself. Too bad he is not around to teach Jimmy how to put your team before yourself.
If Matt blows the next game too, then we can talk about Jimmy. One game is NEVER enough, to judge a player, especially a new QB.
Edited by PantherFanForLife, 14 September 2010 - 02:48 AM.
