Khyber53

Yeah, you're right everyone outside of Chuba, Luvu and Tremble seems to have regressed. And yes, it points management and coaching. And yes, we were told ad nauseum what an all-star staff we were putting together here. My one thought is.. if Reich could put together a decent staff to make things work out, how come he didn't do that in Indianapolis and get that worked out? I think we're watching a man get sped by on the speedway... he's gone from the days when he weaved through traffic and made good time to the point where he just shakes his head and proclaims everyone is out to get killed out there! He got him some young blood to run the offense and defense and then, well, didn't really let them. And he's been saddled with doing some kind of lame hybrid 3-4/4-3 that we've been stuck in since the last year of the Rivera regime as we try and fit our square peg into the round hole of Tepper's dream team of New Pittsburgh South. Sheesh. This is just a season where you've got to look at what's on the field and say, "Don't you see this isn't working? Any of it? Not even a little?"

In on every deal, tried to get smart and draw to an inside straight flush. Ended up with Queen high. We are the morons at the poker table.

Well now, isn't this something...

Well, we're in such desperate straights to hire yet another guy trying to get one last paycheck that we've even tossed away any thought to character. Mr. Tepper, I'm willing to come out of retirement and play linebacker, too. Vet minimum. No outstanding warrants.

Think about this... the team has been on a long, downhill slide since the days when it was Jerry Richardson, Marty Hurney and Ron Rivera. To get a long downhill slide from there requires excavation... deep digging and creating a new definition for the bottom. These are my Panthers and it's getting to the point where it really, deeply hurts watching what they've become. We have gone from playing in the Super Bowl to being a mid to low energy division III NCAA football team. I'm not sure we could beat fuging Lenoir-Rhyne or Campbell with this team.

I can't argue against that at all.

This ^ 100 percent. This is a bad team, across the board. Poorly put together, poorly built, poorly trained, poorly motivated, poorly played. Of the 53 people on this team right now, maybe three would start on another team, and 10 more might find roster spots. I haven't seen a Panthers team this bad since the Weinke season. And we're beginning to look worse. Offense and defense. I'd blow it up and trade everyone in the offseason including the Liliputian quarterback for whatever I could get. This place needs a fire sale.

Johnson is just another one of the examples that we have a really, really bad talent evaluation group here. When was the last time they really hit on a veteran pick up besides Adam Thielen? Crickets man, crickets.

For once, I'm pulling for the villain, errr, Vilain... Good luck to him!

I hope Reich can turn it around here, I really do. I just don't like what we're seeing on the field. I think the team is very passive and seems poorly conditioned (beyond the massive number of injuries we've had). Maybe it will all work out. I just wish it would start really moving that way. Soon.

I hope he can return to his old form. He really, really had so much potential before injuries did him in. Good, good guy, he deserves this chance he's getting and I hope he just makes the most of it.

I want to say, here we go, look at us, we've got it fixed and got a win. But I still can't shake it when I watch the games... this isn't a team that has it together. We just look hapless, on-coordinated, unsure and somewhat passive. They keep telling us that Bryce is doing a good job out there taking what the defense gives. And I can't help but think that's not how football is supposed to be played. The objective is to impose your will on the opponent. We show no signs whatsoever that we even feel like we can do that. I wish I was saying something different, but this isn't a very well coached team, from the top on down. They aren't playing like a group of professionals. There's just too many mistakes, no rhythm, no push and a decided lack of energy. I feel like the cats got neutered.

Is it me or is the world just getting weirder and the more money and power someone has, the weirder they get?

He can't even take advice on a haircut, I'm not holding out hope on his picking a HC or GM. It has been a long, long, long time since the Raiders were the Raiders. There's no feel of the dangerous group of misfits and bad dudes anymore. Their fan base is scarier than the team. (obligatory Marc Davis haircut gif)

Just going by what my eyes tell me. He doesn't have to get double teamed most plays if they have a good right tackle... and remember he's playing not on the blind side most times, so he's generally not up against their best, though there is often a TE in the area. But he doesn't get chipped as much as you'd think, as mostly the RB or TE there goes out into the flat right by him. Makes me wonder, when was the last time Burns got a pass defensed? But... let's face it, we got spoiled years ago watching what a young Julius Peppers could and would do in every single game. For all the hype out there, there isn't a single player in the league that is disruptive now as Pep was in his first five years here. He freaking did it all, double teamed with a TE helping out.

He's not the second best player on the team, he's not even the second best player on the defense. And recently, he hasn't even been the best player on the defensive front seven, and arguably the front four. A sack is a wonderful thing and if you get one in a game, that's great. But if that is regularly your only tackle and you are on a team that is 1-6.... you aren't doing enough. I'm going to say this now, if we had a stud DE/OLB pass rush specialist to pair with him on the other side, we'd have the best duo in the league. Burns is best in a pick your poison situation. When he's the only threat, he can be bullied because of his slighter build. He's fast but power isn't his strong suit. Put him across from say a Maxx Crosby type and the duo would both post double digit sacks. You'd be talking about having the best duo in the league. Heck, if you had two Brian Burns you'd tear the place up. He just needs a stable mate. And yes, the Spider-man thing is massively cool. I love it. I really like the guy. He just needs some help.

Hardest position to find is an ace LT. Might be even fewer good ones in the league than there are good QBs. We've got to have some patience here and hold onto hope that we found one.

Almost every great OT has a rough second season. Just part of the deal. He's going to get better.

Brian Burns did not earn Bosa bucks. And he hasn't yet so far this year. I sure wish he had, but that's just what it is.

Lot of different opinions here. And that's probably what's wrong... too many things not working to the point it seems impossible to fix one and move on. Let's see if two weeks of preparation against a team that was demonstrably worse than us last season with a rookie QB and HC will show any improvement.

Teams that are going nowhere rarely have guys working hard to come back from injuries quickly. And teams with a lot of injuries tend to go nowhere. We are in the moment of the dog chasing its own tail futility.

Latest episode I wrote. Not sure why our video editor is so in love with b&w...

I think our memory tells us there were a lot more really good receivers than there actually were. Great receivers tend to have long careers. There have been hundreds that washed out in three years for every one that made it to 10 years. But those great catches and dominant seasons linger in our minds forever.

(Ummm, you get a Super Bowl ring even if you are the back-up QB...) And I guess this week, we'll get to see how he does in SF. He's got some weapons there. And we're just sitting here at 0-6.

I'm thinking you're wrong here in each of your reasonings. SF is very much built to win a SB, rough patch that they are in notwithstanding. But we'll know sometime around February.