Proudiddy

That Bozeman doe.

He is a good player. I think a really good player. I watched him in the XFL, and again, certain abilities and traits just jump out to you and let you know whether a guy has "it" or not... and he has it. And I stated it repeatedly when the stuff kept blowing up in camp when we went up to NE, that Rhule just didn't like him. I mentioned it back then, but Rhule even said himself the year before when he was forced to play KRob late in the season due to injuries and such, that KRob should've been starting earlier and he should have been giving him a lot more playing time way earlier than he finally did... He called him a "legitimate safety," and iirc, he said that in the same fluff article from the official site where he said BC should've been playing earlier. Then you have countless guys praising him for his ability, unsolicited over the time he's been here, including Rhule. Panthers.com was also floating the idea out there that he could earn a bigger role/starting job going into this season with how he closed out 2021 with the opportunity he was finally given. So, how do you go from that, to playing strictly garbage time with 3rd and 4th stringers in the preseason, all while your coach keeps dangling your job security in the wind and trashing you to the media publicly? Again, I said it back then, and I said it in 2021 - Rhule did not like him and was playing games with him... so there's no doubt that tweet is about him. KRob has shown legitimate playmaking ability in the NFL level. He has been a ballhawk from the first game I ever watched him in while he was in the XFL, and that's one of those traits that just can't be taught... whether the ball is in the air or on the ground, he always finds himself around it. He also is super physical and has good size and athleticism to properly play with impressive range. But much like we're seeing with Bozeman, PJ, and TMJ now, he just was never given a fair opportunity. And the crazy thing is, when he was given one, he capitalized. How many big hits and/or TDs have Franklin and Chandler racked up in their extensive PT handed to them by Rhule? I can remember zero. KRob has both in far more limited chances. And I like Franklin, but KRob is a better player than him and Chandler. Chandler looks like a borderline practice squad guy, and yet, he's been on the active roster pretty much the entire time he's been here. Now, I'm not saying there aren't other factors affecting him, but the proof is in the pudding. When he has played, he makes plays other guys haven't and/or can't. So why couldn't he stick? Same reason Rhule kept trotting the same bums out there he did for 2+ years over better options. Thankfully, Wilks has made it a point multiple times since taking over that the practice squad guys are valuable members of the team and guys that he looks to develop and build up so they can become contributing players on the active roster. I'm confident it's just a matter of time before he gets his chance again.

We are usually on the same page about things, but you are quite a bit ornery today, so I will let you stew.

Whoa, whoa, whoa... I didn't say all that.

I do. As I've said, I want to see if Wilks can win the job, and I would personally love to see him do it. For all this franchise has endured, how awesome would it be to have a hometown/homegrown guy come in under these circumstances and galvanize this franchise at its lowest point and turn it all around. I also said I want a offensive coach, but again, if Wilks can do rehabilitate this team from the depths Rhule drove it down into - which it appears he is already doing - it should be his job. No question. I also don't believe in Stroud or Young at all. As I've also said elsewhere, I knew Cam was gonna be Cam, with certainty. I don't have that feeling about this class, so I really don't care about the draft pick position. And at the end of the day, outside of 2010 and 2001, we never did what we were supposed to do to secure it anyway, so who cares. And finally, I agree... that style of offense we ran yesterday is so demoralizing to an opponent. We just annihilated them and took their will by pounding them over and over again with the run, and then PJ throwing some absolute dimes when the opportunities presented themselves. It might not be sexy, but I sure is fun to watch.

Yup. I'm really happy for PJ. I have always pulled for him and believed in him since he's been here. I'm happy he's getting his opportunity. He deserves it.

And then there were those of us who knew and said it was almost entirely coaching lol. The difference in preparation and being prepared is night and day. Love it.

I disagree lol. One guy visibly had ahold of his jersey before he finally pulled ahead the last 20 yards. He changed his gait about 3 different times in that run trying to get out of the pack lol.

Never said any such thing about Foreman or Chubba, just that having an elite RB is less valuable than most here want to believe. Having. An elite RB is essentially inconsequential in today's NFL. Is it cool and fun to watch? Absolutely. Does it matter? Nope. Go find me the teams with one elite/workhorse/primary RB with the offense built around that who have won a Superbowl in the last few years. Kamara, Taylor, and Henry are probably the most dominant other RBs in the league in the last few years and not one of them have a Superbowl or even sniffed one. So Foreman and Chubba don't have to be "gods," they just have to produce in a committee just like they did today. And it's amazing how functional the offense looks when you're not forcing the ball to one guy all day... bekieve it or not, as fun as it was to watch, he held us back... and any offense that relies primarily on one RB are setting themselves up for failure in today's NFL. And to be clear, I wasn't saying we would've lost to Tampa with CMC if he scored 4 TDs - which also was asinine in itself because name the last time he scored 4 TDs. The post I responded to also claimed he would score 4 TDs on all of those runs today, which is also hard to believe. But regardless, I was saying because of the style of the offense we ran with CMC, we probably a) wouldn't have scored 4 TDs with him scoring all 4 of them as the other poster claimed and b) we wouldn't have won because the offense had no balance or sense of distribution.

Agreed.

Idk what happened with the gameplan last week offensively, but this is what it should have been. And even despite last week's failings, we saw the glimpses of the heart and effort that they showed today, and we hadn't seen that in a long, long time. No incredibly dumb penalties, no dumb mistakes, none of the absent mindedness, none of the lack of awareness and common sense, and no signs of the woefully unpreparedness that plagued the Rhule-coached Panthers. These guys haven't given up. I know we are now 1 game out of first place of the NFCS lead, but I'm not even thinking that far ahead. I do think this team is talented enough to challenge for it, but I'm not thinking about that. I'm just proud of our guys for continuing to play, and not just that, but playing up to the level that we knew they were capable of coming into this year - and all this while missing key pieces like Chinn and Horn. They are playing and looking like a professional football team that instills hope and belief again, for the first time in a very, very long time. They are airing out and ridding themselves of the Rhule-era stench... and it feels so good. Credit to Coach Wilks. Credit to PJ, TMJ, Chubba, Foreman, DJ, Bozeman in his first start (and the whole OL), Tremble, Derrick Brown and the entirety of the defense, including the the DBs that stepped up in the absence of the usual starters. This team and staff gave us something to be proud of today, and something to believe in again. Thank you Coach Wilks and all the players. You embodied the Keep Pounding mantra today. P.S. - Start PJ the rest of the year. Thanks.

I just don't care about the draft position in this situation. I want to see if Wilks can win the job and I wanted to see if the team could turn things around under him and play for him - and they are. And I am not sold on Stroud or Young. I knew Cam was gonna be Cam. I don't have that feeling with either of those guys. If we end up picking 5th to 15th, I would be just fine picking Hooker and going from there. It's very rare there are any guarantees in the draft, especially at QB. Lawrence looked like about as sure of a thing as there has been since maybe Peyton Manning? And he looks very average ad a pro. So, I'm fine in letting it play out and playing to win. Who knows? What if this team really buys in on Wilks and contends for the NFCS title? I'm not saying that will happen, and I'm not even thinking about it, personally, but, what if? Rhule sucked the life and dreams out of this organization and fanbase. What if Wilks can give us some of that back? I trust the FO to find who we need with wherever we pick.

I really wish we would've let PJ go for 200 yards.

Foreman? There was like 3 guys hanging on his back for the majority of it, IIRC.

I like his math.

Bozeman is making a definitive difference. I hope he doesn't hold Rhule's dumbassery against our franchise and will still be willing to re-sign with us.

1) I don't think so. CMC has good speed, but not guaranteed breakaway speed. He's probably a bit faster than Foreman, but not by much, and also, Foreman was still fighting off tackles for about 40 yards of that 60 yard run before he got completely behind the defense. And 2) Even if that's the case, we still would've lost. We saw what this team looked like with a single RB being the focal point of the offense and it was losing football. Force feeding CMC often ended up being to our own detriment (and his), no matter how talented he was. All due respect, this is a better team collectively without CMC. RB-focused offenses are a thing of the past, and making your offense in that mold is setting yourself up for failure. I guarantee, he will be used so much more creatively in SF that his workload will be lesser and yet, his production will probably be just as good while working in a rotation. He was used like a workhorse here, and again, that's guaranteed failure in today's NFL.

How can you not love everything you're seeing from our team today? Every reason to give up and tank, and they don't. They are attacking and setting the tone. Guys we've been waiting on to develop under Rhule stepping out all at once today and showing up big. TMJ made a couple nice grabs, Chubba went from looking like a non-NFL player to a fuging stud with amazing vision, Foreman, Tremble, and fuging PJ! DJ back to commanding the defense's attention snd looking like his old self again. Also cant be understated how good Bozeman has looked. Not to mention the defense in its entirety.

PJ is dropping some fuging dimes.

This game is perfectly illustrating why you don't invest exorbitant assets into RB... For as great as CMC is individually, you can get that production from others just as easily for a lot less investment.

I'll say it again... this team is playing for Coach Wilks! And I love it!!! Defense is attacking and dictating (aside from the first few plays of that drive that we were playing prevent).

This team is playing for Wilks. I love it. We look like a pro football team again. fug tanking. Use our assets to pick a QB wherever we can... but we need to win and fix the culture here as we go.

Great blocking and great vision and cut by Foreman. Beautiful.

Ok, I like Shi, but please get him off the PR. That's his second horrible decision today.

Great defense! This ain't a Rhule coached team anymore. These guys look prepared for the moment.