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The Carolina Panthers have shown interest in Iowa TE C.J Fiedorowicz.If I were you, I would be extremely excited if the Panthers select him in the middle rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Panthers could potentially pick him up in the 4th round, where would would offer tremendous value and upside. With safeties getting bigger and more aggressive every year in the NFL, the Panthers would be wise to invest in Fiedorowicz. At 6'5 (closer to 6'6) and 265lbs, he has the size to dominate his opponents on jump balls. He displayed reliable soft hands at the Senior Bowl where he impressed NFL coaches and scouts. At he combine he ran a 4.76 40 despite his hulking size. His greatest value for the Panthers, however, may come in the run game. Fiedorowicz is as polished a blocking tight end as you will find in any NFL draft. Should the Carolina Panthers decide to move back to more two tight end sets, Fiedorowicz would immediately improve the Panthers 28th ranked offense. Watch the video, this kid shows a real knack for finding the soft spot of the defense and sitting in it. This is an extremely underrated ability in the media chatter. Also, always catches the ball with his hands, many blocking TE's have a bad habit of bringing it into the body. NFL Comparison - Rob Gronkowski Click here to view the article

Five Carolina Panthers have made the Pro Bowl Luke Kuechly Greg Hardy Cam Newton Ryan Kalil Mike Tolbert Unsurprisingly, This is the most pro bowl players the Carolina Panthers have had in many seasons. Players who I feel were snubbed... Thomas Davis Star Lotulelei Brad Nortman Official link from Panthers.com http://www.panthers....89-26f2cccb1501 Click here to view the article

Got an excited text message this morning. NFL Network is doing a "Behind the Pom Poms " special for each team and my good buddy Laura got the call to represent the Panthers Topcats. Laura is a really great gal and a CMS school teacher to boot. The Panthers are lucky to have her. Make sure you tune in to the NFL Network at 7:45 this morning she will be on live. They will be checking in with her throughout the day as well. Click here to view the article

Dolphins fans are typically a loyal and passionate bunch. They have seen highs and lows, but remain dedicated to their team. Its difficult not to like them. I browsed ThePhins.com for a glimpse of how they see Sunday's matchup... People love Luke, and why wouldn't they? Correct. Could be. Arizona comes to mind. I doubt it. I think it will be within 6 points. Yes, yes they are. If you think holding Tom Brady to 20 points on MNF is underwhelming... well.... Click here to view the article

I can safely say being on the sidelines in Tampa Bay this season was infinitely better than last season. When I arrived Cam was warming up under the watchful eye of Mike Shula. Shula still makes a point to keep tabs on Newton and doesn't seem to have given up the QB coach role completely. This was a homecoming for sorts for Shula, an important game for him. Thomas Davis jogged onto the field and looked as serious as, well, he is every game. Davis is all business all day every day. There were a few ladies waiting for the game to begin. Turns out they would be the only think in red and pewter worth taking pictures of all night long... Brandon Lafell seemed focused during introductions. I guess it worked, it wasn't long before he had a reception. Steve Smith soon followed, introducing a defender with his knee in the process. Oh hey a cheerleader... Anyways, the Panthers pressured Glennon often and were the difference in the game. Another Cheerleader... Cam Newton had a great night. Any time your QB gets 2 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing touchdown, you probably won the game. First Downs Panthers! One lucky Auburn fan had a once in a lifetime moment. Schiano looked fairly calm for most of the game, and often times like he was oblivious to the fiery seat he is sitting on. Deangelo Williams and Mike Tolbert both had at least 5 yards per carry, and each had a touchdown. A very productive night for the Panthers running back duo. I know Cam was excited about it... When Tolbert caught his touchdown, he immediately ran for the "Touchdown Mike" banner on the wall of the endzone. Pretty hilarious. I guess he has a new nickname. Overall, it was a great night to be a Panthers fan. For the first night in years we have a team with a winning record to cheer for. Bring on the Falcons. Click here to view the article

Many fans are ready to start celebrating the Panthers having their first winning record since Jake Delhomme was the starting quarterback. Veteran Panthers fans know better. The Panthers are on the road against a division rival in prime time during a short week. Everyone on that field is a paid professional football player and the creme of the NCAA crop. The Panthers could lose this game. Here are the key points on defense to make sure that does not happen. - Force rookie mistakes. So far this season Bucs rookie QB Mike Glennon has actually looked pretty decent. Against the Falcons last Sunday, he had a 90.7 passer rating and completed 59% of his passes. Not bad for a rookie forced into a starting position. Glennon's passer rating has improved every week. Clearly he is learning. The Panthers defense will attempt to confuse Glennon with disguised coverages and blitzes. These tricks probably would not work against Drew Brees, but against Glennon could yield great results. I never thought Brad Johnson would lose the title of Bucs QB with the longest neck. - Don't relax on run stuffing. Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin is most likely out for this game, even though they are playing coy about confirming it (not a bad strategy in a short week and fewer injury reports). Still, the Panthers should not overlook the Bucs rushing attack. We have seen long and sustained drives given up by the Panthers defense when they lose focus. It is up to Sean McDermott to keep his unit hungry and unwilling to allow a single yard on the ground. Backup RB Mike James has looked average at best, the Panthers should be able to shut him down. The game Thursday night has all the makings of a trap game. Although I do feel the Panthers will win this game, I am not convinced it will be the blow out many are predicting. Click here to view the article

This Sunday the Carolina Panthers try to bring their record up to .500 for the second time in head coach Ron Rivera's career. To do so, the Panthers defense will need to stifle Sam Bradford and the Cleveland Los Angeles St Louis Rams offense. The Rams are not a particularly good offensive team. They currently rank 23rd in total offense. By comparison, the Giants offense (who the Panthers shut out a few weeks ago) ranks 15th in the league. Carolina should be able to hold the Rams to under 10 points. Here is how.... - Apply pressure from the front four. This really is the key to this game. Sam Bradford currently has a 90.7 passer rating. That rating drops to 57.1 when playing under pressure. However, when being blitzed, Bradford scores a 112.1. This means that the Rams are a team well prepared for the blitz. The Panthers must apply pressure to Bradford while keeping its defensive backfield in tact. Carolina has the personnel on the defensive line to do so, lets hope for another Eli Manning'esque feeding frenzy. - St Louis appears to have elevated Zac Stacy as their featured running back. Zac Stacy is the Rams version of Deangelo Williams at 5'8 and 215 pounds. This is actually an advantage for the Panthers defense, having faced Deangelo in practice throughout the week. Like Deangelo, Stacy is looking to find space to run and won't break many tackles. The Panthers linebackers have the speed and tackling ability to neutralize him provided they keep him contained on the edges. Overall, he Rams are coming off of a road win over the Texans provided by their Defense and Special Teams. It will be an extremely difficult task for them to win two consecutive road games. If the focused Carolina Panthers show up on Sunday, this should be an easy win. If the unfocused Carolina Panthers show up on Sunday, well, we all know how that will end. Click here to view the article

First things first. The NFL is an organic entity. It evolves. Coaching staffs look for weaknesses to exploit. They do so until those particular weaknesses no longer remain. Then they search for another. This is how it has always been. Once a team finds a weakness, you can expect others to follow suit. It is a guarantee. Going into the the Cardinals game, Cam Newton was being rushed by at least 5 defenders a league high 44% of the time. Newton, protected by a patchwork offensive line, saw more pressure than any other quarterback in the league. How did Arizona use this information? They doubled down, and the league was watching. Arizona rushed at least 5 defenders 60% of the total snaps. The result? Seven sacks, three interceptions, six points. The word is out, pressure Cam Newton and the Panthers offense will have no answers. This is not to say that Cam Newton is totally to blame. GM David Gettleman could have provided a better offensive line to protect him. Ron Rivera could have urged Mike Shula to find a way to get the ball out more quickly. Mike Shula could have anticipated the pressure and developed a counter strategy. The Offensive line could play with more heart and better communication. The blame can be spread around quite easily. It is now up to Mike Shula to realize that teams will be be bringing more pressure than ever before. It is up to him to counter the strategy with plays that quickly develop and make the defense second guess their approach. Can we expect to see more screens, draws, and hot routes? We can only hope. In short, Cam Newton can be a franchise player in this league, but not on his own. So far this season his team has let him down. Click here to view the article

The rankings quickly show the Panthers have the 3rd highest ranked defense in the league. Unfortunately, they also show the Panthers have one of the worst offenses in the league. Week 5 Offense Yards per game - 24th No Change Points per game - 27th -10 Total Plays - 28th -15 Defense Yards per game - 3rd +7 Points per game - 3rd +1 3rd down % - 15th +2 It is easy to get bogged down into the minutia of games, concentrating too much on smaller things that only add to the big picture. It is helpful to step back once in a while and look from an impartial birds eye view. This week it is clear that the Panthers are a defensive ball club being held back by a lackluster offense. Click here to view the article

Who: Carolina Panthers (1-2) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2) Kickoff: 4:05pm TV: FOX RADIO: 1110WBT BYE WEEK = OVER AND DONE!!! Keys to a Panthers Victory: - Front four of the Panthers defense must get pressure in base packages and rattle Palmer early. - Ted Ginn must stretch the field and allow Greg Olsen to roam in the middle. - Whoever Patrick Peterson is not covering needs to step up and make some plays. Prediction: Panthers 24 - Cardinals 6 Click here to view the article

A few months back, before training camp started, I did a commercial photo shoot for RSP Nutrition that featured Jon Beason in product placement shots. Jon arrived with a friendly smile and handshake. He looked liked the Jon Beason of old. But did he feel like he Jon Beason of old? I have had a few photo shoots with Jon among other social interactions. I'd consider him more of a friend than an acquaintance. "How ya feeling Jon" I asked, expecting his usual upbeat "ready to go" or "getting better every day". If Beason is anything, its an optimist. Instead he replied with a "We'll see" with a hint of unsureness. I knew then something was up. Since then, Jon Beason has worked through the pain of micro fracture surgery. He already has done what most people could not do in making it back to the NFL playing field. Motivation has never been a problem with Jon. Last night's trade announcement, while heartbreaking for Panthers fans, is probably the best thing for all parties involved. Once his salary was restructured to allow Beason to become a Free Agent at the end of the 2013 season, I knew this would be his last season as a Panther. Beason is a middle linebacker, and a good one at that. With the rise of Luke Kuechly as the best MLB in the game, Beason staying in Carolina would mean he would not be in a situation to be the very best football player he can be. If you know Jon Beason at all, you know that fact would not sit well with him. The New York Giants give Beason a real opportunity to get his career back on the middle track it needs to be on. In return, the New York Giants get a linebacker with tremendous leadership, work ethic, and a willingness to play through pain. The Panthers gain a late round draft pick. In a 2014 draft that will be heavy in offensive line for the Panthers, that is nothing to laugh at. Considering starting right tackle Byron Bell was never even drafted, a seventh round offensive line gem of a pick is not too hard to imagine. Win - Win - Win Will there be a leadership void left on the defense? You bet. But with Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly on the team, it won't take long for it to be filled. All in all, we should all be grateful to Jon for the good memories he provided over the years in a Panthers uniform. I know I'll be pulling for 52 in New York, and so should you. Click here to view the article

That is, perhaps, until now. In Carolina, Ginn has found a quarterback and a system that is not afraid to go vertical to him. Cam Newton may be the biggest difference maker for Ginn at this point in his career. Ginn says so himself... "A guy like Cam, he has a big arm and he's not scared of the speed. You get a guy who doesn't have a big arm sometimes and after you get two steps on a guy, he is scared he might under throw you and the defensive back might pick it off." Ginn currently has a pair of 40+ yard touchdowns from Cam Newton.This week against the Arizona Cardinals, Ginn has a chance to further cement his place as a legitimate NFL threat. Cardinals shutdown cornerback Patrick Peterson will cover Steve Smith for most of the game. If the Panthers plan on putting up points against their highly ranked rushing defense, they will need another receiver to step up and make plays. With Brandon Lafell being more of a possession type receiver, it will be up to Ginn to stretch the field. Just a single big play of 20 yards or more will help keep the Arizona defense honest and open up the passing lanes for Olsen and Lafell to cash in on. I believe he is up to the task. This Sunday Ted Ginn can tell the rest of the league that his career is just beginning. Click here to view the article

Here is a look at how the Carolina Panthers match up against the Arizona Cardinals: Quarterback: Carson Palmer vs Cam Newton. One is a pocket passer on the downward slop of his career. The other is one of the most dynamic play makers the NFL has ever seen. This is an easy call, Advantage: Panthers Running Backs: Arizona starter Rashard Mendenhall is having an awful year. Last week against the Bucs he averaged less than 3 yards per carry and fumbled twice. The backup is a 6th round rookie. Carolina has Deangelo Williams averaging 4.7 yards a carry and features one of the best running games in the NFL. Advantage: Panthers Offensive Line Neither unit is considered good. Carolina's saving grace is Cam Newton's mobility. Arizona's downfall is Palmers concrete feet. Advantage: Push Receivers Fitzgerald, Floyd, and Roberts vs Smith, Lafell, and Ginn... I would take the former over the latter, as would any coach in the NFL. Jim Dray vs Greg Olsen? No contest, Olsen wins hands down. Advantage: Cardinals. Defensive Line While the Cardinals defensive line is nothing to sneeze at, it just can't compare with what may be the best defensive line Carolina has ever had. Rookie Star Lotulelei is performing at a pro bowl level, making all the difference this season. Advantage: Panthers Linebackers Daryl Washington makes his return after his four game suspension on Sunday, and will play next to Karlos Dansby in their 3-4 scheme. They will see improved linebacker play than against the Bucs last week, but I still would take Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis any day of the week. Moch vs Blackburn is a push. Advantage: Panthers Secondary I'd trade the Panthers entire secondary for Patrick Peterson and Honey Badger. Advantage: Cardinals Bottom Line: The Panthers have the better players on the field and given adequate coaching and game planning should win this game. Overall Advantage - Carolina Panthers Click here to view the article

The Carolina Panthers head to Arizona on Sunday where they will try to being their record to 2-2. After handing the NY Giants their first shut out in years, the Carolina Panthers defense will continue their quest for league domination. Arizona currently ranks 27th in the league in total offense. The Panthers should be able to hold them to under 10 points. Here is a preview of what you will see Sunday.... Arizona won't be able to run the ball. Rashard Mendenhall had an awful performance last week. 21 yards gained on 12 carries and two fumbles. It doesn't get much worse for a running back. Rookie Andre Ellington may get more carries this week. Ellington is a speedy edge runner, but should be stifled by the Panthers superior linebackers and defensive ends.Carson Palmer will fold under pressure. A quick look at Palmer's stats tells the story. While under no pressure, Palmer's completion percentage is a respectable 64%. However, while under pressure that number drops to only 20%. If the Panthers front four can get pressure in the base packages the game is over.Larry Fitzgerald will have his moments. The Panthers secondary will not be able to contain Fitzgerald the entire game. I expect a big play or two from him. Although the Cardinals offense is struggling, Fitzgerald has three touchdowns so far this season. The Panthers will give plenty of safety help in covering him, as the deep long ball has been the Panthers weakness on defense at times this season.Overall I see a very productive day for the Panthers defense on Sunday. If they can contain the outside edges in the run game and get pressure with their base package it will be an easy victory. Click here to view the article

Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, Arian Foster... all running backs who are being out performed by the Carolina Panthers own Deangelo Williams. Deangelo quietly ranks 4th in the entire NFL, yet you won't hear his name in the media. Deangelo Williams With the promotion of Mike Shula to Offensive Coordinator, the Carolina Panthers doubled down on a running game still being important in a passing league. A risky move, but it appears to have some early returns. The Panthers have the second ranked rushing attack in the entire NFL. An amazing accomplishment given that Jonathan Stewart has been unavailable due to injury. By far Deangelo's most efficient running has been to the left edge with blocks provided by Jordan Gross where Deangelo is averaging a whopping 6.9 yards a carry. Interestingly, his second most efficient running is behind the right guard, who this season has been a mix of players. In a career with highs and lows, health and injuries, Deangelo has kept the right attitude. It remains to be seen if a premier rushing attack can again elevate teams to the NFL playoffs. No one is more hopeful than Ron Rivera and Mike Shula, who have wagered on this notion with their jobs on the line. Click here to view the article

While we all site and wait for the dreaded bye week to be over, let us take some time to appreciate the lovely Topcats for keeping the Bank of America crowd pumped up and ready to go. These gals work extremely hard perfecting their high kicks and hair swings for all of our benefit. Let us take a moment to thank the Topcats for all that they do! Click here to view the article

During warmups, Jerry Richardson typically plays host to the visiting executives. He is routinely seen driving them around on his cart as he shows them the stadium. This day was different. Jerry was not playing host. Instead, he got out of his cart and made his presence felt in the end zone during warm up drills. At one point I thought he was in danger of being hit by an offensive linemen, but he didn't budge. As they players walked to mid field, Jerry Richardson stood there stoically. The result was the biggest lopsided victory in Panthers history. The Panthers fired on all cylinders and finally gave fans a glimpse of what is possible with this team. The defense posted a shutout as I began to actually feel a little sorry for young Eli Manning. Eli frequently decided to hit the dirt before contact was made, a wise decision on his part. This was the defense that we all dreamed of this offseason. An unrelenting group of men determined to devastate their opponent. In fact, some of their hits knocked the Giants offensive players cleanly off their feet. The biggest question mark going in to the game was the Panthers secondary. Thomas Davis challenged them to make a play. The front seven was doing their part, it was time for the secondary to step up and contribute. Melvin White, a rookie out of Lafayette, did so in convincing fashion. His interception of Eli Manning some would say put the nail in their coffin. On offense we saw the Cam Newton of old. A Cam Newton not afraid to run the ball. A Cam Newton without the leash that Mike Shula had placed on him for two games. It seems the Panthers remembered they have one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league, and called plays accordingly. Cam did have an interception (pictured below). Credit the Giants defense for getting in his face and forcing Cam to throw off his back foot. That would be the last time the Giants defense did something worth mentioning. The Panthers rushing attack also found its mojo once again. Deangelo Wiliams rushed for 120 yards. Mike Tolbert was not as effective in terms of yards, but very effective in spelling Deangelo and making sure the Giants defensive interior stayed winded. One thing I pointed out in the pregame was that Cam would need to spread the ball around if the Panthers were to win this game. While it is strange not seeing Steve Smith on the top of the receiving stats, it is for the best. Brandon Lafell finally got a pair of Cam Newton touchdowns, and was congratulated by #1 in epic fashion... Tedd Ginn Also snared a touchdown... and promptly rewarded a lucky fan. But to me, the play of the game was the Cam Newton QB sneak for the touchdown. For weeks we have been calling for the Panthers to use Cam on short down yardage. You have a huge and hugely talented quarterback, why would you not run him for a short quick gain? Apparently Mike Shula heard our cries and turned him loose. The result was sustained drives and 7 points. Once Cam scored that touchdown, I could literally feel a huge weight being lifted off of his shoulders for him. He gave a yell that was more serious than campy. more genuine than contrived. It was pure unadulterated joy, and it was fantastic. After the game Cam was called over by Eli Manning and exchanged a few pleasantries with him. Cam was all class and wished him the best of luck the rest of the season. The End. Click here to view the article

Today, the Panthers get back on track with a glorious win against the Giants! Where: Bank of America Stadium When: 1:00 Weather: 75 and partly cloudy TV: Fox Radio: 1110 WBT Follow @carolinahuddleon twitter for tweets from the sidelines Keys to Panthers Victory - Intercept Eli Manning at least twice - Apply pressure with front four while in max coverage - Cam must spread the ball around and not lock in on receivers - Help Byron Bell with Justin Tuck Click here to view the article

Here are some of the more interesting tidbits about the NY Giants this week... Giants will try to run the ball against Carolina Former first round draft pick has struggled this season as a feature back. His two fumbles in Dallas and his 36 total yards this season are tell tale stats. Ron Rivera remarked that he believes the Giants will try to run the ball against Carolina, and he may be right, at least initially. Look for the Giants to try to establish a ground game in the first quarter and test the Carolina Panthers defense. The Giants are very healthy Carolina has had to bring in new starters to the roster on defense due to injuries, while the Giants look like the healthiest team in football. Not exactly a great sign for Sunday's game. Tom Coughlin not taking Carolina lightly, but it seems the NY Press is... Coughlin lost his younger brother in a freak accident yesterday, but appears to be focused on the game more than ever. This emotional loss could translate into his players showing their support by giving it everything they have got on the field Sunday. The Panthers had better be prepared for nothing less than the Giants have to offer.... Click here to view the article

The Carolina Panthers defense faces a tough task on Sunday against Eli Manning and the Giants. Here are a few things the Panthers can do to hold them at bay. Cover the Middle - The NY Giants bread and butter in the passing game is the center of the field and ten to twenty yards deep. Eli Manning's passing rating here is 137 and accounts for over a third of their total passing yards. With the Carolina Panthers secondary depleted, this will be a tough task. Luke Kuechly will have his hands full dropping back in coverage,Monstarz Inc must get pressure. The Panthers front four has been talking a lot, but aside from Star Lotulelei, have produced little. This week the Panthers need them to apply pressure to the quarterback in their base package. Eli Manning is great at a blitz pickup and is quick to find the open hot route. In fact, Eli's QB rating actually goes up when facing a blitz.What about the run? The Giants have only attempted 33 rushing plays in two games where they have averaged 2.2 yards per carry. This is an abysmal stat for them. The Panthers must minimize the Giants passing attack and force them to run. The front seven of Carolina should have little problem containing the Giants rushing attack.Be Patient - Eli Manning already has 7 interceptions this season. Even with a makeshift secondary, there will be opportunities for turnovers. The Panthers must intercept Manning in this game and give the Panthers offense plenty of opportunities to score. Click here to view the article

If the Panthers have a chance to win on Sunday against the New York Giants, it is going to be on the shoulder pads of the Panthers offense. That's right gentlemen, you're up. For two weeks the Panthers have been kept in the game due to the play of the Panthers defense. Against Seattle, they allowed only 12 points. In Buffalo, they provided two key turnovers that resulted in 6 gift wrapped points (should have been 14 points given the excellent field position). This week, it is time for the Panthers offense to take control and win a game. With key injuries in the Panthers defensive secondary, it is a forgone conclusion that Eli Manning and the New York Giants will score points. Lots of points. The good news, however, is that the Giants have also given up at least 36 points in both of their games this season. They are dead last in the league in points allowed at 38.5 a game. The Panthers offense is healthy. They are now in the third year of the same system (OC Mike Shula was hired solely on the continuity of that system). There are no excuses. The Panthers should score 30+. The road to victory will hinge on the following: 1. Right Tackle Byron Bell needs help. Bell had arguably his worst game as a pro against Buffalo. He will need help when facings Giants DE Justin Tuck this weekend. The Panthers can help Bell by chipping Tuck with Greg Olsen or Mike Tolbert. They may also want to consider moving Cam out of the pocket to buy time on passing downs. It is completely obvious that Bell is going to need help, failing to provide him with any this Sunday will be unacceptable. 2. Cam Newton must improve is accuracy while under pressure. This is where good quarterbacks become great quarterbacks. Last week Cam Newton's completion percentage dropped to 36.4 when under pressure. Russell Wilson has a 50% completion rating when under pressure. Eli Manning also completes 50% of his passes while under pressure. If Cam Newton wants to be considered a great QB, he must do so when under pressure. 3. Cam must run. Because of the NFL's new rule that allows harder hitting of a QB while running, Carolina has grounded Cam Newton's rushing attack. While it is a good idea to keep Cam healthy, I feel they have taken it to far. This season Cam has had ample room to run for 5-10 yards and safely and slide, but has chosen not to. Newton has a knack for getting down before a hit and avoiding injury, unlike RGIII. Let Cam run the ball, this will go a long way into pulling linebackers in and opening up passing lanes. 4. Speed it up Shula. This is the second week in a row I have called for the Panthers to speed up the offense. Efficiency is at its highest when Cam can call his own plays at the line and move the chains. This Sunday, the Panthers must go into a hurry up mode and keep the Giants defense winded. New York will most likely score quickly. The Panthers need to match them score for score. Click here to view the article

This game has to be one of the biggest heart breakers in Panthers history. Considering the large number of heart beakers, that is saying something. Offense: It may be quicker to say what looked good on offense. Greg Olsen and Steve Smith were worth watching. Tedd Ginn had some nice plays. The rest of the team was forgettable to terrible. Cam Newton had numerous overthrows including a quick out to Armanti Edwards that sailed 3 feet over his hands. That is a throw even Jake Delhomme would make at least 5 times a game. It is a real head scratcher. Byron Bell did not look like a legitimate right tackle as Mario Williams broke the Bills single game sack record while breezing right by him. Still, they manages a couple of touchdowns and a few field goals, so it is not all bad news... just mostly. Offensive Grade: D Defense: They won the turnover battle but again got winded late in the game. After holding the Bills to three points in the first half, they gave up big yards and points in the second. I was hoping to see several blitz packages but with the Panthers secondary depleted they did not take that chance. The front 4 or "Monsterz Inc" failed to get any pressure on EJ Emanuel for most of the game. Big talk, small game. Overall, a better performance than the offense, but not good enough. Defensive Grade - C Coaching: It is hard to remember a worse coaching performance in a single game. Ron Rivera was out coached by a rookie head coach and lost to a team who repeatedly tried to lose the game themselves with dumb penalties. It was like Rivera was coaching against himself and still lost. Shutting down the Panthers offense with a minute to go has never won us a game, yet it continues to be his strategy. Rivera is 2-14 in games that are decided within one score. Thats all you really need to know. Coaching Grade - F To those of you calling for coaching changes, don't get your hopes up. It won't happen this season. Click here to view the article

Today we find out what the 2013 Carolina Panthers are really made of. Will the Panthers rise to the occasion in victory? Who: Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium When: Kickoff is at 1:00 TV: FOX Game Chat is Open, 50 person limit, first come first serve. Panthers Keys to Victory - Win the turnover battle - Frustrate the rookie QB Manuel - Get more players involved on offense Click here to view the article

In Buffalo, Sal Maiorana and Adam Benigni discuss Sunday's Bills-Panthers game. "I'm not concerned about how Cam Newton will attack them through the air." "I'm not concerned about defense against the Panthers" "I'm not sure Carolina can match New England front 7 wise" (lolwut?) We witnessed last night that Tom Brady has a worse wide receiver position to be in than the Panthers. Sorry Sal, it wasn't the Buffalo defense that held Brady, it was Brady's lack of NFL caliber receivers. Click here to view the article

Here are a few things worth mentioning about the Panthers upcoming Buffalo Bills opponent. Bills Safety Jaruis Byrd missed the Bills home opener last week due to injury. It looks like he may miss this week as well. Byrd suffers from Plantar Fascitis, an inflammatory foot condition that affects the heel. The bad news for Byrd is that in most chronic cases, this is a degenerative condition that may not heal. Byrd is also not happy about his fanchise tag, and could be jockeying for a trade. _______________________________ ESPN did an article on grading the Bills Cornerbacks Overall, they had very poor grades. Going from Seattle corner backs to Buffalo cornerbacks should be an advantageous one for the Panthers wideouts. Armanti Edwards and Domenik Hixon are both healthy and should see playing time. If there is a game where they can prove their worth, this is it. ________________________________ Buffalo News is concerned about the Bills third down efficiency... If the BIlls struggled on third down against against a weak Patriots defense, expect them to struggle even more against the Panthers. ________________________________ According to Buffalo News, EJ Manuel plans on throwing deep against the Panthers.. Panthers cornerback Josh Thomas had a poor showing against Seattle, but I do not expect that to happen two weeks in a row. Sunday's game is a homecoming for Thomas, who attended university at Buffalo. Thomas will bring his A game, no player wants to perform poorly in his college town. Click here to view the article