Week 7 WIN against Philadelphia - Stats & Analysis

[KB_fan]

Just now got to finish watching the game, after my internet died last night at halftime...  So excited that we're 6-0.  Each win has been pretty different in character...  I just love that the team keeps doing whatever it takes, with different players stepping up on offense and defense each week.  We've truly been winning as a team.  Awesome.

Here's the thread to post interesting statistics & analysis about the game.   I'll see what I can do later this week (Wed /Thurs) in terms of original analysis & tables, but my work continues to be pretty busy this week.

 

 

[KB_fan]

As context, Here is a stats & superlatives article that BBR posted PRIOR to the game:

http://blackandbluereview.com/stats-superlatives-panthers-eagles-pregame/

 

Here are a few of the stats & interesting notes posted at BBR in their rapid reaction article following the game:

http://blackandbluereview.com/rapid-reactions-panthers-eagles/

Six straight wins to begin the season breaks a tie with the 2003 Super Bowl team for the hottest start in franchise history. The win also extends a franchise-best regular-season win streak to 10 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

• The Panthers remain ahead of the Falcons in the NFC South by half a game. 

• The Panthers snapped their four-game prime-time regular-season losing streak. 

• RB Jonathan Stewart has 120 rushing yards tonight, the first time an RB has hit 100 vs PHI in 19 games and just the second in last 29.

• The Panthers scored their first offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season on a 2-yard run by FB Mike Tolbert. 

• DT Kawann Short, the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week after a six tackle, two sacks and one pass defensed performance in Seattle, totaled eight tackles, three sacks, one pass defensed with a forced fumble. 

• Newton’s 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter was his 37th career rushing score, which moved him into a third-place tie with Steve McNair for third-most all-time by a QB. Newton now trails only Steve Young (43) and Kordell Stewart (38) for the most since the 1970 merger.

• The Panthers, Patriots, Bengals, Broncos and Packers are all 6-0. Five teams at 6-0 is a new NFL record. 

 

[KB_fan]

Scott Fowler's analysis of the game at the Observer is quite worth reading.   I appreciated these stats which he threw in. 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/scott-fowler/article41421639.html

But as usual with Carolina, it comes down to Newton more than it comes down to anyone else. He shepherded an offense that had a season-high seven plays of 20 or more yards, including five passes.

Carolina now has scored at least 20 points in every game this season – the Panthers failed to reach that mark nine times in 2014.

 

[KB_fan]

KK Short was just amazing again.

Jonathan Jones ‏@jjones9 6h6 hours ago

In his past 2 games, Panthers DT Kawann Short has 5 sacks, 2 batted passes, 1 tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

[O-Ther]

Second game in a row we've been -2 turnover ratio and still won

TD was our leading tackler with 13 not Luke with only 11 (only?)

1st calf-roping sack celebration for Jared Allen as a Panther

 

 

[KB_fan]

Second game in a row we've been -2 turnover ratio and still won

TD was our leading tackler with 13 not Luke with only 11 (only?)

1st calf-roping sack celebration for Jared Allen as a Panther

Agree it's really impressive that we could win against both Seattle and Philly with a - 2 turnover ratio.  The key in both is that our D limited our opponents ability to score on those turnovers.  Philly only scored 6 points on the 3 Panthers turnovers.

Coming into the game, Philly had been on a winning streak whenever they got 3 or more takeaways:

As Panthers.com notes:  (though I wish they'd provided more details on the Eagles streak,...)

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-2/Recap-Panthers-27-Eagles-16/ea411f23-3f4d-4cff-9fe2-e19ac841c1c1

The Philadelphia Eagles entered their Sunday Night Football showdown against the Carolina Panthers with an unbeaten record when forcing at least three turnovers and a winless record when failing to force three or more.

The Eagles intercepted quarterback

Cam Newton three times.  The Panthers didn't bat an eye.

[KB_fan]

The NFL.com article about the game is pretty positive towards the Panthers.  They give huge props to Norman & Short, and overall think Panthers are "well-rounded".  Here's an excerpt:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000565970/article/cam-stewart-pace-panthers-to-win-over-eagles?icampaign=Playoffpicture_news

5. Revis Island is so 2010. Norman's Cay is all that's hot in the streets; that's who the millenials are Twitter-ing about. The Panthers' cornerback is reaching Revis-like levels of dominance, so much so that teams are starting to actively avoid throwing his way, as they did with Revis after his historic 2009 season. When the Eagles did throw Josh Norman's way Sunday night, he made them pay. Norman showed perfect extension and form breaking up a potential touchdown pass late in the second quarter. Not to be outdone, leading the Panthers' defense on the line was defensive tackle Kawann Short, who harassed Sam Bradford all night long to the tune of two sacks -- he has four in two weeks.

6. The Panthers are still undefeated, reaching 6-0 for the first time in their storied 21-year history. With the NFC South growing more and more competitive -- the Falcons (6-1) are keeping pace and the Saints (3-4) are suddenly marching in the right direction -- the pressure on Carolina to continue winning will increase week-by-week. This well-rounded Panthers team looks up to the challenge.

[KB_fan]

This was tweeted just prior to the end of the game:

Black & Blue Review ‏@BlackBlueReview 8h8 hours ago

#Panthers will be 21-2-1 when scoring at least 20 pts since the start of 2013.

[KB_fan]

This was also tweeted prior to the end of the game, so it may not be J Stew's final yard tally:

Black & Blue Review ‏@BlackBlueReview 8h8 hours ago

Jonathan Stewart has 120 rushing yards tonight, the first time an RB has hit 100 vs PHI in 19 games and just the second in last 29.

[O-Ther]

Btw our next opponent is officially dead last in total defense right now

With the Dolts losing to the Taints, we will not face our first team with an above .500 record until week 9 vs. the Rodgerses's. Last year we faced a 1-0 Detroit in week 2

[O-Ther]

Panthers had a streak of converting 7 straight trips to the red zone into TDs snapped in the 4th quarter when we settled for a 35 yard FG

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

Norman's Cay?

It's Lake Norman. Get it right, NFL.

[KB_fan]

Panthers had a streak of converting 7 straight trips to the red zone into TDs snapped in the 4th quarter when we settled for a 35 yard FG

Yup, I saw that and was really excited about it.  A huge key in our last 2 wins.

I LOVE how we scored on our opening drives in both halves.  Slowly we're destroying a lot of Panthers myths this season.  We've just helped diminish the "Panthers are bad in primetime" myth, and also the "Panthers always start slow" storyline.   Nice.

[KB_fan]

Darin Gantt had a good comment on the game, that the Panthers' success is coming from knowing who they are as a team and playing true to their identity:

Heres an excerpt:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/10/25/sunday-night-wrap-up-panthers-run-their-way-to-6-0-start/

The Panthers do not necessarily play an attractive style of football, and that’s going to cause people to doubt their legitimacy.

But they are excellent at one thing in particular — they know exactly who they are.

They lack receiving targets, and their quarterback is unconventional. But they are a team completely in touch without their own personality, and they showed it again Sunday night in a 27-16 win over the Eagles.

The Panthers ran for 204 yards and passed for 190, clearly willing to grind out a game under the lights when people are watching.

But even if it’s not the most watchable brand of football, it’s working for them. And self-awareness has to be worth something.