Week 13 WIN against the Saints - Stats & Analysis

[KB_fan]

WOW!   12 & 0!!!

What a game!  Amazing that on a day when we had a lot of errors, we still came away with the win, winning a shoot out with Drew Brees in the Superdome.   WAY TO GO PANTHERS!!!  KINGS OF THE SOUTH!!!

Here's a thread to round up and gather various statistics and analysis from this week.

[KB_fan]

For early this a.m. (I'm up after only 3 hours of sleep... and need to get to work soon)

Here's a shot of the playoff picture as it currently stands.  Amazing that we've clinched our division in week 13.  We're the only team so far with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.  Love it!

 

Much more throughout the day as I find brief snippets of time to post things.

[KB_fan]

Thanks to an article at ESPN, here's a nice table showing all the 10 teams in history that have ever started 12-0:

The Panthers are #10

Source:  http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/17703/cam-newton-panthers-show-their-resiliency-in-remaining-undefeated

[KB_fan]

From that same article at ESPN, some great commentary from Greg Olsen, which I really think captures what happened yesterday:

 

Quote

 

Tight end Greg Olsen said the win showed Carolina can “win ugly.’’

“For every team that looks back on a special season or a championship season, you look back, ‘Hey, that game could have gone against us. That game could have not gone our way,’ ’’ he said.

“But good teams make their own luck. Good teams respond. We couldn’t have had more negative, critical errors go against us and to still score 41 points and win the game, to me it says a lot about the guys we have.’’

 

 

[KB_fan]

Yesterday was only the third game of the season when we'd trailed in both halves of the game - the other two were our 1st game against New Orleans, and our game against Seattle.

We overcame our largest point deficit yesterday.  We'd been down 13 against Seattle.

We've trailed in 6 games we've played, and never trailed in the other 6.

Here's a summary table: (click on the table for a larger version)

 

[KB_fan]

Here are the Panthers-related "takeaways" from the game posted at NFL.com

 

Quote

 

Bolstering his MVP case, Cam Newton tossed five touchdowns passes for the second time in three weeks, leading the Carolina Panthers to a 41-38 victory over the New Orleans Saints (4-8) in a Week 13 shootout. Here's what you need to know:

1. Newton has raised his level of play over the past month, starting a game 11-of-11 for the first time in his career (Week 10), hurling five touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career (Week 11) and completing 15 consecutive passes (Week 13) for the first time in his career. His efficiency in the fourth quarter has been stellar all along, carrying his offense with a return specialist, a journeyman slot receiver and a second-round rookie at wideout. The Panthers have to be slightly concerned about the hits he's taking, but the 6-foot-6, 260-pound signal-caller seems indestructible after shaking off an ankle injury and a helmet-to-helmet hit on Sunday.

Prior to last season, no team had ever captured the NFC South crown in back-to-back seasons. The Panthers have now accomplished the feat in three consecutive years, while becoming the ninth team in history to open the season with a 12-0 record. They haven't lost a regular season game in more than a calendar year. It's a good sign that the NFL's lone undefeated team was able to pull out a sloppy victory despite a trio of first-half turnovers, four touchdowns allowed by the previously stingy defense and two egregious drops by Ted Ginn on a pair of would-be touchdown bombs.

 

4. Third in the league in rushing yards, Jonathan Stewart has carried the ball at least 20 times in eight consecutive games. As the most physical tackle breaker in the NFL, Stewart absorbs and dishes out as much punishment as any player on a weekly basis. Now that the division is locked up, the Panthers should start using rookie Cameron Artis-Payne and fullback Mike Tolbert to spell Stewart before the 28-year-old draft horse breaks down under the heaviest workload of his career.

5. Rob Gronkowski's knee injury could leave the door open for Greg Olsen's first appearance on the All-Pro list. Newton's most reliable receiver all season long, Olsen is second only to Gronkowski among tight ends with 917 receiving yards. He pulled in a 31-yard grab to set up Ginn's 45-yard touchdown, and came through with a huge fourth-down conversion that led to Jerricho Cotchery's game-winning score.

6. Panthers starting free safety Kurt Coleman is emblematic of general manager Dave Gettleman's uncanny knack for identifying under-the-radar free agents and the coaching staff's ability to bring out their full potential. With interceptions in four consecutive games, Coleman's half-dozen on the season are second only to Reggie Nelson's seven. He deserves Pro Bowl consideration, along with Josh Norman, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Kawann Short in Carolina's star-studded defense.

 

 

[KB_fan]

I liked this quote from Ron Rivera re: Cam's development as a QB - especially his confidence in leading 4th Q comeback drives:

on Cam Newton’s fourth-quarter comeback
“That is one of the things that we get out of this that we will certainly build on, that he was able to win a shootout and take a drive in the fourth quarter to give us a chance to win. It goes back to his whole development as a quarterback in this league. I am really proud of what he did and the confidence in which he played with (today).”

via the "Quotes to Note" article at BBR where there's much more great commentary

http://blackandbluereview.com/quotes-to-note-panthers-at-saints/

[KB_fan]

Darrin Gantt frequently quotes a key statistic to show how the Panthers have grown and matured since the early days of Ron & Cam.. 

From 2011 - early 2013 and the birth of Riverboat Ron, the Panthers were 2-14 in games decided by a touchdown or less.  

Since week 3 of 2013, we've gone 14-2-1 in such games.  AMAZING

Under Ron & Cam, the Panthers record in 1 score games is now 16-16-1

Let me just put this statistic into words another way to make it sink in even more strongly:  We've won 14 of our last 17 games decided by a touchdown or less, tied 1 and lost 2.  Our last loss of a "close" game was against Atlanta in week 11 last year (Nov 16) when we lost 17-19.  Since then, we've won 8 close games (8 points or less) in a row.

TRULY THIS TEAM HAS LEARNED "HOW TO WIN"

[zacka77ack]

I'll get pictures later when I have time.

In 2014 the Panthers 16 game win streak began with a blowout in New Orleans.  The offense amassed a gaudy 497 yards of offense, scoring an impressive 41 points. 

In 2015 that win streak continued on with the Panthers grinding out a tough win in New Orleans. The offense amassed a gaudy 497 yards of offense, scoring an impressive 41 points. 

No you didn't read that wrong.

[KB_fan]

BBR has some interesting tweets about snap counts this a.m.:

Black & Blue Review ‏@BlackBlueReview 1m1 minute ago

Colin Jones played 9 defensive snaps, none after B.Watson TD. Cortland Finnegan played 30 of 61.

 

Black & Blue Review ‏@BlackBlueReview 4m4 minutes ago

Panthers opened in jumbo pkg w/D.Williams as extra OL & D.Funchess as lone WR. So he started, but played 26 snaps while P.Brown played 61.

 

[KB_fan]

This is not a stat I've seen others write about (or at least I don't remember seeing commentary on this), but I got curious about the fact that we gave up 38 points and still won the game.  I wondered if that had ever happened before.

I've only looked back as far as 2011 under Cam & Ron. 

Yes, it's happened once before:  Against the Saints, In New Orleans, week 17 of the 2012 season, we won 44 - 38.

Until yesterday, under Cam & Ron, we've previously LOST 18 of 20 games where our opponents scored 30+ points.  We tied another, and won ONLY 1.

2011 season:  lost 8 of 8 games when opponents scored 30+ points

2012 season:  lost 3 of 4 games when opponents scored 30+ points (the 1 win being the week 17 win against Saints)

2013 season:  lost 1 of 1 games -  we lost the only game of the year when our opponent scored 30+ points...to the Saints in New Orleans.

2014 season:  Of 7 games where our opponents scored 30+ points, we lost 6 and tied 1.

2015 season:   New Orleans is the only team we've allowed to score 30+ points, and we won.  In my mind, that's HUGE.

 

 

[UpstatePanther]

2 hours ago, KB_fan said:

Thanks to an article at ESPN, here's a nice table showing all the 10 teams in history that have ever started 12-0:

The Panthers are #10

Source:  http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/17703/cam-newton-panthers-show-their-resiliency-in-remaining-undefeated

I'll take a 77.78% chance of making the a Super Bowl any time! Haha. Though the stats will have to give at some point. When we get to the NFCCG, we'll have a 50% chance, regardless of our record. :/

1 hour ago, KB_fan said:

Darrin Gantt frequently quotes a key statistic to show how the Panthers have grown and matured since the early days of Ron & Cam.. 

From 2011 - early 2013 and the birth of Riverboat Ron, the Panthers were 2-14 in games decided by a touchdown or less.  

Since week 3 of 2013, we've gone 14-2-1 in such games.  AMAZING

Under Ron & Cam, the Panthers record in 1 score games is now 16-16-1

Let me just put this statistic into words another way to make it sink in even more strongly:  We've won 14 of our last 17 games decided by a touchdown or less, tied 1 and lost 2.  Our last loss of a "close" game was against Atlanta in week 11 last year (Nov 16) when we lost 17-19.  Since then, we've won 8 close games (8 points or less) in a row.

TRULY THIS TEAM HAS LEARNED "HOW TO WIN"

So in other words, since the birth of Riverboat Ron, this team has done a complete 180 in the area of close games

[KB_fan]

Some interesting tweets about Cam's stats yesterday:

Jonathan Jones ‏@jjones9 1h1 hour ago

10/14 for 154, 2 TDs and 0 INT when under pressure vs Saints

Jonathan Jones Retweeted Pro Football Focus:

Pro Football Focus @PFF

Cam Newton's performance against the Saints takes over as the highest single-game grade we've given a QB this year. #MVPRace

 

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 33m33 minutes ago

Cam Newton in 4th qtr/OT this season w/ QB rank:  8.8 yds/att (3rd) 6-to-1 TD/Int ratio (T-2nd) 11 rushing 1st downs (1st) 89 Total QBR (1st)

[KB_fan]

BBR has posted this week's snap counts:

http://blackandbluereview.com/week-13-snap-counts-panthers-at-saints/

Notes - offense:

–Jonathan Stewart set two career highs: 1.) 63 snaps were his most ever; 2.) He’s now at 232 carries, his most in a season. Stewart also extended his streak of 20 carries or more, which is now at eight straight games.

–After leading WRs with 57 snaps in Dallas, Devin Funchess technically started against the Saints. But Philly Brown, who missed the past two games, played 61 snaps compared to Funchess’ 26.

–Rookie Daryl Williams got his first start because the Panthers started the game in their jumbo package, which they used seven more times after the opening play.

 

Notes - defense:

–Roman Harper played every snap against his former team. It’s just the second time this season (Packers) he’s been in for 100 percent of plays on defense.

–After seeing just 24 snaps in his return from temporary IR against the Cowboys, Charles Johnson’s plays jumped to 51.

–The playtime distribution was interesting at DE. Jared Allen played the second-most snaps (44), followed by Ryan Delaire (17). Kony Ealy, who was flagged twice in a matter of seconds for neutral zone infractions, saw his fewest plays of the season (12).

–Colin Jones started at nickelback, but he only played special teams after the Saints’ first scoring drive. Cortland Finnegan, who was playing his first NFL game in nearly a year, saw 21 more snaps than Jones.