We need TD back.

[Snake]

1 hour ago, LinvilleGorge said:

If TD still looks anything like TD when he comes back we just need to honor his wishes to continue playing and let Shaq walk. Not worth $9M+. That type of money is for difference makers.

We drafted a S/LB tweener that covers like a run stopping LB and supports the run like a coverage safety. I've always defended Shaq in the past, but this is his time to shine and it's been hard to remember that he's actually been on the field.

His coverage is definitely been horrible. We will be investing in some LB's in the future. Still we let a solid one walk to our division rival last year. One can ask why we didn't just offer him a deal. 

[Snake]

14 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Yep, I was all for the torch being passed to Shaq this year. Hell, I said the same thing last off-season for last season. But, Shaq IMO has shown us why that hasn't happened over the past three games. We need to see more out of this guy before we commit $9M+ in cap space to him next season. He's plenty worth his current cap value, but he's certainly not worth $9M+ based on what we've seen out of him so far.

Yeah but even Luke has looked human this year. No one wants to admit it but playing musical chairs at DC has had some effect and not a good one. 

[LinvilleGorge]

Just now, Snake said:

Yeah but even Luke has looked human this year. No one wants to admit it but playing musical chairs at DC has had some effect and not a good one. 

Luke looked great against the Cowboys and great again early against the Falcons. He missed an uncharacteristic amount of tackles over the course of the Falcons game but I'm not sure we can blame that on Wilks. He isn't out there trying to tackle ball carriers. Luke looked fine today, the Bengals just had a game plan in place to avoid him. They were trying to attack the edges of the D and when they went middle they usually went deep middle. It was a solid game plan, but Jackson made them pay for it.

[cbully]

"Will we even miss TD?" LMAO!!! Shaq is not going to replace TD.....ever! 

[Snake]

15 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Luke looked great against the Cowboys and great again early against the Falcons. He missed an uncharacteristic amount of tackles over the course of the Falcons game but I'm not sure we can blame that on Wilks. He isn't out there trying to tackle ball carriers. Luke looked fine today, the Bengals just had a game plan in place to avoid him. They were trying to attack the edges of the D and when they went middle they usually went deep middle. It was a solid game plan, but Jackson made them pay for it.

I think he has missed more because Davis isn't out there and because scheme has changed. I think you are seeing it start to click for some players like Jackson and Bradberry and others it's going to probably get better when everyone is comfortable with the system. 

[CPcavedweller]

"but...but...he steals reps from Shaq, we should just cut him and save some money and make a go of it with Shaq, Luke, and Mayo."

Seriously though, Davis may be earning himself an extension by being out. We need him to line up in nickel packages because Shaq's recognition isn't quite where it needs to be to allow his athleticism to take over, we need him outside in base formation to allow for more flexibility in blitz calls that are actually effective, and we need him for his ability to lead on the sideline. He could be the difference for Shaq, even if Shaq is the one playing on nickel packages, but right now we can't afford to leave Mayo on an island to cover any zone. 

[CPcavedweller]

43 minutes ago, Snake said:

I think he has missed more because Davis isn't out there and because scheme has changed. I think you are seeing it start to click for some players like Jackson and Bradberry and others it's going to probably get better when everyone is comfortable with the system. 

Funny how Jackson and Bradberry are suddenly every Panthers fan's hero when we get pressure again. Last week they were pariahs who wouldn't start for a Division 3 Canadian College football team. 

The fact is that the defense is better with Davis. It's been that way since he got here and is the reason he was kept around despite three ACL tears. 

[CPcavedweller]

1 hour ago, Snake said:

Yeah but even Luke has looked human this year. No one wants to admit it but playing musical chairs at DC has had some effect and not a good one. 

Ever thought that it's possible Luke looks human because the two humans on either side of him can't fill a gap or cover a tight end? He looks exasperated because he's making checks at the line but guys aren't playing their call. Davis helps Luke make calls and he knows his responsibilities. Both Mayo and Shaq are still thinking entirely too much which results in being out of position. The difference between Mayo and Davis taking on a blocker is also monumental. Davis can hold up an offensive lineman and demand their attention while Mayo is simply thrown out of the way. 

[Icege]

Are we watching the same Shaq Thompson, or are people here just that wax poetic on TD?

Because otherwise it looks like a bunch of folks that don't know poo about football complaining about a solid contributor to our starting lineup.

[bigdog10]

8 hours ago, Chaos said:

If we can beat the Giants and get a healthy TD back at 3-1, I’m feeling excited.

Barkley is going to be a huge challenge for this defense. Hopefully bad Eli shows up and we can contain Barkley. 

[Ricky Spanish]

24 minutes ago, Icege said:

Are we watching the same Shaq Thompson, or are people here just that wax poetic on TD?

Because otherwise it looks like a bunch of folks that don't know poo about football complaining about a solid contributor to our starting lineup.

I honestly didn't see Shaq play horribly yesterday so I don't really know?

I mean his assignments as a LB are going to be TE and RBs, and we did a decent job of covering those guys yesterday from what I saw, but I was watching an unreliable stream so I don't really know, I might have missed some stuff. I saw him zero in on Bernard on the last drive, waste no steps and plant him into the ground before he could even move. That was pretty nice. I also saw him knife through the linemen on a swing screen to the outside as well. 

[DeAngelo Beason]

Well the sh*t linebacker play from Thompson and Mayo is starting to lead Kuechly to be out of position on a lot of plays, so the effects are starting to compound.  You could see him drifting toward Mayo's side of the field all game which left his zones open quite a few times yesterday.  Thompson is a good player, not great.  Mayo is absolute garage.  I mean he is utterly worthless.  Damn.

[larosiaddw]

I think shaq is good.  we are just spoiled from having Luke and TD.

[emhoward]

He was great against Dallas. Everyone sucked against the Falcons, and was alright yesterday... not sure what to make of him yet.