Panthers main focus/strength is running the ball. The current NFL is a passing league

[theedaddy]

Panthers are a stop the run on defense, run the ball on offense. That is old school football, that doesnt work as well now. Seems every year the NFL passes new rule/s to help the passing game. This current thinking is back@sswards for the growing trend of new rules for QBs, WRs, DEs(cannt barely touch QB now)and DBs.

Not saying run the ball, stop the run will not win games, its just not 1972, nor 2003. Look at the current NFL superbowl winners and recent playoff teams. Their QB will throw for 4,000 easy peezy. You must throw if you want a easy path to winning current NFL games, its just that simple.

[panther4life]

I see what your saying but you have to think a little deeper than that. Not every team can have a drew brees, peyton, brady etc. If you have that then i certainly agree with a monster passing attack and challenging people to a shootout. If you dont have an elite qb then your next best bet is to have what we've got. A power running game that can control the clock and can still finish (score). This way we avoid the shootouts that without an elite qb your normally going to lose.

[Jase]

Funny you meantion 1972, because that was around the beginning of the air coryell offense. People thought the dominating running game was dying by the end of the 70s, too.

It's a pendulum that swings back and forth, pretty quickly actually, between which type of team enjoys the most success.

[jakesthemistake]

thats why we needed to dump jake and hoover a draft few WRs

i think john fox has noticed this after last season lets all hope anyways

dont get me wrong double trouble is amazing but right now all our opponent has to do is blitz and double Smitty.. i wouldn't mind picking up Brandon Marshall as a number 2 WR

[Swarly]

Jets made it to the AFC championship with a heavy run/play action/strong defense style of play..

We could have done the same, but Jake completely negated any passing attack we had. Once Matt was in we didn't suddenly stop running the ball as much, we were just able to throw in some passing that didn't result in turning the ball over.

[Lumps]

Its a trade off how many elite QBs have 2 elite rbs? hell even one? But being able to pass is a must.The panthers were a run first team...with Delhomme. I hope things change with Moore and the Panthers really start letting him loose to see what he is fully capable of.

[Wither]

Everyone says the NFL is a passing league. Has anyone ever taken into account other factors, such as the other strengths of those teams? How about luck and coincidence? I don't think it's a "running league" but I also don't think you have to pass to win. It's just ignorant to think that you have to have an elite QB and a crazy passing game when all you need to stop that kind of team is an elite defense.

[Cyberjag]

I wonder how many times someone's said this, I've almost lost count.

In this year's Super Bowl the team that was better running the ball beat the team that was better passing the ball. New Orleans was the best passing team in 2008, but went 8-8. In 2009, they were the 6th best rushing team in the league and won the Super Bowl.

The year before, the Cards were the second best passing team in the league, and lost to the Steelers, who didn't have to do much more than run the ball and play great pass defense.

In 2007, Tom Brady rewrote the passing record books. Unfortunately, the Patriots faced the league's best rushing attack in the Super Bowl and got smacked around.

Now, in 2006 a pass-happy Colts team did manage to beat Chicago, but the Bears couldn't run OR pass, and their defense let them down.

But then you go back to 2005, when the Super Bowl winner was coincidentally the team that led the league in rushing attempts.

If you can successfully run the ball, then you get to keep it almost the entire game. It's not sexy, it's not real exciting, and you don't put a zillion points on the board. But you win. And that goes for 2010 just as much as it did for 2000, 1990, 1980, 1970, etc...

So yeah, we're a running team. What about it?

[Cyberjag]

Oh, and by the way, you made a simple mistake.

We're a stop the run AND the pass defense. As a matter of fact, the problem with our defense was that we couldn't stop the run early on. When both of those elements are clicking, then our running game makes us pretty damned good.

[theedaddy]

again. I'm stating in 2010 the current NFL is passing. Its easy to win if nearly each year there are new rules that favor passing.

is it 100% lock to if you pass, no. Run/stop the run still works, just not as well as passing/stoping the pass. Even the new OT favors passing.

now asking for a elite QB, just a 4,000 yarder. Thats not anything now-a-days.

Do the teams that finsih one though eight in passing make the playoffs? No, do it seems passing is still a common among atleast six of them.

Jets HAD a beast of D. That just proves the point more, no passing game.......You better have the best defense AND best running game so you can BARELY make the playoffs.

Old way that still can win, but harder to do so in 2010 Run/stop the run.

The current model pass/shut down the pass.

[PhillyB]

good thing we have an epic pass defense

[Seamonk]

again. I'm stating in 2010 the current NFL is passing. Its easy to win if nearly each year there are new rules that favor passing.

is it 100% lock to if you pass, no. Run/stop the run still works, just not as well as passing/stoping the pass. Even the new OT favors passing.

now asking for a elite QB, just a 4,000 yarder. Thats not anything now-a-days.

Do the teams that finsih one though eight in passing make the playoffs? No, do it seems passing is still a common among atleast six of them.

Jets HAD a beast of D. That just proves the point more, no passing game.......You better have the best defense AND best running game so you can BARELY make the playoffs.

Old way that still can win, but harder to do so in 2010 Run/stop the run.

The current model pass/shut down the pass.

I'm sorry, but if every defense in the league is being built up to stop the pass because every team is switching to a more pass friendly offense, wouldn't it make more sense to stick with a power running game? There will be mismatches everywhere.

[rodeo]

it's only a passing league until the next running team wins the super bowl.

[The Other Colbert]

it's only a passing league until the next running team wins the super bowl.

this.