Jump to content
  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

The precedence for this loss..


Darth Biscuit

Recommended Posts

...was set earlier this season in our losses to Minn and TB. In both of those games, we started off with an early turnover... in the Minn game it was a Jake fumble on a pass rush play, and the TB game was a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

This Saturday night as soon as Jake lost that fumble, I knew that we were in trouble based on what I had seen earlier this season.

In the other two regular season losses, the game turned out differently and although we didn't play that great in the ATL loss, there wasn't the feeling of despair about the game.

This game against AZ was just like those two previous losses to Minn and TB in that I could just see the air deflate right out of the Panthers. They became a desperate team in the first quarter when there was no reason to be that way.

Why is that? Is that the mentality of the players? Is it the way they are coached? I think it has to be some of both and I just don't understand it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...was set earlier this season in our losses to Minn and TB. In both of those games, we started off with an early turnover... in the Minn game it was a Jake fumble on a pass rush play, and the TB game was a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

This Saturday night as soon as Jake lost that fumble, I knew that we were in trouble based on what I had seen earlier this season.

In the other two regular season losses, the game turned out differently and although we didn't play that great in the ATL loss, there wasn't the feeling of despair about the game.

This game against AZ was just like those two previous losses to Minn and TB in that I could just see the air deflate right out of the Panthers. They became a desperate team in the first quarter when there was no reason to be that way.

Why is that? Is that the mentality of the players? Is it the way they are coached? I think it has to be some of both and I just don't understand it.

I agree w/u that it's some of both, but most of it rests with coaching, It's coaching that helps the players develop the mental toughness to stay in games and never give up. That's what we've seen with the teams that are advancing to the Championship round. Mike Tomlin (Steelers) said in his post game comments that he told his guys "we are not going to play scared". That's the difference between championship-like teams and the rest and playing "scared" has been a problem for this regime for far too long.

Secondly, your leaders on the field (i.e. QB) have to show that they can shake off mistakes, not get rattled and flustered, but fight through to lead the team to victory. When things are going well, Jake looks good. Unfortunately, when things are going bad, Delhomme gets frustrated, throws his hands up, and compounds mistakes with more mistakes. We have a DE in Peppers who's a marvelous athlete and a potentially great player; but when things are going bad, he shuts down and stops giving maximum effort (though some help on the DL and a better defensive scheme would do wonders for his confidence). At this stage, apparently we few of the type of leaders I mentioned formally (Smith and Beason being two of them). And realistically, I don't see things changing as long as Fox is at the helm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, in case you guys didn't know, games like the one we had on Saturday are the reason why no one covers us and we "Get no respect" when it comes to the experts. Remember that please.

This is a good point. We get no respect because we're a small market team that has games like this. It's the inconsistency... and to that I directly link the coaching. The players make mistakes, but the coaches are the ones that can put them in position to play well or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • And, honestly, there's only so much you can attempt to do in the draft. And every draft pick is a roll of the dice. But that's where grabbing a ton of UDFAs, and targeting the best, makes a big difference. Sure, their individual chances of getting a hit here is less, but that shotgun pattern might just hit something.  Right now, we need bulk, partly to rebuild and partly to dilute the deep level of stank that has developed on this team in the last six years. If we're going to rebuild a culture built around culture, accountability and winning, then these UDFAs we bring in each season have to be the wash water that gets out that leftover dirt.  Canales seems to be a smart, culture-first, build up the good ones kind of guy. I like that and I hope he can keep it going here. But he was working against a locker room that had been taught to lose and taught to distrust or ignore coaches. He's got his work cut out for him, still. He does seem to have it moving in the right direction and that's something I was pretty amazed with by the end of last season.  
    • The most telling sign, IMO, of a team on the upward swing is who we lost in the off-season. Who left that even saw the field? Woods, Clowney, Sanders, & Hekker. OK...no big deal. Clowney is the only 1 that I raised an eyebrow over and I get that it was a money decision. No need to pay him over $7M to take snaps from our draft picks when he was just OK last year.
    • Eagles vs Cowboys for season opener TBD vs Chargers in Brazil on Friday week 1
×
×
  • Create New...