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This team still has a lot of work to do-and why that's an excellent thing.

Growl

By Growl,
in Carolina Panthers

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Growl Grand Master

Growl

Posted
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Looking back on Monday night, I'm sure most of us are well aware there are areas this team still need to improve on. A few things that stand out are rather obvious-the run game has been seemingly pretty ineffective as of late-with Deangelo rushing for 14 yards on 6 carries Monday night. Defensively, we had a number of issues Monday night, with poor tackling being chief among them. What should have been 0 and 1 yard carries consistently transformed into 5 and 6. One and two yard passes were routinely taken for 11 and 12. This goes along with the issues present in the Secondary-until the final drive, Brady had only missed 4 passes all night.

 

This isn't to take anything away from the Patriots-they have had a strong rush game all year, and their gameplan was to come out attacking with that and let Brady make short, high percentage throws to test our CB's and LB's. Our LB's did rather well, our CB's struggled at times, namely Melvin White who had a rookie night if there ever were.

 

This likely makes it sound like I'm being a debbie downer-in fact, I'm being just the opposite. This team showed itself and the world last night and last week that it still can play at a high level when facing adversity. More importantly, however, it lets the team know what needs to be addressed as we head down the final stretch of the regular season-this allows the team to focus in on what needs to be improved upon, and means we should be playing our best football in the winter. This is exactly where you want your team to be during a season. Talented and winning games, but with a significant amount of room to grow. Not only have we not peaked- we aren't really even close.

 

None of the above mentioned issues have been significant weaknesses this season; they have played well for the most part.

 

 

But the fact that we have young players who are working and should be better players a couple months from today than they are right now? That is exciting.

 

Nate Chandler, Melvin White, AJ Klein.... These are all players who will be looked upon down the stretch-and they've shown they have what it takes. We may even see guys like Brandon Williams and Tavarres King finally getting involved. (Jimmy Graham first started getting involved in New Orleans on the tail end of Jeremy Shockey's last season there)

 

This team-not just the players listed above but virtually everyone on the roster-has a long ways to go before they reach their ceiling-and that is terrific news. I believe they have the willpower to do so, and they've demonstrated the mental toughness needed to to do it-which is also why I believe that this Sunday is no trap game. This team knows the importance of putting another win on the board. Of beating the only team they've never beaten and securing the first not-losing record they've had in some time. Miami is a decent football team with some good players-but I believe in our team's mental toughness and I believe they know what it will take to come out and tack on another W this Sunday against a formidable opponent in Miami and I believe they'll do it. Keep Pounding.

 

 

I believe in this football team-and you should too.

 

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