Carolina Panthers
2011 PFF All-NFC South Team
I’m not sure if this article wouldn’t be better titled “All-Saints offense” and “All-Falcons defense” because of the majority each team is featured in those respective units.
It’s not all good news for New Orleans, however, as three of their best players are set to become free agents. The fact the Bucs have just two participants here goes a long way to explaining why Raheem Morris no longer has a job. The up-and-coming Panthers have four entrants which, while still pretty poor, at least helps to avoid Tampa Bay’s embarrassment.
With that said, lets train our gaze on the PFF All-NFC South team for 2011.
Re-Focused: Panthers @ Saints, Week 17
After losing Malcolm Jenkins on the first defensive series in a meaningless Week 17 game last year contributed to the Saints’ early exit from the postseason, surely they didn’t play their starters very long this time around, right? Not quite; New Orleans still had a chance to move up a spot in the Playoff seeding with a win and 49ers loss, and the Saints decided that keeping their momentum was worth the risk of injury. In hindsight the decision looks like a good one because nobody got hurt and the New Orleans offense put up at least 42 points and more than doubled their opponent’s score for the third consecutive game. They did it without Jenkins, Lance Moore, or Jonathan Vilma, whose leadership on the field can’t be quantified the same way his overrated play can be. In the end, it felt less like a game between the Saints and Panthers and more like a battle of the Saints against various NFL and franchise records.
Three to Focus on: Panthers @ Saints, Week 17
One last chance to watch Cam Newton as a rookie, one last chance for the New Orleans Saints to build momentum ahead of the playoffs and an outside chance of a bye week. The formula is pretty simple for both the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints this week as the Panthers chance of playing spoiler for a second time in three weeks was thrown out of the window Monday night as the Saints clinched both the division and the single season passing record for the Saints and Drew Brees.
With the 49ers needing only a road victory over the hapless Rams, the Saints appear to be locked into the third seed so much of the intrigue in this game is gone. However if the Saints stick to Sean Payton’s claim that they will go full throttle for sixty minutes to maintain their momentum into the post-season this game still has the potential to be one of the best on the Week 17 slate. The first game between these two was a close three point victory for the Saints and a wide open Carolina offense has the chance to keep pace with, if not beat, Drew Brees and the Saints. Here are three focus points in our last chance to watch Cam Newton in a competitive game for eight months.
Re-Focused: Buccaneers @ Panthers, Week 16
Two teams heading in opposite directions at a rapid rate met this week and as you might expect, there was no change in either trajectory. The Buccaneers got off to a poor start, allowing a touchdown for the Panthers on their opening drive, and then losing a fumble on their first offensive play.
The Panthers took advantage of the 10-0 lead early and never looked back, eventually putting up a 38-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter, by which stage the Bucs were simply mailing it in. This game had all the hallmarks of a poorly coached team for Tampa Bay, and Raheem Morris must be coming under ever increasing pressure now that the gloss has worn off his 10-6 season.
Carolina is trying to build some momentum under rookie phenom Cam Newton, so that they can head into 2012 looking to seriously challenge in the NFC South again. Let’s see how the game went.
Three to Focus on: Buccaneers @ Panthers, Week 16
Divisional games were moved to the final weeks of the season to try and eliminate the meaningless games that the final weeks were littered with. Looking at the records of Tampa Bay and Carolina it’s hard to see how this game will have much to it outside of some interesting individual battles.
Tampa Bay heads into the game with a Head Coach beginning to come under increased pressure after a season in which his young team came apart at the seams and never came close to building on 2010’s surprise 10-win season. The Buccaneers have had some players regress badly and have some major work to do if they are going to get back to winning ways in a tough division.
For the Panthers, things have been looking up with the sensational rookie season of Cam Newton, and the resurgent play of star wide out Steve Smith. At the moment these two teams would seem to be moving in different directions, can the Bucs do anything about that?
Re-Focused: Panthers @ Texans, Week 15
The Carolina Panthers came out of the gates fast in this one and led 21-0 at the half, then staved off a late Houston Texans rally for an entertaining 28-13 road win. Without co-ordinator Wade Phillips on the sideline, the Texans No. 1 ranked defense looked vulnerable and they were hurt by some costly mistakes on offense, ending their seven game winning streak.
The Texans fell a game behind New England for home field advantage in the AFC and although it’s impressive that they’ve managed to keep winning without Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub, it’s uncertain how well equipped they are to cope with some of the AFC’s better teams. As we said earlier in the year, the 5-9 Panthers continue to look like a team that might be a force to be reckoned with next season.
There were some interesting performances this week, so let’s highlight some of the most influential:
Three to Focus on: Panthers @ Texans, Week 15
With the Panthers already eliminated from the playoffs and the Texans secure as AFC South champs, there’ll be no matching desperation for the win from opposing sidelines.
Each team, however, has its motivation–Houston is looking to continue a seven-game win streak and is squarely in the hunt for a first-round bye, while Carolina is looking to prove to themselves that they can take the next step beyond just competing and begin to win with regularity.
2011 has proven to be a landmark year for each franchise (the start of a resurrection for Carolina and a long-awaited breakthrough for the Texans) and it’s fitting, perhaps, that a pair of rookie quarterbacks are now playing huge roles. Change brings with it a clean slate, an opportunity to believe again, and both of these teams clearly believe they are on the right track. So, as they take the field on Sunday, these two organizations that are headed in the right direction will each seek the victory … a victory that represents a piece of the foundation for one and an immediate reward for the other.
To that end, here are three key matchups that will help determine which walks away the winner.
Re-Focused: Falcons @ Panthers, Week 14
Here it is, a classic game of two quarterbacks; both getting decent if not great protection, both getting great help from one of their wide receivers, but one looking as though the broadside of a barn may not be big enough.
That’s Cam Newton in a nutshell. We’ll go into it more detail later but in one game he’ll throw the ball with great accuracy and the next, balls will sail further than the Cutty Sark.
As you might expect Matt Ryan (+3.0) has had a far more consistent season and, if he wasn’t exactly great in this game, he was very good and composed enough to put a mediocre second quarter to the back of his mind and bring his team back.
While the Panthers try to build on positive strides (if not great results) over the next three games and understand how to best attack the offseason, the Falcons are still favorites to win a Wild Card berth, but they’ll need to improve in many areas to get beyond their first opponents, never mind Green Bay.
Three to Focus on: Falcons @ Panthers, Week 14
The final month of the Carolina Panthers 2011 season will feature Cam Newton coming up against his divisional opponents for the second time this season. As we will get to see with another recent Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, what will defenses do differently and possibly more effectively to try to take away Newton’s efficiency as a runner and a passer?
His first “re-test” against the Atlanta Falcons this week provides an interesting first case study as it puts Newton back in against a defense he struggled with in his first game against them this season. Newton threw three interceptions in a two touchdown loss in Atlanta earlier this season and was only a threat running on scrambles, his only designed run went for just 4 yards. Can Newton rise to the occasion and prove that he can beat the Falcons defense or will the Atlanta secondary prove that the last game was no fluke and that they have Newton’s number? Read the rest of this entry »
Re-Focused: Panthers @ Buccaneers, Week 13
In a game with no real postseason implications, the Carolina Panthers built an early 14-point lead and never looked threatened from that point on, eventually doubling up on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-19. With Bucs starting quarterback Josh Freeman out injured, the Panthers were widely expected to win this one despite being the road team. However, it was mainly Tampa’s defensive struggles that cost them this one.
A win would have kept Tampa within two games of the last wild card spot with four to play but, realistically, both teams were already looking ahead to next year. With both teams now 4-8, Sunday’s game would suggest that Tampa has further to go to get back to being a good team.
Let’s look at some of the individual performances to see if we can identify anyone that is going to make an impact for either of these teams next year.
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