Hey Mags....

What's your theory the following:

1. Why Carolina can't cover the TE.

2. Why we suck ass on 3rd down.

Is it the personnel? Coaching? Scheming? Combination?

 

I'm not sure if it would've helped in the grand scheme, but I probably would've started Draft over Short, he HAD to be a step slower. Over all I think the Safeties should've hit the TE a little harder a few times and put the fear of God in him. I didn't see much of anything from Minter or Davis in that game. Admittedly there is a crease in the Panther's Defensive scheme that the TEs can exploit over the middle, but if the TE is gonna do it, the Safeties need to come up and make him earn it. McRee did that in his play.

I think one part is related to the 1st question you asked. The second IMO is the D-Line. Its built more to pass rush and has trouble against the run. If you could keep a healthy Jenkins in the game that would help a lot, but I think Buckner would be suited to be replaced by a run stuffing DT. That way you hopefully force the RB to the outside, and Dan Morgan is more useful as a player. Morgan isn't suited to be a nose to nose run defender. He's good with angles and can track the ball carrier, but can be knocked back in a head on collision.

 

For the record, Buckner was extremely effective against the run yesterday. It's the passing game where he didn't show up, so if anything, we could use a pass rushing DT to spell him on 3rd and long.

 

Like Moorehead!!!

Goddamn, sometimes I just want to run onto the field, grab John Fox by the arm, and shake the shit out of him.

 

not trying to poke or jab here, just want an honest answer from someone with some knowledge, would you feel better about the draft now had we'd taken Spears instead of Davis?

 

I will agree with you on this. Buckner did do a decent job yesterday, but as a whole its def. not what he specializes in.

 

Nope. As I stated in the other thread where you mentioned Spears, he has been so disappointing in Dallas that Parcells moved their fourth round pick Chris Canty ahead of Spears on the depth chart. Moreover, Spears still isn't an NFL DT. He's an ideal fit as a 3-4 DE if he'll get his head out of his butt and play with some intensity.

I would have loved a true stud DT to spell Buckner and later play beside Jenkins (why I had such high hopes for Ellison and drafted a DT in the first round of my Madden franchise), but there was no such player in this past draft.

 

1 - Davis looked a little lost in coverage - he'd be there with the TE, and just wouldn't stay right with him (to show covered) or contest the pass. McCree hits, but he doesn't cover well, which is why he's been a part time starter at most over his career.


Plus, I don't think anyone's really impeding the TE from the line.

2 - teams shut down our rush on 3rd down. We don't blitz well, and blitzing into 7 men blocking isn't the right way, either. Rushing only 3 isn't usually wise, and only works if you have stellar coverage: see above, on the TE.

Or if you want, I could say we just don't execute.

 

why was T Davis playing in the final drive ? he sucked all game long and when the game is on the line they move him to LB


Panther rookie torched in debut


By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published September 12‚ 2005)


CHARLOTTE -- Thomas Davis' knee was hurting, but not as much as his pride.
The Carolina Panthers rookie safety was torched in his debut, often looking lost at strong safety despite his coaches' insistence he's getting better now that he's at his more natural position.

It got so bad Sunday that Davis himself admitted the team might have been better off with journeyman Marlon McCree on the field in the fourth quarter.

Davis took a shot to his knee and came off hobbling in the third quarter, and didn't return until he got some snaps at linebacker on the final series. Panthers coach John Fox insisted the first-round pick wasn't simply pulled because of poor play, though there was plenty of evidence of that.

"We didn't take him out, he was hurt," Fox said.

But with Davis standing on the sidelines, the Panthers played most of the fourth quarter with McCree at safety alongside Mike Minter.

Davis said that was partly because he wasn't 100 percent, at the same time acknowledging how poorly he was playing.

When asked whether he was out of the game because of his knee of his struggles, Davis said "it probably had a little to do with both."

"Marlon's a vet, so he was probably the better guy for that situation that we were in, so they put him in and he played well," he continued. "It's not frustrating. You want to do what's right for the team. And at that time, that was the best move for our team."

While that may be true, that's not why the Panthers used the 14th pick in the draft on the Georgia safety, who they think will play linebacker eventually. They moved him there for a week in training camp, but shifted him back to safety when Colin Branch was lost for the year for a knee injury.

Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said leading up to the opener that Davis was recognizing things more quickly after the week at linebacker. That was hard to tell Sunday, as tight end Ernie Conwell caught six passes for 71 yards. Three of those were good for third-down conversions.

When asked if he felt targeted, Davis disagreed, but at the same time left himself open to criticism.

"I wouldn't say that," he began. "I definitely feel like if I was in a better position on the tight end then they wouldn't have came there (so often).

"It had to do a lot with me being out of position to make the plays on third downs."

Minter shook his head when asked why the team struggled to stop the lead-footed Conwell, who left the game late with a concussion after a crunching hit from McCree.

"Ahhhh man," Minter said, wincing at the mention. "We've just got to look at the film and see why we were leaving this guy wide open. I can't tell you. I don't know why he was wide open all day long."

When asked to assess Davis' first game, Minter replied: "I don't know. I'd have to watch the film and see how he did too. When i'm out there, i'm focused on what i'm doing, and helping him out, line him up and what not. I've just got to watch the film and see how he played."

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