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Jimmy Clausen Handles Pressure for Panthers

8/13/2010 11:45 AM ET By Ray Glier NFL Writer

I wonder if Marty Hurney, the Carolina Panthers GM, excused himself to the broom closet Thursday night and in the dark pumped his fists in celebration and maybe did an Irish jig.

Jimmy Clausen, his rookie quarterback, the one with all the skill who slipped to 48th in the draft, stood in against a rush. He didn't bail; he felt the pressure of the rush and handled it.

That's huge. Hurney has got to be relieved. You knew Clausen had an arm and some savvy, but it looked like he had some guts. You never know, right?

There were some plays where this kid could have thought this was the playground and tried to make something out of nothing and thrown an interception while being taken down, but he didn't do that.

I was a little negative on his mechanics, though. There was a pass over the middle where instead of keeping his arm in a nice 'L' and getting behind the ball as he followed through, Clausen sank his feet into the turf, his body seemed to go downward, and he threw off flat feet. I didn't like that.

Some of the throws were wobbly, which might mean in his first NFL game he was gripping it too hard from the excitement.

But, man, this kid had some serious poise. The numbers were decent (8 of 15 for 80 yards).

Receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who is trying to quiet some of the talk he is near a last chance with the Panthers, made a nice grab of pass thrown behind him. But there was one disturbing sign. On a short yardage play, Jarrett went in motion into the formation and was supposed to block a linebacker.

He got smeared. It looked like a half-hearted effort and the Panthers' run play was stuffed because he couldn't make a block.

Jarrett is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, but maybe he needs to be reminded the Panthers are a run-first team and he needs to have some shock with his block.

 

When you get to be head coach you can decide which QB should start. My gut says Moore starts the whole year unless he gets hurt.

 

Jimmy Clausen Impressive in Carolina Panthers' First Preseason Game

By jeff kalafa
(Analyst) on August 13, 2010


If you watched last night's preseason opener between the Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens, one thing stood out—former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen didn't look like a typical rookie as he ran the Panthers' offense for most of the second quarter.
Clausen, the Panthers' second-round pick in this year's NFL draft, seemed comfortable, confident, and moved around better than he had in his junior year as the Notre Dame's All-American signal caller.
He also looked bigger and stronger.
In the second quarter, Clausen went 7-for-13 and led the Panthers on a drive ending with a field goal.
He finished the game 8-for-15 with an interception. The interception occurred in the third quarter's rain storm when his receiver appeared to fall down on his route.
Clausen came into the game to relieve the Panthers' projected starting quarterback, Matt Moore.
Moore, who became a starter last year when Jake Delhomme went down with a finger injury, played outstanding and led his team to four wins in five games—one of those wins was over last year's Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.
Moore might have exceeded expectations as he threw for eight touchdowns and only one interception, but I wouldn't say the quarterback job is in his pocket after the way Clausen performed last night.
Clausen had to play most of his junior season at Notre Dame with an aggravating turf toe injury and decided to forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
It was somewhat of a surprise that he wasn't picked until later in the second round, but he'll certainly have a chance to prove he should have been drafted earlier.
Clausen said about last night's game, "I was anxious to get out there for the first time, but I felt comfortable." He went on to say "It's a different atmosphere than college, but it's still football."
In last night's game, Clausen not only looked comfortable and in charge, but when the pocket broke down he remained clam and made good decisions. He also appeared to have a good grasp of the offense.
Clausen also showed good arm strength, but everyone knows he has the arm and it was one of the reasons the Panthers drafted him.
On July 28, Clausen and the Panthers agreed on a 4-year, $6.3 million contract.

 

Claussen looked good but not good enough to make me think he is ready to start. Very few QBs are ready to play as rookies. I think the bust rate is lower when guys sit on the bench and learn for a year or two as well. I think it helped Aaron Rodgers and Phillip Rivers to sit at first.

 

Lots of guys sit on the bench and never do anything but since they never get a chance to start they never really fail either. And most rookie starters tend to be drafted higher/more well known so they're more memorable and receive more press.

 

It is certainly no lock that sitting a year or two will result in a good QB but I think it does help. Granted that is my subjective opinion but I stand by it.

 

He got blindsided from behind on a blitz. There isn't any QB in the NFL that would've held on to that.

 

Jaws really created this monster.

 

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