I agree with Fowler, for once

Fowler pointed out the two biggest areas of concern for me in the first and third questions:


Here are three questions about the Panthers that I can't answer but will pose to you anyway.

1. If the Panthers really sport the best defensive front seven in the NFL, where are the sacks and turnovers?

2. Will Steve Smith's injury against Green Bay in that Monday night game become the defining point of this season?

3. How can the Panthers, with their constant emphasis on manhandling the opponent in the trenches, be getting out-toughed so often on both the offensive and defensive lines?

 

yep - and those are really my only concerns. Not many expected us to be 3-0 right now. We're on the hard part of the schedule.

And really - we've got 4 really hard games (from current sentiment) left - Denver, Seattle, Philly, Vicklanta.

But it's not the losses - it's that lack of toughness. The guys seem soft. The front seven has done little.

And sadly, Mark Fields is not the same.

We laid eggs last year. PLenty of season left. If we'd been judged last year by the Dallas and Philly games, not to mention Tenn and Houston, we'd have been viewed much differently.

 

yep, thats what I said with my "average at best" thread...our defense has not dominated anyone

 

I hope our defense hasn't regressed into the bend/don't break philosophy of the Seifert era. It seems that in '02 and '03 we were in attack mode but I don't see that now. We were an attacking, smothering defense and it just isn't there. We're 29th in rushing D, giving up 142 yards per game. That ain't good.

 

1. they are not the best front. they are they most hyped front. every tv geek hears it from someone and echos it. it also snowballed into what it has with a little help from big mouth Buckner.

2. too early to say but our "whatever is wrong with us" it started there. we miss Smith bad. he helped our running game, & ST. Jake has to rely on Moose too much( who has been a bright spot) but he misses the speed of Smith.

3.see number 1. the O line has more of an excuse because the talent just isn't there.

 

I just looked it up on NFL.com, we are 3rd in the league in pass defense, averaging 149 yards per game through the air. A complete reversal of last year.

I for one beleive that is a combination of several factors:
1) Increased talent at the CB position, Gamble + Hawkins > Howard + Cousin.
2) Scheming designed to protect the CB's. Too bad we leave backs and TE's open underneath.
3) Why bother passing when you can knock a $147 million D-line off the ball 6 yards?

I also wonder if the line is too focused on getting sacks and losing contain. One of you local yokels will have to verify this for me as I have only seen the Monday night game on TV. If that's true, it sure would be nice to see some of those sacks they're working so hard on.

All is not well in Whoville.

 

Of the teams I've seen play, I would give the "best front" award to Jacksonville. Stroud and Henderson are absolute fucking MONSTERS. They don't give ground on running plays, and they get damn good push up the middle on passing downs. Right now both of those guys are playing better than Jenkins, IMO. JDR COME BACK!!

 

It looked like with Vick they were more worried with contain than getting sacks.

 

and they did a good job with that too.

 

the D-Line problems started with the superbowl...and have not gotten better. Maybe Bill figured something out and everybody else is copying it??