CPantherKing

So, we can come away with something from this season about the QB position. Teams keep wasting too much time and effort into 1st round QBs. Meanwhile, the late round and undrafted QBs are the ones that are stepping in to win. For the 1st round pick QB is a must crowd, do you now see how wrong your argument was about all the 1st round QBs slotted to start in the offseason. You lost track of all the undrafted and late round QBs backing up all those hopeful 1st round franchise QBs. More than 1/3 of the NFL will have these QBs leading their team by midseason.

The coaching is clearly worried about Ickey in the passing game. They set him up to play more like a guard at the LT position by getting him to the second level. He was covered by a TE most of the game on pass plays. They would even cover Ickey with 2 receivers. You could tell when the Panthers were going to run the ball because they would leave Ickey uncovered and put the strong side blocking to the right side of the line. If they covererd up Ickey, it was likely a 5 step drop. The few times they left Ickey uncovered for a 3 step drop, he got beat. He was beat badly on the TD throw to DJ. That was all PJ feeling the pocket and sticking to his footwork to hitch up into the pocket and not run scared or take the sack like Baker or Darnold would have done on a 3 step drop with a small window in the back of the endzone. He is great in run blocking, and much better when you set him up to play like an OG blocking down on the second level with no DL over top of him. He is great at picking up defenders from the interior of the OL front in a passing situation. He is awful at protecting the QB against edge rushers. The OL would be much better had they started with Bozeman at C, Christensen at LT and Ickey at LG. Oh well. At least they have learned to put Bozeman at center, run plays that get Ickey a quick release to the second level, and cover Ickey up with TEs to push the edge rush further away from Ickey.

The QB and RBs were able to play with patience from behind the LoS for the first time last week This was due to Bozeman at C firing up the OL and getting the calls right while actually moving one of the best DTs in the league with his blocking. The interior OL release to the second level was so much better. This was the OL CMC needed to play behind. They kept covering up Ickey with a TE (sometimes 2 TEs) so he had more time to set his pass pro too. Ickey against the pass has been a big problem all season when left without help. The OL had Ickey playing more like a guard in the running game with a TE to his outside and Ickey releasing to the second level to block LBs with Christensen pulling to the outside. PJ Walker also stepped up into the pocket and did not lose this footwork. On the TD pass to DJ, Ickey was left uncovered and got beat bad by the pass rusher. The pass rusher was feet away from PJ for a sack and PJ felt the rush. He followed through with his hitch steps to keep the timing on the pass to DJ and let the ball fly right before he was going to take a hit. Darnold or Mayfield would have seen Ickey get beat bad and bailed on that throw with the tightest of windows to DJ in the back of the endzone. They would have tucked the ball and taken the sack or tried to use their happy feet to get out of the pocket. PJ is not the best QB to have under center with other options available, but he has better footwork than Darnold or Mayfield in the pocket with pressure around him.

Elf wasn't in there to make the wrong calls and get blown up to keep the QB and RB from playing with patience. PJ and the RBs were able to play behind the LoS with patience against the Bucs.

Until you realize the SB record of all the teams that have picked #1 in the draft. Who is the last #1 pick QB that has won a SB with the team that drafted them? Peyton Manning? The SB winning teams would trade down and accumulate more draft capital. I'm aiming for a Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady, or Russell Wilson while using the 1st round pick on defense or a freakish receiver. You can have your Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Plunkett, John Elway, Phil Simms, Troy Aikman, Ben Roethlisberger, or Patrick Mahomes. These are all the non-Mannings who have been to multiple SBs. Seems pretty even when it comes to 1st round or non-1st round QBs. You get better value with the non-1st QB while also having more opportunities to find a consistent champion with much less league wide competition. The Mannings were pedigree and are a special breed raised to be an NFL QB.

Cavanaugh was a highly touted QB coming out of college and going to the NFL. He came with hype. More hype than the QBs from the 2022 draft. Benjamin was Walsh's QB at Stanford before he became the 49ers coach. Montana was the starting QB for the 49ers by week 6 of his second year in the NFL. It did not take several years for him to earn the starting role. Walsh saw 3 reps from Montana at a UCLA practice field while scouting another player going into the 79 draft. Montana was simply a throwing arm for another player that fate crossed with Walsh. He told everyone that Montana would be their franchise QB. Prior to seeing Montana's reps due to dumb luck, Walsh was eyeing Steve Dils, Cavanaugh and Benjamin. Rookie QBs started all the time in their rookie year in Montana's era. Doug Williams, Phil Simms, Steve Fuller, Neil Lomax, Jim McMahon, Oliver Luck, Mike Pagel, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Randall Cunningham, Jim Everett, Chuck Long, Jack Trudeau, Mark Rypien, Vinny Testaverde, Troy Aikman, Rodney Peete, Jeff George, and Neil O'Donnell were all rookie franchise QBs. 11 of them started in the SB from 1984 to 1995 (11 starting SB QBs of 15 starting SB QBs). Does this still seem "rare" to you? College QBs are less likely to succeed like this in the modern era due to the drastic changes in the college game, and they tend to flame out in a few years with most success going to QBs not drafted in the 1st round.

Yes, Guy Benjamin drafted 51st overall (2nd), Matt Cavanaugh 50th overall (2nd) and Steve Young drafted 1st overall (1st).

The difference was replacing Elf with Bozeman. He had the communication and pre snap calls on the OL working better than Elf could ever hope to do. Bozeman has the OL to work with and makes the job on the QB and RB so much easier. PJ and the RBs were able to be patient all game long. CMC would have owned this game with Bozeman at center and PJ at QB. Not having Robby getting targets was a huge reason for improvement in play production in the passing game too.

NFL franchises go in with 1st round QBs starting in 2022. The late and undrafted QBs come out of 2022 with the better winning%. People still talk about how having a 1st round QB is necessary to win a SB in 2023. Stroud and Young get the attention while struggling like all the rest in the transition to the NFL.

It's cut and dry. Just not cut and dry the way you and most everyone look at having the top draft picks to build a championship winner.

If the Panthers win the division under Wilks, Fitterer is going to look really bad for trading CMC.

Get rid of Darnold. CHECK. Get rid of Mayfield. CHECK. Get rid of Elf. CHECK. GET rid of Rhule CHECK. Get rid of Robby. CHECK. Cancer removed. You realize these 5 people had too many chances at impacting every offensive play. Get rid of CMC? Noooooooo Only one more person on my list to get rid of to build on this teams foundation of talent. FITTERER! Big Thanks to Steve Wilks for pulling things together quickly even with Fitt shipping out CMC to make his job even tougher.

A Bozeman led OL looks so much better in run blocking and blitz pickups. Sorry you didn't get a Bozeman led OL CMC with a QB who could compliment you.

This is what the Bucs prepared for... this moment. They just were not expecting to be down 18 points nearing the end of the game

Perfect pass by PJ

Give McAdoo his credit

95 is getting dragged by RBs

Fournette dragging Derrick Brown 5 yards for the first down

Every team is going to slow play the Panthers. Wear down the Panthers defense and then open up the playbook going into the 4th quarter to slice and dice the Panthers D with 15 yard outs and the deep pass when the secondary breaks down and the 4 man rush can't get to Brady. This will happen until the Panthers prove they can score points on offense, the defense can dominate in the 4th with a 4 man rush, or the coaches can prepare their offense and make the calls to be efficient and effective with the 4 minute, 2 minute, and 1 minute drives to end/win a game in the final minutes.

Not saying PJ should be a starter, but an undrafted QB is again looking better than top 15 college show horses in Mayfield, Darnold, and Bridgewater. Anyone care to tell me how these 1st round QBs are better starters than PJ or Brady? Throw in Gabbert and Trask. The top QBs available for these teams are 6th round and undrafted. Why do active undrafted QBs have a better winning percentage than most active 1st round QBs? Stay away from the 1st round QB unless they are pedigree and prodigy. Stay away from Stroud and Young!!!

The offensive plays are there for the Bucs. Players are being coached open. Mike Evans looks lazy now and has been. Costly for the Bucs today.

Shi Smith is unimpressive in his decision making

Corral is Tepper's QB. He will find a coach who will want Corral to be the QB.

Fitt Magic

Draft capital is meaningless with a proven garbage roster building strategy and garbage talent evaluators. Need a new GM/HC combo that does not associate themselves with losing/mediocre team culture. The GM and HC should act as partners in roster building with strong consultation and little conflict. The owner should stay out of the room. Tepper has too much fun interfering with player evaluation and the draft.