CPantherKing

The Panthers will likely win the NFC South. That will make the CMC trade look even worse come playoff time. The 49ers will be a force and the Panthers won't have the offensive playmaker needed for playoff success. The Panthers will have the OL and a better disciplined defense going in to the playoffs, but the front office did a lot of damage to the Panthers in the offseason and waiting too long to make changes during the season. That CMC trade to strengthen the 49ers with a Panthers playoff run should get the front office fired.

I see Wilks grooming the team for Byron Leftwich. Leftwich would keep Wilks as DC/Assistant head coach. Going 6-0 to end the season and winning the NFC South under Wilks is very possible. Any chance at a miracle run in the playoffs was lost when the Panthers traded CMC to the 49ers.

Panthers could very well close out the season going 6-0 and winning the NFC South with a soft schedule to end the season. Then you have a team going in to the the playoffs without a playmaker to lean on because they traded him to the team that will likely beat the Panthers in the playoffs and find themselves in the SB. Trading away CMC may be the death knell to what may have been a miracle season with the late changes in the coaching staff, dropping Anderson, and a Bozeman led OL.

Wilks is not trusting his pass blocking and receivers lol

In the running game. Yes. Passing game is not so good

Am I seeing disciplined defense and a patient running game finally closing out a close game for the Panthers? Is Wilks actually transforming this team?

Any patient RB will look good behind this Bozeman led OL

This OL is a run blocking monster. Love that part of the team. It should be clear starting Elf easily cost the Panthers 1 or 2 wins.

The passing game can't do anything in close games if your OTs can't pass block without help and your receivers can't get separation, fight for position, and have poor hands. You are correct. Too many refuse to see it and then want to complain why there are so many screen passes, check downs, and 3 step drops. The OTs and receivers cannot execute in the pocket passing game needed in the redzone, on 3rd and long, and in GWD drive situations. The only option a QB has is to step up in the pocket because Elf is no longer there and force a quick pass into tight coverage or run it for a short gain and get hit.

OTs were the drive killers on that drive

QB is getting pushed off his spot and can't roll out of the pocket at the goalline because of both OTs

Ekwonu and Moton can't hold up on islands against the pass rush. Ekwonu on 3rd and Moton on 4th. How are you suppose to win close games with that kind of pass blocking?

Like have the WRs catch balls in their catch radius and OTs not getting whooped with their pass blocking. Dedicating an extra 2 or 3 players to help out these OTs on pass plays is unacceptable.

Burns in hero mode. He is not an every down DE. No discipline

He is a great run blocker and a decent pass blocker on play actions and screens. He just sucks and has terrible technique on pure passing downs and drop backs. Makes for a huge weakness in 3rd and long and GWD situations in the 4th quarter. Tired of seeing RBs, TEs, and BC desperately hustling to clean up Ekwonu's pass blocking. When all is said and done he will be playing at OG and be one of the best in the NFL. His pass blocking is not going to improve at the NFL level. BC is a better pass blocker at LT.

Icky has been getting beat and getting QBs hit all season. Need to roll out away from him or give him help on obvious pass plays. Baker got smacked hard because of Ekwonu against the Ravens. PJ was abused against the Falcons. Darnold made a TD pass this season when Ekwonu got him pasted to the turf. These QBs have been completing passes while taking punishment from Ekwonu's side. It's all there to watch if you decided to go back and look.

Ekwonu was the drive killer

Ekwonu beat bad the last 2 plays on pass rushing... you were saying?

Moton and Ekwonu have been a problem all season with their pass blocking. Costly in the 4th quarter when trailing by less than a score and your average NFL QBs are trying to mount a GWD. Mix in receivers who can't get separation and have trouble catching the ball, and that is a recipe for disaster in any close game.

They don't really have a chance? Why are they losing their jobs to undrafted QBs? Why are they not good enough to beat out a late round pick for the #2 QB position? Name me a 1st round QB bust with less than 5 starts in the NFL. Trubisky is closing out his career as an NFL QB at this very moment. Mayfield, Darnold, Rosen, Wentz, Bortles, Manziel, Bridgewater, Manuel, Griffin, Luck, and Weeden are done. Goff, Watson, Winston, and Mariota are on their way out. Lynch is the only 1st rounder in the past 10 years you can claim did not get a shot. Meanwhile, Cooper Rush, Tyler Huntley, Taylor Heinicke, PJ Walker, John Wolford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Foles, Mike White, Andy Dalton, Geno Smith, Case Keenum, Gardner Minshew, Brandon Allen, Kyle Allen, Davis Mills, Tyrod Taylor, Colt McCoy, Nick Mullens, and Trevor Siemian are the QBs with roster spots. Your argument doesn't hold up. These 1st rounders got their shot and failed to be better than non-1st rounders. Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, and Derek Carr are the only non-1st round QBs who have locked in their spots. So, there are 59 QB roster spots for these 1st rounders. There have been 39 1st round QBs selected since 2010. I think there are plenty of spots in the NFL for all of these 1st round QBs. They just are not as good as undrafted QBs like Heinicke. They continually failed to prove they could win in the NFL.

Baker was the same QB he was against the Ravens with the Panthers. The difference is he had WRs who were where they needed to be, created separation, were not afraid to battle for the ball, and had the hands to make the contested catch. Also, Baker did not have to worry about his OT getting consistently beat on pass rushing downs. Some of you don't realize how much Moore, Anderson, Smith, Moton, and Ekwonu have hurt this team in GWD situations with mental errors, pass blocking, running the correct route, getting separation, and competing for a contested catch. The Panthers have been positioned for GWD against the Browns, Giants, Cardinals, Falcons, and Ravens. Baker was starting at QB for all but the Falcons. The Panthers are 0-5 in GWD opportunities this season. A QB always takes responsibility in these situations if their final drive in a one score game results in anything but a score since the QB has to be responsible for bailing out a team that has failed to control the game. Outside of the QB, you look at the catalyst that led to these losses in the 4th quarter. Burns, Brown, Moore, Anderson, Pineiro, Ekwonu, Moton, Smith, Thomas, and Hartsfield were all costly for the Panthers in these GWD situations. Burns, Moore, Smith, Ekwonu, and Moton were the catalyst for these failed situations. Baker is expected to produce 18% GWD. He is currently at 16.7% GWD for the season with the drive against the Rams. Do not be surprised if he has another GWD before the end of the season if the Rams continue to struggle in their next 4 games.

Not a popular opinion, but correct. Many are still talking about DJ having his breakout season 5 years into his career. DJ wasn't the best when he came into the NFL. Every draft there are 3 to 4 WRs easily better than him.

Hit at 50%? 125 QBs selected in the 1st round. 18 of them have won a SB. 38 Have produced at least 1 GWD in the playoffs. What is your baseline for a 1st round QB that hits to get them to hit 50%? Undrafted QBs can lead teams to 8 wins in a season. They can lead teams to the playoffs. You don't need to waste draft capital on a 1st round QB if this is all you need for a successful QB. Counting QBs who never get a start/opportunity in the NFL as part of the population is comical. QBs are capable and saying that you would count Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme, or Taylor Heinicke as a negative if they never got a start is a big reason why the NFL keeps getting it wrong. Just over 80 QBs were selected in the 1st round in the first 4.5 decades. In the last decade, 40 QBs have been selected in the 1st round. That is a glaring red flag. A good starting point is a baseline of 5 starts in the NFL. See what happens when you consider only QBs who get an opportunity in the NFL. There are about 450 QBs in the modern draft era who qualify for this. ... or you can lump in all the QBs coming out of college who never got a shot in the NFL and tout the 1st rounders even harder. Then you can scratch your head and wonder why SB winning QBs and GWD playoff QBs are not heavily weighted to drafting 1st round QBs.