BlitzMonster

dead horse taking a beating

I really wish Rhule would have just put Christensen at backup LT from day 1 and left him there. The kid had years of success at that position in college so keep things as simple as possible for him and his NFL transition. None of this jumping around the OL stuff. I often believe NFL coaches overthink things and make ridiculously-complicated conclusions (Brady's arms are a 1/2 inch shorter than ideal so he can't play LT !!! ). Just use common sense and keep things simple for the players.

Nobody outside of his family cares if Meyer danced with some ho at a bar. What players & NFL execs do care about is his lack of leadership and work ethic: he didn't take the team plane home (which is HIGHLY unusual for a head coach and shows very poor leadership) said he needed to "clear his head" with the weekend off - suggesting he's already overwhelmed after just 4 NFL games instead of breaking down film for his next opponent (coached by one of his former Ohio State staff), he's dancing around and getting drunk NFL coaching is all about the grind. If you're not plugged into your team 24/7, you're not doing your job. Why should players trust coaches who aren't preparing the offensive / defensive schemes & putting them in positions to make plays. They shouldn't. A lack of work ethic is the kiss of death in the NFL.

Thursday night games would be fine if they were always preceded with a bye week. Then the players would be well rested. The NFL should make that part of the annual schedule.

I don't know about these exact two players but I think that's the right attitude. A plan as simple as signing just one FA and one first round draft pick would go a long way to fixing our OL woes. And that's a very doable strategy with the team's huge cap space next year.

the opening line from a Yahoo.com article: "Well, it seems as though these Carolina Panthers aren’t messing around, huh?"

Yeah, this game the OL curtain has been pulled back revealing a stinking pile of poo. Might as well just play the rooks the rest of the season and get them some experience.

In the off-season, the NFL needs to reconsider the selective use of replays. If a replay can overturn a call, it should be used every time. I just don't understand, when there's clear evidence on tape, saying "oh, that's not a reviewable play".

I think it's going to happen by the middle of the season. At that point : Both rookies should be playing on the O-line DJ Moore will be a bonafide star Darnold will have shaken off all of that Jets rust and be comfortable executing Brady's offense

Rhule fixed the D in record time with draft picks & shrewd free agent signings. He's going to do the same with the OL next season. Rome wasn't built in a day. That's also true of Superbowl teams.

As the OP notes, sometimes a player's talent is just immediately obvious. From watching him in our game, I think Zach Wilson is one of those guys. Wilson has clear NFL arm strength as well as the moxie to bounce back from bad throws / tough defensive plays. I thought in our game (where he got the crap knocked out of him) Wilson looked like the real deal. He has the physical tools, the mental toughness and the team-leading charisma to become an NFL starter. Now with Wilson's bad luck going to the Jets, a QB-killing organization, that potential might never be realized. The whole team seems to be set up to extinguish any potential a player has. It's really the dead zone for almost all young players (and has been that way for many years). So there's a good chance his ceiling is never reached there.

Zod - please lock this thread until the season end

It's being reported on NFL.com so I think it's a done deal. Which is a great move for Carolina. CB are pretty much plug-and-play guys so he should fit into Snow's system pretty much immediately. Here's the guy's draft profile for those unfamiliar with him. Henderson is the bomb ! https://www.nfl.com/prospects/c.j.-henderson/32004845-4e05-3672-fd87-85ca08961509

Horn has played well for a rookie. He's made some mistakes but also came up with his first interception already. So he's flashed some real ability. One thing is for sure - his size is elite. I'd be watching the game and think to myself "why is that DE lining up against that WR ?". Horn is a big boy for a CB. And that is a huge plus against the Julio Jones type WR in the NFL.

Games are thought of as discrete data. You play in a game or you don't. Yes / No. Here the study is talking about averages. In statistical terms, averages are continuous. You can have an average of 2.6 games. Or 2.3333. Or 2.19293. A continuous measure can include any fraction because you're looking at an overall summary of a whole bunch of games. The most important conclusion of the study is the average of 2.6 games missed for hamstring injuries. So the best guess is that CMC will miss the next 2 or 3 games.

yeah - definitely an odd way of saying it I think the conclusion is an average of 2.6 games missed with a standard deviation of 3.1

I'd feel a lot worse if we managed to lose the game.

This is the truth ! CMC is a special talent. Get him the ball with some room and the guy can do magic. OP was right on the money suggesting CMC be used as a slot receiver. He would excel in that role.

LIKED: The team's resilience when CMC went down. Several players stepped up in the second half to keep the offense moving along and secure the win. DISLIKED: The soft, prevent-defense playcalling on Houston's last drive of the first half. It's a rookie QB in his first start. Blitz him EVERY PLAY !

I think some of the bad OL play was just great defensive playcalling. Lovie Smith is a savvy DC. As soon as CMC went down, he dialed up the defensive pressure on Darnold. Smith knew Darnold just lost his safety blanket so he went after him. And, for a few series, the tactic was pretty effective.

Yeah, I really didn't like seeing Darnold almost get decapitated on that touchdown push. Both Darnold and CMC have had to make a number of short yardage plays so far this season. What's needed is a bulldozer like FB/RB who can get those tough yards. A player who's built for that kind of contact. And somebody who's not so crucial to the team's overall offense. So if they get banged-up in the pile, it won't impact the team's entire season. Why the Panthers aren't using Royce Freeman (at 238 lbs) in this role, I don't know.

Over 17 games our current sack rate would equal 79 sacks for the season. That would top the NFL record of the 1984 Chicago Bears (even if you subtracted the extra game).

I like the Julian Edelman comparison. They are about the same size and shiftiness on the field. With his skill set, CMC could be one of the top slot receivers in the NFL. The Panthers could also sprinkle in a few runs with him per game to keep the defense off-balance. The change would go a long way toward protecting the team's most valuable asset and getting the best long-term productivity from him.

He's going to get all the reps in practice for the Dallas game. Also has a few extra days to work with the coaching staff on his performance with the Thursday game. So we should get a much better idea what he is after the next game.

and the Houston DC realizes this so he brings the heat every time