Some things never change.....

[CRA]

-- It’s only preseason, but Panthers coach John Fox is starting to get into regular-season mode. On third-and-14 from the Baltimore 24, with the score tied 0-0 in the first quarter, the Panthers called timeout.

After a sideline discussion they went with a three-receiver set – and a draw play featuring fourth-string running back Decori Birmingham. The Panthers needed a timeout to come up with that? You can probably guess it came up short.

with this defense and schedule this season......and the offense we probably will need as a result of those two......we better pray for Fox to be unFox-like this season.

[Jangler]

Oh believe me! That pissed me off last night! It's preseason, do something different. In the season I see the logic of playing for the FG, but that was a perfect time to do something else. Also, a little later it was 3rd and 11 and Jake throws it 40 yards down the field, WTF?!

[PhillyB]

omg and then there was that one play where they threw the ball and the guy didnt catch it and omg WTF WERE THEY THINKING they should have just run it and stopped getting tackled cause if i were fox i would kick everyones ass with steve smith lololololololol

...it's preseason. the coaching staff doesn't give two shits about winning if it means sacrificing a chance to practice a play situationally. until you know the precise reasoning behind the coaching staff's decision-making on these sorts of things, presumptuous speculating makes you look like a jackass.

[CRA]

omg and then there was that one play where they threw the ball and the guy didnt catch it and omg WTF WERE THEY THINKING they should have just run it and stopped getting tackled cause if i were fox i would kick everyones ass with steve smith lololololololol

...it's preseason. the coaching staff doesn't give two shits about winning if it means sacrificing a chance to practice a play situationally. until you know the precise reasoning behind the coaching staff's decision-making on these sorts of things, presumptuous speculating makes you look like a jackass.

exactly. A perfect scenario to try to pick up a long 3rd down.....seeing it was practice and all like you said. So, instead he was practicing playing Fox ball.....getting practice reps on how to not really try and to get the 1st down.....

you know who I think looks like jackasses.....Panther fans who attack or make smart remarks when people don't drink the Kool-aid in all aspects of the team. Seriously, the team has flaws. Most teams do. From what we saw last year and so far this year....some of ours may be be worse than last year.

[monstercat]

I'm gonna say it once more for the stupid people...every team in the league runs draws on third and long from time to time. In fact, I believe that it was Delhommey that actually researched this, and found out that the Panthers only ran more draws than about two other teams.

In this particular case though, I guarantee you that Fox was more interested in getting his field goal unit on the field than anything else, because our new long snapper needs all the practice he can get.

[Delhommey]

3rd least draw plays in the NFL in 2008.

Worth repeating.

[Davidson Deac II]

I'm gonna say it once more for the stupid people...every team in the league runs draws on third and long from time to time. In fact, I believe that it was Delhommey that actually researched this, and found out that the Panthers only ran more draws than about two other teams.

In this particular case though, I guarantee you that Fox was more interested in getting his field goal unit on the field than anything else, because our new long snapper needs all the practice he can get.

This cannot be true. Message board commando's are never, ever, wrong.

[CRA]

3rd least draw plays in the NFL in 2008.

Worth repeating.

not really, that is just a raw stat of draws in games and actually has little to do w/ the situation and habit of Fox. Now a stat worth repeating would be how often other coaches pull out the draw on 3rd and long compared to Fox......

[monstercat]

not really, that is just a raw stat of draws in games and actually has little to do w/ the situation and habit of Fox. Now a stat worth repeating would be how often other coaches pull out the draw on 3rd and long compared to Fox......

Damn dude. If they ran that third least draws, don't you think that third and longs are included?

[CRA]

Damn dude. If they ran that third least draws, don't you think that third and longs are included?

the issue isn't draw plays in general...and that is the number being thown out. the issue is of Fox going to the draw on 3rd in long opting to punt or go for the fg too often......therefore a comparison of total number of draw plays means nothing b/c it is a siutational arguement.

[Delhommey]

Second and long, we ran the most in the NFL. 3rd down, not so much.

If I had the desire, I'm pretty sure I could find posts on 31 different message boards complaining about their team running a draw on 3rd and long.

Complaining about draw plays, the refs and the fact that the coach won't start the backup quarterback have been and will always be the favored complaints of the casual fan.

[Davidson Deac II]

the issue isn't draw plays in general...and that is the number being thown out. the issue is of Fox going to the draw on 3rd in long opting to punt or go for the fg too often......therefore a comparison of total number of draw plays means nothing b/c it is a siutational arguement.

But if we run the draw play less than most of the teams in the league overall, it stands to reason that there is a pretty good chance that we don't run it more than most other teams in third down situations. And its likely that faced with a 3rd and 14, with John Kasay on the sidelines, going up against one of the better defenses in the nfl, a lot of coaches would run a draw play.

Now one might make the argument that we are less effective at running the draw play than most teams, especially if you include pre-deangelo williams as a starter numbers.

[monstercat]

Well, there you have it. Not that it matters though...I'm sure there will be many complaints the first time they run a draw on 3rd and long during the season and it doesn't get a 1st down. Fox always does this, they will say.

[CRA]

Second and long, we ran the most in the NFL. 3rd down, not so much.

If I had the desire, I'm pretty sure I could find posts on 31 different message boards complaining about their team running a draw on 3rd and long.

Complaining about draw plays, the refs and the fact that the coach won't start the backup quarterback have been and will always be the favored complaints of the casual fan.

there is no denying Fox opts for the draw on 3rd and long more so than your average NFL coach fans complain about.....and that has nothing to do w/ being a "casual" fan, it is simply reality. But, that is who Fox is.....and the same reason he opts for the draw in that situation is the same reason we know what Meeks will and won't do with this defense............unless the season becomes out of reach.