If the Panthers stay healthy and go 7-9 then it's time to fire Fox

[Snake]

I don't think you could attribute a 7-9 record to losing a DT when you have a team that's returning 20 of 22 starters from a 12-4 season.

If you lost Jake, Smitty or DeAngelo Willams okay - but not Kemo. I understand his value, but he's a role player and his absence can be overcome much easier than any of the gentlemen I've listed above.

See thats what most avg fans dont understand. Kemo is not a role player. He is a 2 gap DT. What that means is he can take up two linemen while taking care of two lanes the RB runs threw. Kemo was just as important as Dwill or Smith. No he dose not make touchdowns but he allows Lewis,Brayton,and Peppers to only fight off one man and get to the QB. He also allows Beason,Davis,and Diggs to go free and not have to worry about Guards putting them on there ass. Thats why he is so important and really no backup is gonna bring you that.

[Peppers90 NC]

In my opinion, if the Panthers stay healthy this year and go 7-9 then it's time to fire Fox.

Agree?

can we fire you if we go 7-9? what if we went 6-10?

[beastson]

Agree.

[CRA]

If you think Kemo is avg or a one dimensional player you dont know much about football. Thats all I have to say about that.

How is he not one dimensional? He is only a run stuffer and nothing more.......to think Kemo is an above average DT is nonsense. Just b/c there is no depth behind him is just a poor job by the Panthers this year and last season......it just makes his absence noticeable going from average to below average.

[CRA]

See thats what most avg fans dont understand. Kemo is not a role player. He is a 2 gap DT. What that means is he can take up two linemen while taking care of two lanes the RB runs threw. Kemo was just as important as Dwill or Smith. No he dose not make touchdowns but he allows Lewis,Brayton,and Peppers to only fight off one man and get to the QB. He also allows Beason,Davis,and Diggs to go free and not have to worry about Guards putting them on there ass. Thats why he is so important and really no backup is gonna bring you that.

Our DTs limited how effective our DEs can be in a 4 man rush......which is what Foxy does......that was painfully obvious last season. DEs rely on the DTs to penetrate and get the QB to move.....otherwise the DEs are pushed past the play. Kemo stinks on passing downs........

why did Baltimore let Kemo go?

[Peppers90 NC]

Our DTs limited how effective our DEs can be in a 4 man rush......which is what Foxy does......that was painfully obvious last season. DEs rely on the DTs to penetrate and get the QB to move.....otherwise the DEs are pushed past the play. Kemo stinks on passing downs........

why did Baltimore let Kemo go?

cuz they didnt want to pay him what we did, he wasnt even the primary NT there anyway

[...]

Who else would we bring in? No. He's never had back to back losing seasons. Last year we even went 12-4 which is pretty damn good. If we go 7-9 this year and 4-12 next year then we'll have a conversation.

Or back-to-back winning seasons. Perennial mediocrity woo!

[CRA]

cuz they didnt want to pay him what we did, he wasnt even the primary NT there anyway

who was then the season prior to Kemo coming to Carolina? It was Kemo.

It just sounds like Panther fans are already trying to setup excuses for if things go bad.......seriously, teams adjust to much more serious blows and do fine.

[DaCityKats]

who was then the season prior to Kemo coming to Carolina? It was Kemo.

It just sounds like Panther fans are already trying to setup excuses for if things go bad.......seriously, teams adjust to much more serious blows and do fine.

i agree 100%...teams go thru more poo and still have a wonderful season.....plus why are other teams able to put the tag on a player and be successful with it.but soon as something happens its pep fault bc of his contract........hell i don't think anyone is worth that money, but the FO does so fug it lets roll.im still on super bowl or bust!! and if fox sucks this year he needs to go...way to conservative!!!!!!!!!

[Fireball77]

the legend of Del Rio is the most overrated aspect of Panther history. Sure, he was a good DC that year in Carolina but he is looked back upon and talked about like he was a mythical god.

OK that makes three of us! I missed yours while I was typing my response.

I also don't buy the Kemo myth (losing him made the D play the way it did the last half of the year because they were bad with him there). Remember when they lost Jenks in 2005 and a lot of people panicked because he was a big part of their D? Well they did a pretty good job on D that year with Pep, Carstens Buckner and Rucker. Jenks is a better player (impact wise) than Kemo IMO. They should be able to survive this one ok in theory. They've done it before.

[Peppers90 NC]

who was then the season prior to Kemo coming to Carolina? It was Kemo.

It just sounds like Panther fans are already trying to setup excuses for if things go bad.......seriously, teams adjust to much more serious blows and do fine.

I'm pretty sure Kell Gregg has been starting there a while, now rotating with Ngata.

Also.. NO EXCUSES!!!! Too many posters on here have dogged the Saints for their injury excuses, and now making them for ours, can't play both sides fellas.

[Snake]

Our DTs limited how effective our DEs can be in a 4 man rush......which is what Foxy does......that was painfully obvious last season. DEs rely on the DTs to penetrate and get the QB to move.....otherwise the DEs are pushed past the play. Kemo stinks on passing downs........

why did Baltimore let Kemo go?

Dude you have no clue about Football do you? Most fans dont and thats the problem. Kemo was used on ever down except passing downs because you use one gap DTs on those downs. Kemo can penetrate his gap and clog up the line. Thats something you dont get from many DTs. Oh and Ray Lewis had something to say about losing Kemo. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=2624876

[frash.exe]

I'm pretty sure Kell Gregg has been starting there a while, now rotating with Ngata.

Also.. NO EXCUSES!!!! Too many posters on here have dogged the Saints for their injury excuses, and now making them for ours, can't play both sides fellas.

agreed. the remedy for injuries is depth. you either have a coach that is good enough to build that depth or don't. obviously a catastrophic number of them will take their toll (2004), but if this team is one injury away from failure, and at positions where it shouldn't create a vacuum of consequences (QB) it's really pathetic. You have to expect some guys to get hurt every once in a while.

As far as Beason and Davis are concerned, well they're reportedly on the track to get healthy, and even if Stewart isn't 100% DeAngelo is good enough and Goodson looks like he's good to go as a change of pace back. We're still in good shape going into the Philly game, they've already lost their starting MLB as well.

[Snake]

OK that makes three of us! I missed yours while I was typing my response.

I also don't buy the Kemo myth (losing him made the D play the way it did the last half of the year because they were bad with him there). Remember when they lost Jenks in 2005 and a lot of people panicked because he was a big part of their D? Well they did a pretty good job on D that year with Pep, Carstens Buckner and Rucker. Jenks is a better player (impact wise) than Kemo IMO. They should be able to survive this one ok in theory. They've done it before.

We def have less talent on the DL now then we did then. We will see but losing Kemo was big and everyone knew that it was gonna hurt if we lost him. No one player makes a team and really they say if your a good coach Losing your starting players dose not hurt but even the mighty NE was taken down by injuries a few year ago.