"We played like the old Panthers", but we are close provided Gman busts some moves and BPA meets need

[top dawg]

First off, I'm grateful for this season. It was the best one I've had as a Panthers fan. Like I said a few weeks ago, we were playing with house money as far as I was concerned because I never expected us to hit the jackpot until January.  It's tough to lose in the Super Bowl. but the Panthers really went beyond anyone's expectations this year, so I am really gonna try and hang my favorite Panthers cap on that fact as opposed to hanging my head.

The fact is is that I had some misgivings about many Huddlers prognosticating a win because our strengths supposedly played right into their weaknesses for the last fortnight. I reluctantly tried to convince myself that "maybe they are right", but deep down I knew that our weaknesses might play to their strengths, and unfortunately that happened. My son told me all week "I don't know, Dad, that pass rush..."

He continued, "You know Cam doesn't play well when he gets constantly pressured all game."

I responded by telling him that our line had done pretty well (in pass protection anyway), notwithstanding Cam's ability to escape and/or buy time, and that we had the number one scoring offense. But I still recognized the possibility that trouble was looming due to the outright differences in talent level between the Panthers overall O-line and Denver's overall D-line. I also thought there was a good possibility that Wade Phillips would out-coach Mike Shula, but I pretty much ignored the feeling just like ignored the Phillips thread in the Huddle this week. Moreover, even though my son didn't mention the receivers---you know how I am---I wondered if they were really ready for the big stage (like Fox Mulder, at the time I said to myself "I want to believe"). But I really believed that we would be alright. 

In short, all my fears, along with his fears, came to pass. Nothing went right. Cam was pressured all game long and reverted back to some bad habits, and no extra body was put in there to block to give him  little more time for the most part. In addition to not pulling someone back for extra protection, Shula confounded my mind once again by failing to adjust and running the same old run or slow developing passes (particularly on first down, keeping the Panthers behind the eight ball for a notable amount of our stalled drives. And of course the receivers had problems getting open and hanging onto the ball. 

My wife told me that "we played like the old Panthers", and she is basically right.  She said she didn't know why we did, but that we did. The good thing is, that even she (with her casual fan self) noted that if we can get a few players here or there that maybe we can win it all next year. Kelvin Benjamin will be back, and that will be a great help, but protecting Cam is an absolute necessity, particularly with teams like the Broncos ready to meet us in the postseason.

As for Shula, I have mixed emotions, but my son still says that he needs to go. I told him that Shula isn't going anywhere unless he get a head coaching job. He just shook his head much like I was doing all night long, but, like I said,I am not going to hang my head because the entire team really did an outstanding job this season. We'll just have to wait and see what rabbit(s) Dave Gettleman will pull out of his hat this off-season. I sure hope that BPA meets need, because that's how G-man rolls.

 

[PandaPancake]

I'm more upset about that halftime show than anything. 

Just another team on Revenge Tour v2.0

[rayzor]

next year we make it right.

[CarolinaSamurai]

Plus we all knew Remmers struggled with fast pass rushers. It was most prevalent against Vic Beasly. Its weird for me because in a game this season they actually changed to quick slant passes because Cam had no time and it really helped open up the feild. I don't remember what game but I do remember cotch, funchess had big games because of it that day. I'm surprised we didn't adjust at all. I just wish I knew how much Cam audibled vs shulas calls in some of those boneheaded long dev plays trying to hit it big and force a big play. 

[luke nukem]

we gotta go for a tackle or a corner in the first.

[Squirrel]

Did Daryl Williams play?  He should shore up the right tackle spot. But we definitely need to draft a left tackle. Defense we need to replenish the secondary and get some defensive ends.   Ealy showed up tonight but is consistent and Johnson is most likely gone along with Allen. 

[Squirrel]

Davis will play one more year.  

[KSpan]

I said the same thing in another thread - the offense looked like the 2013 and 2014 versions with the head-scratching slow-developing plays in the face of pressure. It's not like they didn't know Miller and Ware were coming.

[GRWatcher]

1 hour ago, PandaPancake said:

I'm more upset about that halftime show than anything. 

Just another team on Revenge Tour v2.0

OMG how bad was that?! I went & washed dishes until I heard Bruno then went back to the dishes for Martin's last song. UGH

 

42 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

Did Daryl Williams play?  He should shore up the right tackle spot. But we definitely need to draft a left tackle. Defense we need to replenish the secondary and get some defensive ends.   Ealy showed up tonight but is consistent and Johnson is most likely gone along with Allen. 

Yes he played. He came in for Norwell who pulled a hamstring. I can see, too, a need for depth at some spots where we're okay for now so I hope DG keeps his late round draft magic going. :)

[d-dave]

Good topic.

What it really comes down to moving forward is just getting better upfront.  Everyone knows about Rimmers, and there's a reason we were able to snag him off a practice squad.  Upgrades at RT will be pretty huge.  I guess Williams just wasn't ready this year for full time duty, but hopefully next year.

With Shula, the way this team is being built to bully other teams with our running game, it's got to be about adaptation.  He can create a great variety of runs, and he has generally used them extremely well.  But the problems persist in the passing game.  If he can't show some more growth in that area, we're going to be in big trouble.

At the end of the day though, we all have to acknowledge that Denver just played a brilliant defensive game.  They took it to us like no one else.  Von Miller played great, and their "green dog" blitzes were extremely effective.  I bet we'll see more of those next year, wink wink.

[PandaPancake]

I hope they tag Miller and he holds out

[AceMan]

The only thing giving me pause on firing Mike Shula is Tony Dungy...he claims he greatly regrets firing Shula after a loss in the NFC Championship for the Bucs and almost felt like it was karma when he got fired afterwards.

[JawnyBlaze]

Yea I said in another thread RT needs to be a high pick this year cuz Remmers has been our weakest link on the line all year and yesterday he was the worst player on the field but I had forgotten about Daryl Williams. Hopefully he can take that spot next year and we can focus on DE, CB and S in the draft. I'm not too concerned about WR with KB coming back. I think we'll be fine with KB, Ginn, Funch and Philly. Maybe draft a mid to late round "return guy with potential" like Lockett was for Seattle this year but no need to invest a significant pick on the position unless there's a guy too good to pass up available.