The Silver Lining to our Playbook

[Khyber53]

Yesterday was not a bad loss. 

We started the game in Atlanta with the remnants of Hurricane Florence drenching North Carolina. Players had left families and homes behind to travel to neighboring Atlanta, but you know they were carrying some worries with them. It is without a doubt that a number of them spent a good portion of the night before checking on family members, reassuring their kids and doing all the things that you or I would be doing in the same situation. And that goes not just for the players but every member of the coaching and support staff. Sure, they are professionals and have folks to take care of stuff like that, but they are human, too.

They rolled into the early game with an offensive line with only one true starting level guy, Ryan Kalil and he is on the last lap of his career. Our left tackle was a guy who didn't have a jersey two weeks ago and our right tackle was last week's left tackle who is in the midst of the NFL's toughest On The Job Training program. Our HoF tight end was out with a broken foot and in his stead was a rookie (who looks like he will be great, but he's still learning).

On the defensive side of the ball, we're still looking at an untested rookie CB (and wow, is he ever looking good) and a lot of question marks and age spots among the safeties. The absence of Thomas Davis,  the team's hitman, was looming large, as well. We needed him facing a team that wasn't as one dimensional as the Cowboys. We needed his intimidation factor and his experience. This was a wounded Falcons offense at home.

The Falcons were missing a good linebacker, a good safety and an excellent running back, but otherwise were running with their star players intact.

During the game we saw our QB taken down, but not out, after an obvious headhunting shot. It could have been a trade of a second string, rookie safety for Cam Newton and we would have come out of the deal in bad shape. We got lucky and Cam was able to play. And he turned in a really accurate passing game thanks to CMC and managed multiple TDs, including a first pro catch/first pro TD to DJ Moore that made a lot of fans at least think we might have the heir to Smitty on the team. There were drops by Funchess and Smith, but catches by them, too. And Jarius Wright, often missed in all the talk, showed he was a solid pickup.

They ran on us like no one has in a long time, but we held Julio Jones to 5 catches and 64 yards in his own house and Matt Ryan had a day that he could be proud of, even doing his impression of the Elway helicopter TD. 

And we were right there, as time ran out, with a touchdown pass just barely broken up by triple coverage on a rookie receiver. We lost the game by just a bit less grip on the ball than was needed. We had the momentum and Cam was running the two minute drill (twice really) like he was in full command of the game. Play calls were strong, everyone was giving their all, the line was holding up and Cam was reading the field quickly and expertly. That was a determined, not a desperate team.

Had the catch been made and Carolina won the OT toss, there was no way they were stopping us.

We're going to get better from this and we learned a lot from this game. And we will have some of our stars coming back before long, and we might have one or two emerging as well. Seventeen more games to prove it.

[Panthro]

I just am amazed we didn't attack their safetys more

[Khyber53]

35 minutes ago, Panthro said:

I just am amazed we didn't attack their safetys more

I agree, but that may have had more to do with our O-line as much as anything. We played check-down passing for so much of the game that we never really tested those safeties. And I think we lost confidence in our WRs early on. It wasn't until we started pushing the ball out there that we started really moving in the second half. 

 

[d-dave]

I hate that we lost.  We could have won the game, but some days just aren't are our days.

The fact that we got within a bobbled rookie catch from tying and going to OT is pretty good, considering it just wasn't our day.  Lots of negative nancies want the entire team burned down after being 1-1...  Sheesh.

There's work to do for sure.  Better DLine play, and hopefully increase the involvement of DJ Moore.  What an exciting young player.

[Snake]

Idk what you saw but it was a ugly loss and a important one. 

[Anybodyhome]

The first time any opposing RB has run for 100+ against the Panther D in 22 games.

And it was a backup running back.

Who's names didn't we hear yesterday? Addison, Peppers, Horton, Shaq, and KK was mentioned once. 

The Panthers were out-coached and beaten by a team that put together a game plan- something the Panthers have yet to attempt.