USA Today on how the Panthers are absolutely dumb for not playing Curtis Samuel

[emhoward]

1 hour ago, tiger7_88 said:

Our top priorities in the draft next year will likely be defensive end, center, and (sadly) linebacker... especiallly MLB.

It's baffling to me that you defend Cam in nearly any and every situation (and in your defense, he often needs defending from haters) but won't do the same for the other cornerstone of the franchise. In fact you seem to be loudest voice of criticism.

Is it simply because everyone nitpicks Cam and every little thing he does, while they seemingly ignore Luke's mistakes, therefore you point them out? Are you like sorta trying to fix some imbalance on the huddle? Is it that simple? 

If so I think the whole "two wrongs dont make a right" message applies. Don't turn into what you hate.... Nitpicking haters.

That doesnt mean you don't point when Luke misses a tackle, you do, but going so far as to say that perhaps we should draft his replacement.... That sounds just like what Cam haters were saying in 2016.

This is his first down year. Cam has had them as well. He'll be fine. 

[Cuttinedge]

Didn’t bradberry have a mvp preseason going against funch. Says a lot for your #1wr when he gets throttled by a db who’s quickly earning the nickname toast against   the likes  of golladay

Samuel should be on  the field as much as possible. But I think Ron is just hard headed enough to think “I’m not letting a USA reporter dictate who I play “

[tiger7_88]

3 minutes ago, emhoward said:

It's baffling to me that you defend Cam in nearly any and every situation (and in your defense, he often needs defending from haters) but won't do the same for the other cornerstone of the franchise. In fact you seem to be loudest voice of criticism.

What the hell are you talking about?  The last couple of weeks is the only time I've ever talked negatively about Luke's performance.

I could have, over the years, picked at nits at every little mistake Luke ever made on the field to "get back" at the Cam criticizers, but I didn't and I won't.

But the last few weeks there has been little doubt that Luke's performance on the field has NOT been good.  Its not encouraging and its scary to think that it might be because of his health whereas I hope its just because he's playing under a horrible DC.

Why don't you take to task the tiger7_88 that you've invented in your head, because the one that exists here in this forum is not the one you are talking about above in your post, that's for damn sure.

(Hmmmm, maybe we ought to start referring to "Luke Nut Huggers" in this here forum?  Nah... )

[emhoward]

4 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

What the hell are you talking about?  The last couple of weeks is the only time I've ever talked negatively about Luke's performance.

I could have, over the years, picked at nits at every little mistake Luke ever made on the field to "get back" at the Cam criticizers, but I didn't and I won't.

But the last few weeks there has been little doubt that Luke's performance on the field has NOT been good.  Its not encouraging and its scary to think that it might be because of his health whereas I hope its just because he's playing under a horrible DC.

Why don't you take to task the tiger7_88 that you've invented in your head, because the one that exists here in this forum is not the one you are talking about above in your post, that's for damn sure.

(Hmmmm, maybe we ought to start referring to "Luke Nut Huggers" in this here forum?  Nah... )

I definitely could be mistaking you for someone else, I'm often only in game threads so it's easy to get people confused. Apologies. 

The idea of potentially drafting his replacement is a little much though. He def has had his health concerns but I think he's been pretty clean since 2016. And this is his first down year or down quarter of a year, and he's often doing what Cam is on offense, pressing in order to make up for bad play from others, Cam is just better at it because he's so use to doing it.

[tiger7_88]

1 hour ago, emhoward said:

I definitely could be mistaking you for someone else, I'm often only in game threads so it's easy to get people confused. Apologies. 

Well, in your defense, I was very critical of Luke in the most recent game thread for sure.  And, as you point out, he hasn't had a particularly good year (very likely due to the under-performance of the Carolina front four).

And I didn't even participate in the Pittsburgh game thread.  I had just returned from a 4-day business trip and I fell asleep in front of the TV lol.

1 hour ago, emhoward said:

The idea of potentially drafting his replacement is a little much though. He def has had his health concerns but I think he's been pretty clean since 2016.

I hope he is and, like I said above, I hope its his DC causing the problems rather than his health.  Sometimes you see the old Luke still (he had that one play against Detroit where he nailed the hole and dropped the RB), but in this defense he just looks... confused.  And those of us scared for his health know that his past injuries have been BRAIN injuries.  So god forbid the "confusion" be anything other than bad coaching.

 

[Ivan The Awesome]

Analytics say Samuel should get more playing time. Tepper wants the team to use more analytics. Ron will keep playing Funchess more than Samuel. 

 

Yup. Makes sense. 

[trueblade]

1 hour ago, tiger7_88 said:

(Hmmmm, maybe we ought to start referring to "Luke Nut Huggers" in this here forum?  Nah... )

As long as we don't start having Craigasms again. 

(Yes, I'm dating myself with that reference.)

[Fox007]

Rivera is a moron and will always be a moron. He's one of the worst in game coaches the league has ever seen and I could only laugh imagining him without Cam/Luke.

Opposite of what offensive HC's are known for and can do(namely put on some offense). His defenses are almost never up to snuff nor do they dominate like they should given the number of high picks on that side of the ball. He's not a defensive HC whose scheme or play calls can carry the day so he is literally a useless rock on the side lines.

Maybe he can coach some technique and concepts M-F, that makes him a DC. Next. 

[Darvinsun]

3 hours ago, AggieLean said:

Yea, I think I’ve come to that realization as well. I’m starting to believe it’s time to move on.

It' been that way for a long time. He had his shot and missed it big time just by doing what he is doing now. Writings been there we stumbled into that 2015 team with playmakers, but when it came to the big game where coaching is the most important he fell big time. The defense playmakers were able to keep it close but Ron could notrecognize the issues on offense to correct the problems. Exposed for what he was a mediocre coach.

[mc52beast]

Could understand not playing him if he’s not producing or if he doesn’t know the playbook but the dude is a threat every time he gets the ball.

I think Rivera is too stuck in his ways to alter much of what he does. If we lose a couple more on the road and the Aints sweep us I think he’s gone

[rippadonn]

Sorry, but for me, I'd play players and not be playing contracts. If the cheaper player is balling out we're rolling with THAT guy. Based on performance and potential Moore and Samuel should get the snaps at WR. Dan Henning had a saying "feed the stud".

During the game after "Funch" dropping three balls I said if I were coach he'd be watching the game with his family in the stands. Ron should have seen the pattern and sat that man and reevaluated come Seattle but he didn't, WEAKNESS. It bit him in his ars. He as a coach needs to get serious about winning. Guys catching balls in the endzone with their fingertips. Guys that break tackles for 40yrds. Those guys are #22,#12,#10,#88. Feed em. It is what it is.

 

[Chaos]

And just like years past, this is the point Ron subtlely starts making the glaringly obvious changes after we’ve squandered precious winnable games.  The riverboat shows up and people rejoice, but if you can’t adapt quicker to what’s changing around you, being an NFL head coach is no longer your top qualification.

I know people are happy with our playoff appearances, but what if I told you there were better seeds than wildcard?  Would you believe me?  Should I just settle for any playoff seed?  Maybe, but not when you have the talent we have including an MVP quarterback laying it all on the line every week.  What a slap in the face to Cam, to finally get the man the weapons he has so desperately needed, then keep one on the bench while the Kelvin Benjamin impersonator minus braids and 100 pounds gets all the snaps (and drops).

[BrianS]

"Maybe the coaching staff is having a hard time envisioning a 5-foot-11, 195-pound speedster as a WR1"

 

I can't wrap my brain around that.  I remember another reciever 5-foot-9, 195.  Great after the catch.  4.41 in the 40.  He ended up having an "ok" career here . . . 

Curtis is 2 inches taller, a little faster . . . maybe Curtis could have an "ok" career too . . . if only he had the chance.

[Semaj]

We've wasted the best years of Cam and Luke's career with a mental midget as HC.  A guy who has no idea how to set a lineup and is a terrible game day manager.  So damn sad.  I have no doubt that we would have won the Superbowl in 2015 with a different coach leading the way.