Marc Sessler on Panthers

[Panthers Rhule]

This guy gets it.

7) Anyone underestimating the Panthers

New regimes better show teeth by Year 3. Matt Rhule's Panthers prefer a faster track, jumping out to 2-0 behind a balanced, creatively coached roster. Some balked when Rhule hired Joe Brady and Phil Snow, a pair of coordinators with scant pro experience. Brady has unveiled an easy-on-the-eyes attack that feels like home to reclamation project Sam Darnold. Snow's top-ranked defense smacked the wandering Jets in Week 1 and held the Saints to 128 yards on Sunday, their lowest output since 2002, per Pro Football Reference. By comparison, Christian McCaffrey alone put up 137 yards against New Orleans.

Rhule's staff has shown an ability to develop young players like Brian Burns and flip the switch on veterans in Robby Anderson and Shaq Thompson. We're mere steps into the season, but this Panthers cadre arrives well-prepared and determined to create darkness. It's less about Houston in Week 3 and more about every foe to come: Carolina is a playoff team. Many will crumble at its feet before this whole thing wraps.

[mbarbour21]

Quote

Quote

"Many will crumble at its feet before this whole thing wraps."

 

[TheCasillas]

i love seeing Shaq's name everywhere...

[L-TownCat]

9 minutes ago, Panthers Rhule said:

held the Saints to 128 yards on Sunday, their lowest output since 2002, per Pro Football Reference. By comparison, Christian McCaffrey alone put up 137 yards against New Orleans.

 

[t96]

[joemac]

21 minutes ago, mbarbour21 said:

YES!  I LOVE IT!  I want to hear their cries, and the lamentations of their women as we loot and plunder!  No mercy!  The streets will flow with the blood of the non-believers! 

[brainless wuss]

Shaq has seemingly stepped up this year.  Is that a function of scheme? Personnel? Coaching? Something else?

[GRWatcher]

42 minutes ago, mbarbour21 said:

Glorious Purpose!

[Jon Snow]

Winter is coming.

[MasterAwesome]

NFL.com's coverage of the Panthers is pretty up-and-down.  There was the complimentary article in the OP and another article by Gil Brandt calling us his "hottest" 2-0 team right now.  But then there's the general Power Rankings that has us at 18 behind a slew of 1-1 teams (including Green Bay at 6th, really?) and this gem of a QB index that has Darnold at 25th, right below....Mac Jones?  With a washed up Matt Ryan and Ben Roethlisberger at 18 & 19?  But then again, if they're referring to our protection as "pristine" and think CMC and Moore are constantly getting "wide open" (nevermind the tiny windows Darnold threw into for both of them on Sunday), then I can see why they're cautious to elevate Darnold on their QB index. 

 

Yeah I know I know who cares about arbitrary rankings, but it's still funny to me that when it comes to the Panthers, it seems like they have to balance out any praise with a dash of cynicism.

 

[Santee_Panther]

8 minutes ago, brainless wuss said:

Shaq has seemingly stepped up this year.  Is that a function of scheme? Personnel? Coaching? Something else?

Clearly it is the number change, ha!

(Stud D-line and much improved secondary likely helps, not to mention the absence of Whitehead helps too).

[1usctrojan]

The Panthers glorious defense is getting tons of love on sports media!  Think of the past two games, and this one, as a chance for the offense to gel (especially the oline) and for the OC to open up the playbook.  Let the D take charge, while their teammates on the other side of the ball keep building on their development together.  

[Khaki Lackey]

8 minutes ago, brainless wuss said:

Shaq has seemingly stepped up this year.  Is that a function of scheme? Personnel? Coaching? Something else?

I think it's the players around him. In 2019, our front 4 (or 3, or whatever the hell we were trying to do that year) was so mediocre that even Luke looked slightly less Luke-like.

[SBBlue]

44 minutes ago, Khaki Lackey said:

I think it's the players around him. In 2019, our front 4 (or 3, or whatever the hell we were trying to do that year) was so mediocre that even Luke looked slightly less Luke-like.

Yes.  Players and coaching .  As much as I liked Ron at the time, it appears  Snow> RR.