Despite my desire to continue to be an optimist...

[Samuel L. Jackson]

... I feel like it is time for me to look at this season for what it pretty much is...

Let me start by listing some things that, over the past several years (read the John Fox era) have gotten us into this position.

1. We are a running team in a passing league.

2. We are more concerned with our check book than our play book. (this season more than others)

3. Our entire philosophy of "bend but don't break" on the defensive side of the ball and "run the clock down and wear out the opposing defense" is obviously not working anymore, and we aren't taking steps to correct it.

4. We have been sloppy in our scouting and drafting process in recent years.

5. We make absolutely zero valid adjustments from the original game plan each week.

Before I discuss those statements, let me throw out this metaphor from this past weekend's game...

After halftime, my digital cable decided it wanted to act up... Slowly but surely, the third quarter became a garbled mess of digitized blocks of color and the random sound of the actual game taking place. Sometimes I could see enough to tell what was happening, and others I could not. As the 4th quarter rolled around, the signal was all but lost, and only offered a moment here and there of what I had waited all week to see. I caved in after trying to fix the signal (an ongoing issue with TWC) and decided to just switch it off and find something else to do...

In my opinion, that is pretty much what the Panthers (especially the offense) have both looked like, and decided to do... a garbled mess of unwatchable product that just switches it off when they aren't having any success...

Now then, to my list above...

The Panthers identity is being a dominant run team that controls the clock and keeps their less talented defense off the field. Unfortunately, this season, our youth and inconsistency on the Offensive Line is showing, much to the detriment to our entire game plan.

We have no options in the passing game (despite my insisting that Jarrett can be a success in the league) other than Steve Smith, who is getting older and more angry by the minute, and seemingly less and less patient. At least he hasn't punched anyone yet, and before you think I am a Smith hater for saying that, I am far from it. In fact, the Panthers could use more people in their system with Smitty's desire and fire, and that goes for players AND the coaching staff. Every now and then you have to get into someone's ass to get a point across, and not stand there clapping and chewing gum when everything falls apart around you.

The rest of the league has adapted and realized that you win games by scoring more points, and you can do that better, lately anyways, by being a throwing team. Fox and Davidson apparently stand defiant against other teams' proven success and still want to prove you can win playing old school, smash-mouth football.

This season, we severed ties with the equivalent of Steve Smith on the defensive side of the ball in Julius Peppers. He had plenty of people questioning his ability and desire to win, yet he went out there and made life easier for the rest of the guys around him. Pep on a bad day is twice as good as anyone we have now on their best day. If you don't agree, you are just being a Panthers homer. I don't really fault the Panthers too bad with Pep's departure, but I am pretty sure it wasn't all about the money, and if so, that should be proof enough to anyone questioning his motivations.

I said we are focused on the check book more as a broader picture than player salaries this year. What is going to happen to D-Will? Money is also a big factor in how we move around in the draft as of recent. Would you rather pay a 1st rounder or a second rounder? A second rounder or a third? Sure, if and when a CBA is reached, we might just be in pretty good shape. My theory is that JR has something to prove in that he wants to show you can win with young cheap talent just as good as you can with high priced veterans. So far, that mantra isn't working out so well...

Another point here is that it is hard for a play book to get too complex when you have young guys trying to come in and learn it...

The main fault I have with Fox and company right now is the lack of adaptation. As mentioned earlier, we are behind the times. Our game plan rarely changes, and each week if things don't fall exactly into place, we are beating our heads against the wall doing the same stupid things... Doing stupid things often lead to stupid mistakes, and that is rearing its ugly head this season also... The blandness of our offense takes away from any hope I have for our young, seemingly improving, defense... We have the best RB duo in the league, and you ask them to run where there aren't lanes, and can't figure out ways to get them the ball and succeed? What are we paying you for again? As a lot of you have pointed out, I really do wonder what goes on at halftime... At this point, as best as I can tell, everyone goes in, takes a quick nap, and comes back out like we are restarting the game 0-0...

I already hinted at our recent drafts and the money saving going on with them, but we are taking players earlier than we should be, and the wrong player for the position we are targeting... Case in point, Brandon LaFell and Armanti Edwards... One is heralded for his run blocking, and the other for his athletic ability... The run blocker is brought in and asked to make catches in traffic with his small hands, or block for our third string RB out of the backfield... The athlete is asked to field punts all preseason only to be relegated to the inactive list and have the special teams jobs handed over to the guys who held them down last year... We didn't go after a solid #2 option for our passing game, so our offense again suffers. Stack the box and double Smitty... That is the easy way to beat Carolina!

Another irk from this past draft is the later round picks of Pugh, McClain, and Stanford... Don't get me wrong, I have nothing personal against the players, but man, we really could have used some OL depth at that point... especially considering our two Pro-Bowl caliber Tackles were coming off season ending injuries... We had the 4th best passing defense last year if I recall correctly... That was thanks to a good pass rush (Peppers) and solid DB and LB play... Why do you go out and draft 3 DBs when you only suffered one loss in the secondary?

Also let me add... Tony Pike? Really? Come on, man... We drafted arguably the best pro-ready QB to come out in years and you still feel the need to add depth later by adding someone who may very well never see the field as a regular season Panther?

I have already discussed point #5 briefly in the paragraphs above, but let me reiterate it...

If it isn't broke, don't fix it... If it is broke, do SOMETHING to get it right...

Beating your head against a brick wall won't eventually open a hole in the wall... but it will open one in your head...

Because I feel the need to finish on an optimistic note, there are 13 games left...

Another optimistic point is that my son is only 4 weeks old tomorrow, and he won't be remembering any of this season...

I only wish I could forget how it has happened so far, and I can only hope that we somehow turn things around this year...

[blackcatgrowl]

Great post. Pretty much a cut and paste of what I said here:

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/carolina-panthers/45134-reality-check.html

There is something fundamentally wrong with the Panther's organization.

[thefuzz]

Long read, but all very valid points.

I have for far too long been pissy about trading next years picks, for this years players. Especially when they "slide"....there is a reason that they are doing so.

And that, coupled with the fact that we turned a blind eye to the passing game for years has crippled this Team.

[CLTPanther]

Congrats on being a dad, I know you've been getting a lot of sleep. I agree with most of the points. Whoever is HC after this season, I really hope it's more of an O minded coach. At least loses with lots of points is entertaining while watching us lose in the last 2 mins of the game because of the bend dont break mentality rather than watching a snoozer.

[err456]

I enjoyed the read, keep up the good work!

[panthers55]

Jump on the bandwagon folks. Seems as the season goes down the drain folks are seeing what I said for months.

For those still predicting 13-3. I can wait.

[Big Ed]

Not getting and developing quality backups is also a major player

Hurney & Fox have stuck with the if it ain't broke don't fix it starters

Sticking with their starters and not developing their 2nd & 3rd stringers

This season JR got rid of a lot of those starters

Hurney & Fox went to the back ups but a horrific though hit them

Dang we never developed any of these guys

[Chaos]

SLJ, good post. You're always an optimist, so you've turned a significant corner here.

You hit the nail on the head regarding adjustments. I look at it as a franchise problem, think micro to macro. This team doesn't adjust in-game (halftime) for poo, never has. Expand that concept to one week to the next, last year sticking with Jake when the whole world knew it was eminent failure, but we didn't adjust. Now think big picture, season to season. Fox ball has been the philosophy since day one. We run, we play tough defense, we score 20 and hope the other guys score 17. We don't have that personnel anymore, and the league has adapted to different offensive philosphy's - the Carolina Panthers have adapted to nothing. Cutting a bunch of veterans and infusing youth to the roster, but employing the same dead philosphy that's not working is crazy.

In game, week to week, season to season, this team cannot and will not adjust. Period.

[natty]

[Kettle]

i'll come back to finish reading later. i just read the 1 thru 5 so far. a long topic sentence. all of which i agree with.

[Razeyfingers]

Yeah man, the O-line depth issue just puzzles me. Maybe Fox was drafting for ST's late in the draft there, but regardless Im ejoying my favorite little drama no matter what. Im just hoping to get through the season without scarring any of our players at this point. I still found last Sunday's game to be a lot more exciting than the average game and I think I'll continue stay engrossed considering how much change there currently is. . . I just realized, Ahhh that bastage! that's where he's got me!. . I just cant stop watching at this point.

[firstdayfan]

What I find funny about the scouting department was how we've been doing this thing the past few seasons of quantity not quality. Like bringing in a ton of guards to see which one works...trading for several defensive tackles and hoping one can fill a hole...drafting wr's and quarterbacks hoping someone steps up. Whatever happened to finding a guy you like a getting him? It's almost like they don't trust themselves to make a good decision.

Another thing that has hurt this team is that we have gone two years in a row without getting an impact player in the first round. We are money with our first round picks and we haven't had one in two years. Basically, we lost out on two solid starters that we would have right now. Also add in that two other round one gems are injured and we have just gotten to a point where are talent has been depleted to the point that we are a bad team right now.

And finally I want to address the oline...we have two backups playing on the right side of the line. I don't care what anyone says but bernadeau and Schwartz are solid backups but NOT starters. The only reason they are in there is bc we wouldn't go out and find a good right guard and that otah is injured. That's what is wrong with the line...oh and the fact that they are going against 8 and nine man fronts.

[Davidson Deac II]

Irt us being a running team in a passing league, thats not a bad thing. Pittsburgh is a running team, and they seem do pretty well for themselves.

Being a team that runs more than it passes is not a problem. Being a running team that can't pass at all, and can't run block is a big problem.

[Kettle]

the truth makes me sad. hopefully enduring the current events will lead to enjoying some spectacular ones.

meanwhile i get to listen to steeler fans at work talk about all the success they're having. when are we gonna be like the team we're supposed to be modeled after Jerry? WHEN?!?!!!!