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Here's hoping Edwards gets a start at QB this year

Carl Spackler

By Carl Spackler,
in Carolina Panthers

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TheRealDeal Newbie

TheRealDeal

Posted
Posted

At least I agree with three teams in your Sig. I don't really have a favorite team in the Pac10 but I like when someone dominates so they can go knock of the "big boys" in the other conferences. Hopefully it's Oregon this year. Ridiculous how so many SEC teams can be ranked and they are so bad.

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Panthro Community Regular

Panthro

Posted
Posted

You lose close (and not so close) games every year. You know why? Because both NC State football and basketball is one big annual joke. You're not good at anything, and you haven't been since Jimmy V had a pulse. You won't be good at anything anytime soon, either. Once Wilson leaves, you'll go back to the bottom half of the already horrible ACC until O'Brien gets fired and they bring in the next mediocre coach. This exact same thing will happen in basketball as well, except maybe that guy won't be famous for nothing more than having ugly blazers and getting waxed by legitimate programs each and every week.

The fact that you're arguing against an FCS school (and losing) about who has a better program should give you a general idea of how far NC State athletics has fallen.

Says the guy who cheers for Nebraska because deep down he knows cheering for App State is like cheering for a High School football program. You want the legitimacy that comes from playing with the big boys. But you and I both know that if App ever moved up they would disappear from the football spotlight forever. They won't turn into Boise which has a fertile recruiting location. You'd turn into Marshall. You can and never will compete for the same prospects with schools like UNC, NCSU, and ECU which is why you play 1 real game a year and sometimes you win (Michigan) and all the rest you lose.

I am not arguing about who has a better program. That would be silly of me. I just try and show some realism to the delusional thinking that makes up 95% of App fans. I love this.

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ElkinPanthersFan Apprentice

ElkinPanthersFan

Posted
Posted

He gets a fair shake week in and week out in practice and yet still cannot manage to suit up on game days.

You can trust anything this coaching staff does? We had to put up with Jarrett for 3 years and change.

Honestly, at this point, what does putting the kid and seeing what happens change the outcome of the this turd of a season?

If the Front office wanted to fill more of the seats for games, they would take this approach. He is a local hero around these parts and would draw them more tickets with him starting. Given the approach of Richardson this season I see this as a reality.

I'm sick of reading about his height and not being able to see over the line, You use him like Flutie was used. Roll him out and take advantage of his mobility. Of course this would require more than a cadaver at Head Coach.

I have seen him handle snaps under center during the 2007 season when Kevin Richardson was still the runningback. One game that comes to memory was vs James Madison, which they won and was one of the best games I've ever attended on any level of ball on atmosphere and competition.

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Zod Grand Master

Zod

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Posted

He wasn't going to be picked LATER as a ALLfor most other teams. A team with actual intelligence would already have him with a full wildcat formation.

Fixed for you.

Also, AE is no where near fast or shift enough for the wildcat. I would rather see Smitty or Deangelo back there.

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    • hepcat
      The NFL seems to be intent on killing the Panthers season this weekend, per the ref assignment

      By hepcat · Posted

      The referee assigned to this game is Shawn Smith. This is a critical data point for betting purposes because his crew has one of the most distinct, long-term statistical biases in the NFL. "Road Team" Bias: Historically, Shawn Smith is known as the "Road Team Referee." In a league where home teams usually win ~55% of the time, home teams in Smith's games have historically won at a rate far below league average (often hovering around 40-42%). Against The Spread (ATS): The trend is even starker here. Home teams have covered the spread at a rate of roughly 37-40% in his career. The Mechanism: Analysis shows his crew tends to call a higher rate of False Start and Unnecessary Roughness penalties on the Home Team. This negates the traditional home-field advantage (crowd noise causing false starts for the visitors). Impact on This Game: This specific assignment heavily favors the Buccaneers (Road Team). If you believe the referee influences the game, Smith's presence suggests the Panthers will struggle to get "home cooking" calls and may face untimely procedural flags that stall drives. The Panthers have only had Shawn Smith officiate four home games since he became a head referee in 2018, and they are all losses. Date Opponent Result Score Nov 24, 2024 vs. Kansas City Chiefs Loss 27–30 Oct 9, 2022 vs. San Francisco 49ers Loss 15–37 Dec 12, 2021 vs. Atlanta Falcons Loss 21–29 Nov 25, 2018 vs. Seattle Seahawks Loss 27–30   Considering the how rare it is for Shawn Smith to officiate a Panthers game at all, this seems like an odd time to assign him to a Panthers game, unless the NFL wants to kill the Panthers season once and for all.  The Panthers' offensive line situation creates a "perfect storm" for referee Shawn Smith's specific tendency to call False Starts on the home team. The "Carousel" Factor (Communication Vulnerability) The most damning stat for the Panthers' offensive line in 2025 is their lack of continuity. The Stat: By Week 13, the Panthers had already fielded their 10th different offensive line combination. The Impact: False starts are often "communication penalties"—they happen when a guard doesn't hear the center's snap count or a tackle anticipates the wrong cadence. A unit that hasn't played together struggles with non-verbal communication. The Shawn Smith Multiplier: Shawn Smith’s crew calls False Starts at a high rate on home teams. He will likely look for flinches on the exterior of the line. A disjointed line that is constantly rotating players (due to the injuries of starters like Cade Mays and the illness issues with Robert Hunt earlier this season) is "fresh meat" for this specific referee bias. The Specific Culprits (2025 Penalties) Ikem Ekwonu (LT): Leads the team with 4 False Start penalties this season. He is the most frequent violator on the line. Taylor Moton (RT): Has been flagged for 3 False Starts. The Trap: Smith’s crew often focuses on the tackles (the players furthest from the ball) jumping early to get an edge on speed rushers. Since Ekwonu struggles with this discipline naturally, having a referee who hunts for it is a massive disadvantage. The "Managed Outcome" Synthesis The "Bucs Cover" Script: If the desired outcome is a Buccaneers win to solidify their playoff standing, the officials simply have to apply the letter of the law. Calling strict False Starts on a confused, banged-up Panthers O-line will consistently put them in "3rd and Long" situations, killing their drives and allowing the Bucs (-3.5) to cover easily. The "Close Game" Script: If the desired outcome is "Week 18 Drama" (keeping the division tied), look for the officials to ignore the Panthers' twitchy tackles. If Ekwonu jumps a split-second early and no flag is thrown, it effectively neutralizes the Bucs' pass rush, allowing the Panthers to keep the score close. Summary of the Edge Vulnerability: Extreme. The Panthers are playing backup interior linemen (like Jake Curhan or practice squad call-ups) next to jumpy tackles. Betting Implication: This strongly reinforces the Bucs -3 or -3.5 play. The combination of a "Road Team Referee" and a "Home Team O-Line in chaos" suggests the Panthers will beat themselves with procedural penalties. Based on the collision of the hard data (Referee bias + Offensive Line injuries) and the soft narratives ("Managed Outcomes"), here is the definitive recommendation. If you have to place a single Moneyline bet to win this game straight up: The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-165) While the "Entertainment Script" hints at a Panthers upset to keep the division messy, the structural disadvantage the Panthers face in this specific matchup is too massive to ignore. Here is why the Buccaneers are the stong moneyline play: 1. The "Shawn Smith" Road-Field Advantage This is the decisive factor. In the NFL, Home Field Advantage usually accounts for about 1.5 to 2 points of value. The Reality: Referee Shawn Smith negates that advantage entirely. His crew calls penalties in a way that historically suppresses home crowd momentum (False Starts, holding). The Result: You are essentially getting the Buccaneers on a neutral field (or even a "pseudo-home" field) against a team with a worse roster. 2. The "Drive-Killer" Synergy To win as an underdog, the Panthers need to play a clean, mistake-free game to keep drives alive. The combination of Panthers' 10th O-Line combo + Jump-prone Tackles (Ekwonu) + A Referee who hunts False Starts is a recipe for disaster. The Scenario: Expect the Panthers to face multiple "1st and 15" or "3rd and 12" situations due to procedural flags. These drive-killers will force them to punt or settle for field goals, while the Bucs' offense (led by Mayfield) stays on schedule. 3. The "TV Product" Counter-Argument You asked about the "Managed Outcome." While a Panthers win creates "chaos," the NFL also values Star Power in the playoffs. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are a proven national TV draw with recent playoff history. If the league has to choose between "Chaos" (Panthers) and "Ratings/Legitimacy" (Bucs), the "Script" likely leans toward ensuring the Buccaneers—the more marketable team—secure the division lead. They won't "fix" the game against the Panthers, but they won't intervene to save them from their own penalties. Final Verdict Betting on the Panthers requires you to hope for a miracle 4th-quarter collapse. Betting on the Buccaneers requires you to trust that a superior roster—aided by a favorable officiating crew—will control the game for the first 45 minutes. Take the Buccaneers Moneyline. The "Safe" money is on the Ref. The Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win and Cover Projected Score: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 17 The Bet: Buccaneers -3 (or Moneyline -165) Confidence Level: High on the Winner; Moderate on the Spread (due to potential "garbage time" variance).
    • kungfoodude
      If you can only fire ONE person before 2026....

      By kungfoodude · Posted

      He isn't a good HC. I think he has proved that conclusively.
    • kungfoodude
      Panthers Leaders in Missed Tackles

      By kungfoodude · Posted

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