A few notes and points before we face the angry birds on sunday

[frash.exe]

I know sunday a lot of you will be thinking "daammm it's the first game of the season that almost didn't happen" (lol like there was a chance they were going to have games cancelled anyway) and your subconscious has been gearing up for football because your synapses are receiving and transmitting sensory messages associated with the coming of football season (late summer/fall breeze, the caramel apple display at your local grocery, Notre Dame losing to Michigan, etc). Like you, I too am also getting excited to see a team with a different identity and formula. So in the spirit of week 1 approaching, as the Panthers open a new chapter and a new era of football, I made a video compiling the history of our franchise and if you're not a dick and can handle satire I think you'll like it.

Now lets talk Cardinals. In all reality this game is winnable. Now, before you bert face me and start posting about how "liek omgz but we has liek no DTs and and and and Cam Newton is the awful and ur just liek a homer man" let me post some veritable statistics and analysis. Also let me qualify this by saying that I'm not guaranteeing victory for the Panthers, all I'm saying is that it is not hopeless, and it's anybody's ball game. Why? Well here's why...

THE CARDINALS CBS ARE WORSE THAN OURS

It's been discussed over and over and over and over again our lacking talent at corner all offseason, but honestly if I asked you the question "would you take a veteran no.1 corner, a 5'8'' corner who plays remarkably well for his lack of height, and a 3rd corner with a tackling problem or a rookie, a guy with 1 career tackle, and the NFL's 5th best nickleback?" what CB corps would you take? Because the latter generally describes the guys our WRs are lining up against. Patrick Peterson, aka, the guy whose name you got sick of reading on this forum by last February, may one day very well be a great corner, but remember how 89 loves to feast on inexperience. Smith may have lost a step (maybe not), but right now Chud is figuring out how to use 89 in this game, and I predict he's going to move him around a lot, unless AJ Jefferson really does such a horrible job containing him that it doesn't matter. I can't imagine Smith not getting open often against the both of them. Hopefully Legedu can get some receptions because we're going to need that 2nd WR presence coming along as the season goes on.

"THE CARDS ARE GOING TO RUN FOR 200 AGAINST US BECAUSE WE HAVE NO DTS. NO DAREUS NO FAIRLEY NO GOOD SNARF SNARF"-LOL NO THEY AREN'T

I don't know if you guys that are saying this are aware, but the Cardinals offensive line sucks wee wees. I don't remember being a fan or maybe aware of NFL statistics at a base level the last time they had a top ten running game. NFL.com ranked their running game 32nd in the league in 2010. FO ranked their line 21st in run blocking. How did they fix this problem in the offseason? By trading away their best running back, replacing him with an aging former spell back for AP, taking a former Seahawks guard from Cleveland's line which performed below average, and picking up a guy from Green Bay's line, which, despite contributing to a superbowl winning team was ranked just about as bad as AZ's line. Also this guy is just one of AZ's interior depth players

What's that about us getting killed in the trenches on defense again?

KEVIN KOLB'S DEEP BALL IS HORRENDOUS

remember when you used to play kick ball in 3rd grade phys ed and whenever your tubby little butt walked up to home plate all the kids in the field would close in? That's an idea of what NFL defenses do when Kevin Kolb walks on the field. To prove it, I found this very good link on Kevin Kolb's deep passing ability. Lol look who they compared some of his stats to in the article.

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2011/05/13/kevin-kolb-schaub-like-or-feeley-ish/

Was it just because of injury that he lost his job to Vick? Definitely not. Vick's presence opened up the offense and made it a lot more dynamic in comparison to Kolb because he can't run and his 20+ accuracy is horribad. As far as burning our corners is concerned, the Cards had as many 40+ yard passing plays as we did last year. Their 20+ yard game was better but still below average. So if Kolb couldn't get the ball downfield to Jackson, who is just about the best deep threat in this league, what makes you think he can get it to Fitz deep? Even being a top 3 receiver in the league he's not known as a deep threat WR, and in the last two years he's accounted for 1 40+ yard reception.

PANTHERS O-LINE VS CARDINALS D-LINE

It was mentioned somewhere that our starting O-Line Sunday is going to be Gross-Wharton-Kalil-Hangartner-Otah. There were two games where the Panthers offense featured this exact lineup. One game they rushed for 158 yards at 4.5 ypc, and in the other they rushed for 234 yards on 5.6 ypc. That not good enough for you? How does only 1 sack allowed in those two games sound then?

Looking at the Cards' defensive front, it's gonna be 3-man mayhem with Calais Campbell, Dan Williams, and Darnell Dockett. Dan Williams has little experience at NT. The other two are okay, but against a very good Oline they will struggle. The best guy spelling their D-Line starters is Vonnie Holliday, who is like ancient at this point.

YOUTH HOSTELING WITH RON RIVERA

The article that was posted today about Newton was a good thing to hear. Normally you don't get rookie QBs mentioning guys on the team by name with obvious reverence. This is a sign Newton is advancing at a rapid rate in terms of maturity in comparison to other 1st round QBs, and it's something that can do no harm as far as his passing skills, mechanics, and other aspects of his game is concerned. As a matter of fact, it may be a motivating factor for him to get better and improve at it. This Sunday, Cam may not look like based god throwing the ball (actually it's likely he won't), however he will do whatever he can on that field for his teammates, and at this point, that's all anybody should be asking of him. If it's not, then you either have ridiculously high standards when it comes to rookie QBs starting for the first time or you just can't resist commenhatin' on Cam.

Sunday this game isn't going to look pretty, not nearly as pretty as the one that just took place today. However, we'll look competitive, so be optimistic and keep sober. Besides, you're going to have to save your liver for when we play Green Bay and they whitewash us, so make sure to drink up on that day guys.

[micnificent28]

Goood read. I agree with most of this.

[o_O]

I was gonna give your some swag for the nice write-up, but that video was annoying as fug.

[Udogg]

Good work on thread however that video sets humanity as a whole back at least 2 days.

[SgtJoo]

Is that comic sans?

[frash.exe]

Is that comic sans?

why wouldn't it be

[Verge]

I agree, I mean argue with a position per position breakdown.

CB: Panthers

S: Cardinals

LB: Panthers by like a million

DT: Cards (if you want to count Dockett, otherwise push)

DE: Panthers

OL: Panthers

TE: Panthers

WR: Cardinals

RB: Panthers by like a million again

QB: Push

6-3.

We are the better team.

[Mr. Scot]

If Kolb succeeds moving from a WCO to a conventional offense, he'd be the first I know of. Otherwise, he'll follow a tradition of QBs looking great under Andy Reid, then sucking when they leave him.

The Cards currently have one of those dual OC things (Russ Grimm is the Run Game Coach, Mike Miller the Pass Game Coach) but I think Whisenhunt actually calls the plays.

[AviationMX]

Rookie CB for cards will play...got it Cam?

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- A teammate's injury has accelerated rookie Patrick Peterson's ascent into the Arizona Cardinals' starting lineup.

The fifth overall draft pick will start at cornerback when the Cardinals open the season Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Coach Ken Whisenhunt likes to bring rookies along more slowly but a season-ending knee injury to starter Greg Toler forced his hand.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/09/07/cardinals.patrick.peterson.ap/index.html#ixzz1XS7s2dzl

[nosuchthingasapanther]

the bengals sucked too...but that was just preseason.

just saying.

[BountyHunter]

Love the writeup and optimism.

[NorthTryon]

I gave you swag for the based god reference

[The Saltman]

I give you pie for the brian austin green gif.

I didnt read the OP tho

[EMSMedic79]

Kevin Kolb is coming into this season highly over-rated.