Game Notes - Week Two

[Mr. Scot]

(yeah, I’m late; had a busy last couple of days)

Early on in this game I was rubbing my eyes to see if I was really awake. As the game wore on, I realized that I was :(

That’s okay though. It’s still a way better start to this season than I would have imagined :)

On to the analysis…

OFFENSE

Starting where I always like to start, with the Big Uglys. One thing we got to see a little of in this game that we didn’t see much last year was some second level blocking. Ryan Kalil is one of the best centers in the league at this aspect of the game. Unfortunately, when I say we say little, reality is we saw very little because almost none of our run plays are actually making it to the second level.

As has been the case a lot since last year, the right side of the line is the weaker link. People will concentrate on Byron Bell (who had moments, but for the most part looked like a rookie in his first start playing against the World Champs) but in truth, Geoff Hangartner is still not really starter material to me, much better as a utility backup. He’s a great pass blocker, but gets pretty much no push in the run game. Granted, most people would need a bulldozer to push B J Raji, but this has been the knock on Hangartner since his first stay here. Sad to see it hasn’t changed. The Pack didn’t stack the box near as much as Arizona did, but they didn’t need to.

Overall, an up-and-down day. Decent pass blocking but the Pack opted for coverage over pressure most of the day and, sadly, still managed to get some pressure without having to blitz all the time. On run plays, we couldn’t get much of anything as far as forward progress. Granting that the Pack has a pretty good D-Line, but still that has to improve. A healthy Otah will help, of course, but sightings of a healthy Jeff Otah are only slightly more prevalent these days than sightings of Bigfoot. We’re going to have to get some young insurance next season (maybe some veteran insurance this season, but I’m iffy on that since we’re rebuilding).

Next stop, Newton. Like week one, a record setting day in the yards department, though overall a little rougher outing (no shock against a better opponent). Not sure how anyone can still question whether or not the “gunslinger” label applies, though hopefully people realize that’s just a playing style, not a weakness. Going after Charles Woodson was definitely a gunslinger move. Sadly, that one came back to bite us.

But with that said, I’m hoping the coaches don’t attempt to tone down the gunslinger aspect of Newton’s game. Henning tried that with Delhomme in early 2005 and got poor results. With this type of player, if you try to make them play it safe, you take away one of the things that makes them good. Back in 2005, lots of us were saying “let Jake be Jake”. It might not be necessary to say “let Cam be Cam” with this staff because aggression is their calling card, but keep a watch on it.

What Chudzinski did do with Newton after the third pick was switch up the playcalling to tend toward safer, more high-percentage passes. That was smart, but more on that later. Calling the designed runs against Green Bay was smart too since they were playing primarily in coverage. That sort of thing still makes me nervous, but okay results so far. Newton isn’t as fast as a Michael Vick, but he’s so big he covers a lot of ground in just a few strides and has some pretty nifty moves for someone his size (ask Clay Matthews).

As before, Newton was better outside the red zone than in it. Again, not really a surprise because this is true of a lot of “longball” quarterbacks. Capers played it smart there, doubling favorite targets like Greg Olsen when they were down close. Don’t be surprised if Chudzinski opts for a WCO type approach (i.e. short passes and RAC) in future red zone trips. Of course, a better run game would help a lot :(

Steve Mariucci also pointed out in analysis that Newton got caught with his eyes on the pass rush a time or two, noticeably so on one of the Woodson picks. That could be some leftover from week one when the pressure was near constant. Shula and Chudzinski will no doubt work on coaching that out of him, as well as the tendency to let it alter his mechanics and footwork.

One noticeable difference between Newton and Delhomme was that Jake always started slow but got better as the game wore on. Newton is the opposite, starting fast but tailing off by the fourth quarter. You can see as the game wears on that his accuracy isn’t as sharp (the pass to Naanee in the end zone, for example, should have been an easy six). I think the primary reason for this, honestly, is conditioning.

It’s not unusual for rookies to have a little bit of a rough transition to the rigors of the pro game (witness Armanti Edwards last season). I know this will surprise people somewhat with regard to Newton, but it shouldn’t given that he is being asked to do a lot in this offense, didn’t really have a full offseason and what training camp he did have was conducted under the new “kinder, gentler” rules.

Was he a superior athlete in college? Yes, but college isn’t the pros. Good chance that, given time, he adjusts. Still, it’ll be no surprise to see his performance tail off some as the year goes on. The good news? This problem generally takes care of itself between year one and year two. So next year it shouldn’t be an issue (and again, might not be later this year if things go our way).

Even with the conditioning issues though, the late pass downfield to Smith was a beauty :)

One really big positive: we’ve yet to see a single sign that there will be any issues with his attitude. Newton walked to the sidelines after his final rush TD looking like someone had just kicked his dog. He’s said consistently that it’s the winning that matters, not the stats, and I find that extremely encouraging coming from a leader. In the guidance department, I think you have to credit that as much to Ron Rivera as to Shula and Chudzinski. Teams mimic their head coach, and Rivera is a head coach for whom winning is the bottom line. His team, and especially his quarterback, reflect that.

All in all, Newton still looks like a rookie sometimes, but an extremely promising rookie, arguably more promising than any rookie that's come down the pike in a long time. The Packer defenders were saying post game that they were glad they got him while he was still learning. More than one person has said that once he “figures it all out”, he’ll be dangerous. Given that he’s shown he can already be fairly dangerous, I look forward to that :)

Moving on to the runningbacks, I know a lot of folks are complaining about their performance right now, but I think those complaints are misplaced. Back in 2008, Williams and Stewart were at their best when there were big holes to run through (like most runners are). Not seeing the big holes open up this season so far, and that’s on the Uglys, not the runningbacks. Did see Jerome Felton in uniform but didn’t notice him during the game. If he was out there much, I missed it (might still be learning the playbook).

Until the O-Line issues can be solved, the most wise use of Williams and Stewart might be as receivers out of the backfield. Both are capable in that department. As far as the run game though, I do believe it will improve, although it might not be until next season. Folks won’t want to hear that in the face of the big contract Williams just got, but I think patience will be a virtue here.

Speaking of issues, Steve Smith had more than his share this game. Drops, failure to make some catches that would have been circus, but which we’ve come to expect from Smith, and that horrible fumble (ugh). One report even said that he was jawing with a drunken fan. Smith’s passion has always been a bit of a double-edged sword, though in later years the good edge has shown itself more than the bad edge. Again, you have to coach that sort of thing, but you can’t really take it away from him too much because it’s a lot of what makes him who he is.

Good game from Brandon LaFell, although I’m still not ready to call him consistent yet. Not much shown from Legedu Naanee, although granted some of the passes that came his way could have been better. One thing I notice with Naanee is that he doesn’t seem to have great body control. All of the best big receivers have excellent body control. Naanee doesn’t, sadly. On one pass that he jumped for (granting that the pass was too high) his arms and legs were just flailing.

I think in the future you’ll likely see the Panthers look to acquire big receivers with better body control, capable of doing the high catches and circus catches well. That’s the type of receiver that best complements a quarterback with Newton’s skill set. That may not bode well for Armanti Edwards, who still has yet to show up much in the passing game.

Not as much from the tight ends this game either. Olsen’s first TD was a beauty, but was called back. Right now, if I’m a defensive coordinator looking at the Panthers passing game, I probably double Steve Smith between the 20s and double Shockey or Olsen in the red zone. Until our run game gets better, that’s likely a fairly effective strategy

[Mr. Scot]

DEFENSE

To their credit, the defense gave up fewer points to Rodgers and the Pack than the Saints did, but that stat doesn’t mean much unless you hold them to fewer points than your offense scores. Early on, it looked like the team really had Aaron Rodgers number. Watching the game with my girlfriend, she questioned how the Super Bowl champs could look bad early. My response? “Give them time.”

Wish I’d been wrong on that front :(

On the good side, Charles Johnson looked like a guy that was worth his huge contract. Thus far, he’s still the only member of our defensive line that’s likely to scare anybody much. Greg Hardy may be good too, but I saw him get pushed around some in this game. And the tackles? Developing, but still not likely to give any opposing OCs sleepless nights any time soon.

At the second level, Connor looked decent in relief, but he’s not Beason. Davis backed up his talk, but the news since that he’s again torn an ACL is heartbreaking. I suspect Omar Gaither will move outside in his spot. Good thing we went for extra linebackers this offseason because, sadly, it’s turning out we needed them.

Back in the defensive backfield, we saw some big hits that would have made John Fox happy. Unfortunately, I find myself wishing that it was the other team’s guys who were getting up slowly from those hits rather than our guys. Through the first half, the Packers best receivers were largely catchless, but you knew that couldn’t continue all day. Still pretty happy with Chris Gamble overall, but one of the offseason priorities has to be to get him a complement. Another will be to draft a young guy as an eventual successor. Ron Meeks is doing a decent job with what he has, but a talent upgrade for next year will make things better.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Outside of the forced fumble on Randall Cobb early on, not a lot to say about the special teams on either side. I might be one of the few that sees this as a good thing. No, we didn’t generate as much as we might have wanted on that front, but the special teams miscues that we saw in week one didn’t recur this game. I take that as a positive sign and hope that we see yet more improvement as time goes on.

COACHING

Post game, a lot of people were calling for Chudzinski’s head. Setting aside that this is ridiculous after just week two, it was unfounded. Chudzinski called a good game, and made solid adjustments when needed (the aforementioned change to higher percentage mid-range passes, for example). Not a lot of run calls, but why call what’s not working when something else is?

The playcalling was good in this game. Execution is what killed us. Frankly, after the last few seasons, it’s oddly comforting being able to say that.

On the defensive side, similar story. Announcers pointed out that the Panthers had a “speed rush” package (called their “NASCAR” package) and a heavy run defense package. I think that’s smart on the part of McDermott and Rivera. It means they’re thinking of adaptability, and I like that (especially against a team like Green Bay).

Also liked what the announcers said about McDermott’s sideline enthusiasm. And they’re right. Players do want to play for a guy like that. It was one of the things guys loved about Jack Del Rio when he was here.

Moving to the top, I sense that the team played overall a more disciplined game than before, but there’s still a way to go. The illegal shift penalties are something you might expect from time to time on a team that does a lot of pre-snap movement. As I’ve said before, Rivera hates mental errors with a passion that would give the Israelis and Palestinians pause. You can see that the team is taking on his imprint, and that should only continue.

QUICK HITS

Dom Capers has a bit of an unfair advantage as defensive coordinators go. He can afford to have his defense give up 30-40 points a game and still look decent because the Packer offense can outscore other teams.

Speaking of Packer coaches, we talked way more about Capers last week than we did about Mike McCarthy, but McCarthy is showing himself to be a good one. He was on my “wish list” for Panthers OC pretty much right up until he got the Packers job. As Jake Delhomme’s former QB coach, it would have been a natural fit, but wasn’t meant to be.

Lots of referee calls in this game that had me scratching my head (on both sides, honestly). The holding call on Gross was probably the worst.

Still hurts to think we once had Jarrett Bush but couldn’t keep him. We could sure as heck use him for depth and special teams right now.

Green Bay was actually without one of its better DBs for this game (Tramon Williams was inactive due to injury). Did that affect the game? Probably, but impossible to judge how much.

Rivera mentioned on the Panthers Huddle TV show that it was Dom Capers who recruited him to play at Cal. Cool connection. Surprised more wasn’t made of some of the other connections (Kevin Greene, Mike Trgovac, etc). The Packers defensive staff has a significant “former Panther” presence.

Saw Clausen in street clothes on the sideline. Not a good sign for him.

And lastly, the block Jordan Gross threw on Charles Woodson will replay in my mind and make me chuckle for a while to come :D

SUMMARY

So a second week of surprise, minor disappointment, but ultimate encouragement. As mentioned before, for this season, I’ll take that every week.

Even with the 0-2 record, it’s hard to be anything but encouraged after what we’ve seen so far. Following up on seasons where it was hard to be encouraged, that’s a welcome change. A buddy of mine mentioned that in the Fox years, even when we were winning, it looked like a struggle. This year, we’re losing, but it actually looks easier than it did before.

Here’s looking forward to a time when we can make winning look easy :)

[chknwing]

Holy Encyclopedia Batman

[countryboi]

I think i saw jerome felton in the game once on a running play in the second half....but only that one time

[Section517CEO]

Havent used any FB hardly at all this year if you look at film...

[Gipetto]

tl;bgr

(too long; but good read)

[Peppers90 NC]

Havent used any FB hardly at all this year if you look at film...

that may take some adjusting by our HB's, to get used to not having that lead blocker.

[Kettle]

i wish all the huddle posters had the sense that Mr. Scot does

[5158Poundin]

Nice posts Mr. Scot. I also feel surprisingly encouraged although the record is 0-2. It is a huge change from last year where I wanted to hide in a hole everytime I saw the offense take the field. I was scared of every miscue and poor execution.

Although the record is a challenge to me as a fan, I have hope and high expectations for what is possible and might even be realized in the near future!

I also agree with your assessment on the run game...unfortunately.

[Mr. Scot]

Havent used any FB hardly at all this year if you look at film...

Coryell can sometimes be partial to one back sets, at least as Chudzinski runs it so far.

Likely Rivera remembers what it was like to watch Lorenzo Neal blocking for LaDainian Tomlinson some years back, though. So we'll see.

[Mr. Scot]

As far as favoring the pass over the run, they did call this attack "Air Coryell" for a reason.

[The Saltman]

Lafell needs to start.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm still not convinced LaFell can be consistent.

Hope so, but we'll see.

[rayzor]

good write up as usual, but a couple things i'd like to point out.

One noticeable difference between Newton and Delhomme was that Jake always started slow but got better as the game wore on. Newton is the opposite, starting fast but tailing off by the fourth quarter. You can see as the game wears on that his accuracy isn’t as sharp (the pass to Naanee in the end zone, for example, should have been an easy six). I think the primary reason for this, honestly, is conditioning.

this should get sorted out in time. one thing about newton at auburn is that they had a lot of 2nd half and 4th quarter comebacks. it took a few weeks for him to find his groove, though. one of the things that impressed me a lot about him was his ability to bring his team back from behind. the game against alabama is the biggest example, but it wasn't nearly the only one.

One really big positive: we’ve yet to see a single sign that there will be any issues with his attitude. Newton walked to the sidelines after his final rush TD looking like someone had just kicked his dog. He’s said consistently that it’s the winning that matters, not the stats, and I find that extremely encouraging coming from a leader. In the guidance department, I think you have to credit that as much to Ron Rivera as to Shula and Chudzinski. Teams mimic their head coach, and Rivera is a head coach for whom winning is the bottom line. His team, and especially his quarterback, reflect that.

i'm not sure what attitude problems you were expecting to or thought you might see, but those things you are noticing presently aren't unique to this year. the only ones who criticized his attitude were pundits who took the lazy approach and didn't bother actually investigating and talking with coaches and teammates and others close to the situation.

it has always been about the win for him. i'm glad you are turning in your perception of him, but his attitude (esp. on game day) and leadership on the field was a major part of why he was regarded so highly. his attitude and personality meshed well with what what rivera was wanting here.