Watch the Game Again

[iampantherman]

I agree with your points for the most part, I just don't share your optimistic outlook that we are a "good" team this year. I think we are an average team with a tough schedule, too many holes on the roster and below average coaching on the whole. Therefore, 6, 7 or 8 wins- 9 if we steal one and hold serve in the games we should win.

Good teams do not come out of the gate and have a bad game in the fashion and against the caliber of opponent we did. Yes, it can happen on occassion, but it's rare. I want to believe, I just don't unfortunately.

[jarhead]

I agree!. With all that being said, we only lost by 6 points. They game was still winnable. I won't lie, it hurt to lose to the Bucs (my buc friend is annoying) but I did see a few positives. Chud will call a better game sunday and I expect us to bring it!

The problem I have is we only lost by 6 but from what I saw from last years offense we should have one by 14

[Gallagher]

Rewatching it again now. The final drive of the first half, the O-line was awful. Silatolu missed a block then got a false start. After that Hangartner, Bell and Tolbert missed blocks, then Hangman got a false start. I don't think Cam had anything close to good protection the entire drive.

[CRA]

Rewatching it again now. The final drive of the first half, the O-line was awful. Silatolu missed a block then got a false start. After that Hangartner, Bell and Tolbert missed blocks, then Hangman got a false start. I don't think Cam had anything close to good protection the entire drive.

Yeah, I rewatched the 1st half offense last night.....might to the 2nd tonight after the wife and kid are in bed.

3 plays I row right around where Cam was forced out of bounds for a sack. Bell was getting help but looked decent in his one on one's prior to that point. I remember they overloaded his side and he just watched guys run past him on both sides getting his body on no one.

[PantherPhann89]

On paper it sounds like you're making a good point, but based on game 1, I can't agree.

DE - number 90 had two key deflections, and I think he may be starting by the end of the year. He dropped because of a heart condition that turned out to be a false alarm. Don't sleep on the young man.

CB - And how has Norman played so far? Except for a questionable PI call, he had a great game. Sounds like a steal in the 5th to me.

DT - I'd like to introduce you to Edwards & Edwards DT at law. One of them had 2 sacks on his first game as a Panther FYI.

You may be proven right on future outings, but for this game at least, defense did not lose us this one.

What you said is true but I wasn't indicating, nor did I say that our defense lost the game for us. The team played like crap the 1st half, including the defense. I like Edwards and Edwards FYI and wasn't trying to indicate that they weren't good or should be replaced. My point was that the DT position was overlooked during the offseason. However I do think that we are much better at DT this year than last.

DE: 90 played well but and so did Hardy but we need quicker pressure from the position.

CB: Norman played well and may turn out to be the steal of our draft but again, my point was that these positions were ignored again this year.

I don't agree with passing up on good talent in FA and filling the need with a 5th round pick. I'd take the FA and the 5th round pick and cut the underachiever. I like Norman and think that he may be what we need. My question is will he be what we need when we need it or will he need more time? My philosophy isn't to build through the draft but with the draft.

[pstall]

wasn't one of Cam's picks throw into quadruple coverage or at least triple with a db rolling over to help out?

he can get away with that in the SEC but he just has to know he can't do that. once he balances out being super competitive with just throwing it away, look out.

[CRA]

wasn't one of Cam's picks throw into quadruple coverage or at least triple with a db rolling over to help out?

he can get away with that in the SEC but he just has to know he can't do that. once he balances out being super competitive with just throwing it away, look out.

He hit LaFell in both hands.....problem was Talib fot to LaFell before the ball. Cam's throw was on the money....which is why Cam Didn't apologize for that one.

[beastson]

If it hit your hands, its catchable

The main question is why the fug are running play action and hasn't been successful running. They already knew it was a damn pass. That's just dumb as poo

[pstall]

maybe he didn't throw a pick and got away with one but im sure he threw one with 4 Bucs around one wr.

[Marguide]

wasn't one of Cam's picks throw into quadruple coverage or at least triple with a db rolling over to help out?

he can get away with that in the SEC but he just has to know he can't do that. once he balances out being super competitive with just throwing it away, look out.

No. After rewatching it, it really wasn't that bad. It was a good throw into a tight window, exactly like the one he had completed to LaFell earlier. It was a ball that LaFell probably would catch 50% of the time. Add in some possible early contact by one of the defenders, and it was just a play that went bad.

It looked like quadruple coverage as they had 2 other defenders in the vicinity that closed quickly once the ball was tipped.

[rockietop]

yes it was painful cause we all wanted it so so bad but look at the positve-our defense is not that bad and I think Keiser would make it even better-he plays good under pressure as did that RB Smith in preseason-I do agree that Chud had no plan B and we could have done something more in free agency (LaRon Landry, Asante Samuel and Deon Branch- even The Golden Calf of Bristol over Claussen) as far as firings go, I vote for Hurney as he has overstayed his welcome but it sure would have been sweet to get Jack back ( Del Rio)

[chef17]

Only thing I would throw out is that the o line were not motivated in the first half. Looking at the second they started to do a little better but by then playcalling had shifted to the hail mary from st cam. So I was 1 bad game if we can win 1 or 2 of the next 3 we will be back in great shape. If not its going to be a long season full of hope that other teams screw up so we can advance but I think we a tired of those seasons.

1-3 or 2-2 aren't great shape.

[xerxes]

I agree with your points for the most part, I just don't share your optimistic outlook that we are a "good" team this year. I think we are an average team with a tough schedule, too many holes on the roster and below average coaching on the whole. Therefore, 6, 7 or 8 wins- 9 if we steal one and hold serve in the games we should win.

Good teams do not come out of the gate and have a bad game in the fashion and against the caliber of opponent we did. Yes, it can happen on occassion, but it's rare. I want to believe, I just don't unfortunately.

Next week will tell us a lot, but as others have pointed out in other threads, there were several factors going into this one. Get ready for number lists cause that's just the mood I'm in. As for extra factors:

1. We destroyed the Bucs last year in both games, so for the players and possibly the coaches it's hard not to get overconfident, and it gives the Bucs extra motivation.

2. New coach with no NFL background. We were watching Rutgers tape. The Bucs had 16 games of our team to look at. Preparation and knowing what people's tendencies are makes a big difference.

3. Not just a road game, but a weird road game. I don't think spending the week down there did us any favors.

Now at the end of the day, theses are really excuses not reasons why we lost. I outlined what I thought the 3 biggest factors were, and I believe they're all correctable.

1. Chud's play calling. Sunday should be a wake up call, and with the Saints* he'll have a lot more film to look at and plan for. I expect a bounce back next week against an anemic Saints* defense. Plus I believe he showed last year, he is a quality OC.

2. Bad guard play. I'm hoping one of the backups can take Hangman's job, and Amini progresses from week to week. The good news as I see it, is that I don't think the coaches knew how bad it was. With our lack of a quality 3 Tech DT during training camp, I don't think Hangman and Amini were really challenged. Now we know, and the coaches can make some adjustments. I expect some different looks to cover up some of the offensive line deficiencies.

3. Cam needing to protect the football better. He already knows this and is going to work on it throughout the season.

So my optimism stems from how well the defense played overall, the potential of the offense (as demonstrated from last year), and the fact that many of our issues are correctable (the offensive line play being the hardest).

[red rum]

I re-watched the game and I'm even more convinced that the Bucs scouted our game preparation @ IMG...

There are several examples of the Bucs defense having an uncanny ability to diagnose the plays we were going to run, especially the "gadget" plays, which makes no sense, except when you consider that we probably spent the majority of the time in the walk through last week going over the plays we don't typically run and any other wrinkles.

One of the most glaring examples of this was early in the game. Cam takes the snap and fakes a pass out to the flat, then pivots to run with the ball while DeAngelo begins to trail him to set up the option sweep. The Bucs defense didn't bite for a moment on the fake pass to the flat, they totally ignored it and converged on Cam... as he pivoted he found himself surrounded by 4 defenders who basically ran to a spot and waited for him.

I would call the Bucs defense lucky if this only happened on one play, but there were several more examples of this kind of "astute" defensive play by the Bucs throughout the first half. When we flipped the script in the 2nd half, the Bucs didn't seem to be nearly as good at reading the play we were going to run... but the damage had been done, you could see our offense was shaken by the fact that Bucs seemed to know our plays better than we did.

There were several examples of poor execution on our part, I'm not making excuses, but it's pretty clear to me that the Bucs had some extra intel on our gameplan.

As a Buc fan, I appreciate your post because it only confirms what Buc fans know, and what most who don't follow the Bucs are (for the most part) unaware of. But first, let me start by saying that there were no secret spies or CIA agents scouting the Panthers. That's simply not a requirement in order for the Bucs' defense to perform at the level in which they did specifically in the first half, and to a lesser extent, the second half.

Regarding the defense, most of what you saw Sunday was a product of discipline, attention to detail, talent, and preparation. Simple as that. The remaining portion, is scheme (I won't go into detail on that though). What is also worthy of noting is that Schiano was brought in because he was the antidote to an enthusiastic, yet lackadaisical Raheem Morris.

Another factor that I've only heard mentioned a couple of times here, is Cam Newton himself. In your smack forum I take every opportunity to degrade him; but the fact of the matter is: he is truly talented and gifted with what I think are above average skills that are still somewhat raw. The problem is that despite his "Superman" persona, he's still a young QB who can be flustered and fooled... and that's just what we were doing... This is not speculation on my part, it has been confirmed. So look for other teams to do it too.

Don't get me wrong, our D-line IS superior to your O-line, and man for man our defense matches up well with your offense in talent (if we're not exceeding). But the key to your team is Cam, and until either he improves or your coaches become better catalysts for his improvement (as well as the roster in general (ahem... o-line)), you'll probably see more disappointment this season.

So in closing, NO --- WE DIDN'T SCOUT YOUR TEAM OUTSIDE OF NFL TAPE...

Good luck on the rest of your season (at least until we play each other again). Now, back to the smack forum I go...