Football Outsiders' State of the Panther's.

[cultclassiccat]

Guy takes us to the playoffs a couple of seasons and he will quickly be put into that category......which is something that I think he does VERY soon.

Fieri? Ritchie?

[panfan32]

I didn't think that segment blamed it on him. What I actually thought they meant is that they put too much on his shoulders.

I agree, just like Jake would do in his days. Jake is no Cam, but the point being any QB that puts the whole game on his shoulders will make mistakes and can lose the game or games because of it. Lets hope that Shula runs the ball more (more 50/50 split) and the Oline is helathy enough to open some holes for these dynamic runners we have to help pull some pressure off of Cam.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

I'm fine with cam being considered 'only' a good starter already in his second season. There's still things he has to do better, but the fact that we have to remind ourselves of that is pretty amazing in itself. If you look at the rest of his quarterback class, Locker, gabbert, and Ponder aren't promised starting jobs right now, and people have serious questions about dalton already. which is what you normally get out of a second year guy. the panthers have had a good one since game one.

[ladypanther]

Not yet.

I expect to see big time improvement in Cam this season. The game really looked to slow down for him at the end of last season and he is learning that he does not have to put everything on his shoulders. He is becoming not only a very talented player but a definite leader on this team.

The play calling was also better the last few games of the year. Imagine if things has started out that way.

[MadHatter]

The play calling was also better the last few games of the year. Imagine if things has started out that way.

I agree 100%.

With the way QB's are evaluated, they are often given way too much credit for a team's success or way too much blame for a team's failures. It is just part of the position.....not fair, but it is the way they are often looked at.

With Cam's continued progression and "hopefully" a better gameplan from Shula, this offense could be nasty.

We have a great QB (dual threat)....great RB's....very solid WR corp....excellent TE....and potentially a great OL if everyone can stay healthy.

Add either one more WR or another good TE to the mix and we coudl have matchup problems all over the field.

[Peppers90 NC]

Perhaps, but the media is committed in placing the Panthers' struggles solely on Cam. This article may not be blaming Newton per se but it still highlights him for Carolina's regression. Nevermind that our secondary and special teams were atrocious in 2012. Of course, it only makes matters worse with Luck, Wilson, RG3 and Kaep taking their teams to the playoffs.

the huddle has this built-in defense mechanism for some reason on anything slightly critical of Cam. the article said we have the worst secondary in the entire league and it also touched on poor play calling, so that already proves you have that mechanism as well. News flash: The qb of each team is always going to take blame or praise for how the offense performs. I see nothing wrong with this article being that it is mid-offseason. IF Cam did throw those 4,400 yards and 26 tds like you suggested, more than likely we would have a successful season unless the turnovers are back up. Anyone still denying we had one of the worse offenses in the first 8 games last year would never admit to anything then, and that usually falls on the qb who also usually takes praise when things are going great. Let the auto defense mechanisms go bro, you will see things in a clearer light.

[Munch4455]

Nortman's rookie year was much like Norman's; he had the worst gross punt value of any punter since Jeremy Kapinos in 2009.

Can we please draft a competent punter this year?

[Growl]

We do have the worst starting secondary in football.

"but mike Mitchell!!... Gettlemagic!!"

I will say there were a few head scratcher statements in there though, chiefly trying to blame the seasons struggles on the QB position

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Can we please draft a competent punter this year?

I would go along with that, but short of pulling a jacksonville and way overeaching on a guy, it's hard to get a sure thing at punter.

[Munch4455]

I would go along with that, but short of pulling a jacksonville and way overeaching on a guy, it's hard to get a sure thing at punter.

Thats what is so confusing to me, its not like kicking the ball is any different. I don't understand why so many punters struggle to replicate the performances they had in college.

[CRA]

Excellent piece. I thought this little tidbit was interesting....

"Like they were, for example, in 2011, when they had the second-best run offense DVOA in the past 20 years."

need good OL play....otherwise feeding the rock to RBs doesn't do much. You can only trade off Williams doing nothing with 12 carries then breaking one so much.....Those 12 runs to nowhere can easily outweigh the one big run.

Issue wasn't we weren't feeding the RBs....issue was we had an OL that sucked.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Thats what is so confusing to me, its not like kicking the ball is any different. I don't understand why so many punters struggle to replicate the performances they had in college.

Oh, it makes absolutely no sense to me either, but it just seems to always be the case. I guess there's something about the pro ball or hangtime for coverage units making all the difference.

[Donald LaFell]

Are kidding me? If Cam so much as sneezes on a referee, he's Vince Young or JaMarcus Russell 2.0. Newton was a 'bust' before even taking a single snap in the NFL.

He didn't sneeze on a referee, he got in a referee's face(making contact) and yelled at him for I don't know what(probably for not being liberal with roughing the passer flags?). He's very lucky he didn't get ejected and I wouldn't have had a problem if he did. He was miked up that game but NFL films didn't broadcast what he said, only his apology. Smith got ejected in 2005 just for touching a ref in a much calmer way(his words were probably just as harsh).

Newton has his fans and detractors just like any other QB around the league. I don't think the "media" as a whole really has a problem with him anymore. Particular pundits maybe, but not the entire media. He's been in the league 2 years and played at a high level. Continuing this persecution complex is silly.

[Frizzy350]

HAHAHHA they think hangman is a serviceable starter at guard.... ok there.