What do you think allowed us to finally start winning towards the end of last season?

[Cyberjag]

The calming influence of Brandon Beane.

[Miiikey]

this is the exact kind of thread that gets me more and more excited to see an actual game finally. can't wait for the bears/seahawks

[Miiikey]

Quoting this because it deserves emphasis. Great break down.

Yes. The season needs to be broken down like this:

Rivera needs to be 3-1 or better during the first quarter to feel that his job is safe; 2-2 and red flags start flying.
Seattle (good team, but we get them at home)
At Buffalo (New QB early on)
NY Giants (Good team, notorious late bloomers)
At Arizona (Another team adjusting to a new QB)

The second quarter is tough, so if RR goes 2-2 in the first quarter, 2-2 again is not a good thing. However, 2-2 would be OK following 3-1.
At Vikings (Stuffing the run will be huge)
Rams (At home, this is a game we must win)
At Bucs (Until the Bucs turn the corner, we have to win this one)
Falcons (At home, we have to win this battle for the division)

The third quarter is full of up-and coming teams and one established team. Tough. 2-2 would be ideal.
At Niners (The Panthers have an uphill road winning this game in SF)
Patriots (At home, the Panthers have another tough one--if we are not winning, the stands will have more Pats fans than Panther fans.)
At Dolphins (Miami has been looking good on paper, but Jeff Ireland is their GM)
Bucs (I do not see us making the playoffs without sweeping Tampa Bay)

A decent showing would have this team at 7-5 going into the last quarter. 6-6 would not bode well for Rivera. Somehow, the Panthers will have to win 3 of 4, with a game at New Orleans and at Atlanta.
At Saints (We need this game to make the playoffs. It is winnable if our offensive line has come together by then)
Jets (A must win, and we should win it)
Saints (Gotta spank that arse in our house)
At Falcons (we match up well, but this one will be tough)

So, winning 10 games is going to be incredibly difficult.

We have to win 3 of the 4 games during each of the first two quarters. I think we have to be 6-2 at the break to have a shot at the playoffs.

In the second half, we have to play the Saints twice, Patriots, 49ers, Falcons in Atlanta, and upstart Dolphins in Miami. The Bucs (swept us last year) and Jets are the games we have to win. Winning 4 games will be brutal.

Good news: If Cam plays well, this team can be special. I think We are ready to make a run. Maybe a WR away, but almost there.

 

[Peppers90 NC]

Dominant pass rush and a consistency on offensive.  Seemed live every play Hardy or CJ was in the backfield harassing qb's.  A less difficult schedule didn't hurt.

[Cyberjag]

We played the Falcons, Cowboys, Bears, Bucs, and Seahawks even, right up until the end of the game where we choked up and gave the game away.  Do I have that right?  In fact, the only two blowouts we suffered were against the Giants in week two and the Broncos in week 10.

 

Everyone's talking about schemes, or people developing, or Hurney getting fired, but even when we started winning we still didn't win any close games.  All season we won only three games where the spread was a touchdown or less, and two were against the Saints (Skins was the other, 21-13).  All the games we won at the end of the year, we scored enough that we didn't have to see if the team could win a tight one.  

 

So the answer is simple.  Make sure you're not in a position at the end of a game where a coach's decision or a player's mistake can lose the game for you.  Because in every game last season where that was the case, from September to December, we lost.

[Navy_football]

 

Thanks to dvr, I recorded all the panther games last year.  I don't think it was a read option problem, it was an execution/play construction problem.  

 

Looking at the first game at Tampa, there were 0 underneath routes... some digs and comebacks..but no drags, shallow crosses ..nothing.  Everything was 10 yards at least down the field.  The only thing short were the screens passes. The next 6 games were similar, contributing to the horrible play were some really bad overthrows and some really bad drops at inopportune moments.  Our guard play the first 7 games was so bad it's not funny.  Cam's ability to break arm tackles and extend plays masked how bad they were.  Don't even let me get started about running inside the tackles....my god. 

 

 

 

I really think you hit the nail on the head with that statement. Horrible guard play prevented Cam from being comfortable in the pocket, and didn't allow run plays (option hand offs up the middle) to get going. The best thing Gettleman can do to help this offense, is to bring in a competent RG. Amini will be better - he showed huge improvement once he figured out what he was supposed to be doing.

[Navy_football]

I think early on we played teams with good defensive linemen and pass rushers - BUC, NYG, SEA, CHI, DAL, DEN (should have beaten ATL early). They abused the interior oline to the point that we couldn't do anything (run or pass). Once Amini started to figure things out, we were able to run the ball more effectively and take some pressure off of Cam. If the oline can get their act together out the blocks, it'll allow Shula to effectively use all of his weapons and call a balanced game.

[SauceBoss]

Cam either saying fug Chud, or them taking off his shackles.

[MHS831]

So the answer is simple.  Make sure you're not in a position at the end of a game where a coach's decision or a player's mistake can lose the game for you.  Because in every game last season where that was the case, from September to December, we lost.

This is a huge statement. I think there were 2 specific reasons for this:

1. The offensive line could not control the clock with a consistent run game. Silatolu was raw and getting abused and I thought Hangartner was our Hback he was in the backfield so much. Chud struggled in a ball control mode; he built the offense as if we would always be on the attack.

2. Poor talent/lack of depth/Fatigue on the defensive front. With the offense not being able to control the clock, the defense was on the field for a lotta snaps. Gettlemen seemed to recognize the fact that the DL was breaking down late in games. We, the fans, blamed the defensive backs--Gettlemen identified the problem. Instead of coming out of the game for breathers, for example, Hardy moves inside to the 3 tech to give Dwan a breather. Chandler is not solid depth, nor are Fua or Kearse.

Gettlemen brought in Colin Cole, a player the team thinks can become part of a rotation. We drafted Star. We are already 2 players better than we were at that position last season.Gettlemen re-signed Dwan. Why not? THis system suits him. 6.5 sacks for next to nothing per year? Not bad. He then brings in Kewann Short. Quite an upgrade over Chandler, who probably goes back to the PS. Now Hardy stays at DE and gets breathers instead of moving inside. Alexander and Addison/Keiser will keep Johnson and Hardy fresh late into games.

On the offensive line, I have to think Gettlemen has confidence that Silatolu will be better. We get Kalil back (injured for a good while in 2012) and Edmond "Kugo" at least gives us a run blocking option at RG. Bell is slowly getting better, and Gross can hold down the fort at LT for at least one more season. I still think we might bring in another guard on a one-year deal, like a Brandon Moore.

So if we stay fresh on Defense and manage to run the ball more on offense, we should win some of the close games. I think, based on observations and guesswork, that Gettlemen sees it that way.

[Cyberjag]

This is a huge statement. I think there were 2 specific reasons for this: <snip>

 

We lost games late due to the defense breaking down, due to bad coaching decisions, and due to poor execution.  There wasn't a single reason that really fit all of them, IMHO.  The team just didn't know how to close out games.  Whether that's coaching, leadership, whatever, it cost us a bunch of winnable games.

[MHS831]

We lost games late due to the defense breaking down, due to bad coaching decisions, and due to poor execution.  There wasn't a single reason that really fit all of them, IMHO.  The team just didn't know how to close out games.  Whether that's coaching, leadership, whatever, it cost us a bunch of winnable games.

But if you are tired, your defense breaks down because you lose speed and thinking skills--poor execution.  Poor coaching is something that has to stop now. 

[DaveThePanther2008]

letting cam run something that vaguely resembled a pro offense

Chudz got his head out of his ass and dropped the Read Option as the basis of our offense.

Once the read option became a play instead the staple of our offense.