Lombardi talks Panthers on NFP today

[carpanfan96]

If I remember the highest in the league was 48 percent, there was only 5 teams above 45 percent, then a glutton of teams in the 40-44 percent range. Considering what our offense did last year, 40 percent isn't bad, Needs to be around 45 percent though. Help out the defense and extend a drive or two a game by 2-3 mins.

[Brandon]

If I remember the highest in the league was 48 percent, there was only 5 teams above 45 percent, then a glutton of teams in the 40-44 percent range. Considering what our offense did last year, 40 percent isn't bad, Needs to be around 45 percent though. Help out the defense and extend a drive or two a game by 2-3 mins.

See my post above for why the 40% 3rd down conversion rate wasn't really a big issue. We just didn't face many because we were doing much better last year about 1st and 2nd down, which had been our problem in the past.

[SorthNarolina]

Wow, I can not give enough props to Micheal Lombardi for this article.

If was well written and best of all well informed. Did he mention he actually studied us for a whole day before writing the article?

I wish the rest of the sports media would take notice.

[Kyle82]

It's refreshing to actually read something positive about the Cats....one can only take so much of Dallas and New England.

[mountainpantherfan]

Most fans love a big play offense, so do I. It will create a lot of exciting moments and gives SportsCenter a lot of footage. I may be wrong but I took what Lombradi was saying is that the Panthers have made all the right moves this off season but they are all based on having a big play offense and that is the gamble.

The biggest problem with a big play offesnse is that it's success is based on the players, namely the play makers, exploiting the defense's mistakes. One linebacker or safety out of place or taking the wrong angle and instead of allowing just a first down, the defense just gave up 6 points on the scoreboard. But if a defense is sound in the assignments the big plays do not come as often and definantly not as easy. That was the problem with the Arizona game. The Cardinals didn't really do anything different scheme-wise in the playoffs than they did in the regular season. They just executed and that doesn't allow much room for the big plays which all of the NFC playoff teams depended on.

What I hope for this season out of the offense is to see the running game to become more consistent throughout the entire course of a game and to see the passing game develope a good short yardage alternative with the secondary WRs and the TEs and the RBs. If all Fox and Davidson are counting on is a big play offense then they could end up having another great season but it would be done on a gamble.

[SmootsDaddy89]

Jesus DeShaun Foster sucked.

[AKPantherFan]

wow- thats about the most indepth read I have seen on the Panthers in Years.

[Brandon]

wow- thats about the most indepth read I have seen on the Panthers in Years.

[AKPantherFan]

i know, right....

[Fireball77]

Thanks Cpanfan, I was thinking that adding a few % would make them better than average 3rd down wise.

The biggest problem with a big play offesnse is that it's success is based on the players, namely the play makers, exploiting the defense's mistakes. One linebacker or safety out of place or taking the wrong angle and instead of allowing just a first down, the defense just gave up 6 points on the scoreboard. But if a defense is sound in the assignments the big plays do not come as often and definantly not as easy. That was the problem with the Arizona game. The Cardinals didn't really do anything different scheme-wise in the playoffs than they did in the regular season. They just executed and that doesn't allow much room for the big plays which all of the NFC playoff teams depended on.

Lombardi had a blurb on the Cards' D earlier in the season where he said they were a scheme based D meaning their fundamentals weren't great so they had to scheme very specifically to win every week and that this was hard on the players because of all the learning they did for every game and it led to mental errors at times. I think it is a combo of what you said and what Lombardi said.

[Mr. Scot]

Lombardi had a blurb on the Cards' D earlier in the season where he said they were a scheme based D meaning their fundamentals weren't great so they had to scheme very specifically to win every week and that this was hard on the players because of all the learning they did for every game and it led to mental errors at times. I think it is a combo of what you said and what Lombardi said.

We've said similar things about our own defense under Trgovac.

I think one part of Lombardi's piece here deserves a separate discussion. As to the article as a whole, pretty clear at some points it was written without direct contact with the principles involved (specifically, his analysis of Peppers mindset) but overall, a pretty good writeup.

[Fireball77]

What part? Are you making a thread on it?

[pstall]

Off the top of my head I think Pitt was #1 in Red Zone D. Nuff said