Do we have a balanced offense?

[PhillyB]

If you look back across our wins, are there games you would say we've won primarily on one or the other?

 

If so, how many of each?

 

off the top of my head... we beat the dolphins and the patriots primarily because a passing attack won at the end of the day. we won in san francisco because our running attack kept us in the game. run game worked great against the falcons and set up a lot of passing plays, so we were balanced there. same against the bucs. now i can't think any farther back without pulling up stats and i gotta be up early to drive to charlotte to hopefully watch a balanced offense.

[LinvilleGorge]

Neither Smitty nor Ginn is a legitimate deep threat?

 

Nope.  Smitty has lost a couple of steps and Ginn has the deep speed, but he doesn't have the ball skills to make a play on the ball unless he's just streaking down the field wide ass open.  He's a lot better working underneath routes and then using his speed after the catch.  There's a reason why we're throwing the ball deep a whole lot less than we have in the past with Cam and there's a reason why we're facing a lot more 8 and 9 men in the box on D.  No legit deep threat.

[intangiblejohnny]

I don't believe production is balanced like it was earlier in the season. However, there are so many variables to take into account: injuries on the o line, Stewart coming back seems to have hurt DW's production, the quality of the front 7 of the last few teams we've played etc...

None of this bothers me very much because it seems that our team is capable of overcoming weak links in any given game. I think this is the sign of an exceptional team.

I also think the running game will pick up in the near future. Our guys are getting some well deserved rest this week: surely that will help.

P.S. ALL FEAR CAM WHEN HE'S AT HOME BEHIND A WILD FANBASE AND WHEN HE PLAYS AT NIGHT WHEN THE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!

[KendrickPanther]

Our offense is balanced. We are very limited by personnel but I feel like we are running near our max potential.

[DaveThePanther2008]

I say we are more balanced than our numbers indicate. 

 

We have the best 3rd down conversion rate and partially because we can run and we can pass.

 

Our running backs are a threat to break one at any time and teams stack the box to prevent it.

 

Cam takes what they give us.   And as NFL network says.  If you are undisciplined on the defensive side. Cam will eat you up.

[Seal (SmittyIsOurSavior)]

I'm gonna fall asleep right now though forreal.

[Pox 08]

Our Oline can't open up holes against physical Dlines.

[Argus Plexus]

Absolutely not. Our run gets stuffed constantly.

[Achilles]

The thing that makes us balanced and difficult to defend is Cam.  There is just no way to defend against him on 3rd down when the pass rush over-pursues  and the LBs are forced to cover intermediate crossing patterns by LaFell, Olsen, or whomever.  He can just take off for 15 yards.  So, on an obvious pass play like 3rd and 9, Cam will pick up the first down by rushing the ball.  Therefore, the passing game was effective in opening up a running lane for Cam.  We may be ranked 30th in passing yards per game or whatever, but I would say that that stat is misleading because you have to look at efficiency and specific situations.

 

Rivera himself said he wants to get the ground game back on track this week and noted that our last 3 opponents committed 8 or 9 in the box on the majority of snaps.  This slowed us down a bit.  However, we were still able to hang in the game and move the ball because 1) our defense kept us in the game by limiting the opponent and 2) our offense is converting 3rd downs like crazy.

 

SF, NE, and Miami were all close games, but we won because our defense limited the other teams ability to hold onto the ball (forcing turnovers and stopping them on 3rd down) and the offense was absolutely clutch on 3rd and 4th down conversions.  Most of that goes back to what I said about Cam being the X factor.  We can run and we can pass, but when your QB drops back to throw and then runs 75 yards after avoiding 3 potential tacklers to pick up the 1st down, there's really nothing more demoralizing for a defense.

 

So, yes we are balanced if you look at how our D gets off the field and how our offense stays on the field.  We are 1st in 3rd down efficiency and 1st in time of possession in the league.  And we are balanced in that we can succeed running or passing the ball (just look at the 4 receivers we have with around 500 yards rec. this season...that's balance), but I think the most important thing is that we keep other teams off balance with our nasty defense and Cam.

[Jakob]

Our run game has been non existent.

 

inb4 defenses stacking the box.

Maybe it's because I watch every game but, I can always tell when the Panthers are about to run. I normally know what the play is too. I know for a fact if I can guess the running play 95% of the time opposing defense can. Oh look a run up the middle for two yards.

 

I've hated how we call our running plays for years... if I close my eyes I can still see post injury Stephen Davis running it up the middle 35 times a game for no yardage.

[Mr. Scot]

The thing that makes us balanced and difficult to defend is Cam.  There is just no way to defend against him on 3rd down when the pass rush over-pursues  and the LBs are forced to cover intermediate crossing patterns by LaFell, Olsen, or whomever.  He can just take off for 15 yards.  So, on an obvious pass play like 3rd and 9, Cam will pick up the first down by rushing the ball.  Therefore, the passing game was effective in opening up a running lane for Cam.  We may be ranked 30th in passing yards per game or whatever, but I would say that that stat is misleading because you have to look at efficiency and specific situations.

 

Rivera himself said he wants to get the ground game back on track this week and noted that our last 3 opponents committed 8 or 9 in the box on the majority of snaps.  This slowed us down a bit.  However, we were still able to hang in the game and move the ball because 1) our defense kept us in the game by limiting the opponent and 2) our offense is converting 3rd downs like crazy.

 

SF, NE, and Miami were all close games, but we won because our defense limited the other teams ability to hold onto the ball (forcing turnovers and stopping them on 3rd down) and the offense was absolutely clutch on 3rd and 4th down conversions.  Most of that goes back to what I said about Cam being the X factor.  We can run and we can pass, but when your QB drops back to throw and then runs 75 yards after avoiding 3 potential tacklers to pick up the 1st down, there's really nothing more demoralizing for a defense.

 

So, yes we are balanced if you look at how our D gets off the field and how our offense stays on the field.  We are 1st in 3rd down efficiency and 1st in time of possession in the league.  And we are balanced in that we can succeed running or passing the ball (just look at the 4 receivers we have with around 500 yards rec. this season...that's balance), but I think the most important thing is that we keep other teams off balance with our nasty defense and Cam.

 

It's an interesting point.

 

Take Newton out of our running game, and is it still dangerous?

 

[OneBadCat]

I think we TRY to have a balanced offense. But we are still wasting 1st down on  runs that go nowhere. The rush yards we get are mainly from Cam making play or Tolbert pulling off an amazing run.

[magnus]

It's an interesting point.

 

Take Newton out of our running game, and is it still dangerous?

 

No. 

 

And not just because the last couple weeks without Hartsock have been bad (I don't want to credit Scott too much, but he's definitely better than Chandler). 

 

Now, with that said there are a lot of asteriks. Is Stew fully back yet?  I don't think so.  Would we be seeing more pop out of DW's long game if we hadn't worn him out the first 6 weeks with a ton of carries?  Absolutely.  DW right now is an incredible backup, but he doesn't hit the hole as fast or as hard as the other two, and he struggles more with those shotgun draws that always seem to go for two yards.  DW would be better suited in the pistol where he can really get a couple of steps first. 

 

So I don't think it's abysmal, but you're running into a point where teams are starting to get that you stop the run first, and see where Cam is.  Since it's not a long ball attitude in the passing game, you're not giving up as much.  You take away the run, you take away the playaction.  Then the pass is easier.  

 

Which itself would be damning if Newton wasn't also pretty brilliant on 3rd down lately. 

 

I hope, in the reasons I gave, there's still hope - Stew has fresh wheels, which gives the other two rest, and he's the power guy, so maybe DW doesn't have to take that many of those ill-fitting shotgun draws.  So maybe he'll pop a 40 yarder and the answer will end up 'yes'. 

 

Until then, our most dangerous back has been Tolbert all year, just because he'll put you out of the game.