Here are four Panther numbers I just can’t believe following Sunday’s NFL games and headed into 0-3 Carolina’s home game on Sunday against 2-2 Washington:
1 -- That's the rank of Steve Smith in receiving yards per game (at 102.8 yards, he’s the only NFL receiver averaging more than 100 per game). But it’s not Carolina’s Steve Smith – it’s the one that plays for the New York Giants! The Panthers’ No.89 is only No.27 on this list, at 63.3 yards per game so far this season.
7 -- Jake Delhomme still leads the NFL with this many interceptions despite playing one fewer game than most of the league’s starting QBs due to this past week’s bye. (Former Panther QB Kerry Collins, now at Tennessee, is tied for second with six).
11 to 10 -- From the Panthers’ official defensive stats, that’s how many tackles that defensive tackle Louis Leonard has so far this season compared to defensive end Julius Peppers. Not much of a difference, but consider this. Leonard is out for the season with an injury and missed the Dallas game. Peppers has played in all three contests.
17 -- That’s the longest rush DeAngelo Williams has had in his 41 carries this season (not enough touches, but that’s another story). Williams’ explosiveness has been muted so far this season, in part due to a generally awful start by the Panthers' offensive line.
Remember, Williams had an astonishing six rushing TDs of 30 or more yards last season. It is worth noting that Williams had a slow September last season, too, before breaking out in the final three months. His performance against Washington Sunday will be a huge key for Carolina. Washington is ranked only 21st in the NFL in rushing defense, so the Panthers will try to hammer them with Williams and Jonathan Stewart (who have so far not lived up to the "Double Trouble" nickname yet in 2009).
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9 years ago
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23 comments:
What is so surprising about these stats? A BAD team WILL have Bad stats, won't they?
Don't forget this stat:
Total tackles:
Julius Peppers - 9
Steve Smith - 3
Julis asked to be let go, quit blaming him. He told you he did not want to play here. We forced the man to keep a job he wanted to leave. If it happened in the normal job sector, you would think it an outrage to keep an employee who wanted out. If I was him, I would fake an injury, and sit the winless season out.
The Peppers debacle has enough blame for lots of people. Peppers being one of them. No get out of jail free card for him cause he said he wanted out. League/players association rules say a team can franchise a player and pay him 20% above what he earned last year. That is what Hurney/Fox did... and why they own 2/3 of the blame for the condition the Panthers are in now. Letting one guy count $18,000,000 against your cap is nuts, especially when that player really is not worth that much to begin with. There are guys every year who are tagged as Franchise players, but they go out and produce. Peppers is over rated and will depart a year too late from Carolina... Perhaps Fox and Hurney won't be far behind... we can only hope.
Steve Smith is done. But this franchise will hold onto hom way past his prime. Send the prima dona back to his hometown.
There's a lot of room for blame in our terrible start. And I'm not saying that Fox and co. don't deserve some of it. But we've suffered some key injuries on defense that have to be taken into account. As for Peppers, the guy doesn't show up half the time.
Pep's per tackle pay has got to be far and away the highest in league history.
I can't wait to see the last of Peppers. I can't wait to see the last of people making excuses for his greed, laziness, and lack of team loyalty too.
As for Fox & Hurney's role: of course they're to blame. It's as bad as Dom Capers' "brilliant" move with Sean Gilbert, the move that paralyzed the team for years and, ultimitely, was a major contributor to Capers' firing.
Hurney and Fox just didn't want to admit to themselves that a first-round draft pick was a bust, so they wouldn't just release Peppers' useless butt and cut their losses. Isn't it interesting that no team was even the least bit interested in trading for this "superstar"?
Had they just let him go, there would have been $18 million in cap money, available early in free agency, for the Panthers to pick up 3 or 4 quality defensive lineman to provide the depth and skill that the Panthers needed at those positions.
The fact that the front office bragged that we were returning 21 out of 22 starters - where the defensive starters were allowing 30+ points per game at the end of last season - as if that were a good thing, should have been the dead giveaway about their cluelessness.
I really don't see how it's possible for the Panthers to have any respect or honor, unless they bench peppers for the rest of the year. Benching Peppers is the scream from the ghost of NFL players gone on before. Benching Peppers is the only possible way for Mr. Richardson , his GM Hurney, his head coach Fox, and his DC Meeks to save face. Doing nothing is cowardly and even further embarrassment to the 15 million fans who have given their support. At least have some decency about you and bench peppers.
Peppers did not ask for more money. He said he wanted to leave and play for a team where he could play at the level he felt capable of.
Smith is not done, he would still be a valuable player if we had a quarterback that could actually get the ball to him.
Williams is a great runner, but they keep running him into the center of the line where the O-line seems unable to make a hole. Call some plays where he can use his speed and agility and he will put up big numbers.
We have a lot of talent, we need a coaching staff that knows how to use them.
Fox, waste ot time.
Hurney, waste of time.
Peppers, waste of time and money
Jake, who gave him a contract?
Rebuild and lets move on.
Mr Richardson. Why don't you act?
For all the people saying "Peppers didn't want to be here! blah blah blah.." He is still a player in the NFL who is playing for a job next year, no matter what team. If he still wants a job next year, he needs to step up and play. He is auditioning for all the other teams he wants to play for. I remember Dallas being on his "list" of desired teams. It seems like he would want to go there and put up some good numbers in front of a national audience. Guess not.
You cant blame Fox for franchising Peppers, thinking he would sign right away & they could trade him, had Fox just let Peppers go everyone would have been like "wtf didnt they franchise & trade him". Peppers was the 1 that screwed the team by not signing so they could trade him, he wanted to take that 17 mil & sit back, maybe hes counting on a lock out soon & will just take the 17 mil & retire. The Panthers need to run the ball more,
run run run, thats what opens up plays for Delhomme & Smith.
The panthers need a whole new coaching staff as i see it right now. Fox has the 4 most wins as a coach right now in the league and its not because he is a great coach its cause all the other coaches are new. We need a new voice a new quarterback and d coordinator hopefully del rio sucks it up and gets fired and comes back to charlotte and coaches them up. john gruden and jack del rio would be nice fox is too nice it seems like. to laid back. and dont get me started on jeff davidson why would we hire the offense coordinator from the cleveland browns what have the ever done? we need to use 3 wide reciever sets and not just 2 tight ends and 2 recievers spread the field give jake more targets to pull some coverage off of steve smith who still has plenty in the tank. i wont give up on the players the coaches need to coach better.
Remeber these poor stats all too well from 2001, where the punter Todd Sauerbraun (spell?) lead the league with avg. yards per punt 'cause he was punting away all the time.
Jared Allen put on a show last night and it didn't cost the Vikings $1MM like Peppers does every game!! Where's Julius' motor?
Who Cares??? It's just a silly ball game.
Fox comment last night we're a young team and just need experience. This is every year excuse and stale. The fact is the special team does not block or tackle; the offense does not block; the defensive does not tackle and cannot pass protect. All these skills are taught in Pop Warner, High School and college and the average NFL experience of the Panthers is 4.5 years acccording the the NFL, Colts average is 3.85years. This is total experience of block, tackle and run of at least 12.5 years for the Panthers in these basic skills. Who hired them? They should be fired.
Face it Scott your Panthers suck. I wouldn't be surprised if the Panthers beat out the Detroit Lions as the worst team. The Panthers are a joke and deserve to lose their franchise.
BREAKING NEWS! This just in...
The Carolina Panthers suck for life.
Witnesses say the Panthers are the worst football team ever. We have word that the Panthers are changing their name to the Carolina Kittens.
Stay tuned for more breaking news here..
I guess starting 0-3 it's hard to say something good about anyone. It's nice to see everyone took the easy way out.
Unfortunately I've been a Panther fan through thick and thin and know that not only is Fox our best coach ever, Peppers is the most dominant player we've ever had one Defense and Smith is the most dominant player on Offense.
Keep in mind that these are the guys that took us to the Superbowl and if not for a bad kick-off, we could be Champions right now. Oh, by the way, Jake was the Quarterback that year.
This is not to say that things need to change for the better, and it is possible Jake maybe done, but as a fan you have to back what Fox puts on the field. If you were smarter than him, you'd be in his shoes.
If you are a true fan, you've been through "1-15". But you've also been through two years of "12-4". I don't think this will be either, but there is a lot of football left, so keep your chin up...we're playing Washington on Sunday.
"I guess starting 0-3 it's hard to say something good about anyone. It's nice to see everyone took the easy way out.
Unfortunately I've been a Panther fan through thick and thin and know that not only is Fox our best coach ever, Peppers is the most dominant player we've ever had one Defense and Smith is the most dominant player on Offense.
Keep in mind that these are the guys that took us to the Superbowl and if not for a bad kick-off, we could be Champions right now. Oh, by the way, Jake was the Quarterback that year.
This is not to say that things need to change for the better, and it is possible Jake maybe done, but as a fan you have to back what Fox puts on the field. If you were smarter than him, you'd be in his shoes.
If you are a true fan, you've been through "1-15". But you've also been through two years of "12-4". I don't think this will be either, but there is a lot of football left, so keep your chin up...we're playing Washington on Sunday."
Screw Peppers i would take
Kevin Greene and Reggie White anyday. I don't care what the stats say. Anyway its fans like you that continue to make the Panthers suck each year. You guys refuse to wake to the fact that your team has serous issues. You all continue to buy tickets and show Jerry your satisfied with this pathetic team. If you all were true fans you would be raising hell for a better team. Not sitting on your hands and taking this crap performing team. And as for the Panthers Super Bowl run, they got lucky to get there. How they got there is still a mystery. Your Panthers will continue to suck until you guys wake up. The Carolina Panthers are just as hopeless as the Bush administration. From a former fan that realized this team will never change and sucks doing so.
Jared Allen is clearly the best defensive player in the NFL thus far. If the defense continues to play the way they have and Favre and AP keep tearing it up, they will be Super Bowl bound.
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