It may have taken a broken finger to seal the deal, but surely Matt Moore will start for Carolina now on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Jake Delhomme suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets, coach John Fox said Monday. Jake's hand apparently got tangled up in someone else's hand, Fox said.
Which finger? Fox wasn't saying, only that it wasn't the thumb.
Why? "Because we don't have to," said Fox, who seems to greatly enjoy giving out the least amount of information about all injuries that he possibly can while still following the NFL's rules (it's Belichick South, in other words, but without the Super Bowl victories).
Anyway, NFL QBs have thrown the ball before in real games with a broken finger. But it not only makes the ball harder to grip, it also makes it tougher to take snaps. It makes fumbles more likely. It makes accuracy more difficult.
In other words, if the Panthers still start Delhomme and his 59.4 passer rating -- now with a broken finger -- over Moore, that will be a scathing indictment of Moore. It's obvious Fox doesn't trust Moore's decision-making, or he would have been in the lineup long ago during this 8-TD, 18-interception nightmare season for Jake.
But I would imagine Fox's hand has been forced here and that Moore starts Sunday.
In the meantime, the jokes have already begun. Quipped one of my buddies when he heard Delhomme had a broken finger: "Which teammate broke it?"
We're moving!
9 years ago
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31 comments:
At this point, the playoffs are a fantasy. Start Moore and give him 5 games with a full playbook (no handcuffs) to see if he's a legit starting QB in the NFL.
If he's not (and odds are, he isn't), maybe we draft one of the gaggle of QB's coming out in this year's draft (Sam Bradford would be a nice upgrade) and let McCown start while grooming the next QB to take over. Or heck, maybe give him the Matt Ryan treatment and see how well he does with a solid O line and a dominant running game.
Either way, its time for a change.
With what draft pick are we going to get Bradford with? We don't have one untill the second round.
Trade away a 3rd rounder for Dennis Dixon and maybe a future pick He looked like a Dual Threat to me last night against the best D in the NFL... Was he spectacular? No, but he does have the wheels and youth and a good arm...
The broken finger is a farce. Fox just won't man up and admit sticking by Jake this long was an error.
And it isn't even Belichick South Fox is pulling. Belichick has a talented roster that opponents need to scour for an advantage, and they may get it with a slip of the tongue in a presser. Fox has an average roster that can be beaten with a simple game plan. (Blitz one more man than they have blockers, and wait for the QB/WRs to make a bad decision, and thus create turnovers and a short field. Game over.)
I would hardly call the QB crop a gaggle, as it's uncertain what role Teebow can play on an NFL team, Bradford has had 2 major shoulder surgeries and the TCU QB has not faced much real competition. With us not picking until pick 40 or so, I don't know if we will be able to find the QB of the future there. We might have to package that pick, plus another lower pick and one of our abundance of linebackers to move up into the first round. And even that's a big if.
Why try to win more games when the playoffs are out of the pic and the lower the ranking the higher the draft pick?
Even if they change QBs for next yr Steve Smith will still be the same 5'5" Mugsey Bogues of WRs. Revis was eating him alive Sunday like DBs have done all season.
Spaceytoyz, I absolutely agree with you but I doubt that we'd have to give up a 3rd round pick AND a future pick to get Dixon. Remember that he's a 3rd stringer and the Steelers used a 5th round pick to get him. He probably can be had for a 4th round pick. If not, I think that the best quarterback in the draft is Jimmy Clausen, who will most certainly come out. He has all the tools he needs and more. He is clutch and has experience in tight games and has won tight games. Trade next year's first round pick as has been the trend in recent years for the Panthers. Keep Fox!
It's the finger that's been up his a$$ since the AZ playoff game.
Let's put it this way, I don't think we'll need to worry about what Fox does in the next draft. A coach who cannot get his team ready to play is gone. As for the QB issue in the draft, gotta say I see a tremendous upside to Thaddeus Lewis and he ISN'T going to get a lot of praise from the "gurus." He'll be there for an economical price tag in the 6th or 7th round. If he doesn't work out, so what - he didn't cost an arm and a leg. Remember there are some big time QBs who were late draft picks.
paging CHARLIE WEIS !!!
If you are going to throw Thad Lewis in the mix you have to throw Riley Skinner in the mix. The kid just wins with sub par tallent around him.
Scott, why dont you stop implying that Matt Moore isnt that good because Fox wouldnt play him long ago? I have several of your posts with that junk and it's ridiculous. The truth of the matter is that Fox has tied his future to Delhommes and sink or swim, he was going to stay with him. I'm glad he broke his finger only because it's not a serious injury but it forces Fox to find out if we have a quarterback that we can live with in Moore or if we need to try and trade up to draft one next year.
Could we trade Peppers for a round one draft pick and receive a first round QB like Bradford or McCoy? Would we have to franchise Peppers first then trade him?
Panthers middle linebacker Jon Beason was arrested this afternoon on a misdemeanor charge of assault to inflict serious injury, according to police records.
Maybe that should answer your friends question Mr. Scott..
And no ppl he didnt beat up Jake, but he probably thought about him, when he landed whatever punch, he got arrested for!!
Why do I dislike Fox's coaching...
His loyalty is blinding him from talent.
Anyone remember that we have Foster, AHEAD of D-lo for the longest time...Then after D-lo finally got significant time, a light bulb when off in Fox's head...This is a business!
Chandler is over there censoring comments like crazy. he will not allow the fans to have a say. So I'll post my comment to him here.
"Look Chandler, don't insult us by putting this crap on the Internet, and then you are selectively censoring comments so as to skew the view of the fans. Shame on you."
Comment from Coach Fox...
“If his finger wasn’t an issue, I couldn’t with a straight face make a change just with him,” Fox said. “That was a combined effort by the offensive players, not just one player. … It was poor not just by the quarterback.”
Wow....Obviously I havent been watching the same games.
Yes, Moore will start Sunday. And don't call me Shirley.
Oh come on people...17 other comments and I'm the first one to bust out the ol' reliable "don't call me Shirley" line?
I stand by my other comment on the '5 Things' post about Fox needing to show some mercy on Jake and benching him. Looks like his hand is now forced...no telling now what he would have done if it had not been. Too bad - I was supremely interested to see what Fox would have done on his own.
It's funny Jennifer, but when I read that quote from Fox I wondered what could make him keep a straight face these days? I mean really - could he with a straight face say he coached this team well enough to prepare for teams that blitz (Eagles game one, the Jets)? Could he with a straight face say that this team had the right game plans in place against Miami or the Jets?
Whatever they decided to do in the last two games clearly didn't work. Maybe the success with the no huddle 3 games ago actually turned out to be a curse. With Jake's leash shortened by calling more of the plays on the field, he ended up working in more pass plays. And he ended up throwing 5 more picks over the last two games...and the team scored no TDs against the Jets. The JETS!
P.S. - Watching the Saints right now...they just scored a long TD, up 17 - 7. These guys utilize 3 or 4 receivers effectively...we can't make it work for just 1. That may be talent, but you better believe there is coaching behind that as well.
Fact is folks, even if we had been able to pull out a wild card, what would we have done with it? I can't fathom beating a better coached team like the Colts, Patriots, or Saints in the playoffs with what we've done this year.
BTW, previous post should read..
With Jake's leash LESS shortened by calling more of the plays on the field,...
Hey Scott, if Moore starts and plays well does that further damn Fox & Co. for having waited for so long to make the change to a more competent QB?
Also, if the season continues to get worse, how aggressive will Panthers ownership be in getting an early start on the difficult process of finding a new coach? The Big Cat doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would allow any kind of clandestine conversations with coaching candidates, no matter how informal, until the end of the season, when a vacancy actually exists.
Bradford wants 50 million. When you don't have a draft pick or money it just can't happen people. We bargin hunt, always have and always will.
Two things. First of all Fox sticking with Delhomme for so long reminds me of the Cowher, Kordell Stewart days. I am a Delhomme fan but give him the rest of the year off and let him come back next year and compete for the job.
Secondly, why doesn't Beason just hire some strippers to come to his house? Was he alone or did Pacman stop by for a little action to. This is embarrassing. What else could happen this year. Even if he is innocent of the battery doesn't common sense tell you to saty away.
I think it is simple on why Fox is so hesitant to start Moore. If Moore comes in and plays like he did in the 2-1 stretch in 2007 than Fox is going to get constant questions on why he didn't make the change earlier. Kind of has flash backs to keeping Deangelo on the bench because he didnt want to take Foster out of the starting spot. But if I remember right, the change to Jake was a halftime change and it led to a Super Bowl. No chance of that happening this year, but give the kid a chance.
As long as we're speculating about trades, how about sending Peppers to Philly for Vick and a pick?
I wonder if he has a broke finger, or is this just another excuse. Send Jake somewhere, even if you have to pay him, because there are alot of good quaterbacks that aren't playing anywhere, because no one has given them a true chance. Look at the ones that have been through the panthers, but given no chance because Fox had his mind made up before the start. Get Tom Knotts to coach the offense, and lets put some excitement back into the panthers.
I don't think we're going to the playoffs but I'd like to see what Moore could do. It would be great if he worked out and we didn't have to get a quarterback elsewhere.
If only Scott would break a finger and not be able to man the keyboard. Then we could finally see what his backup could do - it definitely couldn't be any worse.
Jake Dumbomme broke his finger by licking the grease off from bojangles during halftime.Finger licking good.. ooops that KFC
A good second round pick up at QB would be Ricky Stanzi from Iowa. I think he could fall into our laps with a mid-second round picks
Moore will start now and don't call us Surely!
All first round draft picks dont end up being first round worthy so i dont hold Fox in contempt for trading a first round pick away for some1 he believes in, look at all the first round bombs in the past. Fox has built a decent team so far and i suspect his next 1 will be at the qb spot.Really thats all the team needs to win games, a decent qb. Someone said something about holding Williams back to start Foster, maybe thats what made Williams great, waiting & learning instead of being fed to the wolves. Maybe that will be what Moore needed, to wait & learn & he can come out on fire. You cant expect to win every season thats ridiculous. Every team out there is a professional team with professional players. I think the team has been built well so far now all it needs is a qb & healthy players to start. I vote to let Fox finish out his last year of his contract (next year), & evaluate the coach position in the middle of next season. Give the guy a chance, maybe he is right on his schedule and will have it built to start next year.
Anonymous said...
If only Scott would break a finger and not be able to man the keyboard. Then we could finally see what his backup could do - it definitely couldn't be any worse.
December 1, 2009 2:48 PM
****** But yet you still give him the satisfaction of coming here and posting... Priceless
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