Saturday, August 13, 2011

5 thoughts on Panthers' 20-10 preseason win over Giants

It was only the preseason, of course, but the Carolina Panthers were both impressive and interesting Saturday night in the Panthers’ 20-10 win over the New York Giants in Charlotte. While the duel between the two quarterbacks was basically a draw – Cam Newton led the Panthers to two field goals, while starter Jimmy Clausen threw a touchdown pass to his own team and one to the Giants – Carolina’s defense and special teams were very solid and the offense was just good enough to win.

So, after an eight-month absence, it's time for a new edition of "5 thoughts"...

1. Of the Panthers’ three quarterbacks who played Saturday night, it was Derek Anderson who actually had the best ratio of points per offensive series for Carolina. Anderson got Carolina into the end zone on his first series – albeit against a collection of reserves – and gave the Panthers a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

2. What about that Panther defense? Missing five starters due to various nagging injuries, it stonewalled Eli Manning whenever the Giants starter was in the game. The Giants’ only touchdown in the game came on an interception return on Clausen’s second pass.

3. Among the improvements in Ron Rivera’s first Panther team compared to John Fox’s last one: the kick coverage and return teams seem to be worth watching again. Other than Newton, Panther fans want no one to succeed more than Armanti Edwards, and he got off to a great start Saturday by breaking multiple tackles on both his first and second punt returns. (Edwards also had a 36-yard catch on a pass from Newton). The Panthers won the field-position battle for most of the game and also blocked a field goal, all of which was key.

4. Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski won some hearts and minds in the Carolinas with his very first play call as a Panther. In a steady downpour, he had Clausen line up in the shotgun and had the quarterback looking downfield. Clausen fired a great pass and Brandon LaFell caught it for 31 yards.

5. A few young Panther players who caught my eye in a positive way: cornerback R.J. Stanford, wide receiver Kealoha Pilares, Edwards, linebacker/special teamer Jordan Senn, cornerback Kendric Burney and special-teamer Michael Greco.

54 comments:

Pean AppSt88 said...

Nice effort, just thought on a few occasions Cam could have run for 1st downs , But maybe they didnt want to get him hurt with the wet field

Anonymous said...

Thomas Williams didn't "catch your eye"? Dude was the second coming of Dan Morgan tonight.

Unknown said...

Burney showed nice timing jumping two different short routes. He's not quite big enough to be a regular starter, but I thought he showed that the pro game wasn't too big for him tonight.

Unfortunately this team has a lot of very good nickel backs and not enough true corners. I hope they can hold it down this year.

BH said...

Don't know what game you were watching but if Thomas Williams didnt catch your eye then maybe you need to sit closer to the field. Kid was all over the place. 7 tackles, 1 sack. Great game.

Anonymous said...

I thought Thomas Williams should've been "Co-player of the game" tonight. He is a definite "keeper!"

Cam did a great job in his first game. He looked comfortable in the pocket, and had some nice throws.

Armanti did well on special teams and receiver.

The Panthers should be fun to watch this year!

Scott Fowler said...

Guys: Was typing fast... Didn't mean to leave Thomas Williams out. Yes, he was very good tonight -- also had a quarterback hurry in addition to the other stats already cited. Consider him a part of No.5.

Anonymous said...

What about the guys on the defensive line? I thought Fua was the best one out there. For some reason, he reminds me of a young Maake Kemoeatu.

Anonymous said...

Charly Martin was an impact player as well. Special teams tackles, pass receptions... Come on Man.

Anonymous said...

Newton mediocre after all the trashy media hype played most the game with a few lucky throws for catches. No TDS. Not even close.

Cant run in the NFL. Too tall and skinny to slide feet first.

TD from Clausen
TD from Anderson

Go with the TD QBs.

Anderson was pro-bowler in 2007.

Anonymous said...

I'm a card-carrying Clausen hater, but after the INT he came back and looked pretty decent. Cam looked good on some throws, but he missed some guys too while trying to force it in other times. All in all, not a bad night and hopefully a sign of things to come.

Anonymous said...

Great start and the biggest headline should be "Good riddens John Fox". Not to belabor the point, but Carolina has and had the talent to be competitive. Now the offense seems alive. What we watched last night was captivating despite the offense hitting on four cylinders but showing the potential of a V8.
Cam looked good with smart moves. He didn't seem lost which is quite amazing with the shortened preseason.
Clausen seems to have a panic button that he defaults to a little bit to readily. Can't blame him after last year.
Both QBs looked steady. Two observations that I hope to see this preseason. Don't run Cam during the preseason. Why let defenses know what he is capable of. Just let concentrate on passing and accuracy.
Secondly, the fans don't need to boo or not do so readily. It is disrespectful. Our society seems to be looking to Philadelphia to model our social behaviors. It's wrong and undeserved. Plus it shows how poor of a fan you are. You support the whole team not everyone minus Clausen.

Anonymous said...

Don't mean to be negative, just very serious. I'm concerned about Goodsen getting any touches in the regular season until he proves he can hold on to the ball. Two fumbles last night, and two fumbles against Arizona (last game of last season). He's going to single-handedly give the game away, even on special teams. BEWARE Rivera. Go Panthers!!!

eduardo said...

As the tandem of Cam and Armanti get accustomed to each other, it will become a feature act of the NFL.

Anonymous said...

It was a fun game to watch...finally! Clausen, after his pick which wasn't totally his fault (DeAngelo has got to get his head around faster on that play), but he seemed to bounce back. I think the addition of the tight ends are going to be huge, no matter who is throwing the ball- OLSEN IS A BEAST, and so was Barnidge for that matter. One thing that I keep hearing from announcers, barely off the couch analyst, etc, that Cam looked calm, poised etc. I wonder if he would be that poised, calm, etc. if he would have played on the 2010 team with zero development like Clausen experienced. Like Armanti Edwards, Clausen was never developed because Fox was just not interested in doing a whole lot of anything last year. And even though Edwards had a horrible year, fans are embracing him this year. Why isn't Clausen receiving the same "pass" as Edwards? Clausen, in my opinion, does not deserved to be booed, at least not yet. Just because everyone is high on Cam Newton, does not justify booing Clausen-at Fanfest no less. What happends if they start Derrick Anderson, are the fans going to boo him too? Come on Panther fans, put away the boos for now.

Anonymous said...

Scott, one thing I hope you write about in the future is how these so called NFL scout and draft experts get it wrong. While it is early, many complained that Cam Newton couldn't learn the playbook.
He certainly seemed composed and controlled in his first outing. That display was a direct counter argument to those salaried people that over think and over scrutinize at the same rate discount a love and natural skill of the game.

Anonymous said...

Newton, who hogged over half the game due to dumb Rivera, was total mediocrity and looked weakly and thin lucked out on a few passes against 2nd & 3rd stringers. He wanted to run 2 times but Giant 2-3rd string defenses stuffed him behind the line. The rookie HC said he wanted a QB who could run???????? LOL. Yea rite. He wont even get out of the backfield. Defenses chomp at the bit to kill a rookie QB in 2011.

Keep the anbulance engine running in case.

The top QB was clearly AZ Cardinal ex-pro-bowler '07 young mobile vet Derek Anderson who needed to get traded in a bad way to get his starting job back.

Anderson is 6'7" 245 lbs with a gun and pro bowl experience. This is a no-brainer. The concussion he sustained in 2010 has healed.

Rivera is a total idiot for even remotely thinking 6'4" 220lb Newton would run over NFL MLBs. Idiocy.
Weak arm inaccurate Newtons only option is his biggest weakness or passing and no more one hit wonder SEC seasons in the NFL.

Anonymous said...

Hate to see how bad Newton does against 1st string defenses with the biggest fastest strongest middle LBs plus the quicker CBs and safteys. They would have picked him 2-3 times last nite.

Rookie coach RR might as well go ahead and let him run and get the injury out of the way up front in preseason that hopefully wont end his career and just be a cracked vertbre or displaced tibula or fibula that will require perm titanium rods and screws.
That is assuming he can ever make in out of the backfield with the double team DB stunt blitz.

He def wont outrun any CBs either and hope those long skinny legs wont get entangled and break if he tries a feet first slide.

Yikes. Scam as WR is his only real option otherwise where he has the angle and jump on the DBs.

Anonymous said...

Um, Anderson is 6'6 235 and Newton is 6'5 244. Nice try though.

Anonymous said...

Wow! There are lots of Cam haters on here. Let the man prove himself first!

Anonymous said...

I agree that the booing should stop. Do you think Green Bay fans would ever boo one of their own players? And do you really want to be compared to Philly? The team comes as a package, not individually. Support ALL of the Panthers!

Jon123g said...

Wow all this haring on Cam is ridiculous. Weakarmed, inaccurate? Are you frickin kidding me. All you haters who want to slam our team, yes I said our team because you are obviously not a fan. Go cheer for someone else. We do not need your negativity or crap postings. I watched the whole game last night and am excited to see our Panthers playing again. So move on you losers, and let the real fans have a grown up discussion.
I thought our boys looked good last night. The qb play was better, the special teams looked more special then last year, and the defense played well. Keep it up Panthers, make us proud.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:56 AM, it is obvious you are one of those that let your hate cloud your judgement. Either that or you have no objectivity within to start with. If you are THAT convinced of your stance, then go on record and post your name, so that you may be held accountable for your words. As for the Panthers, I am glad to see the new offense will be less predictable regardless of who starts at QB. My pick to start the regular season...Derek Anderson! I think both Clausen and Newton can benefit greatly from watching and learning at this stage. Go Panthers!

James Dennis

Anonymous said...

Newton looked very good his first series but then became very mediocre. With the exception of Clausen's miscommunicated intercepting, he was the better QB in this game. I can see why he is the starter.

Anonymous said...

I thought Gross had a bad game, to of those sacks were his blown blocking.

He looked slow and re-active.

Anonymous said...

TWO of those sacks...

Unknown said...

That was a fun game to watch, first time I've been able to say that in over a year. The defense and special teams were a joy to behold. We even have an offense this year. Claussen looked pretty sharp, like he's going to be okay this year. Newton played with some finesse and had a few good throws. And I'd agree with having Andersen be 1st QB, of the three he was clearly the veteran and he could teach the other two some things only experience buys you.

All in all, I think it's going to be a great season for Panther fans!

Haters gotta hate, just ignore them.

Anonymous said...

It's some guys in here that Cam must have stolen their girlfriends for real. As far as for people actually talking about football and make sense...I think the QB play is encouraging. Clausen made some good throws as well as D.A. I also can't discount how bad D.A. has been circa 2007 so let's not get too excited about a couple of throws he made against scrubs who have barely any practice under their belts. Next game, start either Newton or D.A. and see how each is able to move the offense against first-string competition. At the the end of preseason, pick the most impressive one...Not rocket science.

Anonymous said...

Kickers. Gotta love em said Scam. Didnt Auburn kicker have to make Scam look good too to win that NCAA title for him with the last sec FG to win and buy that Heisman?

Look for Kasay in Canton Ohio NFL HOF within 10 years.

And 28 year old 6'7" 245 lb gun pro bowler Derek Anderson is BACK baby !!!!
6'3" 210 lb Newton has a lot of learnin to do as scrub.

Now we know who trained ex-waterboy Scam to throw a ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2DgCIWSiQ

Doc KiKi said...

I was impressed by the amount of coaching going on along the sidelines which was minimal last few years with Fox. Also, the tackling was much better - the guys wrapped the Giants up and took them down. Panthers have toughest schedule this year so may not have many wins but I am excited about the energy the guys have plus play calling is more exciting. I think the Panthers are on the right track. The coaches are trying to utilize the players they have instead of pouting like Fox because he has players (Edwards) that only run a draw play! Go Panthers!

Jess Owen said...

Go Panthers.......Jimmy and Cam did fair neither was impressive, but DA with 3rd stringers on both sides looked good. overall great game............

Anonymous said...

1st of all i think all the qbs played well impressed by clausen the int was 50% deangelo who i also love but it was preseason cam looked impressive coming in off a lock out shortened pff season give him a little slack da looked ok against 3rd string but i do think it was a good move to get a veteran like him you have to remember that he went to the pro bowl playng for our OC Chudzinski there is a reason for that so one way or another we got our qb huge relief defense played great i think we have enough solid dbs huge relief d-line played very good huge relief you know the lb's are going to kill it so all the haters out there keep it up because it isnt till things get better till they come out all you real fans like me be very excited it isnt going to be a bad year and they are going to be elite very soon great job from top to bottom JR and coaching staff.

Sportsdon said...

Good to see Armanti become a weapon and Special Teams looked much better overall. Mare made me forget about Kasay. Much improved tackling and retrun containment.

We should not get too excited as a Giant fan told me after the game that they have been terrible on special teams throughout Coughlin's tenure.


The defense is much improved from recent seasons with a more aggresive scheme that mixed in blitzes at the right times. Love seeing CB's line-up on the WR's.


Clausen looked like the same guy that will never be able to excel at NFL speed. Cam looked like a promising rookie as expected. I was surprised he had no rushes, but the downfield block on the toss sweep was well beyond any QB we have ever had. I didn't care for running the same play twice to LaFell in the redzone.

Anderson did as well as a veteran should against guys that won't be on the field in 3 weeks. He was horrible for Arizona in the real games so don't get too crazy folks.

Anonymous said...

Cam Newton completed less than 50% of his passes with 0 TDs, and he played 2 quarters against mostly 2nd and 3rd teamers. That's been the big question all along is his accuracy. Ryan Mallett had a much better outing in his debut the other night. Time will tell the tale.

Anonymous said...

The reason Clausen doesnt get a pass like Edwards is because of his personality. Showing up to Notre Dame in a stretch limo fresh out of high school is disrespectful. Coming into your first season as a pro and trash talking our number one reciever and questioning his skill level is disrespectful. If you are going to do that you need to figure out how to put more than 2 wins down. Granted that Fox did give up last season doesnt excuse the fact that Clausen is a poor quarterback. If anyone honestly believes we're better off with Clausen/Cam instead of the potential Vick/Cam we could have had is very ill informed

John - Harrisburg said...

First off, being an early riser, it's been awhile since I was enjoying a night game enough to stay up to finish it... and it was a pre-season game! I really feel sorry for those "fans" who changed channels immediately after Clausen threw that pick. Well, not really since those folks aren't real fans.

Unfortunately, reading many of the comments on this board reminds me that too many of the folks posting either don't understand football, or let their prejudices overrule their sense!

Those bashing Newton obviously made up their minds before the game and are now trying o re-shape events to justify them. So, I'll take a moment to put some of those comments in perspective.

Newton hogged half the game - being a rookie and having had fewer practices, Rivera probably wanted a longer look at him. Probably a wise choice since THAT is what pre-season games are for. Keep your day job.

Newton had more incompletes: Yes, he did... he also had far more attempts, probably because they were trying more things and also, he was also playing with the less experienced receivers and had the less experienced line blocking for him. Bear in mind what he didn't do... he didn't throw interceptions and he didn't fumble when sacked. Several of his incompletes were diliberate throw-aways when an open receiver wasn't available.

Start Derek Anderson - uh, don't forget he was likely passing against a secondary that won't be on the team in three weeks. Yes, he did a nice job, but the real starters were probably already in the showers by that point in the game.

Then there was: "TD from Clausen
TD from Anderson, Go with the TD QBs."

OK, let's recalculate that... there were TWO TDs from Clausen, but unfortunately one of those was for the wrong side... so comparing net points between Clausen and Newton goes to Newton... he lead two 3 point drives with no turnovers for 6 unanswered points!

Let's be clear here... Rivera isn't John Fox, Anderson was brought in to mentor Newton and Clausen and to be available in a dire situation. If he were starter material, he wouldn't have been available.

Frankly, I'm a white guy who usually feels like the race card gets thrown around way to easily and way to often, but I'm really starting to wonder when I hear some of the BS trashing of Newton on these boards!

As for the boo birds... I'm actually happy that it happened and that Clausen was able to respond the way he did... that was a HUGE positive step in his development and may be a turning point in his career. EVERY SINGLE QB gets boot as some point... it's how they respond to it that will define their career. Last year, he collapsed and failed. This game, he came back out and did his job. If he can do that consistently, he will succeed!

Anonymous said...

This is way too early to make real evaluations for who starts in week 1, but last night Anderson had by far the best numbers (played against "scrubs", but was also playing with "scrubs" on offense). Clausen had good numbers (minus interception which wasn't really his fault). Newton looked good in flashes, but his actual numbers (QB rating) were fair to poor... he had 2 quarters vs 1 quarter each for the other two.

Of course it will take more games to get a more accurate picture.

Special teams should be an upgrade. The new kicker was pinning kickoffs deep into the endzone, and Edwards looks like he'll give us decnt field position to start drives. Mare also nailed the field goals nicely.

I like what I see so far.

Anonymous said...

people you missing the point, teams win, not players. to see our players watching and cheering and TOGETHER it was good. I don't know how we will end up. "but a team is always better than any player" Mister B

Anonymous said...

Take a hard look at charlie martin,He was a receiver,blocker and made a special team tackle around the 10 yard line. 2 position player!!!

Auby2000 said...

The Alabama fans who are posting on this site should at least identify themselves when they are talking smack about Cam. The comeback at the Iron Bowl last year should haunt you for at least the next decade.

Anonymous said...

I have to say that I am embarassed by some of the blatant racism that has consistently been demonstrated here. I had reservations about Cam Newton myself. But let's give this kid some credit. He seems to be a better kid than we thought. He's a much better leader than we thought. His smile and demeanor is becoming infectious with his teammates. And as for yesterday's game it's astonishing that there would even be one person who would criticize his first outing as a Panther. He was poised and really played well. Some of us are really painting a bad picture of Charlotte when we ridicule Cam even after he plays well.

Anonymous said...

As for Cam's completion per centage, he was throwing to receivers who were tightly covered. The ball was hitting them in the right place but batted down by the defenders. They were placed well enough to not be intercepted. As he gains game experience and more confidence, thse are more caught balls, especially if the receivers can get more separation. We saw what he could do when Armanti used his athleticism to get open. Sure, he misfired a little on Armanti on the near touchdown, but that was excitement getting the better of him. Each time on the field he will get better. He threw a couple of balls out of bounds when receivers were not open. That's better than holding it too long and getting sacked. Once Steve Smith, Armanti Edwards, and Greg Olsen are all on the field at once, there will be more open targets.

Anonymous said...

Stay on subject and stop trying to divert attention from the real subect using smoke and mirrors and the usual race card BS lie.

Newton is NOT the best QB. Not even close. All the media hype was just that. Worthless trash as usual. He is average and mediocre at best.

Clausen and Anderson are by far the best NFL QBs. Deal with it. Not even close.

Pike has yet to see action and was the best ever at U Cincy at 6'8" 260lbs. And then they cut Moore and he now starts for Miami.

Idiots. Do everything the opposite of what the media says.

Anonymous said...

Bruce said:

Geesh guys. The 2010 defense was the worst in the NFL with more points scored against it than the other 31 teams. That was that the QBs fault?

So why did they rig losing 14 games last yr? The answer is simple. They schemed to squeeze the heart transplant sickly owner who is a walking deadman and who just shelled out 280 million more after the big union heist of 5 billion plus get rid of Fox.

They used naive rookie Clausen to blame as scapegoat. Double extortionist sleaze tactics. They got what they wanted. Bandits and outlaws. Payback in order.

Anonymous said...

face it. cam is a sham. fans saw all they needed. he'd be cut on 31 other teams or made a scrub. sorry to bust your bubble. this was no surprise.

Anonymous said...

Wayyyy too many Cam haters commenting on here. You obviously aren't a Carolina Panthers fan if you're on here bashing him after his first EVER NFL game. And why exactly are so many people getting his height and weight wrong? haha, he is 6'5'' and almost 250. Someone said 6'2'' and 210 on here, did he steal you guys girlfriends or what??

Anonymous said...

I mean does this really looks like a guy that would be cut on 31 other teams??

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0803/nfl_g_camnewton_cmg_400.jpg

I don't think so, I mean Matt Leinart still has a job, haha come on now, get real

Anonymous said...

Cam looked real good to me. He was so calm in the pocket and never had a "run if the first read is covered" approach - he checked down to read #2 a few times and never ran - which i think is a great sign. He has a great arm and is going to be a stud QB in this league for a long time. I still would start Anderson this season... Until he starts struggling then i put in Cam. Clausen is an interesting one - I think he can be an NFL starter and it would be nice if we can find playing time for him too. Perhaps we trade him or he gets his chance in a couple years with another team.

Anonymous said...

Somebody said Tony Pike was 6'8'' and 260 lbs. on here, HAHAHA, I'd like to know what they are smokin'

Anonymous said...

Yea ... if these same hypocrites had wanted a real QB TRUE runner and passer then they would have ignored Vicks baggage (like they do Scams) and supported going after and signing him 2 yrs ago b4 the Eagles did but oh hell NO... When it was mentioned they all emphatically rejected Vick as being so terribly evil .... blah blah blah ...
So ignore Scams baggage but not Vicks?... Do you really believe Newton is better than the proven vet Vick? .... lol ....Please ... Hypocrisy and double standards to the max ... Fickle fans ... morons ... case closed.

Anonymous said...

Agree. Bench Newton as 3rd or 4th stringer and trade him next year. Hes only so so

Anonymous said...

It seems like everybody is either very high on Newton or is hating like they are gettin' paid for it. It's too early to say he's gonna be a bust and it's also way too early to say he's going to be a great NFL QB. So to everybody that is saying Newton is a bust or that he's gonna be bad@$$, just chill out because YOU DON'T KNOW. Bottom line.

And just for the record, I wanted the Panthers to go after Vick...

Anonymous said...

wow, some of you people are truly delusional and full of hate that you cannot even control. I've seen the most RIDICULOUS posts on here. 'tony pike is 6'8 260 and the best ever"? wtf? tony pike is 6'6 215, rail thin compared to cam newton who is a tree trunk. You guys are attacking the few things you CAN'T attack about cam newton? someone said he had a weak arm? was too skinny? couldn't run? too small? hahahh wtf? he's 6'6 248, humongous. HE should pocket poise and now the haters are interpreting that as him being slow in the NFL and unable to run? wow. and if he ran i'm sure you'd all say he couldn't pass. derek anderson is a clown, he's literally one of the worst QB's int he NFL. he had a great year in 2007 because of the coordinator, but has a career QB rating of 68, that's pathetic. and he's not 6'7 240 or whatever you fools were saying. he's like 6'6 225. If you ever see all the panthers QB's together you can clearly see Cam is the biggest. Cam def has a cannon arm too, like vick level arm. so whoever said he has a "weak" arm is seriously retarded. I mean the physical part is a given for Cam, the part we didn't know was the accuracy and the playbook. His accuracy looked great to me, noone has mentioned there were at least 4 drops, which would have made him 12/19, and a good amount of the imcompletions were on the money. Cam looked excellent for his first NFL game after just 2 weeks of practice with a complex playbook. all you prejudice guys are pathetic, truly, there's no denying Cam's potential and how well he played. No TD's, not even close? right, he had 2 passes dropped in the endzone that should have been caught and not 1 ball close to being picked. great pocket presence too. you all fools, truly. When Cam has MVP caliber seasons i'm sure these same guys will be calling him overrated etc.

Anonymous said...

^ Finally, somebody with a little sense posting a comment on here. I agree with pretty much all of that and I gotta ask ya man: did you literally laugh out loud when you read what the one guy wrote about tony pike being 6'8'' 260 lbs?? because I sure as hell did, haha

www.santa-cruz-3d.com said...

Oh my god, there's so much worthwhile information here!