Sunday, November 27, 2011

Bests and Worsts from Carolina Panthers' 27-19 win over Indianapolis Colts

Going to extremes after the Panthers (3-8) edged the Colts (0-11) by a 27-19 score in Indianapolis:

Best Panther road trip in the past year: This one. The Panthers (3-8) don’t have much to choose from besides Indianapolis – they had lost 12 road games in a row until Sunday.

Worst tackle: Panther safety Sherrod Martin whiffed badly on Reggie Wayne’s 56-yard touchdown catch that got the Colts back into the game.

Best tiptoe: Martin then made the play of the game in the final minute, catching a deflected ball when Indianapolis had second-and-goal at the 3 and keeping his tiptoes just inside the back of the end zone to clinch the game for Carolina.

Worst near-calamity: The Panthers looked for a few moments like they were going to lose Greg Olsen in a pre-game collision when the tight end tried to chase down a long pass that Cam Newton had actually intended to throw to Seyi Ajirotutu. Olsen and Ajirotutu ran into each other and both stayed down for several minutes.

Best low-profile Cam game: Newton had a very efficient day, completing 20 of 27 passes for 208 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. He also scored on a 14-yard rushing TD and never turned the ball over.

Best trend: The Panthers rushed the ball 35 times for 201 yards, which allowed them to control the time of possession (they held the ball more than 12 minutes more than the Colts).

Worst close-out: While the Panthers never trailed in this game, they kept letting Indianapolis back into it. The Panthers had two shots at closing the Colts out late in the fourth quarter but didn’t get a first down on either possession, which necessitated Martin and Chris Gamble making interceptions in the last five minutes to seal the win.

Best sack (Carolina): Charles Godfrey came on a safety blitz, faked out running back Joseph Addai and hit Curtis Painter from the blind side, causing a fumble.

Best sack (Indianapolis): Dwight Freeney might have been the first defensive end not to get fooled by Newton’s spin move all year, playing it perfectly and taking Newton down for a 20-yard loss.

Worst locker room teasing: It’s going to be coming to Panther kickoff returner Kealoha Pilares, who went 76 yards in the fourth quarter but was knocked out of bounds by the Colts’ kicker. In Pilares’ defense, he had hurt his quad on an earlier return.

Best lock: The Indianapolis Star is going to write a whole lot about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck – the Colts’ likely pick at No.1 in the 2012 draft – between now and April. The Star had one of its writers ask Newton several questions about Luck, whom Newton called an “underrated athlete.”

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Martin's non-tackle on Reggie Wayne should haunt him forever. He loses his man card for that one. He acts like he's afraid to play tackle football.

Anonymous said...

In addition to Martin's non-tackle, Pilares should lose his for getting taken down by a kicker. He switched the ball to his left arm, but didn't stiff-arm McAfee which could've allowed him to break it wide open.

Anonymous said...

The Panthers are lucky they were playing to Colts today. I don't see them beating any other team with the level of ineptitude they showed on defense and in pass protection.

Anonymous said...

I think Cam could have gotten away on that sac..but I think he changed course just enough because he was on a B-line to the ref behind him.

Anonymous said...

Colts won the game everywhere but the score and the 2 interceptions in the endzone by Painter that were certain TDs had they run instead, gave the hapless pathetic Pussycats a lucky win and their last win of course.

Scam the ham proved he was a non-factor and average at best and beginners luck has faded. Five blowout losses coming to end the misery.

3-13 season.

Anonymous said...

Two interceptions in the last 5 minutes don't make up for how horrible this defense is. Just pathetic.

Sportsdon said...

Munerlyn is a nickel back at best, not a reliable every down corner. He is a decent tackler but rarely makes a play on the ball in the air. He plays well for a 7th rounder...and that's about it.

Martin made several plays in this game, his best all season. Gamble's best also. The announcers claimed his pick was due to Painter, not true he had great position all the way.

Pilares is looking like a solid return man for the future. Kickers are athletes too, so lets not kill him for that one. Goodson would never have gotten that far down field.

Edwards still jukes too much, he is like the youngest kid in a family football game. We are just trying to make it work, but it's hopeless in the long term.

Anonymous said...

yeah -- the colts arent trying to lose..... what a crock-o-crap !

playing against a SORRY run defense, they try throwing it in end zone REPEATEDLY to win the game ---

Just go ahead and givem the #1 pick Goodell -

This things been in the bag for them since BEFORE last years draft, when the Mannings, Lucks, Polian, Irsay all agreed to tank it this year

connect the dots folks

Anonymous said...

wth is excited about a win over a 0-10 team who is intentionally not giving there all from the coordinators and coaching in order to lose out

what a sham

Anonymous said...

A kicker can make an open field TD saving tackle for the Colts but Martin can't get his arm's around Wayne and bring him down, somehow, some way?? Really? I would look for this to clearly be on the "Come on Man" MNF segment tonight. Simply pathetic!!

Anonymous said...

Add Steve Smith to this week's worsts. HIs two unnecessary 15-yard penalties cut short two promising drives. What has gotten into the old codger?

Anonymous said...

The Panther defense made the worst quarterback in the league look almost competent. He had over 200 yards passing, but missed badly on many open receivers.
If the Colts had just an average NFL QB the Panthers may well have lost this game too.
They have only about 20 quality NFL players on this team, and the rest are just JAG's.
They will not win another game this season.

Whistler225 said...

"Scam the ham proved he was a non-factor and average at best and beginners luck has faded. Five blowout losses coming to end the misery. "

Gee wonder who posted this comment.

and by the way, if you really think the Colts "won the game everywhere but the score" then you did not watch the game. We had more yards, more time of possession, better special teams and fewer turnovers than the Colts. Most coaches will tell you that is the definition of winning the game in all phases.

Why don't you learn a little about this sport before making such ridiculous statements.