Some quick thoughts on the Panthers' final exhibition, a 17-16 loss to the Steelers Thursday night:
1) Carolina did the right thing keeping basically every starter out of the game. What's the sense in getting someone hurt in a game that never should be played in the first place? Four preseason games is two too many, as I've said for years.
2) Watching from home on TV, I thought several of the most interesting moments came with Panther GM Marty Hurney in the TV booth in the third quarter, joining Mike Morgan and Mike Rucker for an in-game interview.
Hurney watched live when Armanti Edwards got his hands on a ball in the end zone in close coverage but was not be able to come up with it and said Edwards really needed to catch "contested balls" like that.
Hurney also mentioned that Justin Medlock should and would be able to make field goals of "55 yards plus" -- although Medlock missed from 56 and 50 Thursday night, with the 50-yarder a potential game winner.
And the GM said he thought that the Panthers put more money into the running back position than any other NFL team.
One other note on the TV broadcast: Kudos to all involved in the Sam Mills feature that was shown at halftime on the late Panther linebacker and assistant coach. It was excellent.
3) If I'm the Panthers, I find a way to keep RB Armond Smith around -- practice squad, something. I know the position is crowded, but that guy can play.
4) Incidentally, with Edwards, I saw nothing to change my mind from this blog post where I advocated releasing him. There are a number of new comments on both sides of that issue if you want to check it out(remember, I now moderate all comments for this blog since a very few users kept posting R-rated rants -- you never have to agree with me to have your comment published, but severe profanity is the one thing that rules it out.)
5) I thought this was the best I've seen Jimmy Clausen look in a long time. Yes, it was against scrubs, but normally against scrubs Clausen still can't get the offense in the end zone. This time he threw two TD passes and had the team in position for a possible game-winning field goal (which Medlock missed).
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9 years ago
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23 comments:
Medlock = Mare 2.0
Olindo Mare' voodoo hexed us for this game!!!
If cut today, Armond Smith should be snatched immediately by another team and will likely come back to harm us. Somehow, Hurney needs to find an active spot for this jewel in the rough.
I agree Clausen's performance was the best I have seen him do in a Panther's uniform. It was also the first time I did not cringe seeing him come back onto the field. I actually was not surprised when he threw the second touchdown pass because for once he no longer has that dear in headlight look. Looks like the new coaching staff may have the right formula for bringing him back from shell shock.
Agree with all your thoughts Scott but how could you miss the biggest story of the night...how about those "special" teams! It wasn't just the missed field goals, they couldn't block, cover or hold on to the ball! How is it possible to be soooo bad?
Here's my issue with Clausen's performance. He still does not have any awareness whatsoever. He doesn't "feel" the pocket so he immediately runs out of it, even if it's not collapsing, and gets into trouble prompting him to throw it away or take a sack. He had a couple of chances to send a decent long pass to wide open players (i.e. - Jared Green in the 4th) and had them almost intercepted because he's not able to put any touch on the ball at all. Even his long touchdown pass was awful. He's lucky that Browning is so tall and was able to outreach the DB for it or else it was an INT or an incomplete pass. I'd rather have Rodney Peete again rather than Clausen. Jimmy just can't play in the NFL, there's no way around it. He just doesn't and won't have the talent to even be a decent backup.
Thought the back-ups and players fighting for spots did a great job overall. Medlock will improve. Panthers will be much improved this season and will be fun to watch on both sides of the ball.
I think we sign Armond Smith bundle him with Jimmy Clausen and trade them to the Jets for Cromartie (never happen). We also sign Neil Rackers today!!Put Arian Foster 2.0 on the practice squad. Cut Tutu. Keep Armanti, I like him in the slot to rotate with Pilares. And hunt the waiver wire for either 1 more run stopping DT, or 1st and 2nd down DE. Hardy and Applewhite should be 3rd down rush ends.
amendnBest game so far and lose by one point. It was just awesome not using veterns.
DA could easily be a starter elsewhere. I'd use him as trade bait and move JC up to the no.2 spot.
Five thoughts on yesterday's game, and two of them defending your Armanti call?
Anyway, you could have noted in this piece that Marty Hurney was also in the booth on the next play when Armanti came right back from the blocked pass in the end zone to make the lightning catch and run that got the First Down kept the TD drive alive AND put the ball on the 5 yard line to set up the TD itself.
Perception is not reality, but it can be shaped to seem like it. I agree that Edwards is not (yet) the dazzling player in the NFL that he was in the FCS division. But why is this such a barrier to acknowledging what he has become--a solid blue collar contributor who doesn't make mistakes and still has a lot of upside potential?
And why make his journey all the harder by lending your considerable stylistic gifts to creating such an aura of gloom over AE's "failure" to be a superstar that it mis-shapes public perceptions of him at the most critical moment in his young career?
Frankly, if there is anybody who needs to elevate his game it is you: the stylistic virtuosity is there and now waits for the lift that comes from unbiased observation and full reporting.
Drop the comparison to Mare guys... here is the difference:
#1, 50+ yarders are never a sure thing, last season only three kickers failed to miss one and even John Kasay only went 2 of 5 at 50+ yards!
#2, Medlock is at least doing it for a lot less money, which may help the team to sign someone we really need!
Here's a neat site if you want to see where kickers stack up: http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/player-stat/field-goal-percentage-50-plus
A Scott Fowler column or blog without a list or a link to another one of his columns or blogs. Now THAT would be a novel idea.
Can someone please tell Mike Morgan how to pronounce Appalachian? Seriously - the school is an hour and a half down the road. The dude is pretty terrible.
You/We can debate who did what, who looked good as well as who looked like that which we shan't say on Scott's Blog!! The proof of any of it will be when the stuff hits the fan for real. When the wins/losses count for something beyond idle banter about shoulda/woulda/coulda, etc. In other words, we need to see a series of numbers in that first number of the won/loss column other than that big goose egg of a (0)zero that has become too common place in the past. All the "talk" in the world won't mean two hoots in Hades if that first number doesn't continue in an upward climb!!
I have to agree with you Scott. its time to part ways with AE.
#2 QB is o.k. #3 QB is terrible. I hate preseason, why 4 games? 2 too many in my opinion. Just get out there and play some football. The NFL is very weak not getting the ref-thing taken care of. Part time traffic cops can't get a deal while the NFL remains the wealthiest, by far, pro-sports entity on the planet?
In 30 minutes last night, Clausen threw two touchdown passes. Thats 66.7% of his career/regular season touchdown totals.
Medlock will be fine. If he had hit the 56-yarder, it would've been the longest field goal ever made it Heinz Field by 4 yards.
Not convinced Medlock is going to help team this year. He had 2 opporunities and the 50 yarder for the win, was far off course. We need to look and any kicker that may get waived this evening.
Not sure Medlock is our man......wide, wide right on a game winning 50 yarder. We need someone who can handle the pressure and I am not confident he is our guy. We need to look at all kickers that may be cut tonight.
i think it's time for the observer to look at trimming their list of creditable sport bloggers after the hit job on AE. Any decent man should admit when they have made a mistake. Yes it was mistake to post such an article calling for a young receivers head despite being clueless about what he was doing when the cameras were off! The coaches and insiders that know football all spoke well of AE as a man and as a player despite what "Blogger: Says..." Keep working AE despite the hate.
cut clausen. please.
Is Kasay still available? Get him!!
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