You never can tell, can you? The Panthers played one of the most complete games in franchise history Sunday to smoke the New York Giants, 38-0, Sunday in Charlotte and go to 1-2 in this strange season. It was Carolina's largest margin of victory in their 19 seasons. Here are the seven things I liked the most:
1. Ron Rivera set the tone early. With the score tied 0-0, Rivera went against tendency, going for it on fourth-and-1 from the New York 2. Mike Tolbert scored standing up and, amazingly, the rout was on. Rivera's job looks safe for the season.
2. Cam was Cam. Newton threw three touchdown passes, ran for a fourth and looked like a Pro Bowler after an early interception. He ran the ball a lot when he needed to but put it on the money on all three touchdown throws, with the 47-yarder to Ted Ginn Jr. the showstopper.
3. Greg Hardy and the Panther pass rush. After his tongue-in-cheek prediction of 50 sacks this season, Hardy had been held sackless in the first two games. But he had three in this game as the Panthers harassed Eli Manning all day, sacking him a total of seven times -- tying a Panther team record.
4. Brandon LaFell. A huge game for the Panthers' on-and-off No.2 receiver. He scored twice on passes from Cam Newton -- one from 16, one from 20 -- and also saved a touchdown when Newton was late on a deep sideline throw and intercepted. LaFell's tackle at the Carolina 17 allowed the Panthers' defense to get back on the field, and the defense was so dominant when it counted Sunday that New York ended up not getting any points on that or any other drive.
5. Chase Blackburn. The Panther coaching staff made a sad but necessary move to begin the game, starting Blackburn in front of Jon Beason at weakside linebacker. Beason has been a shell of himself too often in the first two games as he tries to come back from injury. Blackburn had a strong game in a sterling defensive effort, and the defensive secondary was extraordinary for being as patched-together as it was.
6. Graham Gano. The Panthers' kicker has been overshadowed because of Carolina's first two losses, but he is off to a spectacular start. He is a guaranteed touchback on nearly every kick and nailed a 53-yarder in the second quarter Sunday to give Carolina a 10-0 lead.
7. Melvin White. The undrafted rookie free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette made an athletic pickoff of Manning in the third quarter. He's only the Panthers' second most famous undrafted FA out of that college -- Jake Delhomme would be your No.1 Ragin' Cajun -- but that was a heck of a play. White would later cause a fumble as well. And fellow undrafted rookie Robert Lester also had an interception. The Panthers outgained the Giants by a startling 402-150 in yardage on the day. As Steve Smith said, they played so well they are going to "take a week off" -- the team doesn't play again until Oct.6th at Arizona.
We're moving!
9 years ago
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17 comments:
Great win! Melvin White played brilliant! Chase did have a great game. Have to say Star is a Star more and more every game! KEEP POUNDING"
Where did the fans go in the 4th quarter? Win, Lose it does not matter.
This is what it takes to be a playoff caliber team ...You cannot tell me that the entire coaching staff must of been challenged this week and they came through...Now keep this same intensity coming off the bye , theres no reason our team should not be ready for out next opponent.
This is what it takes to be a playoff caliber team ...You cannot tell me that the entire coaching staff must of been challenged this week and they came through...Now keep this same intensity coming off the bye , theres no reason our team should not be ready for out next opponent.
What happened to the Panthers fans in the 4th quarter? Win or lose its the same they disappear.
Who is the blog author? you dont publish any of my comment even though they are not obscean.
Best all around game the Panthers have probably ever played. Gano's field goal looked like it would have been good from 70 yards out.
Wow, Panther fans are fly by nighters. I'm a fan, but I try to not be a nay sayer, especially early on. It takes quite a few loses before I give up on them.
It was a pleasure watching the Panthers play today. The city may move a little smoother this week, and we'll surely have a little something to be excited about next Sunday.
At this point, why ask who was the best player in the game? They finally played as a TEAM!! Both sides of the ball and specual teams were well oiled machines today. Rivera said this week that they had to get over the hump and they were close. What happened was that The Coach finally grew some and became a Head Coach!! If he will keep the focus and intensity the same for the rest of the year, this could be vey special. A teM only grows by what is thrown at it. Last week, he should have thrown them the fourth and one, and with D'Will, Tolbert, or Cam, they would have made it. Hindsight 20/20, the whole team needs a game ball to give them all incentive for the greater things they can achieve, as long as they do it TOGETHER!!! Real teams win, others pretend. Let's not pretend anymore, Panthers!! Never let up in a game, and always KEEP POUNDING!!
I never thought I would fall in love with a kicker but, I love Gano. This guy can kick a football a long ways and has been an accurate field goal kicker. Bless you Graham Gano.
Let the bull (Cam) run
All the damn Giant fans went home in the fourth quarter...that's where the "fans" went!
Giant fans everywhere. Great to see all the sad faces on them in the 2nd half. That's partially because I had some obnoxious New York fans running at the mouth in our section.
Three things I liked:
Cam Newton
Cam Newton
CAM NEWTON!!!
War Eagle!!
The Panthers have great individual players. And when they play together as a team, the results are great. But what drives me mindnumbingly batwacky is that they often only do this when their backs are against the wall. The great teams strive to play like this every time they take the field.
Now if Panthers "fans" will quit selling their tickets to the opponent's fans...but at least the city is getting back some of that cash that Richardson extorted from them.
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