Cam Newton or Andrew Luck? Your Call Panther Nation! Vote

So it seems as though Panther Nation is sensitive to the topic of Cam vs Luck.  I posed the question on Facebook “Would you trade Cam for Luck?”  375 responses later (and counting) I realized that this is not your ordinary Panther topic.  Why does this question resonate?  I can’t speak for all of Panther Nation but I can speak for myself and I can share some of the posts.  Let me know if you agree and then vote for who you think is better, Andrew Luck or Super Cam. 

Then tune in to this website at 10:00 EST on Tuesday July 1 and watch us discuss the results and this topic with two Colts Fans.  One of which is my fellow DraftTek Analyst, Rick McGlothlin.  This is going to be good. 

First, here are some posts from Facebook: 

Missing Value In Either Draft, Real or Fantasy, Will Cost You. Has It Cost the Panthers?

The rapidly approaching Fantasy Football Draft prompted me to think about how the real Draft compares to the Fantasy Draft.  There was also some good discussion around this on Twitter this past week.     

@PanthersDrafter @aidendrakesdad @clyde1784 @Cat_Chronicles I'd have to go with Hardy,as far as value 4 a 6th rnd but Clyde has good points.
— steven danner (@sdanner52) June 6, 2014

Backyard Ballers: Furman's Dakota Dozier

Hey gang. So far in our "Backyard Ballers" we've had two from S.C. and just Monday my fellow friends here at C-cubed did a great job interviewing Wake Forest WR Mike Campanaro.

Today I'm going to take a look at a guy who has a lot working against him - small school, unsexy position, and learning a new position in the NFL.

Dakota Dozier played left tackle at tiny Furman University - it's a small school in the upstate of South Carolina which has actually been a powerhouse over the years in their area of the pond.

Like many smaller-school tackles, Dozier is a guy who projects as a guard in the NFL. Remember, Amini Silatolu was the same way from Midwestern State and each season the NFL sees several college tackles coming in being drafted as interior linemen. 

Are Panther Fans Ready to Believe?

Are Panther Fans Ready to Believe?

In making a wild card run?  Winning the NFC South ? Going deep into the playoffs? Stranger things have happened.  I mean if the Panthers can get above .500, the sky's the limit right?

Few Panther fans have thought that far forward, however.  We are still trying to understand this feeling of....well...having something to play for.  While we finished strong last season, it was clear that it was too little too late.  The fans knew it; the players knew it; the coaching staff knew it.  Perhaps that's why they finished strong--no pressure.

Fan commentary in social media indicates a hesitant optimism among Panther fans.  Winning big on Thursday night against the Bucs has uplifted fan spirits, but fans are still afraid of getting burned.

Going back to the six turnover playoff game against the Cardinal's in 2009 turned the ball over a mere seven times.  We thought it can't get any worse, but then he turned it over six times in the season opener the following year.

Then there was the 2-14 season, and the first pick the following year--Cam Newton.  Fans were divide over Cam, many believing we should have drafted Patrick Peterson instead.  Cam exploded on the scene generating national attention and an optimistic fanbase.

The next year, many called for the Panthers to win the division (I was one of them).  Then 2012 happened. We looked terrible.  Cam fell out of favor with the national media as they jumped the bandwagon  over Russell Wilson and RGIII.  The Panthers finished strong, but nothing that created great optimism for Carolina fans.

And then this year happened.  Another terrible start, opening 1-3.  Fans called for Rivera's head, and the Arizona loss suggested we should start looking for a new coaching staff and focus on the draft.

Oh but ripping off  three consecutive wins, even if they were against the league's worst teams, changes things so quickly. Admit it, winning feels good--strange, but good.  You want to feel it again, but you don't want to let yourself once again naively believe in the Panthers.

Here are a few reasons that may help you believe:

1. Wildcard Within Reach- The Panthers are in the wildcard hunt. If the playoffs started today, we are tied with Detroit and Chicago for the second wild card spot.  The 49ers, who are currently 5-2, would get a bid in the bracket.  Two things are favorable about this situation:  
•  We are on the uptick and the NFC North is not.  The NFC North is up for grabs between 3 (GB, Chi, Det) teams with winning records.  The Bears lost Cutler.  The Lions are always underachievers, and Green Bay, currently leading the division, is physically falling apart.
•  We get to play current wildcard leader 49ers.  This is the biggest game for us outside of the two we play against the Saints.  
2. Rivera May Prove Us Wrong- Panther fans called for Rivera's head after losses to Buffalo and Arizona.  Rivera stayed annoyingly cool, exactly what a head coach of a talented, underperforming team needs to do.  Amidst the panic, he continued to coach up a formidable defense that positions the Panthers for success.
3. Offense Turning a Corner- Rivera was not the only one feeling the heat.  Both offensive coordinator Mike Shula and quarterback Cam Newton received criticism. Shula, however, may have just figured out the Cam Newton success formula: establish him as a run threat early.  This has worked, and allowed Cam to flourish as a passer, averaging a 79% pass completion rate in the last three games.
4. An Emerging Elite Defense- The Panthers defense has been quietly awesome. GM Gettleman looks brilliant for drafting Kwan Short and Star Lotulelei.  Hats of to the quietly successful defensive coordinator, Sean McDermott, who has coached up a stingy defense that allows on average 13 points per game on average.  Even with a young, piecemeal, unsettling secondary, McDermott utilized his strong front seven to mask their vulnerabilities.

The Reason to Believe: The Panthers are starting to believe in themselves.

The fans may not be ready to let their emotional guard down yet, but the Panther players may be.  Winners believe that they are going to win.  The Panthers haven't had a winning mentality for years.  That's why people have advocated for Rivera's firing, questioned Cam Newton's ability, and most apparently the Panthers constant squandering of winnable games. 

But now we are seeing what we have all wanted to be seeing--Cam smiling and Rivera screaming.  It may be becoming safe to BELIEVE.

Comment or retweet if you are starting to BELIEVE

Follow:  @Cat_Chronicles

              +Cat Chronicles  

Panthers' Defense Climbs Towards #1 Ranking

Panthers' Defense Climbs Towards #1 Ranking

Earlier this week, I wrote a piece titled "Does Carolina have the NFL's Best Defense?" The piece did not argue that the Panthers defense was the NFL's best, but instead that they were quietly playing lights out and should be considered a top 3 NFL defense.

While the stats have been impressive, fans have still been weary to get behind Carolina's defense as dominate.

Once again though, the the Panthers defense punished a team into submission, holding the Bucs to 13 points. The Panthers defense seems to bend a bit every game, but never break.

Carolina's stingy defense has allowed on average only 13 points per game.  Even when everything seemed to suggest that the Bucs were going to get a late score, the defensive stars and planets came into alignment for the Panthers.  The Bucs recovered an onside kick. Davis was flagged for a personal foul, which Rivera went insane over.  Right when the Bucs seemed poised to score, Big $$ Charles Johnson forced Tampa into a long field goal situation.  The Bucs kicker then hit the field goal to put them at 16 pts, but the Panthers received  a ticky tack penalty that resulted in an automatic first down.

As fate would have it, the Panthers held the Bucs to 13pts--preserving their impressive 13 points allowed average.

Tonight's Panther defense allowed 275 yards in the air and 48 on the ground (323 yds total).  Currently, sitting at #3 in yards allowed, the Panthers ranking can only improve.

If the Seahawks and Chiefs lose this week, will the Panthers' defense be the NFL's best defense?

Statistically, they just might be.  Prior to tonight, the Panthers defense was ranked #2 in points allowed per game.  Tonight's fortune will likely propel them to a #1 ranking in this category by Monday.

The Panthers may just now be believing in themselves.

Follow @Cat_Chronicles

Are the Carolina Panthers the NFL's Best Defense?

Are the Carolina Panthers the NFL's Best Defense?

Had we beaten the Seahawks, the question wouldn’t be totally absurd. Panther fans should savor the defensive flavor presented in the following statistical breakdown.

OK, OK, so you may not be ready to go that far, Panther fans can celebrate a top #5 overall defense and the #1 defense in the NFC.

The eye test does not always make the Panther fan ready to leap to the defense of the Panthers’ defensive honor in the sports banter world, the stats suggest, however, we can at least when arguing with fans of divisional rivals.

Here is a quick breakdown of Carolina’s overall NFL defensive rankings in comparison with their closet NFC categorical competitor.

Defensive Stat	Panther Ranking (NFL Overall )	NFC South Top Closest Opponent Ranking (NFLOverall)
Yards Per Game	3	11 (Saints)
Points Allowed per game	2	4 (Saints)
Passing (YPG)	5	9 (Saints)
Rushing (YPG)	4	5 (Tampa)
3rd Down Stop %	15	8 (Saints)
Interceptions	6	10 (Saints)

I’m not ready to say that this defense has the chops of of the Peppers, Rucker, Morgan, and Witherspoon era, but this is a solid group that could become that elite defense next year--given we can hold onto Gregg Hardy.

The bright spots:

• Luke Kuechly- Tackling machine and potentially the most instinctive defensive player since Ray Lewis.  
• Defensive Line- Big Money and Hardy are tough on the outside, while Star and Short appear both to be capable of becoming elite tackles.
• Bend but not Break- The Panthers defense is has not emerged as an intimidating foe.  Mediocre offenses have moved the ball on Carolina, but the defense has clearly kept Carolina in ball games.  Ranked 2nd overall in points allowed per game, Carolina’s point stingy defense allows on average 13 points per game.

The irritated eye test:

We see glimmer of hope with this bunch, but 3rd down, the red zone, and the fourth quarter consistently disappoint.  These are categories that count--a lot. Teams seem to move the ball at the worst times.  Is this because we are young in the secondary and lack a deep defensive rotation on the line and behind the linebackers?

Seattle, Buffalo, Arizona--enough said.  All beat us down the stretch.  All games we should have won.  Is this all on the defense?  Seattle and Buffalo were. You can say the Williams fumble was the problem in the opener, but Russell Wilson killed the Panthers.

There is good news, however. We can easily improve these less impressive defensive statistical categories.  Strangely, this will have to happen on the other side of the ball.  Extended drives and an effective run game will keep defense rested and create less of the situations in the long-run.

Just think Panther nation, in week four we were considering a coaching change and looking to the draft.

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