Carolina Panthers

Rush Review: Buffalo 27 Carolina 14

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The Carolina Panthers came out with low energy and poor execution on their first couple series on both sides of the ball to be down by 10 points very early in the first quarter and never recovered in a 27-14 home loss against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium on this past Friday night.

It was announced an hour before kickoff that QB Cam Newton, TE Greg Olsen, RB Christian McCaffrey, LB Luke Kuechly and LB Shaq Thompson were sitting out this game to minimize unnecessary risks at this point during the preseason. This opened up opportunities for key rotational players and depth guys to make an impact. However, watching this game over again was bitter and head scratching as numerous fundamental mistakes repeated themselves. The remaining expected starters on offense and defense played the first three series yet could only muster a few good plays here and there as their on performance lacked intensity and effectiveness. This energy just seemed to carry over to the 2nd and 3rd units for the remainder of the game. All three phases of the team took their turns at disappointing the hometown crowd who had been eagerly awaiting a solid showing. The dominating playmaking that the Panthers had in the two joint practices leading up to this preseason game did not transfer over to the actual game.

Here are the typical statistical numbers from the game by ESPN:

Matchup
1st Downs 20 18
Passing 1st downs 12 9
Rushing 1st downs 6 5
1st downs from penalties 2 4
3rd down efficiency 6-13 2-13
4th down efficiency 0-0 1-2
Total Plays 63 66
Total Yards 373 258
Total Drives 11 12
Yards per Play 5.9 3.9
Passing 279 155
Comp-Att 21-31 22-42
Yards per pass 8.7 3.4
Interceptions thrown 1 1
Sacks-Yards Lost 1-1 3-30
Rushing 94 103
Rushing Attempts 31 21
Yards per rush 3.0 4.9
Red Zone (Made-Att) 2-4 1-2
Penalties 11-100 7-62
Turnovers 2 1
Fumbles lost 1 0
Interceptions thrown 1 1
Defensive / Special Teams TDs 1 0
Possession 31:40 28:20
Here are the stats that The 4 Man Rush are tracking on offensive personnel groupings and defensive personnel alignments:
12 personnel (1 RB 2 TE 2 WR) was used on five plays with two runs and three passes. QB was under center four times and in shotgun one time.
11 personnel (1 RB 1 TE 3 WR) was used on 43 plays with seven runs and 36 passes. QB was under center two times and in shotgun 41 times.
21 personnel (2 RB 1 TE 2 WR) was used on eight plays with four runs and four passes. QB was under center seven times and in shotgun one time.
22 personnel (2 RB 2 TE 1 WR) was used on two plays which both was runs. QB was under center on both plays.
3-4 base personnel (3 defensive linemen 4 linebackers 4 defensive backs) was used on 19 defensive snaps.
4-2 nickel personnel (4 defensive linemen 2 linebackers 5 defensive backs) was used on 39 defensive snaps.
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DIVISION RIVALRIES: Buccaneers

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The rivalries have ran deep in the NFC South ever since it was formed in 2002. Tampa Bay and Carolina’s rivalry is talked about the least, but it’s a rivalry nonetheless. The two teams have played each other 37 times since Carolina’s inaugural season in 1995. Carolina leads the all-time series 23-14. The Panthers and Bucs have played each other less than the other rivals because they weren’t in the same division until 2002.

These two teams have had some dog fights over the years, but the most heated ones came in the mid-2000s. Players from those teams have been quoted as saying that they were some of the most physically and mentally draining games in their career. Carolina legends Jake Delhomme, Stephen Davis, Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Brad Hoover, Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers, Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins and Mike Minter battling against the Bucs legends Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Mike Alstott.

2002-2010

In the years of their NFC South rivalry before Cam Newton, Carolina won 11 games and lost 7. Carolina’s largest margin of victory was 20 points and the average point total for their wins was a little over 9 points. Tampa’s largest margin of victory was 24 points and the average point total for their wins was 13 points. Carolina swept Tampa in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2009. Tampa swept Carolina in 2002 and 2010.

Cam Newton Era 2011-Present

In the years since Cam has been in the league, Carolina has all but dominated Tampa Bay. Carolina has won 11 out of 16 games by an average of 16 points. In the 5 Tampa wins, they averaged 5 points per win. It should be noted that two Carolina wins and one loss was with Derek Anderson starting at quarterback. In the last eight years, Carolina has scored a total of 417 points against Tampa, while Tampa has only scored 269 points against Carolina in the same time span. The Panthers have swept the Bucs in five of the last eight years.

Team Transactions

It’s hard to tell what Tampa will do this year, but on paper they have a decent roster. New head coach, Bruce Arians, has always had a knack for getting teams to overachieve. Tampa did little to upgrade their roster during the offseason. Tampa’s notable transactions:

Released DE Vinny Curry

Re-signed OT Donovan Smith

Re-Signed RB Peyton Barber

Traded WR Desean Jackson to Philadelphia

Released DT Gerald McCoy

Signed DT Ndamukong Suh

Drafted LB Devin White from LSU

Signed S Darian Stewart

That’s not a whole lot of movement for a team that only won 5 games in 2018.

Barring any major injuries, Carolina should do well against the Bucs. Marty Hurney upgraded the Panthers significantly this offseason, and they look to build on the promising start they had in 2018, where they started the season 6-2. Carolina’s notable transactions:

Released CB Captain Munnerlyn

Re-signed S Eric Reid

Signed C Matt Paradis

Re-signed OT Daryl Williams

Signed DE/OLB Bruce Irvin

Signed WR Chris Hogan

Re-signed DT Kyle Love

Drafted DE/OLB Brian Burns

Drafted OT Greg Little

Signed WR Aldrick Robinson

Signed CB Javien Elliott

Signed DT Gerald McCoy

Signed S Tre Boston

That’s a huge pull for Hurney and the Panthers, and it shows that they’re in win-now mode. Hopefully, it translates into wins on the field in 2019.

What to Expect in 2019

The expectations for 2019 are that Carolina sweeps Tampa Bay. When you compare both sides of the ball, Carolina dominates on paper. If Cam Newton stays healthy, he is far and away better than Jameis Winston. Here is a comparison of key players from both teams:

CAROLINA

TAMPA

Cam

Newton

 ✓

Jameis

Winston

Christian

McCaffrey

 ✓

Peyton

Barber

Curtis

Samuel

 ✓

Mike

Evans

Greg

Olsen

 = =

OJ

Howard

Defense

 ✓

Defense

QB Cam Newton

VS

QB Jameis Winston

In 14 games, Newton threw for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2018.

In 11 games, Winston threw for 2,992 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2018.

Newton, when healthy, wins this battle every time. In his career, Newton has passed for 2,929 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 13 total games. He’s also ran for 520 yards and 9 touchdowns. Winston, who has had some good games against Carolina, has passed for 1,859 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven total games. 

RB Christian McCaffrey 

VS

RB Peyton Barber

Last season, Christian McCaffrey had 219 carries for 1,098 yards (5.0 AVG per carry) and 7 touchdowns in 16 games. He also had 107 receptions for 867 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Last season, Peyton Barber had 234 carries for 871 yards (3.7 AVG per carry) and 5 touchdowns in 16 games. He also had 20 receptions for 92 yards and 1 touchdown.

There’s no doubt that McCaffrey wins this matchup in regards to offensive production. He is a Pro Bowl Caliber running back, who is an asset in the running game and passing game. 

WR Curtis Samuel 

VS

WR Mike Evans

Last season, Samuel had 39 receptions for 494 touchdowns and 5 touchdowns in 13 games. He missed time due to injury and it took time for him to become more integrated into the offense when he returned.

Last season, Evans had 86 receptions for 1,524 yards and 8 touchdowns in 16 games. While Evans has been dominant in the NFL, he’s struggled against James Bradberry and the Panthers. Last season, Evans had a total of 5 receptions for 64 yards against Carolina, so that should be something to watch.

Evans wins this matchup based purely on his dominance and the unknowns about Samuel. Samuel was the 2019 training camp MVP, but this isn’t based on potential. Samuel is very talented and has all the tools to be a special player. Time will tell….

TE Greg Olsen

VS

TE OJ Howard

Olsen, who has had trouble staying healthy the last two years, only had 27 receptions for 291 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, in 9 games. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and get back to his Pro Bowl level, but there are no guarantees.

Last season, Howard had 34 receptions for 565 yards and 5 touchdowns in 10 games. 2 of those touchdowns came against Carolina in week 9.

Word out of Tampa is, Howard will be used even more this year in the passing game. Olsen has had a healthy offseason and looks to come back strong this year. With so many unknowns about both players, Olsen and Howard are tied in how much of an impact they’ll have in these games. Hopefully, Olsen will be back to his old self. 

Panthers’ Defense

VS 

Tampa Bay’s Defense

Last season, Carolina’s defense was in the middle of the league, as they allowed the 15th most yards per game and the 19th most points per game.

Tampa’s defense was one of the worst in the league, as they were ranked 27th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed.

Carolina’s defense should be much improved this year, with the additions of Gerald McCoy, Bruce Irvin, Brian Burns, Tre Boston and Javien Elliott. Carolina will also have a multi-look defense instead of a base 4-3 like in year’s past, so it will be interesting to see how much of a pass rush will be generated this season. Tampa’s defense didn’t change much, as they added rookie linebacker, Devin White, and essentially swapped Gerald McCoy for Ndamukong Suh. Barring any issues for Carolina, the Panthers’ defense should dominate against the Buccaneers. 

Things rarely go as planned in the NFL. If Carolina stays healthy, they should no doubt sweep Tampa Bay, and convincingly. Even though new head coach, Bruce Arians, is a great coach, the fact that the entire coaching staff was replaced this offseason, puts them behind from the beginning. Although, anything can happen.

By: Norris Thornburg August 17, 2019

The 4 Man Rush Presents: The 2019 Camp Wofford Awards

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Offensive MVP

WR Curtis Samuel

Every single practice there was always a deep ball or two thrown and caught for a TD by him. Every CB covering was helpless to stop him from going vertical.

Defensive MVP

CB James Bradberry

Had 6 INTs and 16 pass deflections during team drills by our count. Was very disruptive when playing press man coverage. Social media outlet left this out.

Most Impressive Offensive Free Agent

WR Chris Hogan

His route running and his catching abilities have justified his nickname of “Mr. 7 Eleven”. He has definitely secured the #4 spot at WR.

Most Impressive Defensive Free Agent

CB Javien Elliott

After waiting 3rd in line for 1st team reps at “small nickel” he has performed at a very high level. Had 3 INTs and 7 pass deflections. Solid tackler as well.

Nice Start On Offense Rookie

WR Terry Godwin

Had some nervous energy the first couple of days, but then began to show consistent playmaking abilities. Went to Chicago and put on a punt return clinic.

Nice Start On Defense Rookie

LB/DE Brian Burns 

Everything that he showed in college was as good as advertised and then some. Several “sacks” in practice and 2 sacks in 10 reps @Chicago 1st preseason game.

Most Improved Offensive Role Player

FB Alex Armah

Displayed a much bigger role in the offense so far. Has displayed reliable catching ability. Several successful runs as a FB and even RB some.

Most Improved Defensive Role Player

LB/DE Marquis Haynes

Benefited the most by switching to a 3-4 hybrid scheme. Nearly unblockable in practice. Stayed sacking QBs and tackling RBs in the backfield @Chicago.

All Disappointment Team

DT Vernon Butler Jr., C Tyler Larsen, QB Taylor Heinicke, OL Dennis Daley, RB Elijah Holyfield

Butler Jr. got blown out of the play, Larsen got bullrushed too easily, Heinicke was very disappointing, Daley blocks too high and Holyfield has less than 3.0 ypc.

Preparing for War With the Buffalo Panthers (Bills)

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Familiar Faces

  • General Manager Brandon Beane: Mr. Beane began as an intern with the Carolina Panthers in 1998. In 2008, he was promoted to Director of Football Operations after holding various roles within the organization in previous years. He held that role for six years before transitioning to Assistant General Manager from 2015 to 2016. That experience led to a job opportunity as the General Manger of the Buffalo Bills.
  • Head Coach Sean McDermott: With most organizations, the General Manager selects the Head Coach. To no surprise, Mr. Beane selected another familiar face in Sean McDermott to be the new Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills. He was the Defensive Coordinator for the Panthers from 2011 to 2016. After boasting a top 10 defense for several years during his tenure with the team, it was a no brainer that he ended up at the top of Mr. Beane’s list.

 A Glance at the Roster

Because of the front office and staff connections with the Panthers, fans will notice some familiar faces when we kick off on Friday night. The Bills have signed several former Panthers, but some players currently with Bills are Star Lotulelei, Kurt Coleman, Dean Marlowe and Captain Munnerlyn. It should also be noted that the Bills scout similarly to the Panthers. They have drafted several players that the Panthers either met with or showed heavy interest in. Some players that The 4 Man Rush had on its most recent draft board were former Oklahoma Offensive Tackle Cody Ford,  former Houston Defensive Tackle Ed Oliver and former Buffalo University Quarterback Tyree Jackson.

What to Expect

In only his second season, Bills quarterback Josh Allen already has a reputation for having one of the biggest arms in all of football. With his top targets Zay Jones, Andre Roberts, and Cole Beasley having sub 4.4 40 speed, we should expect Allen to take some shots downfield. Curtis Samuel has made a lot of explosive plays in camp thus far, so it will be interesting see how capable the Panthers secondary is at keeping plays in front of them. The Panthers offensive line had a very underwhelming performance last week. Buffalo presents a very formidable front seven with a rare combination of size and speed at both levels. Star Lotulelei, Shaq Lawson, Jerry Hughes, and Oliver head the defensive line. The linebacker unit is headed by Tremaine Edmunds, former first round pick, who has elite speed and football instincts. This is a good test to see if the offensive line can open some running lanes and neutralize a pretty good pass rush.

Key Matchups:

  • Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore vs Tre’Davious White
  • Panthers interior offensive line vs Ed Oliver and Star Lotulelei
  • Daryl Williams, Taylor Moton and Greg Little vs Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson

Rush Review: Training Camp Day #15 (Second Joint Practice)

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#1. Today was the final practice of training camp at Wofford College for the 2019 season. There was plenty of speculation among Carolina Panthers fans about if this was the very last time the city of Spartanburg SC will be the summer home for the team. The current contract expired today and there has not been any statement by Carolina Panthers owner Mr. David Tepper or by anyone in the Wofford administration.

#2. Players who did not practice today: C Matt Paradis (vet day), LB Shaq Thompson (vet day), DT Gerald McCoy (vet day), TE Ian Thomas (rib contusion), CB Kevon Seymour (hamstring), C Tyler Larsen (unknown) and K Graham Gano (sore leg).  LB/DE Brian Burns came out in full pads but after warming up he was told by the medical staff to take the day off and to do work on the sidelines. He has a slight ankle bruise but expects to play in the game Friday night.

#3. Players getting first team reps on defense: S Tre Boston at FS, CB Javien Elliott at nickel CB, LB Jermaine Carter Jr. and DT Vernon Butler Jr. Players getting first team reps on offense: C John Yarbrough and TE Chris Manhertz.

#4. Positive plays made by the Carolina Panthers offense: QB Cam Newton was able to make Bills rookie DT Ed Oliver jump offsides three times in a row. He was then pulled from the field and got a good cussing out from his position coach. RB Christian McCaffrey runs right up the middle of the defense untouched for about 30 yards. On the very next play Newton threw a deep TD pass to WR Curtis Samuel who was covered by Bills CB Tre’Davious White. TE Greg Olsen makes a spectacular one hand catch behind his back from a Newton pass. TE Chris Manhertz makes back to back catches over good coverage by Bills LB Shaq Lawson. QB Kyle Allen connected on a deep ball with WR Torrey Smith for about 40 yards. RB Reggie Bonnafon runs in for a TD on the last play of the day.

#5. Negative plays made by the Carolina Panthers offense: QB Kyle Allen was the second team QB and one of his passes was intercepted by Bills LB Deon Lacey after the ball bounced off the hands of WR Terry Godwin. The offense got a delay of game penalty that caused head coach Ron Rivera to start cussing very loudly. LT Greg Little gave up a quick pressure to Bills LB Jerry Hughes. Newton was picked of by Bills CB Ryan Lewis. Panthers QBs Newton, Allen and Will Grier had about two-thirds of their pass deflected during team drills.

#6. Positive plays made by the Carolina Panthers defense: LB Luke Kuechly got a pass deflection while covering Bills TE Tommy Sweeney. S Colin Jones got a pass deflection while covering Bills WR Ray-Ray McCloud. CB Donte Jackson got a pass deflection while covering Bills WR Robert Foster. CB Josh Thornton got an interception while covering Bills WR Cam Phillips.

#7. Negative plays made by the Carolina Panthers defense: Bills WR Zay Jones had a very acrobatic TD catch from QB Josh Allen. Billls WR John Brown caught a quick slant pass from Allen for a TD. QB Matt Barkley threw a TD to WR Duke Williams. Barkley threw another TD to RB Christian Wade. Barkley threw his final TD pass to WR Isaiah McKenzie.

#8. Positive play made by the Carolina Panthers special teams: During the gunner drills CB Javien Elliott did a juke and swim move to split the two Buffalo Bills blockers and got a free release down the field. This caused a huge uproar from the Panthers sidelines as special team coaches Chase Blackburn and Ben Jacobs raced down to congratulate him along with several teammates.

#9. Negative play made by the Carolina Panthers special teams: During field goal drills K Joey Slye went 5 for 8 on making successful kicks. Those three misses looked bad too. Prior to Elliott’s successful attempt at gunner all of the other Panthers players were stifled by Bills blockers which got their sideline hyped for most of the period.

#10. Panthers G Norman Price was down on the ground for a few moments then helped up by teammates. He was then carted off by trainers. LB/DE Bruce Irvin and Bills rookie OT Cody Ford had to be separated after Irvin took exception to a really low chop block by Ford. WR Chris Hogan also got into a shouting match with Bills DT LT Walton but both players were quickly separated. DL Bryan Cox Jr. was pulled over on I-85 North near Kings Mountain NC which is about 30 miles west of Charlotte NC. State troopers gave him a ticket for speeding from doing 90 m.p.h in a 65 m.p.h zone, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. The preseason game between these two teams starts at 7:00 PM EST at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte NC.

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Rush Review: Training Camp Day #13

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#1. Cam Newton was giving practice off as a scheduled rest day. Player missing practice due to injury: TE Ian Thomas (rib contusion) and C Tyler Larsen (unknown). Players returning to practice from injury: DT Kawann Short (shin kicked) and RB Jordan Scarlett (back).

#2. The little league softball team that was coached by TE Greg Olsen was the special guests allowed to be on the sidelines today.  The faces these kids had as they interacted with the players were a joy to watch. There was also several members of the military here as well. They spoke with players like LB Luke Kuechly, RB Christian McCaffrey and LB Shaq Thompson during special teams drills.

#3. The team came out in shells again for practice. It was said on yesterday that today’s practice was going to be full pads. With Tuesday and Wednesday being joint practices with the Buffalo Bills it will be full pads worn for the final two days at Camp Wofford.

#4. Players who got first team reps: QB Kyle Allen, S Tre Boston and CB Javien Elliott (small nickel CB). Players who got 2nd team reps: OL Dennis Daley (LG), OT Greg Little (LT) and DB Ross Cockrell (outside CB). WR Jaydon Hickens, WR Rashad Ross. WR Terry Godwin and WR Chris Hogan did all the punt return work.

#5. These are the highlights from team drills: CB James Bradberry got a pass deflection in the end zone on a pass intended for WR DJ Moore thrown by Allen. Olsen caught a TD pass from Allen during red zone period. WR Curtis Samuel had a huge catch on a deep ball over CB Javien Elliott from a pass by Allen. Moore gets revenge on Bradberry by making an awesome catch on the sideline that included him tip toeing both feet before going out of bounds. WR Aldrick Robinson caught a TD pass from Allen while being covered by CB Josh Thorton. Olsen also caught a TD from Allen while beight tightly guarded by LB Shaq Thompson. McCaffrey caught a screen pass from Allen then took it all the way to the end zone.  Jackson bounced back by making a nice pass deflection will covering Hogan on a pass by QB Will Grier. CB Corn Elder made a perfect break on the ball to knock down a pass to WR Torrey Smith on a Grier pass. DB Cole Luke jumped up high and made a spectacular pass deflection on a QB Taylor Heinicke ball in the end zone meant for Hogan. Hogan made it for it by catching a TD over DB Rashaan Gaulden and S Colin Jones on a Grier deep ball. TE Chris Manhertz catches 2 TDs from Grier passes with one being over Kuechly and the other being over S Eric Reid. Boston got a pretty pass deflection while covering Samuel on a deep pass by Allen. LB Antoine Williams drop into coverage and made a pretty smooth INT on a Grier pass intended TE Jason Vander Lean.

#6. After practice was over Reid told every player in the secondary that they need to get the JUGGS machine out because they dropped several interceptions in practice today. This turned into a 30 minute session. LB Jermaine Carter Jr. left practice early with what seems to be a leg issue. Head coach Ron Rivera made it very clear that he will throw out any player who tries to fight during the joint practices with the Buffalo Bills.

 

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