Carolina Panthers Luck has Run Dry - Packers 31 Panthers 17
[[:Template:OpItalic textinion Top]] by FatMan
A few years ago when the Panthers had their magical Super Bowl run, me and my buddies would play a game. We called it, "Who can find Jake Delhomme's Lucky Rabbit Foot". I have a feeling it was buried up his backside, which is why none of us ever found it, but it sure was a fun puzzle to try and solve. We'd watch Delhomme throw up floating, punt-like ducks that would be snatched out of the air by Mushin Muhammed or by Steve Smith. And we'd say, "When are those going to be picked off?" Our Panther fan friends would tell us we just were spouting off sour grapes and that the Panthers were a machine. Since that Super Bowl run, the machine has run well at times, sputtered at others, and flat out broken down on occasion.
Luck is a subjective term. Teams make their own good luck and can be hampered by putting themselves in position to have bad luck, but generally the law of averages evens out. That's why the balls in the Super Bowl run were getting caught, and that's why last year and this year they have been falling harmlessly to the turf or into the grasp of the opposition. John Fox has called some unconventional plays as well. During the Super Bowl run, the flea flickers would work. The reverses to Smith were almost sure-fire big gainers, and the RB option passes were TD's. Then, the luck turned. In a game they had all but locked up last year against the Vikings, Fox called for Chris Gamble, his returner, to throw a pass to the opposite side of the field after catching a kick. He did and the ball fell to the turf and was scooped up by a defender. The Panthers were up by 4 points at the time and could have possibly run out the clock. Instead, they lost the game. This past week, John Kasay did a harmless pooch punt from a FG formation. It was scooped up at the 6 yard line by a Packer and returned for a TD. Luck sometimes bites you in the ass as much as it greases your palm.
Why is the bad luck such a problem for the 2007 Panthers?? Because they don't have the talent they had in past years to make up for mistakes. Vinny Testaverde played a pretty good game Sunday, at least as what can be expected from an old man. Drew Carter had that performance he seems to have in at least one game every year before he fades back to obscurity. Julius Peppers forced a fumble, but a bad call ruled it a Packer recovery because a whistle had blown. But the Panthers played from behind most of the game, and they aren't built to make up deficits. One drive in particular stood out.
Down 28-3 and getting the ball with 11 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter, the Panthers went on a 14 play 61 yard TD drive. It was an excellent display of punching the ball down the field, but out of those 14 plays, 12 of them were runs. The drive took almost 8 minutes to occur. By that time, the deficit was cut to 18, but there was only a little more than a quarter left to play. Despite having one of their most dominating and impressive drives of the season, their successful march essentially cost them any chance they had to win the game.
Carolina outgained the Packers, but they were dominated on special teams and they made far too many mistakes by turning the ball over three times to the Packers zero times. A team looking to upset a favorite has to play better ball than that. It is hard to pin the loss on one area. I think the coaching was suspect, but each unit played fairly well.
On offense, Vinny managed the game well, but had two costly INT's and another one that was negated by an offsides penalty. He also fumbled once while in the pocket. The RB's played decently with Foster getting 87 yards and DeAngelo Williams adding a couple key runs on the above-mentioned TD drive. Drew Carter had a spectacular day catching the ball with 132 yards and a TD, and Kerry Colbert looked like he could become the possession WR.
On defense, Julius Peppers had a sack and was disruptive. Rookie LB Jon Beason continued to have an impactful inaugural season. Kris Jenkins was once again stout against the run.
Special Teams is really where a great divide existed. The Panthers didn't return any of Green Bay's 4 punts, and they only average 17 yards a return on kickoffs. Jason Baker's longest punt was 41 yards, and Kasay tried a pooch kick that went disasterously wrong. The field position battle was dominated by the Packers.
The Panthers are now 4-6 and have New Orleans and San Francisco in the next two games. Win both and get to 6-6 and they are right back in the Wild Card hunt. Keep in mind they are still tied for 2nd place in the NFC South. Lose either of those games and Bill Cowher might start talking to Century 21 in the Queen City.
The season isn't over, but based on past performances, they are going to need to recapture the magic. Maybe they can use a rabbit's foot. I found one right outside the Panther's training facility last week. But it was caked with a brown substance that smelled putrid.I wonder if I should call my buddies up and ask if that means I win the game??
The FatMan covers the Panthers for armchairgm.com twice every week and never on Sunday.
