Fixing the Carolina Panthers

My how quickly things change. What started as a season with Superbowl aspirations has quickly left the Carolina Panthers as the worst team in football. Here are the five quickest steps to turning around a miserable season.

5. Start Luke Keuchly at Middle linebacker. I put this one as number 5 because it should be obvious at this point, and it's about two things: the play of Keuchly and the absence of Jon Beason. The rookie is an average football player at weak side linebacker, but in the last few games where Beason has been out, he has played outstanding, instinctive football in the middle. Panthers fans, myself included, will frequently talk about Beason as one of the best linebackers in the game. He absolutely was two years ago. Beason is coming off a major surgery and has been hurt for most of the year. Beason has played outside before, and its time for him to go back to that role.

26 tackles in the last two weeks should speak for itself

4. Hire Cecil Newton as a 'coaching consultant.' Cecil Newton, you say? The guy most famous for shopping his son's football services to SEC teams for upwards of $200,000? Exactly. Cam Newton is quite possibly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He is just not wired to lose, combined with the fact that he's not that good at winning games. Quite a conundrum we have here, don't you think? Cecil seems to be one of the few people who can really get through to Cam, so bring him in and let him do just that. Maybe he can tell Cam what we all so badly want to.

"Take that freaking towel off you head and lead your team"

This is a typical day at the office at this point

3. More Brandon LaFell. Steve Smith still has it, believe that. If you don't, just check out the double and triple teams he gets on every play. If you're doing simple math, two guys covering one guy means that there's going to be a one on one match up on the other side. LaFell has been able to take advantage of those this season for the most part. He's not a burner, but has what it takes to be an excellent possession receiver. An awfully useful thing for a team as bad on third down as the Panthers are. 

Use this man

2. Stop being so cutesy with offensive play calling. I've praised offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski in the past for his play calling innovation. This year, however, everything looks like it's supposed to be a gadget play, or some sneaky call that is supposed to catch defenses off guard. Our offense is primarily focused on the read-option, which if you don't know is what every level of football from pop-warner on up to college features now. If you don't know, read-option puts the ball in the hands of your biggest, fastest guy (Cam Newton) and on run plays he has option of giving the ball to the running back or keeping it himself. Aside from last year in Carolina, this type of system HAS NEVER worked in the NFL. Defenses are too big, too fast, too disciplined. If you want to run the ball, power formation and hit somebody. 

The Panthers read option this year is striking fear into the hearts of  opposing teams.
Fear that looks sort of like this!

1. Cam Newton simply put, must play better. The offensive rookie of the year last year, Newton may be the best athlete at the QB position right now, and from everything you read he works as hard as anyone. So when it comes down to game time we need more out of him if we're going anywhere in this league. More leadership, more accuracy, better decisions, fewer turnovers. This one may be simple to prescribe, hard to come through, but playing the way he currently is, Cam Newton will not be a winner at the NFL level.

Greatness is in you kid, we could just use some right now

-Joel

Triple Crowning Achievement

That was a proud moment...

I have a confession to make.  I am a Detroit Sports fan.  At times, especially here in North Carolina, I have cheered in silence.  For the Pistons, there has been little to be happy about since we beat the Lakers All-Star starting 5 in the '04 finals almost 10 years ago.  The Lions are finally worth watching (after going win-less), I used to only boast I liked the Lions on draft day, until they would draft yet another Wide Receiver who was a flop.  The Red Wings are the real deal, but have not won Lord Stanley's Cup since 2008 which most would consider disappointing.

Then, we come to the Tigers.  Although we went out and spent a LOT of money, our pitching is suspect at best, we have a closer that makes me sweat more than a snow cone in Phoenix, fans are looking for a managerial change, and we backed our way into the playoffs, I still consider this season a success.  Why?  Three reasons: Triple. Crown. Boom.

Let me put into perspective what Cabrera did this year.  He lead his team in BA, RBI, HR, R, and OPS.  The Triple Crown has not been won in 45 years (Carl Yastrzemski was the last winner).  He is only the 10th player to ever win the award since RBIs became an official stat (1920).  He is the first infielder to win the award since Lou Gehrig in 1934, and he changed positions this year from 1st base to 3rd, so his entire focus could not be on hitting (not that his D was gold glove caliber, but he sure can knock a ball down).   

To win the triple crown you have to be able to hit for power, hit for average, stay healthy, and get hits with people on base.  That is exactly what he did.  Cabrera game in and game out got big hit after big hit for the Tigers.  I am fully confident he will keep it going on in to the playoffs!  Let's go Tigers!  Get that championship!

See you in October Miggy!

-Hammer