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7/27/2019 Panthers Preview

1/9

Panthers Preview:In the Line of FireCoach Ron Rivera should get very defensive about being on

the hot seat

By

Andy Benoit

More from Andy

9

A word of caution to all those eager to enshrine Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and

Robert Griffin III in Canton: Cam Newton circa 2012. Newton, you may recall, was

absolutely sensational as a rookie in 2011, throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns

while rushing for 706 yards and another 14 scores. His numbers last season were

actually very similar3,869 yards and 19 touchdowns passing, 741 yards and eight

touchdowns rushingbut his overall play was not nearly as crisp as expected. Facing

more prepared defenses, Newton did not improve from Year 1 to Year 2.

This can change in Year 3. If Newton can recognize his superstar tools, the Panthers

have additional strengthsrunning back, defensive front sevento contend every week.

But the change can also go the other direction. If Newton continues to tread water, the

Panthers have weaknesseswide receiver, defensive backfieldthat could fell them.
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So what is the level of optimism in Charlotte? There has not been a team leader taking

out a full page ad to make an impassioned Super Bowl cry (thank you again, Ryan Kalil,

for that entertaining missive last year), but logic would hold that this team, which is young

in key places, is better now than it was at this time last summer. Yet owner Jerry

Richardson seems guarded. He already fired 11-year general manager Marty Hurney

last season, and eventually replaced him with longtime Giants pro personnel director

David Gettleman. This season Richardson has third-year head coach Ron Rivera firmly

on the hot seat.

Riveras pedigree is on defense, which is fitting. If hes going to get this club above .500

and save his job, that side of the ball will have to take off.

DEFENSE

The Panthers need first-round pick Star Lotulelei to be an actual star on defense. -

(Chuck Burton/AP)

After Chicago completed five easy slants on a 55-yard, 2:27 drive to beat Carolina with a

come-from-behind field goal at the horn in Week 8, some veteran Panthers vented their

frustration about the defensive strategy. I just play the defense they call, but you gotta

switch it up, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. Safety Charles Godfrey groaned,

They threw the same pass play all the way down the field. It wasnt nothing they were

doing. It was what we were in, the coverage we were in. That was a great play for that

coverage. And they just ran that play all the way down the field. The coverage we were

in, we stayed in that coverage. Thats what happened.

Normally such riled candor from players would be considered bad form. Really bad form,

in fact. Mutinous, even. But there was minimal backlash against the veteran defensive

backs because, well, everyone knew they were right.

It wasnt just the Bears game, either. The Panthers last season had arguably the NFLs

most simplistic defense. It seemed as if they rotated to the same soft Cover 3 look on

every down. (For this team, that meant a single-high safety in deep centerfield zone, the

corners in off-coverage on the outside and four zone defenders underneath behind a

four-man rush.)


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The Panthers did not play this way because it was all their coaches knew. Ron Rivera

came to Carolina known for his diverse defensive background. He coached linebackers

in a 46-style Eagles defense, coordinated a Tampa 2 style Bears defense and

coordinated a classic 3-4 Chargers defense. And Riveras coordinator here, Sean

McDermott, learned a wide breadth of concepts working 10 years in Philadelphia under

the late Jim Johnson.

Rivera and McDermott played this way because they had to. Carolinas secondary was

atrocious last year. Cornerback Josh Norman was every quarterbacks favorite player. At

times the fifth-round rookie presented such a soft cushion that fans sitting in some of the

lower sections probably had a better view of his receiver than he did. Toward the end of

the season Norman was benched behind mediocre outside nickelback Josh Thomas and

undrafted youngster James Dockery (who has good length but iffy recovery speed). At

the other corner spot, Captain Munnerlyn held up okay, but under better circumstances

he would have been relegated to No. 3 slot duties.

Incredibly, Carolinas safety play was even worse, as centerfielders Sherrod Martin and

Haruki Nakamura took turns blowing coverages early in the season. Those coverages

were actually hard to blow given how deep Carolinas back safeties often played. Charles

Godfrey, who has decent hitting prowess but suspect speed and quickness in his

change-of-direction, wasnt much better, though the Panthers are optimistic about his

moving from strong safety to free safety fulltime this year.

The coaches willingness to keep the scheme simple and safe is why a defense with

arguably the leagues worst secondary finished a very respectable 13th against the pass.

This offseason Gettleman made only minor adjustments to the secondary. He signed

journeyman veteran Drayton Florence, who can hold up inside or outside and may

compete for a starting job. He also brought in D.J. Moore, who floundered as Chicagosslot corner last year but showed signs of opportunistic playmaking prowess earlier in his

career. Gettleman also signed ex-Raider Mike Mitchell, who has had issues with

coverage awareness but figures to compete for snaps at safety.

The heavier-hitting moves were made at defensive tackle, with Star Lotulelei drafted in

the first round and Kawann Short in the second. Hopefully this duo yields better results

than the third-round pair of Terrell McClain and Sione Fua from two years ago. It should,

though there are reservations about both rookies. Lotulelei is nimble and well-sized, buthe played with an inconsistent motor at Utah. Thats better than Short, whose motor at


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times seemed to completely shut off at Purdue. Obviously, the Panthers are betting high

on the flashes of greatness Short exhibited.

Cornerback Josh Norman wasevery quarterbacks favorite

player. At times the fifth-round

rookie presented such a soft

cushion that fans sitting in some ofthe lower sections probably had a

better view of his receiver than he

did.One could argue that Gettleman did not need to so thoroughly address the defensive

tackle position. After all, the Panthers last season ranked 14th against the run (though

18th in yards per carry). Their rotational youngsters, Frank Kearse and Nate Chandler,

both showed hints of upside (though on Chandler, the coaches may disagree, as hes

been moved to offensive tackle). With returning veterans Colin Cole and starter Dwan

Edwards being solid pluggers, Carolina seemed to have enough resources to get by on

all three downs. Especially when you consider that 2012 fourth-round pick Frank

Alexander has shown he can be a noisy pass-rusher from end or nickel tackle. Greg

Hardya fourth-year pro and third-year starter who has great initial quickness for playing

tall at 6-4is also capable of operating off the edge or from the inside. (Hes in a

contract year and reportedly dropped about 15 pounds over the offseason to boost his

speed-rush.) Oddly enough, Carolinas only every-down defensive end is Charles

Johnson, whose block-shedding ability and steady, exhausting bull-rush seem better

suited for the inside than edge.

While certain aspects of Carolinas front and back fours might appear bleak, the light

shining from this linebacking trio is bright enough to blind most Panthers critics. Reigning


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Defensive Rookie of the Year Luke Kuechly is already the best 4-3 Mike backer in

football. It seems only a matter of time before the 22-year-old (who, honest to goodness,

in person looks like a 245-pound 14-year-old) becomes footballs best linebacker period.

Kuechly has a preternatural hunters sense and a rare gift for going zero-to-60 in tight

confines.

There was once a time where the future of outside linebackers Thomas Davis and Jon

Beason looked as bright as Kuechlys. However, Davis missed 39 games from 2009 to

11 with a trio of ACL tears. Beason, over the last two years, has missed 27 games

thanks to a 2011 torn Achilles and simultaneous knee cartilage damage and shoulder

labrum tear in 2012. Both veterans are still very capable of making vociferous stops in

run defense and short-area coverage. Though neither is what he likely could have been,

the belief in Carolinaand around a lot of the leagueis that Davis and Beason can

help make this the most formidable linebacking trio in football. Providing depth at all

three spots is the reliable, highly intelligent ex-Giant Chase Blackburn.

OFFENSE

Shown here beating Darrelle Revis in 2009, Steve Smith is still the Panthers at No. 1

receiver at age 34. - (Nick Laham/Getty)

Rob Chudzinski did a fine job in his two years as Carolinas offensive coordinator,

earning a head coaching position in Cleveland. Not surprisingly, his replacement came

from in-house, with quarterbacks coach Mike Shula being promoted. The former

Alabama head coach is expected to carry on a lot of Chudzinskis concepts, but hell also

make some necessary tweaks. While this has been one of the leagues more innovative

offenses the past two yearswith its zone-option run game, variety of base shotgun

tactics and, in 2011, hybrid dual tight end gambitsit has at times been too cute for its

own good.

Simply put, it doesnt make sense for Carolina to have spent around nine figures over the

years on two running backs (DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart), a Pro Bowl left

tackle (Jordan Gross) and a Pro Bowl center (Ryan Kalil) but not commit to any sort of

power run game. Yes, the NFL is a passing league now. And yes, often either Williams

or Stewartor sometimes bothhave been hurt (Stewart is coming back from offseasonsurgery on both ankles this year). And last October Kalil landed on injured reserve with a


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Lisfranc (foot) injury. Yet still, even when all of the machines parts are working, the

Panthers have been too reliant on deception and gimmicks in their ground game (55% of

Carolinas carries last season came from the shotgun).

This isnt to say the Panthers should suddenly transform into an 80s-style meat and

potatoes offense. While Shula plans to scale back some of the zone reads and other

gimmicks, it would be foolish to completely abandon them. After all, theyre in place to

capitalize on the unique talents of Cam Newton. Unlike the diminutive Michael Vick or

RG3, or the highly exposed, long-striding Colin Kaepernick, Newton, at 6-5, 245 pounds,

is built to withstandsometimes even deliverthe punishment that comes with running

the ball. And many of Newtons run threats set the table for Carolinas all-important play-

action passing game.

Most of the concern about Newton has pertained to his leadership. Beyond the the

million-dollar smile, some critics decry the 24-year-olds mopiness in adversity and others

perceive undue arrogance. Indeed, character counts for something in the NFL. But the

harsh reality is this stuff has much less direct bearing on winning and losing than people

acknowledge. (If youre not convinced, look at the two rings Pittsburgh won with a pre-

suspension Ben Roethlisberger.)

Its in the aerial game where Newton really needs to improve. The Panthers fate hinges

not on whether the QB is a nice guy, but on whether he can throw with more consistent

accuracy. Newtons unacceptable bouts of erratic ball placement derive from poor

footwork and bad habits in his release mechanics. Its all correctable, and needs to be

corrected, because Newtons innately quick, powerful, compact delivery is too special to

be flawed.

MADE OF REAL PANTHERS, SO YOUKNOW IT'S GOOD

Ryan Kalil defends his Super Bowl guarantee

Hit the Ground Running

Going back to the character issue, this organization knows better than most thatgetting stars to play well is more important than getting them to play nice. For a
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dozen years, the Panthers have dealt with wideout Steve Smiths unbridled and

sometimes misplaced intensity. Through the ups and downs and perpetual shoulder

chips, Smith has always maintained his speed, darting quickness, leaping ability and,

most intimidatingly, low-centered strength. Thats why, at 34, hes not just still on this

team, but still a bona fide No. 1 receiver.

As has been the case since Muhsin Muhammad left, Smith will have to go it alone (so to

speak); none of Carolinas other wideouts strike fear in the defense. Fourth-year man

Brandon LaFell finally flickered promise early last season, showing improved tempo and

fluidity as a route runner. But at seasons end, he had amassed just 677 receiving

yardshardly the mark of a dynamic No. 2.

Statistically, LaFell was actually the No. 3, as tight end Greg Olsen finished second on

the team with 69 receptions and 843 yards. (Smith had 73 grabs for 1,174 yards.) Olsen,

who has nice body control and movement skills for a 6-6, 255-pounderalong with a

knack for high-pointing the ballcan be a tough matchup in the seams and red zone. But

his hard-to-watch limitations as a blocker hinder some of the offenses flexibility. Olsen

was easier to hide when Jeremy Shockey was here, giving the Panthers a true two-tight

end system. With No. 2 tight end Ben Hartsock being a restricted athlete, Shula might be

compelled to make 21 personnel (two backs, one tight end) his base, with fullback Mike

Tolbert serving as the miscellaneous receiving threat. Thats not necessarily a bad thing;

Tolbert, though stocky in stature, is actually a very fine on-the-move pass-catcher and

route runner. Still, all in all, its harder to be creative with 21 personnel than 12

personnel (that is, one back, two tight ends).

Unlike the diminutive Michael Vick

or RG3, or the highly exposed,

long-striding Colin Kaepernick,

Newton, at 6-5, 245 pounds, is built

to withstandsometimes even


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deliverthe punishment that

comes with running the ball.Carolinas options are also thin at second-string wide receiver. The hope is that Ted Ginn

Jr. can inject some vertical speed in the pass game, but most likely hell be relegated to

bit duties as the No. 4, with steadier inside presence Domenik Hixon being the No. 3. At

the bottom of the depth chart, return ace Kealoha Pilares could warrant gadget play

snaps. So could David Gettis or Armanti Edwards who, amazingly, is still on the roster

after three underachieving seasons.

The group tasked with giving Carolinas skill players time and space is stout at the two

most important spotsleft tackle and centerand somewhat tenuous at the others.

Lining up between Pro Bowl veterans Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil is second-year left

guard Amini Silatolu, whose good feet suggest that his underwhelming pass-blocking will

eventually catch up to his respectable run-blocking. On the right side, with veteran guard

Geoff Hangartner having been cut, fourth round rookie Edmund Kugbila will compete

with Garry Williams, a right tackle/guard combo who did decent work filling in as a starter

inside last year. At right tackle is fringe contributor Byron Bell, though presumably that

could be subject to change.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Graham Gano will have every opportunity to keep his kicking job after making 9 of 11

tries upon joining the team for the final six weeks last season. Punter Brad Nortman

really struggled as a sixth-round rookie in 2012, tying Philadelphias Mat McBriar for the

league low in net average (36.5). To compete with Nortman, the Panthers signed

undrafted rookie Jordan Gay, who hails from a college called Centre, where he punted

and place-kicked. The paucity of sure things in the kicking game contrasts with an

embarrassment of riches in the return game. Joe Adams, Kealoha Pilares and Ted Ginn

Jr. are all great options.


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BOTTOM LINE

It wouldnt be a world-stopping shock if the Panthers became a worst-to-first type story in

2013, though that seems unlikely given that the weaknesses that plagued this team the

past few yearsnamely defensive back and wide receiverpersist.

Andy B enoit isdiving deep into each teams prospects for 2013.Read what hes

done so far.
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