Normally, 20 of 22 returning starters to an NFL team that went 12-4 the previous year is a good thing. Well, with the 2009 version of the Carolina Panthers, that’s not the case. The 2008 NFC South Champions couldn’t be in more disarray after a dismal 0-2 start that includes eight turnovers and 66 points against. This doesn’t bode well for a postseason run.
Perhaps it says something about the state of the Panthers that after the 28-20 loss to the Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, the team said they gained confidence. Sure, the eight point road loss to the Falcons didn’t come close in comparison to the 28-point dusting at the hands of the Eagles in the opener, but should an NFL team really gain confidence after dropping to 0-2?
Personally, I don’t see how the offense couldn’t gain confidence after the week-one abomination. Against Atlanta, QB Jake Delhomme only turned the ball over once and threw for 308 yards, Steve Smith had a big game with 131 yards receiving, and the running back tandem of Williams and Stewart were back to their old ways, rushing for 144 yards.
The defense is a completely different story, they definitely lost some mental fortitude . Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Tony Gonzalez made the Panther’s once prominent defense look old and decrepit. Ryan had all day in the pocket and picked the secondary apart with underneath routes and high-percentage passes, completing 78 percent of his passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Michael Turner had his way with the depleted Carolina interior and ran for 151 yards, and Tony Gonzalez had seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.
New defensive coordinator Ron Meeks’ Cover 2 scheme is based on having great edge pass rushers and forcing the QB to make inaccurate throws. The Panthers had far from an effective pass rush on Sunday, Matt Ryan was able to make the Panthers secondary look like a high school one. To get a grasp of how bad the Panthers’ defense was and the lack of a pass rush, the Falcons first punt didn’t come until 5:46 remained in the fourth quarter and the Panthers have only two QB sacks through two games. For some reason, Meeks didn’t feel the need to throw any blitz packages the Falcons’ way, even after watching Ryan throw three first-half touchdown passes; maybe Meeks has never heard the concept of making in-game adjustments.
The defense wasn’t the only problem, the special teams gave up a blocked punt and repeatedly gave the Falcons premium field position, and the normally sure-handed DeAngelo Williams lost a third quarter fumble, ending his NFL-best streak of 502 consecutive touches without a fumble.
Dating back to last season and including the preseason, the Panthers have lost eight of their last nine games, but I still think this team has a chance to be something special. To go along with the other prognosticators though, I have to throw in the statistic that since 1990, of the 160 teams to start 0-2, only 22 have recovered to make the playoffs and just 10 have come back to win a division title. Does this mean anything? I don’t think so.
The Monday night showdown with Dallas is looming, and with the entire nation watching, the Panthers’ season will be at stake. If they fall to 0-3, the Panthers face a tough home game against Washington after the bye week and a potential 0-4 record. Maybe 20 returning starters isn’t always a good thing.
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