NFC South: Dan Henning
More midseason All-NFC South awards
November, 10, 2011
11/10/11
1:30
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
We already have shown you the midseason All-NFC South teams for offense and defense. Now, let’s move onto the specialists and a few individual awards.
Kicker: Matt Bryant, Falcons. The guy has not missed a field-goal attempt this season. Over last season and this one, Bryant is 40-of-43.
Punter: Thomas Morstead, Saints. This was a very tough call because Tampa Bay’s Michael Koenen also is having a very nice year. But Morstead has better numbers. He has a 49.7-yard gross average and a 43.7-yard net average with five punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Return man: Darren Sproles, Saints. He already made the team as a running back. But, if anyone deserves to be on the team twice, it’s Sproles. He’s doing a little bit of everything for the Saints.
Coach of the midseason: Sean Payton, Saints. He endured a sideline crash that caused major damage to his knee and leg. But Payton has the Saints at 6-3 and atop the NFC South.
Assistant coach of the midseason: Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator, Panthers. After years of watching John Fox keep handcuffs on coordinators Dan Henning and Jeff Davidson, Carolina fans are finally getting to see an offense that’s fun to watch.
MVP of the midseason: Drew Brees, quarterback, Saints. If you were hoping to see something outside the box, you’re not getting it. Brees is on pace to set the record for yards passing in a season. He also is making a strong case to take over Derrick Brooks’ place as the best player in the history of the NFC South.
Rookie of the midseason: Cam Newton, quarterback, Panthers. Several rookies, like Tampa Bay’s Adrian Clayborn and Mason Foster, Atlanta’s Julio Jones and New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan, are playing well. But none of them have come in and, on their own, changed the climate of a franchise. That’s what Newton has done.
General manager of the midseason: Marty Hurney, Panthers. He took what many thought was a huge risk when he drafted Newton with the top overall draft pick. Maybe it was a gamble, but Hurney won because he got a franchise quarterback.
Kicker: Matt Bryant, Falcons. The guy has not missed a field-goal attempt this season. Over last season and this one, Bryant is 40-of-43.
Punter: Thomas Morstead, Saints. This was a very tough call because Tampa Bay’s Michael Koenen also is having a very nice year. But Morstead has better numbers. He has a 49.7-yard gross average and a 43.7-yard net average with five punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Return man: Darren Sproles, Saints. He already made the team as a running back. But, if anyone deserves to be on the team twice, it’s Sproles. He’s doing a little bit of everything for the Saints.
Coach of the midseason: Sean Payton, Saints. He endured a sideline crash that caused major damage to his knee and leg. But Payton has the Saints at 6-3 and atop the NFC South.
Assistant coach of the midseason: Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator, Panthers. After years of watching John Fox keep handcuffs on coordinators Dan Henning and Jeff Davidson, Carolina fans are finally getting to see an offense that’s fun to watch.
MVP of the midseason: Drew Brees, quarterback, Saints. If you were hoping to see something outside the box, you’re not getting it. Brees is on pace to set the record for yards passing in a season. He also is making a strong case to take over Derrick Brooks’ place as the best player in the history of the NFC South.
Rookie of the midseason: Cam Newton, quarterback, Panthers. Several rookies, like Tampa Bay’s Adrian Clayborn and Mason Foster, Atlanta’s Julio Jones and New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan, are playing well. But none of them have come in and, on their own, changed the climate of a franchise. That’s what Newton has done.
General manager of the midseason: Marty Hurney, Panthers. He took what many thought was a huge risk when he drafted Newton with the top overall draft pick. Maybe it was a gamble, but Hurney won because he got a franchise quarterback.
We got our first glimpse of coordinator Rob Chudzinski’s offensive system Saturday night when the Carolina Panthers opened their preseason against the New York Giants.
It didn’t look much like schemes previous coordinators Jeff Davidson and Dan Henning ran under former coach John Fox. There were passes to the tight ends, a reverse to Armanti Edwards and some downfield throws.
And that was just a first glimpse. There are other nuances we haven’t seen yet. The Panthers still will run the ball a fair amount because DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are quality running backs, but there’s going to be more balance in the offense.
That’s a refreshing change for the players, even the offensive linemen, who generally pride themselves on run blocking.
“We got in a situation the last year or two where we were very much a one-dimensional offense,’’ Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil said during my recent visit to Carolina’s training camp. “Teams were putting eight or nine men in the box. We were still running the ball pretty well. But you can’t do just that and win in this league.’’
The Panthers didn’t win very often last year. They went 2-14 and replaced Fox with Ron Rivera. Although Rivera comes with a defensive background, he realized Carolina needed to change its offensive philosophy. That’s why he brought in Chudzinski, who had been the tight ends coach in San Diego. The plan is to run an offense similar to what the Chargers use.
“There are dynamics to our offense that we haven’t had in a while,’’ Kalil said. “I’ve always felt we’ve been one-dimensional with the running game. That whole aspect of the offense is going to completely change now.’’
It didn’t look much like schemes previous coordinators Jeff Davidson and Dan Henning ran under former coach John Fox. There were passes to the tight ends, a reverse to Armanti Edwards and some downfield throws.
And that was just a first glimpse. There are other nuances we haven’t seen yet. The Panthers still will run the ball a fair amount because DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are quality running backs, but there’s going to be more balance in the offense.
That’s a refreshing change for the players, even the offensive linemen, who generally pride themselves on run blocking.
“We got in a situation the last year or two where we were very much a one-dimensional offense,’’ Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil said during my recent visit to Carolina’s training camp. “Teams were putting eight or nine men in the box. We were still running the ball pretty well. But you can’t do just that and win in this league.’’
The Panthers didn’t win very often last year. They went 2-14 and replaced Fox with Ron Rivera. Although Rivera comes with a defensive background, he realized Carolina needed to change its offensive philosophy. That’s why he brought in Chudzinski, who had been the tight ends coach in San Diego. The plan is to run an offense similar to what the Chargers use.
“There are dynamics to our offense that we haven’t had in a while,’’ Kalil said. “I’ve always felt we’ve been one-dimensional with the running game. That whole aspect of the offense is going to completely change now.’’
I really like the fact the Carolina Panthers are trying to be creative with their offense.
They weren’t even close to being creative when John Fox and Jeff Davidson were running the show. I’d say the last time the Panthers showed any creativity on offense was back when Dan Henning was the coordinator, but I know there are plenty of Carolina fans that wouldn’t go along with that. They’d say the last time the Panthers had an interesting offense was in George Seifert’s first two seasons.
However, there’s one thing I don’t like about what the Panthers are doing. They recently spent 30 minutes of practice letting Armanti Edwards work at quarterback. Yes, Edwards is a former college quarterback, but he was drafted to be a return man and a wide receiver.
The Panthers still think his future is at those two positions, but they’re inserting a Wildcat package in which Edwards will sometimes line up at quarterback. The team talked about shifting quarterback Cam Newton out wide in those situations.
Great, you’ll have an undersized quarterback who hasn’t passed since college throwing to a quarterback, who is not a receiver. Yeah, it might be flashy, but it makes less sense than most of what Fox and Davidson did the last couple of years.
I’m not saying it’s a bad idea for the Panthers to use Edwards in the Wildcat for a couple plays a game, but no more than that, when the regular season rolls around. And I’m also saying it’s a waste of valuable training-camp practice time to give Edwards a lot of work at quarterback.
Newton and Jimmy Clausen need all the work they can get after not having an offseason program to learn a new offense. They need all that work at quarterback, not wide receiver.
And Edwards needs to get his work as a receiver and a return man. Let guys do what they do best.
There’s a theory subscribed to by New Orleans’ Sean Payton and Atlanta’s Mike Smith. It goes something like this: If you have a real quarterback, you don’t resort to gimmicks and take the ball out of his hands.
The Panthers still don’t know for sure what they have in Newton. But they think he can be a franchise quarterback. Let him be the quarterback.
They weren’t even close to being creative when John Fox and Jeff Davidson were running the show. I’d say the last time the Panthers showed any creativity on offense was back when Dan Henning was the coordinator, but I know there are plenty of Carolina fans that wouldn’t go along with that. They’d say the last time the Panthers had an interesting offense was in George Seifert’s first two seasons.
However, there’s one thing I don’t like about what the Panthers are doing. They recently spent 30 minutes of practice letting Armanti Edwards work at quarterback. Yes, Edwards is a former college quarterback, but he was drafted to be a return man and a wide receiver.
The Panthers still think his future is at those two positions, but they’re inserting a Wildcat package in which Edwards will sometimes line up at quarterback. The team talked about shifting quarterback Cam Newton out wide in those situations.
Great, you’ll have an undersized quarterback who hasn’t passed since college throwing to a quarterback, who is not a receiver. Yeah, it might be flashy, but it makes less sense than most of what Fox and Davidson did the last couple of years.
I’m not saying it’s a bad idea for the Panthers to use Edwards in the Wildcat for a couple plays a game, but no more than that, when the regular season rolls around. And I’m also saying it’s a waste of valuable training-camp practice time to give Edwards a lot of work at quarterback.
Newton and Jimmy Clausen need all the work they can get after not having an offseason program to learn a new offense. They need all that work at quarterback, not wide receiver.
And Edwards needs to get his work as a receiver and a return man. Let guys do what they do best.
There’s a theory subscribed to by New Orleans’ Sean Payton and Atlanta’s Mike Smith. It goes something like this: If you have a real quarterback, you don’t resort to gimmicks and take the ball out of his hands.
The Panthers still don’t know for sure what they have in Newton. But they think he can be a franchise quarterback. Let him be the quarterback.
Reflecting on Kerry Collins' Carolina time
July, 11, 2011
7/11/11
7:44
AM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
It was very quiet while I was off last week, but there was one story with NFC South roots that deserves some reflection here.
Quarterback Kerry Collins retired from the Tennessee Titans. Collins played for the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints before there even was an NFC South. Collins’ time in New Orleans was short and uneventful.
But his time in Carolina was anything but dull. Carolina’s first draft pick in its expansion season, 1995, Collins quickly became the starter and took the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game in his second season. After the Panthers returned from that trip to Green Bay, Collins stood on the steps of what is now Bank of America Stadium and talked about how Carolina would be a dynasty.
It didn’t work out anywhere close to that. Collins began having problems soon after that and was gone before the midway point of the 1998 season. Collins repeatedly has admitted he had a drinking problem in his Carolina days and that issue isolated him from some of his teammates.
Collins deserves lots of credit for straightening out his life when he joined the New York Giants and he took that franchise to a Super Bowl. He also spent time with the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans and ended his career with more than 40,000 passing yards, which ranks him No. 11 in history. The numbers could have been better if Collins didn’t spend part of his career as a backup.
You can’t call Collins’ career a flop or a disappointment, but those terms can be used to describe his stint in Carolina. Or you can just call it what it was -- a disaster that set the franchise back for years. I arrived in Charlotte and began covering the Panthers a little less than a year after Collins left. The wounds were still fresh and stories were still making the rounds about Collins’ wild nights on the town and wilder parties at his house.
Collins had to go because he had some major problems and was in denial as the Panthers tried to get him help. But you can’t help but wonder what might have happened for Collins and the Panthers if he had gotten help earlier or avoided his problems in the first place.
The guy was an amazing talent -- big and strong with one of the best throwing arms of his generation. I’ve been a life-long Penn State fan and Collins was so talented he convinced Joe Paterno to scrap his conservative offense. In 1994, Penn State had one of the nation’s best offenses with Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, Bobby Engram and Kyle Brady. The Lions went undefeated, but got robbed of a national championship.
Collins went straight to the NFL and started living like a rock star. If he hadn’t, he could have been what Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman probably will be -- a franchise quarterback who will spend his entire career with one team.
Imagine what Collins could have been if he spent his entire career in Carolina and lived his life the way he did in later years? I’m not sure the Panthers would have been the dynasty Collins talked about. That expansion team was built around veterans and it got old right after the NFC Championship Game. There still might have been some ups and downs, but Collins had stayed on the straight and narrow, the valleys the Panthers hit wouldn’t have been nearly as deep. He was young, talented, should have continued to get better and the Panthers could have had a franchise quarterback for a generation.
If Collins didn’t implode, Dom Capers wouldn’t have been fired after the 1998 season and George Seifert never would have been hired. It took years for the Panthers to recover and, for years, they stayed away from drafting quarterbacks early or signing big-name free agents at that position.
Seifert got a couple good years from Steve Beuerlein and then put him on the scrap heap for no apparent reason. Chris Weinke was next and he never really had a chance. He played on Seifert’s last team, which went 1-15.
When John Fox took over in 2002, he needed to get wins quickly and didn’t want to let Weinke develop on the field, so he went out and got Rodney Peete, who I think might have been offensive coordinator Dan Henning’s college roommate. A year later, the Panthers went out and signed career backup Jake Delhomme and made him the starter. Delhomme had a nice run and even took the Panthers to a Super Bowl. He was the best quarterback in franchise history, but wasn’t a franchise quarterback. He was a nice game manager.
The Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen last year and Cam Newton this year and there’s hope that one of those guys can become the first true franchise quarterback in Carolina history. Collins could -- and should -- have been that guy. If Collins had done things the right way in Carolina, the dark days at the end of the Capers era and the entire Seifert era never would have happened.
If Collins had still been there when Fox arrived, he would have fit nicely in the system and the Panthers might not have been quite so conservative. Heck, if things had gone differently, Collins could have spent his entire career in Carolina and Fox still might be coaching there.
Collins could have been the most popular athlete ever in Charlotte and, had he stayed, he might still be playing. He could have even spent this year as a mentor to Newton and Clausen. Instead, they’ll be trying to become what Collins never was able to become for the Panthers.
Quarterback Kerry Collins retired from the Tennessee Titans. Collins played for the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints before there even was an NFC South. Collins’ time in New Orleans was short and uneventful.
But his time in Carolina was anything but dull. Carolina’s first draft pick in its expansion season, 1995, Collins quickly became the starter and took the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game in his second season. After the Panthers returned from that trip to Green Bay, Collins stood on the steps of what is now Bank of America Stadium and talked about how Carolina would be a dynasty.
It didn’t work out anywhere close to that. Collins began having problems soon after that and was gone before the midway point of the 1998 season. Collins repeatedly has admitted he had a drinking problem in his Carolina days and that issue isolated him from some of his teammates.
Collins deserves lots of credit for straightening out his life when he joined the New York Giants and he took that franchise to a Super Bowl. He also spent time with the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans and ended his career with more than 40,000 passing yards, which ranks him No. 11 in history. The numbers could have been better if Collins didn’t spend part of his career as a backup.
You can’t call Collins’ career a flop or a disappointment, but those terms can be used to describe his stint in Carolina. Or you can just call it what it was -- a disaster that set the franchise back for years. I arrived in Charlotte and began covering the Panthers a little less than a year after Collins left. The wounds were still fresh and stories were still making the rounds about Collins’ wild nights on the town and wilder parties at his house.
Collins had to go because he had some major problems and was in denial as the Panthers tried to get him help. But you can’t help but wonder what might have happened for Collins and the Panthers if he had gotten help earlier or avoided his problems in the first place.
The guy was an amazing talent -- big and strong with one of the best throwing arms of his generation. I’ve been a life-long Penn State fan and Collins was so talented he convinced Joe Paterno to scrap his conservative offense. In 1994, Penn State had one of the nation’s best offenses with Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, Bobby Engram and Kyle Brady. The Lions went undefeated, but got robbed of a national championship.
Collins went straight to the NFL and started living like a rock star. If he hadn’t, he could have been what Atlanta’s Matt Ryan and Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman probably will be -- a franchise quarterback who will spend his entire career with one team.
Imagine what Collins could have been if he spent his entire career in Carolina and lived his life the way he did in later years? I’m not sure the Panthers would have been the dynasty Collins talked about. That expansion team was built around veterans and it got old right after the NFC Championship Game. There still might have been some ups and downs, but Collins had stayed on the straight and narrow, the valleys the Panthers hit wouldn’t have been nearly as deep. He was young, talented, should have continued to get better and the Panthers could have had a franchise quarterback for a generation.
If Collins didn’t implode, Dom Capers wouldn’t have been fired after the 1998 season and George Seifert never would have been hired. It took years for the Panthers to recover and, for years, they stayed away from drafting quarterbacks early or signing big-name free agents at that position.
Seifert got a couple good years from Steve Beuerlein and then put him on the scrap heap for no apparent reason. Chris Weinke was next and he never really had a chance. He played on Seifert’s last team, which went 1-15.
When John Fox took over in 2002, he needed to get wins quickly and didn’t want to let Weinke develop on the field, so he went out and got Rodney Peete, who I think might have been offensive coordinator Dan Henning’s college roommate. A year later, the Panthers went out and signed career backup Jake Delhomme and made him the starter. Delhomme had a nice run and even took the Panthers to a Super Bowl. He was the best quarterback in franchise history, but wasn’t a franchise quarterback. He was a nice game manager.
The Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen last year and Cam Newton this year and there’s hope that one of those guys can become the first true franchise quarterback in Carolina history. Collins could -- and should -- have been that guy. If Collins had done things the right way in Carolina, the dark days at the end of the Capers era and the entire Seifert era never would have happened.
If Collins had still been there when Fox arrived, he would have fit nicely in the system and the Panthers might not have been quite so conservative. Heck, if things had gone differently, Collins could have spent his entire career in Carolina and Fox still might be coaching there.
Collins could have been the most popular athlete ever in Charlotte and, had he stayed, he might still be playing. He could have even spent this year as a mentor to Newton and Clausen. Instead, they’ll be trying to become what Collins never was able to become for the Panthers.
On the first Monday of the offseason in the NFC South, let's take a look at some headlines from across the division.
As we wait for Carolina’s Ron Rivera to fill out his coaching staff, you can scratch off the name of one guy who might have been on the radar. That’s Mike McCoy. He’s staying in Denver as the offensive coordinator on John Fox’s new staff. There is lots of history here. McCoy was on Fox’s Carolina staff as quarterbacks coach from 2002 until he was hired as offensive coordinator in Denver in 2009. Interestingly, when Dan Henning was fired after the 2006 season, there were some people within the Panthers who though McCoy should have been elevated to offensive coordinator. Instead, Fox passed him over and went out and hired Jeff Davidson. In hindsight, making McCoy his offensive coordinator might have kept Fox in Carolina. Now, he’s got him as offensive coordinator in Denver.
Speaking of filling coaching staffs and the Panthers, they reportedly are interested in Sean McDermott as defensive coordinator. McDermott recently was fired by Philadelphia. Carolina officials, like officials from other teams, will be scouting college all-star games the next two weeks. But they'll also be doing interviews with potential Rivera assistants while they are on the road.
Atlanta receiver Roddy White apologized to fans via Twitter for the Falcons’ performance in Saturday night’s loss to Green Bay.
Speaking of apologies, Atlanta coach Mike Smith placed the blame for the loss on himself and his coaching staff. But Smith also said he has no plans to make any changes to his staff.
We’ve talked a bit in the past about how a prolonged lockout could hurt the Buccaneers and the Panthers more than the Falcons and the Saints. If a labor agreement isn’t reached by March 3, players won’t be able to work out or even watch film at the team’s facility. Tampa Bay and Carolina are extremely young and the Panthers will have a new coaching staff and new systems on offense and defense. Ira Kaufman takes a detailed look at how a lengthy lockout could hurt the Buccaneers.
The Saints reportedly will not raise ticket prices for 2011, except for 4,500 plaza-level seats that are being upgraded to premium seating as part of the continuing renovations in the Superdome.
As we wait for Carolina’s Ron Rivera to fill out his coaching staff, you can scratch off the name of one guy who might have been on the radar. That’s Mike McCoy. He’s staying in Denver as the offensive coordinator on John Fox’s new staff. There is lots of history here. McCoy was on Fox’s Carolina staff as quarterbacks coach from 2002 until he was hired as offensive coordinator in Denver in 2009. Interestingly, when Dan Henning was fired after the 2006 season, there were some people within the Panthers who though McCoy should have been elevated to offensive coordinator. Instead, Fox passed him over and went out and hired Jeff Davidson. In hindsight, making McCoy his offensive coordinator might have kept Fox in Carolina. Now, he’s got him as offensive coordinator in Denver.
Speaking of filling coaching staffs and the Panthers, they reportedly are interested in Sean McDermott as defensive coordinator. McDermott recently was fired by Philadelphia. Carolina officials, like officials from other teams, will be scouting college all-star games the next two weeks. But they'll also be doing interviews with potential Rivera assistants while they are on the road.
Atlanta receiver Roddy White apologized to fans via Twitter for the Falcons’ performance in Saturday night’s loss to Green Bay.
Speaking of apologies, Atlanta coach Mike Smith placed the blame for the loss on himself and his coaching staff. But Smith also said he has no plans to make any changes to his staff.
We’ve talked a bit in the past about how a prolonged lockout could hurt the Buccaneers and the Panthers more than the Falcons and the Saints. If a labor agreement isn’t reached by March 3, players won’t be able to work out or even watch film at the team’s facility. Tampa Bay and Carolina are extremely young and the Panthers will have a new coaching staff and new systems on offense and defense. Ira Kaufman takes a detailed look at how a lengthy lockout could hurt the Buccaneers.
The Saints reportedly will not raise ticket prices for 2011, except for 4,500 plaza-level seats that are being upgraded to premium seating as part of the continuing renovations in the Superdome.
Fox needs to keep hands off Denver offense
January, 13, 2011
1/13/11
4:11
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
Just got a call from AFC West colleague Bill Williamson with some pretty big news. John Fox will be the new head coach of the Denver Broncos.
It’s a bigger story for Williamson than for us, but it still is a big deal in the NFC South world. After all, Fox spent nine years coaching the Carolina Panthers and was the dean of NFC South coaches -- a title now held by New Orleans’ Sean Payton.
I think Denver fans should be excited by this move. Yeah, I know Fox went 2-14 in his final season with the Panthers, but I still think he was the best candidate on the market. Say what you want about the end of Fox’s tenure in Carolina.
But the guy did a good job for a long time. His message might have gotten stale in the later years and his relationship with ownership deteriorated. But Fox can flat-out coach and he’ll bring some instant energy to the Broncos.
Fox needs to take a couple of lessons from his early Carolina days to make things work in Denver. First, he needs to go out and get a top-notch offensive coordinator and Fox might want to give that guy a little more flexibility than he ever gave Dan Henning or Jeff Davidson.
As soon as he hires a coordinator, Fox needs to decide on a quarterback. It doesn’t matter if it’s Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow. Let the coordinator and whoever the quarterbacks coach is handle the quarterback.
The best thing Fox can do is focus on the defense and the overall running of the team and keep his hands off the offense.
By the way, Fox already is in the process of filling his coaching staff. That could mean he'll bring in some guys who were with him in Carolina. I'd keep an eye on running backs coach Jim Skipper and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.
It’s a bigger story for Williamson than for us, but it still is a big deal in the NFC South world. After all, Fox spent nine years coaching the Carolina Panthers and was the dean of NFC South coaches -- a title now held by New Orleans’ Sean Payton.
I think Denver fans should be excited by this move. Yeah, I know Fox went 2-14 in his final season with the Panthers, but I still think he was the best candidate on the market. Say what you want about the end of Fox’s tenure in Carolina.
But the guy did a good job for a long time. His message might have gotten stale in the later years and his relationship with ownership deteriorated. But Fox can flat-out coach and he’ll bring some instant energy to the Broncos.
Fox needs to take a couple of lessons from his early Carolina days to make things work in Denver. First, he needs to go out and get a top-notch offensive coordinator and Fox might want to give that guy a little more flexibility than he ever gave Dan Henning or Jeff Davidson.
As soon as he hires a coordinator, Fox needs to decide on a quarterback. It doesn’t matter if it’s Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow. Let the coordinator and whoever the quarterbacks coach is handle the quarterback.
The best thing Fox can do is focus on the defense and the overall running of the team and keep his hands off the offense.
By the way, Fox already is in the process of filling his coaching staff. That could mean he'll bring in some guys who were with him in Carolina. I'd keep an eye on running backs coach Jim Skipper and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.
Rivera brings open mind about offense
January, 11, 2011
1/11/11
6:05
PM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
AP Photo/Chuck BurtonNew Carolina coach Ron Rivera said he's willing to employ a more "balanced offense."That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Although Fox’s time with the Panthers didn’t end well, his overall tenure was a success. Rivera’s can be even better if he learns some lessons from what went right and what went wrong for Fox.
“I’d like to be an aggressive, physical football team,’’ Rivera said Tuesday afternoon as he met with the media in Charlotte.
That was Fox’s message coming in and pretty much throughout his entire tenure. That style worked, especially in Fox’s early years. In those days, Fox built his team around his defensive line and the Panthers truly were an aggressive and physical team. They went to the Super Bowl in Fox’s second year and it wasn’t really until a trip to the NFC Championship Game in the 2005 season that Fox’s flaws started to show.
Back in the early years, Fox stuck to what he knew: defense. One of his first hires was Dan Henning as offensive coordinator -- Fox viewed that as a coup at the time. Early on, Fox trusted the veteran Henning with his offense and the Panthers won with ball control and the occasional big play.
Things began to fall apart in the 2006 season when the Panthers got too conservative on offense. Henning took the fall for that and was fired at the end of that season. In hindsight, Fox was the guy to blame. He insisted on sticking with his style even when it obviously wasn’t working. Fox brought in Jeff Davidson as the replacement and the Panthers haven’t had much of a passing game since.
That’s why I’m saying Rivera could end up being better than Fox. When Rivera uttered the words “balanced offense," I could almost hear fans in the Carolinas cheering.
I almost cheered when someone asked Rivera to describe himself for people who don’t know him.
“A listener, someone who understands,’’ Rivera said.
That’s a great thing because Fox refused to change or adapt and that's why he's gone. I’m certain general manager Marty Hurney, team president Danny Morrison and owner Jerry Richardson made it clear the Panthers must be much better and much more open minded when it comes to offense.
Rivera said he’s going to stick mostly with the defense and let the assistants he hires handle the offense.
“I’m looking for guys that are going to coach and teach," Rivera said.
That’s a good thing because the Carolina brain trust didn’t feel there was enough teaching or coaching going on at the end of Fox’s tenure. That was needed because the team had gone to a full-blown youth movement. You can bet that Rivera has already given some names of potential offensive coaches to Hurney, Morrison and Richardson. They probably wouldn’t have offered him the job if they didn’t like those names.
Ron Turner, Rob Chudzinski and Marc Trestman are coaches Rivera might target and that’s a good start. Rivera ran through his offensive roster and sounded very satisfied with the offensive line and the running backs. That’s usually as far as Fox’s eyes went on offense.
But Rivera kept going. He talked about the three tight ends -- Jeff King, Dante Rosario and Gary Barnidge -- and said he liked them all and the Panthers could upgrade in the draft or free agency. Rivera also praised young receivers Brandon LaFell and David Gettis. Then he saluted wide receiver Steve Smith's career and said he’d “love to visit with him and see how he’s doing."
That’s important. Smith might be the best player in franchise history. He’s been frustrated by the losing and the team's offensive struggles. Smith has not asked to be traded or released, but team officials have told him to think about his future. They’ve made it clear to him that he’s welcome back if he’s satisfied with the new direction of the team. If not, they’ll accommodate him and trade him.
Smith still has some good years left and Rivera can do himself a favor by winning over the receiver. But that might have to be done over time because Rivera must take care of some other challenges first.
“We need to see if there is a quarterback on this roster that can be that franchise guy that you need,’’ Rivera said.
In other words, Rivera and whoever he hires as his offensive coaches must decide if Jimmy Clausen can be a franchise quarterback. Fox never really gave Clausen a chance in his rookie season. He made Clausen spend much of training camp working behind Hunter Cantwell, who didn’t even make the team.
Fox only turned to Clausen after Matt Moore got off to a disastrous start. Fox benched Clausen twice after that and the offensive system made it impossible to tell if the rookie has any upside.
At the very least, Rivera made it sound like he’s at least open to giving Clausen a chance. The Panthers took a hit when Stanford’s Andrew Luck decided not to enter the draft. The Carolina brass realizes the franchise's hopes can’t be put entirely on Clausen, and it’s certain that another quarterback will be added through the draft or free agency.
That puts Rivera one up on Fox. He’s coming in with an open mind about the offense. He’s not coming in hell bent on using square pegs when you’ve got a bunch of round ones.
How I See It: NFC South Stock Watch
December, 15, 2010
12/15/10
8:00
AM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
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FALLING
1. Jeff Davidson, Panthers offensive coordinator. It's kind of tough to come up with guys whose stock is falling when three NFC South teams are coming off victories and virtually everybody with the Panthers has been used in this category at one point or another. So we're going to be creative -- in other words, something Davidson is not. I know the head coach sets the tone for what his coordinators do and there's no question John Fox has limited his offense for virtually his entire tenure. But Davidson deserves some heavy blame. I mean, at least try to come up with ways to get Steve Smith the ball. As Fox's time in Carolina comes to an end and I reflect on it, I think one of the worst moves was making Dan Henning the scapegoat for a disappointing 2006 season. Fans thought Henning lacked imagination. After four years of watching Davidson's offense, Henning's offense, in hindsight, looks like the Tampa Bay Bandits of Steve Spurrier in the United States Football League. Fox's staff will be scrambling for jobs. Davidson might have to return to his roots as an offensive line coach because his coordinator résumé isn't looking too good.
2. Geno Hayes, Buccaneers linebacker. He's doing fine on the field, but he got into trouble in the wee hours of Monday morning. If the Bucs really are a playoff team, they should be focused entirely on football at this time of year.
3. Charter flights for the Falcons. They have to cross the country to Seattle this weekend after playing road games at Carolina and Tampa Bay. But if the Falcons keep doing what they're doing, they won't have to get on a plane again this season -- unless it's to Texas for the Super Bowl.
RISING
1. Pierre Thomas, Saints running back. Thomas, who injured his ankle in late September, returned to the playing field Sunday when the Saints defeated the Rams. He wound up probably getting even more playing time than the Saints envisioned. The logical thing to do would have been to ease Thomas back into a rotation with Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush. But that plan went out the window when Ivory started experiencing hamstring issues early in the game. Thomas ended up carrying 12 times and catching four passes. His numbers weren't overhelming (39 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards), but he held up well. Thomas' long-term future in New Orleans might not be all that bright because of Ivory's emergence. But a strong finish could help Thomas get a nice contract somewhere else.
2. Michael Turner, Falcons running back. With backup Jason Snelling banged up, the Falcons have been riding Turner even more than usual. He carried 28 times in Sunday's victory against Carolina and produced 112 yards and three touchdowns. Turner has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the past four games and five times in Atlanta's seven-game winning streak. He has scored at least one touchdown in four straight games.
3. Arrelious Benn, Buccaneers wide receiver. He was chosen in the second round of this year's draft and fellow receiver Mike Williams was picked in the fourth round. But Williams emerged instantly as the No. 1 receiver and Benn wasn't much of a factor early on. But Benn had a huge game in Sunday's victory at Washington. He had a career-high four catches for a career-high 122 yards.
FALLING
1. Jeff Davidson, Panthers offensive coordinator. It's kind of tough to come up with guys whose stock is falling when three NFC South teams are coming off victories and virtually everybody with the Panthers has been used in this category at one point or another. So we're going to be creative -- in other words, something Davidson is not. I know the head coach sets the tone for what his coordinators do and there's no question John Fox has limited his offense for virtually his entire tenure. But Davidson deserves some heavy blame. I mean, at least try to come up with ways to get Steve Smith the ball. As Fox's time in Carolina comes to an end and I reflect on it, I think one of the worst moves was making Dan Henning the scapegoat for a disappointing 2006 season. Fans thought Henning lacked imagination. After four years of watching Davidson's offense, Henning's offense, in hindsight, looks like the Tampa Bay Bandits of Steve Spurrier in the United States Football League. Fox's staff will be scrambling for jobs. Davidson might have to return to his roots as an offensive line coach because his coordinator résumé isn't looking too good.
2. Geno Hayes, Buccaneers linebacker. He's doing fine on the field, but he got into trouble in the wee hours of Monday morning. If the Bucs really are a playoff team, they should be focused entirely on football at this time of year.
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AP Photo/Bill HaberPierre Thomas accounted for 68 yards of offense in his first action since Week 3.
AP Photo/Bill HaberPierre Thomas accounted for 68 yards of offense in his first action since Week 3.RISING
1. Pierre Thomas, Saints running back. Thomas, who injured his ankle in late September, returned to the playing field Sunday when the Saints defeated the Rams. He wound up probably getting even more playing time than the Saints envisioned. The logical thing to do would have been to ease Thomas back into a rotation with Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush. But that plan went out the window when Ivory started experiencing hamstring issues early in the game. Thomas ended up carrying 12 times and catching four passes. His numbers weren't overhelming (39 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards), but he held up well. Thomas' long-term future in New Orleans might not be all that bright because of Ivory's emergence. But a strong finish could help Thomas get a nice contract somewhere else.
2. Michael Turner, Falcons running back. With backup Jason Snelling banged up, the Falcons have been riding Turner even more than usual. He carried 28 times in Sunday's victory against Carolina and produced 112 yards and three touchdowns. Turner has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the past four games and five times in Atlanta's seven-game winning streak. He has scored at least one touchdown in four straight games.
3. Arrelious Benn, Buccaneers wide receiver. He was chosen in the second round of this year's draft and fellow receiver Mike Williams was picked in the fourth round. But Williams emerged instantly as the No. 1 receiver and Benn wasn't much of a factor early on. But Benn had a huge game in Sunday's victory at Washington. He had a career-high four catches for a career-high 122 yards.
résumé
The Carolina Panthers are up in today's series of team-by-team mailbags.
Greg in Greenville, S.C., writes: I was just reading your "How I See It" post and I think I know why Steve Smith is dropping passes. At least to my untrained eye, it looks like he is trying to break a big play every time he touches the ball. You can't blame him, as he has the ability and the team obviously needs it, but that seems to have come back to bite him on his drops and the fumble last week.
Pat Yasinskas: You might have a very good point. Smith, historically, hasn’t dropped a lot of passes. We all know how competitive he is and how much he wants to win and excel. He may be pressing too much and trying to carry the team.
Patrick in Boone, N.C., writes: Given Carolina’s recent problem with being able to put up points is not Jeff Davidson’s fault just as much as John Fox's?
Pat Yasinskas: Ultimately, the style of offense is up to the head coach and Fox has had a pretty bland offense throughout his tenure. Davidson calls the plays, but he does it within the framework of what Fox wants. Davidson was the guy Fox brought in after firing Dan Henning. A lot of Carolina fans used to bash Henning and he was a scapegoat in his final season with the Panthers. But I’ve never seen much out of Davidson’s offense to give me any reason to think he’s a better coordinator than Henning was.
Harris in Weaverville, N.C., writes: Can you think of anything good to say about the Panthers' offense? Nah, me either.
Pat Yasinskas: Phew! I’m trying and I’m not coming up with much. The best I can give you right now is to tell you that DeAngelo Williams, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil and Jordan Gross are really nice guys. That’s about it.
Greg in Greenville, S.C., writes: I was just reading your "How I See It" post and I think I know why Steve Smith is dropping passes. At least to my untrained eye, it looks like he is trying to break a big play every time he touches the ball. You can't blame him, as he has the ability and the team obviously needs it, but that seems to have come back to bite him on his drops and the fumble last week.
Pat Yasinskas: You might have a very good point. Smith, historically, hasn’t dropped a lot of passes. We all know how competitive he is and how much he wants to win and excel. He may be pressing too much and trying to carry the team.
Patrick in Boone, N.C., writes: Given Carolina’s recent problem with being able to put up points is not Jeff Davidson’s fault just as much as John Fox's?
Pat Yasinskas: Ultimately, the style of offense is up to the head coach and Fox has had a pretty bland offense throughout his tenure. Davidson calls the plays, but he does it within the framework of what Fox wants. Davidson was the guy Fox brought in after firing Dan Henning. A lot of Carolina fans used to bash Henning and he was a scapegoat in his final season with the Panthers. But I’ve never seen much out of Davidson’s offense to give me any reason to think he’s a better coordinator than Henning was.
Harris in Weaverville, N.C., writes: Can you think of anything good to say about the Panthers' offense? Nah, me either.
Pat Yasinskas: Phew! I’m trying and I’m not coming up with much. The best I can give you right now is to tell you that DeAngelo Williams, Travelle Wharton, Ryan Kalil and Jordan Gross are really nice guys. That’s about it.
As always, we covered a lot of ground in Friday’s NFC South chat. Here are some highlights.
nisarg (tarboro, nc): I’ve heard that the panthers are trying to trade Steve Smith for some draft picks. Why [in] the world would the Panthers do that he is the only player we have at WR making plays. Please tell me that this won't happen.
Pat Yasinskas: I think fans are getting a little too worked up about this. It's been thrown out there as speculation by a couple writers. Could it happen? I wouldn't rule it out. But, to the best of my knowledge, the Panthers aren't actively shopping Smith and he has NOT asked to be traded.
Bill (Bellingham): What kind of year do you see Mike Williams (TB) having? He's a big-play waiting to happen, but is he a WR the Bucs can and will lean on this year?
Pat Yasinskas: Think he's pretty much already their No. 1 and he should only keep getting better.
Paulitik (Alexandria, VA): Hey Pat, any word on Sean Weatherspoon's ankle? The Falcons are so hush about injuries, we don't know what to think. As much as I'd like to see him Sunday, we might need to rest him to chase down Vick in 2 weeks.
Pat Yasinskas: Nothing new today yet. Will get report later this afternoon. But he hasn't practiced last two days, so I'm not optimistic. Tend to agree with you about resting him for Philly. Going back to Stephan Nicholas for this game is not a big drop off.
Joel (Endicott, NY): How did John Fox ever find Jeff Davidson, I had never heard of him before he became the OC in Carolina, If I believe he was with the Browns before Carolina.............WHY DID FOX GET THIS GUY?
Pat Yasinskas: Davidson was viewed as a Charlie Weis clone. I'm not sure that Fox gave in to fan pressure. But there was a lot of fan pressure to get rid of Dan Henning. Just curious what Carolina fans think about Dan Henning these days?
Joel (Endicott NY): I was one of the people who wanted Henning out a couple years ago, I thought his play call was very very bad, and what did we do, we went and got another bad play caller. There is no imagination in the offense and we are making no attempt to get the ball to our best reciever, if hes doubled, move him around, at least Henning was able to get Smith the ball.
Pat Yasinskas: Think a lot of people share your thoughts on that one. But I think what it tells you is the OC isn't really the problem. Fox gives the orders about what he wants the offense to be in general and that really limits the OC.
For the complete transcript of the NFC South chat, click here.
nisarg (tarboro, nc): I’ve heard that the panthers are trying to trade Steve Smith for some draft picks. Why [in] the world would the Panthers do that he is the only player we have at WR making plays. Please tell me that this won't happen.
Pat Yasinskas: I think fans are getting a little too worked up about this. It's been thrown out there as speculation by a couple writers. Could it happen? I wouldn't rule it out. But, to the best of my knowledge, the Panthers aren't actively shopping Smith and he has NOT asked to be traded.
Bill (Bellingham): What kind of year do you see Mike Williams (TB) having? He's a big-play waiting to happen, but is he a WR the Bucs can and will lean on this year?
Pat Yasinskas: Think he's pretty much already their No. 1 and he should only keep getting better.
Paulitik (Alexandria, VA): Hey Pat, any word on Sean Weatherspoon's ankle? The Falcons are so hush about injuries, we don't know what to think. As much as I'd like to see him Sunday, we might need to rest him to chase down Vick in 2 weeks.
Pat Yasinskas: Nothing new today yet. Will get report later this afternoon. But he hasn't practiced last two days, so I'm not optimistic. Tend to agree with you about resting him for Philly. Going back to Stephan Nicholas for this game is not a big drop off.
Joel (Endicott, NY): How did John Fox ever find Jeff Davidson, I had never heard of him before he became the OC in Carolina, If I believe he was with the Browns before Carolina.............WHY DID FOX GET THIS GUY?
Pat Yasinskas: Davidson was viewed as a Charlie Weis clone. I'm not sure that Fox gave in to fan pressure. But there was a lot of fan pressure to get rid of Dan Henning. Just curious what Carolina fans think about Dan Henning these days?
Joel (Endicott NY): I was one of the people who wanted Henning out a couple years ago, I thought his play call was very very bad, and what did we do, we went and got another bad play caller. There is no imagination in the offense and we are making no attempt to get the ball to our best reciever, if hes doubled, move him around, at least Henning was able to get Smith the ball.
Pat Yasinskas: Think a lot of people share your thoughts on that one. But I think what it tells you is the OC isn't really the problem. Fox gives the orders about what he wants the offense to be in general and that really limits the OC.
For the complete transcript of the NFC South chat, click here.
Matt in Asheville, N.C., writes: Is it fair to say that John Fox has lost a lot of the decision making rights in Carolina? I think it is obvious looking back at Fox's history, that he did not bench a "veteran" Matt Moore for the rookie Clausen. Correct me if I am wrong but I feel like most of that was taken away by Jerry Richardson when he started this youth movement. I mean do you believe that Fox really wanted to show Julius Peppers the door or send his veterans to Free Agency? I have been following Carolina since the Fox days and it is a shame to see this go down. The best coach in Panther history is being forced out of the door.
Pat Yasinskas: I think it’s fair to say Fox doesn’t have the power he once did. I also think it’s fair to say that no veteran coach in the last year of his contract wants to be stuck in the middle of a youth movement. As far as Peppers’ departure goes, that was a different type of situation. The Panthers made numerous attempts to keep Peppers and offered him plenty of money. Peppers just wanted to leave the Panthers no matter what.
Ryan in Charlotte writes: You were hanging around the Panther's training camp for a few days. There was talk about creative 4 receiver sets and new wildcat formations. What happened to the creativity so far? A lot of fans are calling for the head of Jeff Davidson. A lot of others say that Fox is the one to blame for the "questionable" play calling. Who's really in charge of the offense in Carolina?
Pat Yasinskas: There was an awful lot of talk about how the Panthers were going to revitalize their whole passing game. Sadly, I think it was nothing more than talk. There’s been no evidence of it in the regular season, but it is kind of tough to run a four-receiver set when you don't have four legitimate NFL receivers. As far as the play calling, Davidson makes the calls. But, like any offensive coordinator, he largely is doing what the head coach tells him to do. Look, I remember a few years back when fans were trying to run Dan Henning out of town. Henning eventually took the fall and Davidson was brought in to spice up the offense. In hindsight, the offense isn’t much different than it was under Henning. In fact, I think you could make a case that it generally was better under Henning.
Zach in Charlotte writes: I saw your post on the possibility of the Panthers trading Steve Smith. I love the Panthers, but i would really like to see this happen if he was traded to a contender. He deserves a ring and a good quarterback, and it would be a shame if he didn’t make the Hall of Fame. So which teams do you think would be interested in trading for Smith and what might we get return?
Pat Yasinskas: Let’s clarify a bit before the rumors get out of control. I was merely linking to a column in which another writer suggest the Panthers should trade Smith and his logic was they might as well get some draft picks for him to help them continue with their youth movement. I see the logic in that. However, and let me be clear, there is no evidence that Smith is on the trading block. And, say what you want about Smith, who usually is not the type to keep quiet about what he’s thinking. But, at least to my knowledge, Smith never has said he wants to be traded away from the Panthers.
Taihair in Costa Mesa, Calif., writes: Do you think the owner, Jerry Richardson, holds some blame for the position the Panthers are in? Because of the possibly lockout, he will not open the check book and the team has gone with a youth movement despite only barely missing the playoffs thanks to poor QB play last season. Steve Smith has asked for help and got none. I would not be surprised if he asked for a trade after the season.
Pat Yasinskas: There is no doubt Jerry Richardson deserves some blame for this situation. He likes to say that Fox and general manager Marty Hurney are in charge of the football side. But it’s obvious Richardson stepped in and told them to head in the direction of a youth movement. I respect Richardson more than any other owner in the league. I asked him to sit down at the owners meeting in Orlando back in the spring and talk on the record about exactly what is going on with his team. He agreed at first, but he got busy with other things and it didn’t happen. The invitation for Richardson to talk still stands and he knows it and his public relations people know it. I respect his desire to stay out of the spotlight. But I think things have come to a point where Richardson needs to address his fans (through the media) and explain what he’s really thinking.
Pat Yasinskas: I think it’s fair to say Fox doesn’t have the power he once did. I also think it’s fair to say that no veteran coach in the last year of his contract wants to be stuck in the middle of a youth movement. As far as Peppers’ departure goes, that was a different type of situation. The Panthers made numerous attempts to keep Peppers and offered him plenty of money. Peppers just wanted to leave the Panthers no matter what.
Ryan in Charlotte writes: You were hanging around the Panther's training camp for a few days. There was talk about creative 4 receiver sets and new wildcat formations. What happened to the creativity so far? A lot of fans are calling for the head of Jeff Davidson. A lot of others say that Fox is the one to blame for the "questionable" play calling. Who's really in charge of the offense in Carolina?
Pat Yasinskas: There was an awful lot of talk about how the Panthers were going to revitalize their whole passing game. Sadly, I think it was nothing more than talk. There’s been no evidence of it in the regular season, but it is kind of tough to run a four-receiver set when you don't have four legitimate NFL receivers. As far as the play calling, Davidson makes the calls. But, like any offensive coordinator, he largely is doing what the head coach tells him to do. Look, I remember a few years back when fans were trying to run Dan Henning out of town. Henning eventually took the fall and Davidson was brought in to spice up the offense. In hindsight, the offense isn’t much different than it was under Henning. In fact, I think you could make a case that it generally was better under Henning.
Zach in Charlotte writes: I saw your post on the possibility of the Panthers trading Steve Smith. I love the Panthers, but i would really like to see this happen if he was traded to a contender. He deserves a ring and a good quarterback, and it would be a shame if he didn’t make the Hall of Fame. So which teams do you think would be interested in trading for Smith and what might we get return?
Pat Yasinskas: Let’s clarify a bit before the rumors get out of control. I was merely linking to a column in which another writer suggest the Panthers should trade Smith and his logic was they might as well get some draft picks for him to help them continue with their youth movement. I see the logic in that. However, and let me be clear, there is no evidence that Smith is on the trading block. And, say what you want about Smith, who usually is not the type to keep quiet about what he’s thinking. But, at least to my knowledge, Smith never has said he wants to be traded away from the Panthers.
Taihair in Costa Mesa, Calif., writes: Do you think the owner, Jerry Richardson, holds some blame for the position the Panthers are in? Because of the possibly lockout, he will not open the check book and the team has gone with a youth movement despite only barely missing the playoffs thanks to poor QB play last season. Steve Smith has asked for help and got none. I would not be surprised if he asked for a trade after the season.
Pat Yasinskas: There is no doubt Jerry Richardson deserves some blame for this situation. He likes to say that Fox and general manager Marty Hurney are in charge of the football side. But it’s obvious Richardson stepped in and told them to head in the direction of a youth movement. I respect Richardson more than any other owner in the league. I asked him to sit down at the owners meeting in Orlando back in the spring and talk on the record about exactly what is going on with his team. He agreed at first, but he got busy with other things and it didn’t happen. The invitation for Richardson to talk still stands and he knows it and his public relations people know it. I respect his desire to stay out of the spotlight. But I think things have come to a point where Richardson needs to address his fans (through the media) and explain what he’s really thinking.
Chris in Knoxville, Tenn., writes: I appreciate the Bucs/Panthers rivalry article, it brought back lots of great memories. With Kris Jenkins out for the season and possibly done with his stellar career, could you get a debate going between fans on who really was a better DL, Jenkins or Warren Sapp? My take, Jenkins was the better player but Sapp was more marketable, and they both make the HOF.
Pat Yasinskas: We’ll let readers hash this one out in the comments section below. But here’s my take. Sapp will make the Hall of Fame and Jenkins will not. The reason I say that is because Sapp had relatively high production throughout his career. Jenkins has had his career interrupted by injuries too many times to put together a body of work worthy of the Hall of Fame. The only way he’d have a shot is if he comes back from this injury, has a couple more big years and the Jets win a Super Bowl. I think there’s a chance Jenkins might just decide to retire after his injury. But, for a couple of years, at the height of the Carolina/Tampa Bay rivalry and before the injuries started, Jenkins actually was better than Sapp.
Mookie in Snelville, Ga., writes: Tell me you heard Mike Singletary say,"We will not try to stop Drew Brees, We will stop Drew Brees." ? Do you think that type of talk gets back to Drew, and do you think Singletary is dancing with the Devil making comments like that ?
Pat Yasinskas: I seem to recall hearing something about that. I know how things work in the NFL, and I feel pretty safe in saying that quote just might be taped up somewhere in the New Orleans locker room. Not sure it’s really a good idea to fire up Brees and the rest of his team.
Jessica in Bowie, Md., writes: Is there any chance that the Panthers could trade off for Vincent Jackson? I know it’s been only one game, but I have that vibe that another season will continue with no help for Steve Smith.
Pat Yasinskas: I get this question a lot and I understand where fans are coming from. But the short answer is I don’t see the Panthers doing anything like that. Owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney don’t seem to be looking for any quick fixes these days. Coach John Fox might feel a bit differently, but I don’t know that he’s the most important man in that building right now.
Nick in San Marcos writes: I’m tired of the QB bashing that has been going on for some time in Carolina, first Jake Delhomme now Matt Moore. I watched the Giants game and, yes, Moore made some mistakes but he was put into a situation no undrafted, barely named, starter should ever be in. Why in the world are the Panthers throwing 35 times a game and running 25 if that? That is just stupid, The Panthers were in this game, along with a bunch from last year and the years before ... When is everyone going to realize the REAL problem in Carolina... JEFF DAVIDSON. I feel like people overlook him.
Pat Yasinskas: I question some of the play calls Davidson makes. But before Davidson, a lot of people questioned Dan Henning. I really don’t see much difference between the two. The common thread there is Fox is the head coach, and the offensive coordinator is going to call the game the way the head coach wants.
Andy in Atlanta writes: I can't help but wonder about a young cornerstone player who is no longer with the Bucs -- Arron Sears. 1) Will the complete story of Sears' mysterious departure after the '08 season ever by revealed? 2) What is he doing now? 3) Is there a chance he'll ever return to the NFL?
Pat Yasinskas: The only way the Sears story can come out (legally and ethically) is if he decides to tell his story about what the team would only refer to as a “personal situation’’. I know Sears and the Bucs tried to work together, but the Bucs finally gave up because they saw no chance of things ending well. I honestly don’t know what Sears is doing now. From what I know, the chances of him returning to the NFL are pretty slim.
Ryan in Charlotte writes: Question. What exactly are the blackout rules? Does every team absolutely have to sell out all home games to prevent a local television blackout? That's the impression I keep getting, and if so, seems kind of unreasonable I think.
Pat Yasinskas: In a nutshell, the home team has to sell out 72 hours prior to kickoff. If that doesn’t happen, the game cannot be aired live on local television, which means a 75-mile radius.
Rum in Avondale, La., writes: After reading your Falcons mailbag -- did you catch Inside The NFL (on Showtime) last night? The guys on the show were ripping Matty Ice and the Falcons for their pitiful performance against the Steelers. You might want to let the Falcon fans know about it so they'll see what others are saying about losing to a 3rd-string QB.
Pat Yasinskas: No, I didn’t happen to catch it, but I’m sure the Falcons got their share of criticism throughout the media. I’m also pretty sure Mike Smith and his staff weren’t going around the building this week saying, “You guys were great in Pittsburgh’’. I’m sure the Falcons took a lot of heat from within this week, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back with a strong performance against Arizona.
Amit in Atlanta writes: When will Jerious Norwood get the carries he deserves? He seems to be healthy this year and the few touches he got against the Steelers were more positive than the touches Michael Turner got. Is there any chance Norwood will get at least 10 carries a game that he deserves?
Pat Yasinskas: Norwood is healthy at the moment. But the problem is he’s never been able to stay healthy for very long. I’d like to see him get at least a few more carries, too. But I don’t think the Falcons are ready to give up on Michael Turner and suddenly make Norwood a feature back.
Pat Yasinskas: We’ll let readers hash this one out in the comments section below. But here’s my take. Sapp will make the Hall of Fame and Jenkins will not. The reason I say that is because Sapp had relatively high production throughout his career. Jenkins has had his career interrupted by injuries too many times to put together a body of work worthy of the Hall of Fame. The only way he’d have a shot is if he comes back from this injury, has a couple more big years and the Jets win a Super Bowl. I think there’s a chance Jenkins might just decide to retire after his injury. But, for a couple of years, at the height of the Carolina/Tampa Bay rivalry and before the injuries started, Jenkins actually was better than Sapp.
Mookie in Snelville, Ga., writes: Tell me you heard Mike Singletary say,"We will not try to stop Drew Brees, We will stop Drew Brees." ? Do you think that type of talk gets back to Drew, and do you think Singletary is dancing with the Devil making comments like that ?
Pat Yasinskas: I seem to recall hearing something about that. I know how things work in the NFL, and I feel pretty safe in saying that quote just might be taped up somewhere in the New Orleans locker room. Not sure it’s really a good idea to fire up Brees and the rest of his team.
Jessica in Bowie, Md., writes: Is there any chance that the Panthers could trade off for Vincent Jackson? I know it’s been only one game, but I have that vibe that another season will continue with no help for Steve Smith.
Pat Yasinskas: I get this question a lot and I understand where fans are coming from. But the short answer is I don’t see the Panthers doing anything like that. Owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney don’t seem to be looking for any quick fixes these days. Coach John Fox might feel a bit differently, but I don’t know that he’s the most important man in that building right now.
Nick in San Marcos writes: I’m tired of the QB bashing that has been going on for some time in Carolina, first Jake Delhomme now Matt Moore. I watched the Giants game and, yes, Moore made some mistakes but he was put into a situation no undrafted, barely named, starter should ever be in. Why in the world are the Panthers throwing 35 times a game and running 25 if that? That is just stupid, The Panthers were in this game, along with a bunch from last year and the years before ... When is everyone going to realize the REAL problem in Carolina... JEFF DAVIDSON. I feel like people overlook him.
Pat Yasinskas: I question some of the play calls Davidson makes. But before Davidson, a lot of people questioned Dan Henning. I really don’t see much difference between the two. The common thread there is Fox is the head coach, and the offensive coordinator is going to call the game the way the head coach wants.
Andy in Atlanta writes: I can't help but wonder about a young cornerstone player who is no longer with the Bucs -- Arron Sears. 1) Will the complete story of Sears' mysterious departure after the '08 season ever by revealed? 2) What is he doing now? 3) Is there a chance he'll ever return to the NFL?
Pat Yasinskas: The only way the Sears story can come out (legally and ethically) is if he decides to tell his story about what the team would only refer to as a “personal situation’’. I know Sears and the Bucs tried to work together, but the Bucs finally gave up because they saw no chance of things ending well. I honestly don’t know what Sears is doing now. From what I know, the chances of him returning to the NFL are pretty slim.
Ryan in Charlotte writes: Question. What exactly are the blackout rules? Does every team absolutely have to sell out all home games to prevent a local television blackout? That's the impression I keep getting, and if so, seems kind of unreasonable I think.
Pat Yasinskas: In a nutshell, the home team has to sell out 72 hours prior to kickoff. If that doesn’t happen, the game cannot be aired live on local television, which means a 75-mile radius.
Rum in Avondale, La., writes: After reading your Falcons mailbag -- did you catch Inside The NFL (on Showtime) last night? The guys on the show were ripping Matty Ice and the Falcons for their pitiful performance against the Steelers. You might want to let the Falcon fans know about it so they'll see what others are saying about losing to a 3rd-string QB.
Pat Yasinskas: No, I didn’t happen to catch it, but I’m sure the Falcons got their share of criticism throughout the media. I’m also pretty sure Mike Smith and his staff weren’t going around the building this week saying, “You guys were great in Pittsburgh’’. I’m sure the Falcons took a lot of heat from within this week, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back with a strong performance against Arizona.
Amit in Atlanta writes: When will Jerious Norwood get the carries he deserves? He seems to be healthy this year and the few touches he got against the Steelers were more positive than the touches Michael Turner got. Is there any chance Norwood will get at least 10 carries a game that he deserves?
Pat Yasinskas: Norwood is healthy at the moment. But the problem is he’s never been able to stay healthy for very long. I’d like to see him get at least a few more carries, too. But I don’t think the Falcons are ready to give up on Michael Turner and suddenly make Norwood a feature back.
A few more thoughts on Tampa Bay’s decision to demote defensive coordinator Jim Bates.
I’ve always thought of coordinators as insulation or convenient scapegoats for head coaches. When things don’t go well for a head coach, he’s usually not going to be fired right away. Pressure from ownership and, sometimes even fans, is going to force him to sacrifice someone to protect himself and a coordinator almost always going to be the first place to turn.
I’ve seen it with John Fox and Dan Henning, Tony Dungy and Mike Shula or, more recently and more successfully, Sean Payton dumping Gary Gibbs for Gregg Williams. Moves like this usually come a few years into a regime when it becomes clear there’s a particular problem area.
But the Bucs have made two moves like this less than three months into Raheem Morris’ first season as a head coach. He shed offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski just before the start of the season. The word was Jagodzinski’s playbook was too simple and he wasn’t very organized.
Fine, we all gave him a pass on that one. But, now, Morris has turned around and taken the defense out of Bates’ hands and that raises major questions. Bates is the most experienced coach on this staff and he’s been a successful coordinator at several other places.
All this reflects poorly on Morris because Jagodzinski and Bates were his two hand-picked coordinators and he was supposed to lean heavily on them because Bates has been a head coach in the NFL and Jagodzinski had been a head coach at Boston College. If they had such major flaws, he never should have hired them. If the Bucs didn’t have the personnel to run their systems, Morris should have made sure they had the personnel or encouraged them to alter their systems.
With six weeks left in his first season, Morris has shed all of his insulation and winter is coming fast. I’ve always thought Tampa Bay’s intent was to build slowly with Morris and that he’d get at least a few years to work through the process. Now, I'm not so sure that's going to happen.
This situation has become a mess. There’s no one left to take the blame except for Morris.
I’ve always thought of coordinators as insulation or convenient scapegoats for head coaches. When things don’t go well for a head coach, he’s usually not going to be fired right away. Pressure from ownership and, sometimes even fans, is going to force him to sacrifice someone to protect himself and a coordinator almost always going to be the first place to turn.
I’ve seen it with John Fox and Dan Henning, Tony Dungy and Mike Shula or, more recently and more successfully, Sean Payton dumping Gary Gibbs for Gregg Williams. Moves like this usually come a few years into a regime when it becomes clear there’s a particular problem area.
But the Bucs have made two moves like this less than three months into Raheem Morris’ first season as a head coach. He shed offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski just before the start of the season. The word was Jagodzinski’s playbook was too simple and he wasn’t very organized.
Fine, we all gave him a pass on that one. But, now, Morris has turned around and taken the defense out of Bates’ hands and that raises major questions. Bates is the most experienced coach on this staff and he’s been a successful coordinator at several other places.
All this reflects poorly on Morris because Jagodzinski and Bates were his two hand-picked coordinators and he was supposed to lean heavily on them because Bates has been a head coach in the NFL and Jagodzinski had been a head coach at Boston College. If they had such major flaws, he never should have hired them. If the Bucs didn’t have the personnel to run their systems, Morris should have made sure they had the personnel or encouraged them to alter their systems.
With six weeks left in his first season, Morris has shed all of his insulation and winter is coming fast. I’ve always thought Tampa Bay’s intent was to build slowly with Morris and that he’d get at least a few years to work through the process. Now, I'm not so sure that's going to happen.
This situation has become a mess. There’s no one left to take the blame except for Morris.
As we wait for Thursday night’s game between the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins, here are some thoughts to ponder.
All indications out of Carolina are that running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be playing. But I’m very curious to see if having both of these guys banged up will take a toll on Carolina’s running game. It’s tough -- more like impossible -- to get injury information out of coach John Fox. So we’ll have to wait and see just how injured Williams and Stewart are. They’ve been a large part of the reason the Panthers suddenly are playing good football, and I’m thinking Fox finally has learned the lesson that it’s best not to put the game in the hands of Jake Delhomme. Keep it on the ground and let Williams and Stewart do their thing -- if they’re able.
When All-Pro tackle Jordan Gross went out with a season-ending injury on Sunday, the Panthers shifted left guard Travelle Wharton to left tackle and inserted Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard. They got through the rest of the Atlanta game without any major problems. I’m guessing the Panthers will go with that same alignment tonight. Wharton played left tackle earlier in his career and was serviceable at that spot. The bigger question is Bernadeau. He doesn’t have much experience and I’m sure the Dolphins will try to test him.
I wish I could be in Charlotte for the game because I’d like to see what happens on the field before the game. I’m real curious to see if Fox and Miami offensive coordinator Dan Henning shake hands or talk at all. Fox fired Henning after the 2006 season and I don’t think there’s a lot of love remaining between the two.
I know it’s a short week and I know Fox is a creature of habit, but I wonder if he might make a little move at linebacker. The absence of the injured Thomas Davis was very apparent against Atlanta. Landon Johnson and James Anderson both have experience, but they’re just not that good. With Davis gone for the season, I wonder if Fox has considered sliding backup middle linebacker Dan Connor to the outside.
I’ll be watching the game from home and will be checking in with observations during and after the game, so keep checking the NFC South blog.
All indications out of Carolina are that running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be playing. But I’m very curious to see if having both of these guys banged up will take a toll on Carolina’s running game. It’s tough -- more like impossible -- to get injury information out of coach John Fox. So we’ll have to wait and see just how injured Williams and Stewart are. They’ve been a large part of the reason the Panthers suddenly are playing good football, and I’m thinking Fox finally has learned the lesson that it’s best not to put the game in the hands of Jake Delhomme. Keep it on the ground and let Williams and Stewart do their thing -- if they’re able.
When All-Pro tackle Jordan Gross went out with a season-ending injury on Sunday, the Panthers shifted left guard Travelle Wharton to left tackle and inserted Mackenzy Bernadeau at left guard. They got through the rest of the Atlanta game without any major problems. I’m guessing the Panthers will go with that same alignment tonight. Wharton played left tackle earlier in his career and was serviceable at that spot. The bigger question is Bernadeau. He doesn’t have much experience and I’m sure the Dolphins will try to test him.
I wish I could be in Charlotte for the game because I’d like to see what happens on the field before the game. I’m real curious to see if Fox and Miami offensive coordinator Dan Henning shake hands or talk at all. Fox fired Henning after the 2006 season and I don’t think there’s a lot of love remaining between the two.
I know it’s a short week and I know Fox is a creature of habit, but I wonder if he might make a little move at linebacker. The absence of the injured Thomas Davis was very apparent against Atlanta. Landon Johnson and James Anderson both have experience, but they’re just not that good. With Davis gone for the season, I wonder if Fox has considered sliding backup middle linebacker Dan Connor to the outside.
I’ll be watching the game from home and will be checking in with observations during and after the game, so keep checking the NFC South blog.
Henning vs. Fox a matchup to watch
November, 17, 2009
11/17/09
11:52
AM ET
By
Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com
The best matchup in the NFC South this week might be behind the scenes and on the sideline.
Miami plays at Carolina on Thursday night and there are some intense feelings between some members of these organizations. I’m talking specifically about Miami offensive coordinator Dan Henning and Carolina coach John Fox.
You might recall that Fox fired Henning as his offensive coordinator after the 2006 season. It was a classic case of Henning serving as the scapegoat for a disappointing season that was caused by lots of other factors. Fox caved to pressure on that one and fired a veteran coach who was good enough to get the Panthers to the Super Bowl during the 2003 season, was thoroughly respected in the locker room and even more respected around the league.
Henning landed on his feet in Miami with his old buddy Bill Parcells and has kept quiet about his Carolina experience. But Henning is a very proud and competitive man and you can bet that he wasn't thrilled by the way his time in Carolina ended.
That could provide a little extra motivation as Henning prepares his game plan. Plus, Henning knows Carolina’s defensive system and personnel pretty well and may have a few ideas on how to exploit weaknesses.
Also, keep an eye on Fox and Henning on the field before the game. I’m guessing you won’t see them having any lengthy reunion talks.
Miami plays at Carolina on Thursday night and there are some intense feelings between some members of these organizations. I’m talking specifically about Miami offensive coordinator Dan Henning and Carolina coach John Fox.
You might recall that Fox fired Henning as his offensive coordinator after the 2006 season. It was a classic case of Henning serving as the scapegoat for a disappointing season that was caused by lots of other factors. Fox caved to pressure on that one and fired a veteran coach who was good enough to get the Panthers to the Super Bowl during the 2003 season, was thoroughly respected in the locker room and even more respected around the league.
Henning landed on his feet in Miami with his old buddy Bill Parcells and has kept quiet about his Carolina experience. But Henning is a very proud and competitive man and you can bet that he wasn't thrilled by the way his time in Carolina ended.
That could provide a little extra motivation as Henning prepares his game plan. Plus, Henning knows Carolina’s defensive system and personnel pretty well and may have a few ideas on how to exploit weaknesses.
Also, keep an eye on Fox and Henning on the field before the game. I’m guessing you won’t see them having any lengthy reunion talks.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Pat Yasinskas
Yasinskas joined ESPN.com in January 2008 after covering the Carolina Panthers for The Charlotte Observer for nine seasons. He began his journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990.
