Panthers @ Bills

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

http://hosted.stats.com/fb/preview.asp?g=20130915002&home=2&vis=29

 

(AP) -- EJ Manuel earned a lot of praise after his NFL debut.

 

Cam Newton can certainly relate given his marvelous rookie year, though his season debut didn't go so well.

 

Both two-dimensional signal-callers look to help their teams bounce back from tantalizingly close losses to playoff teams from last season as the Buffalo Bills host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

 

The only quarterback selected in the first round of this year's draft, Manuel very nearly led the Bills to a stunning upset of New England last Sunday. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, but Buffalo lost 23-21 on a late field goal.

 

"Obviously with every play I was continuing to get more and more confidence in myself and continuing to relax, stay calm throughout the whole thing and stay poised as a quarterback," said Manuel, who had three carries for 23 yards and didn't take a sack.

 

Though he had just 47 total yards as the Bills (0-1) went scoreless on their final five drives and blew a six-point lead, Manuel did help Buffalo overcome an early 10-point deficit and received mostly positive reviews.

 

"I thought he was pretty phenomenal," tight end Scott Chandler told the team's official website. "Protected the ball, threw the ball well."

 

Manuel could only hope to have the type of rookie season Newton did when he earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. Newton joined Drew Bledsoe as the only 22-year-old players in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards, and he rushed for 706 with 14 touchdowns.

 

Newton and the Panthers (0-1) didn't look so electric in Sunday's 12-7 home loss to Seattle. He did complete 16 of 23 passes but for a career-low 125 yards, and he gained 38 yards on five carries as Carolina fell to 4-14 when he fails to rush for 50.

 

"We did some things that were very exciting, but as an offense and as a team we just have to be more thorough to a degree and finish drives," Newton said.

 

The Panthers had three fumbles and lost two, including one by DeAngelo Williams eight yards from the end zone on what turned out to be their final possession.

 

"Offensively, we have to score more than seven points, that's what it all comes down to," offensive tackle Jordan Gross said.

 

Though Carolina averaged an impressive 5.2 yards per carry, coach Ron Rivera wasn't happy with how conservative the offense looked under first-year coordinator Mike Shula. After his team attempted only three passes of 10 yards or more Sunday, Rivera said his team needed to "look at getting the ball vertical."

 

"We have to create more of those opportunities," Rivera said.

 

Newton and the Panthers will look to take advantage of a depleted Bills secondary.

 

Already without two starters in cornerback Stephon Gilmore (wrist) and safety Jairus Byrd (feet), Buffalo lost Ron Brooks Sunday. Used as a third cornerback in passing situations, Brooks was scheduled to have surgery Tuesday on a broken right foot.

 

That's bad news for a Bills unit that struggled to get off the field Sunday, letting the Patriots convert 11 of 20 third-down opportunities, including two on the game-winning drive.

 

Buffalo, meanwhile, went 4 for 13 on third down and possessed the ball for 22:17 - its lowest total since Nov. 6, 2011.

 

"Obviously, you've got to get that fixed," running back Fred Jackson said. "We can't leave our defense out there. We can't go three-and-out and put them out there and make them have a long day."

 

While Jackson ran for 67 yards, Buffalo hopes for more from C.J. Spiller after he was held to 41 along with 14 yards on five catches. Spiller had 1,703 total yards last year.

 

Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson also had a rough day. After saying "I don't think (the Patriots) have got nobody to stop me," Johnson was held to three receptions for 39 yards.

 

Though it was Johnson who put the Bills ahead 21-17 with a third-quarter touchdown catch, he also dropped a short pass in the fourth quarter when he was wide open on third-and-1 from Buffalo's 49-yard line. The Bills would not approach midfield again.

 

"When you don't win a game, at the end of the day, that's when you get negative attention," Johnson said. "And I deserve it."

 

Carolina lost starting right guard Garry Williams for the season to a torn ACL and MCL in the opener, so Chris Scott will likely move into that spot as he faces a Bills team that cut him July 27. Scott made his first NFL start at left guard last Sunday and that position could be filled by former starter Amini Silatolu, who sat out Week 1 with a hamstring injury.

 

The Panthers haven't visited Buffalo since 2005, when they picked up their only win in five tries against the Bills.

 

[Dutch 874]

This would be a demoralizing loss for the Panthers. However, I think the Panthers defense will be too much for the Bills. Bills are a sleeper though and may be a trap team

 

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[blotsfan 2,112]

EJ plays well, but our D comes down to earth and can't contain Newton at all.

 

35

 

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[housemd 338]

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[RazorStar 4,025]

I think Cam shows up for this game and puts the screws to the Bills.

 

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[NFL-Lady 1]

PANTHERS win this one...

[Thanatos 2,847]

Carolina had better win this one and they had sure as hell better not overlook Buffalo.

 

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[theMileHighGuy 656]

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Spiller has another tough day pissing me off in fantasy.

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Panthers WR Domenik Hixon (hamstring) is active for Sunday's Week 2 game against the Bills.

Hixon will make his Panthers debut and should immediately regain his slot receiver role after returning to a full week of practice.

Kenjon Barner, CB James Dockery, C Brian Folkerts, CB Melvin White, TE Brandon Williams, DT Sione Fua, and DE Wes Horton have all been declared inactive.

 

 

 

 

Bills FS Jairus Byrd (foot) is inactive for Sunday's Week 2 game against the Panthers.

Byrd will miss his second straight game due to plantar fasciitis. He practiced on a limited basis this week but remains without a set timetable to return.

Also inactive for the Bills are CB Stephon Gilmore, K Dustin Hopkins, CB Ron Brooks, WR Marquise Goodwin, TE Chris Gragg, and OL Doug Legursky.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

No protection for Newton. Guy is running for his life, and getting smacked. lol.

[blotsfan 2,112]

EJ plays well, but our D comes down to earth and can't contain Newton at all.

 

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Correctly predicted the Bills score. What else can I say but that I'm an amazing prognosticator?

[Thanatos 2,847]

Typical Ron Rivera. Sits on a six point lead when we can't possibly protect it as we've shown often in the past. Plays pure prevent defense with 1:48 to go, which is plenty of time to get in striking distance of the endzone. The goal with them at the 20 and 1:48 to go isn't to only let them get to your 40 yard line. Its to never even let them get in hail mary range.

 

Then all it takes is one unlucky thing- bad DPI call- and its game over. Well, two actually, since DJ Moore decided not to cover Stevie Johnson and just let him walk to the back of the endzone wide open.

 

I really don't think I'm overreacting when I say that a team that is 2-14 in one score games since a certain coach has come into town has a serious problem at the coaching level. Rivera cannot coach in the NFL. He's proven it time and time again.

 

To put it quite simply, he doesn't have the balls to coach in the NFL.

 

I will also do what Cam Newton should have done instead of acting like a pussy and running off the field, probably to go cry, and say Congrats to EJ and the Bills, he picked himself back up after making mistakes and led a great drive, taking what the defense gave him.

 

But yeah.

 

#FireRivera.

 

Giants are going to win next week, and it's going to be something like 27-24 on a late TD drive where we once again sat on a lead.

 

Oh and while I'm on the subject, you can fire Mike Shula too. The man has no guts as an OC, calls conservative plays all the time for an offense that was one of the most explosive in the league for two years running, and is run-run-pass all fucking day long.

Edited September 15, 2013 by Thanatos19

[Vin+ 3,121]

https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/379345167406624768

 

 

https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/379346414234783745

Edited September 15, 2013 by Vin

[blotsfan 2,112]

Now that I've calmed down a bit my thoughts on the game.

 

EJ looked ok. Made some rookie mistakes, but very nice on the last drive (with a little ref help).

 

If Stevie dropped that touchdown I would've died.

 

Mario Williams was what we dreamed of him being when we signed him. Hope he keeps that up.

 

Kiko Alonso

 

Hell, the defense in general has been mostly good this season.

 

I think you should always go for 2 when you score a touchdown down 8. Thank God we have a coach that agrees.

 

Obviously the PI call killed them, but Keuchly is a beast. I wanted the Bills to draft him and am very disappointed he didn't fall to us. He looks like an all-pro player.

 

Newton was garbage but I'd put a lot of that on the OC. If you don't let him run, he is not going to play well. You don't have to run the read option, but we were not scared of him running at all and thats unacceptable if you're carolina.

 

We're still probably gonna be in the 5-11 to 7-9 range, but this was definitely a fun one that I'll remember fondly for a long time.

[Dutch 874]

Killer play

 

Edited September 17, 2013 by dutchff7

[BradyFan81 404]

Panthers should hire Greg Roman. He's done a great job with CK in San Fran, and Cam is a similar QB to CK. Ron Rivera has to go though, he is so conservative and cannot win close games. Panthers are 2-14 in games decided by <7 points in the Rivera era.

Edited September 17, 2013 by BradyFan81

[Thanatos 2,847]

I agree. Roman would be a great pick.