BLUE 1,026 Posted September 11, 2015 By JEFF BARTL STATS Senior Writer (AP) -- First, the good news: The Carolina Panthers had a focused, determined and fully healthy Cam Newton for an entire training camp. Now, the bad news: Newton's top receiving target from last season is out for 2015. The two-time defending NFC South champions still have plenty of optimism heading into Sunday's opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars, mainly because of their franchise quarterback's confidence. Newton missed the first game of 2014 recovering from various injuries and another in December before the Panthers won their last four and beat Arizona at home in the wild-card round. He signed a five-year, $103.8 million extension in the offseason, and he's not taking lightly the responsibility that comes with that type of contract. Not only does Newton want to continue being a dual threat - his 2,571 yards and 33 touchdowns rushing by far are the most among NFL quarterbacks since he entered the league in 2011 - but his goal is to complete 65-70 percent of his passes. He's never completed better than 61.7. "I'm ready to go," Newton said. "There are a lot of guys in that huddle, including myself, that are anticipating the start of the season (and) embracing the whole process, not just Sundays. "It's about guys living up to their potential. We have to be able to live up to it. As long as we do our job the way we know how, it's going to be fun." The hodgepodge of receivers he'll be throwing to, though, could put a wrinkle in his plans. Kelvin Benjamin caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season, but he tore his ACL in camp. That leaves Ted Ginn Jr., who has just 83 catches while starting five games for three different teams over the last five seasons, and Corey Brown as the starters. Brown had 21 receptions as an undrafted rookie last season. Tight end Greg Olsen again will play a major role in the passing game. Second-round pick Devin Funchess should get his opportunities while Jerricho Cotchery hopes to contribute as well. They're all part of an offense that now has Jonathan Stewart as its feature back after DeAngelo Williams was released in the offseason. Luke Kuechly, who on Thursday agreed to a five-year, $62 million extension that would make him the league's highest-paid middle linebacker, and Thomas Davis again anchor a solid defense for Carolina, which faces a Jacksonville team eager to shake the label of perennial bottom-feeder. The Jaguars have won seven games in coach Gus Bradley's first two seasons and finished 31st in total offense with 289.6 yards per game in 2014. Blake Bortles took over at quarterback early in his rookie season and was sacked a league-high 55 times. Jacksonville has plenty of young talent, though, and knows its time to start producing victories. "We're going to surprise some people," tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "(Losing stinks), but at the same time, if you continue to focus on that, you're going to be there again. Right now, we have the right makeup in this locker room, and it's exciting to be part of it." Bortles won't have two-time Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas for at least three games because of a broken hand, but second-year receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson are prepared to carry the load in the passing game with Marqise Lee also out for the opener. Second-round pick T.J. Yeldon beat out Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart for the starting running back job despite seeing limited action in the preseason. "I think it's a really good room," Bortles told the team's official website. "It's obviously a young room and a talented room, but I have trust in every single guy in that room and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do." How the Jaguars will fare defensively is another issue. They took end Dante Fowler Jr. with the third overall pick, but he tore his ACL in rookie camp and will be out for the year. Tackle Sen'Derrick Marks won't play in the opener and could be out a few more weeks after having offseason knee surgery, and end Andre Branch has a sprained MCL that will keep him out until at least Week 4. Jacksonville ranked 26th in total defense in 2014 allowing 370.8 yards per game and was 29th in opposing quarterback rating at 99.1. "What's unique this game is Cam Newton," Bradley said. "He is a quarterback that will pull it and run, and he's a big body-type quarterback that you better have a plan for him." Source: Hosted.Stats.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 11, 2015 We might actually win a game Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cherry 1,302 Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) 6 16 Edited September 11, 2015 by Chernobyl426 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) The Panthers demise has been greatly exaggerated by a media that refuses to give them any respect, no matter the fact that we are back-to-back division champions, a feat that had never been before accomplished in the NFC South. Bortles looks to have improved, but our defense, if they start this year the same as they ended last, is going to be ferocious. Luke/Shaq/TD to start at LB, good luck. Our offense will prevent us from being contenders, but the sky is certainly not falling. 10 24 Edited September 11, 2015 by Thanatos19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted September 12, 2015 Feel like Jags won't be able to run the ball much (that LB group is stupid), Star being out helps but Short is no slouch and they got other bodies so it'll be on Bortles against an improved and now veteran secondary. For the Panthers I feel like it's gonna be a lot of read-option with J-Stew/CAP and Cam and Olsen is gonna eat because Jags haven't been able to cover a TE for 15 years. However we're going full homer and turnovers are the key in the Panthers demise Sunday. 16 20 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) Panthers win this game because that defense is still a top unit in the league and the Jags are just...well..the Jags. I think it'll be a competitive game, but Carolina comes out on top because of the field position battle that they'll win by forcing turnovers. 17 11 Edited September 12, 2015 by DarthRaider Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seanbrock 1,684 Posted September 12, 2015 Tough game to pick. Teams with similar levels of talent. I think The Jags pull it out narrowly 20-16 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted September 13, 2015 Who needs to run the ball anyway? Blake Bortles is gonna put the Jags on his back and dominate. We're gonna be talking about the new best QB in the AFC South soon, and his name isn't Andy. 27 17 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 13, 2015 Panthers declared DT Star Lotulelei, OT Nate Chandler, TE Richie Brockel, WR Kevin Norwood, RB Brandon Wegher, S Deane Marlowe and LB David Mayo inactive for Week 1 against the Jaguars. No big surprises here. Lotulelei did not practice at all this week and was ruled out earlier in the week. He is questionable for Week 2. Jaguars declared WR Marqise Lee, DT Sen'Derrick Marks, TE Julius Thomas, DT Alan Branch, RB Toby Gerhart, OG A.J. Cann and C Luke Bowanko inactive for Week 1 against the Panthers. Lee did not practice at all this week. Always hurt and inconsistent on the field, Lee may have already lost his spot in the offense. Marks could return next week. Thomas is out until at least Week 4. Toby hurt already Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted September 13, 2015 This is going to be the ugliest 2 touchdown win I've ever seen from Carolina. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted September 13, 2015 Expected to lose this one, but I think there's some decent things in the game. Yeldon looked good, surprisingly. The D was mostly solid. Clemons sacking people and blocking kicks . Campin's boy Posluzsny gettin' picks and deflecting passes and stuff. Bortles was pretty meh, and that disappointed me. He was fine on the short stuff, but everything remotely deep was overthrown. Hopefully he settles down and gets his act together for next week. We might get smoked next week, but with the Dolphins struggling against the Redskins it gives me hope that we can pull out a win. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted September 13, 2015 I hope Luke is ok that will sink us for sure if he's out for an extended period of time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025 Posted September 14, 2015 Game was completely even, just 2 big differences... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted September 14, 2015 (edited) Now that I've calmed down a bit, a bit of analysis of the game. The game turned on the Jags inability to take advantage of what was really Newton's only awful throw of the afternoon and them being unable to stop us on the final drive that ate up eight and a half minutes and extended the lead to 11. Your new kicker is as bad here as Josh Scobee is in Pitt, and if you had a competent kicker that game is way different. At the very least it's 17-13 prior to that last clock-killing drive by Carolina, and even assuming that ends up the same, its a 20-13 ballgame and still within 1 score. As for our kicker, I'm not going to give Gano too much grief over missing a 53-yard FG and having another one blocked when it didn't matter at all, (the second one didn't matter, I mean). I hear a lot from analysts about how good Bortles looked, but to me he looked shaky, he played scared, and he got rid of the ball too early a few times from what looked like phantom pressure. He made some great throws, but he also made a lot of overthrows and we completely fooled him on the Norman pick-six. I liked Bortles to take a leap in year 2 as well, but he's gonna have to show me more than that. Hopefully getting Julius Thomas back will help him out. The refs were god-awful. I agree with Bware's frustration about the "conclusive evidence." If a 6'5" man has his knee down half an inch behind the first down marker, even if you cannot see the football, you know it must be across the line to gain unless he is holding it in his feet. The refs decision not to reverse that call was just absolute bs. Should have been a first down. On the Thomas Davis interception, they missed a blatant hands to the face call on Mario Addison, he tore the guy's helmet off. On the Ted Ginn punt return, they called a block in the back on Carolina when the player in question hardly even touched his opponent and where he did make contact it was on the side. We should have had the ball at the 20, and instead got it at the 7. They called Greg Olsen for OPI in the endzone when even the defender didn't think it was OPI, as he clapped his hands together and shook his head in frustration, he didn't bounce up looking for a flag. I have not seen a great angle of the play, but I cannot even see Olsen touching him in all the angles I have seen of that play, much less pushing off. They originally called Allen Hurns out of bounds on a catch where he was inbounds by half a yard, and had to have replay to overturn that. Ted Ginn is many things, but a #1 WR is not one of them. If the Panthers are forced to move forwards with just this receiving corps, they aren't going to be anything but one and done at the max, unless we face another Ryan Lindley in the playoffs. He dropped a wide open TD, and two other passes, Funchess dropped one and Cotch dropped one, for a total of six drops by the WRs in one game, (three on the first two drives). We were not deep at WR before Benji's injury and we sure as hell aren't now. They need another guy. Seeing James Jones haul in two TDs kinda rubbed salt in the wound, too. Luke's injury looks worse every time I see it, but apparently he was fine after the game, hopefully he will be ready for week 2, but if he isn't, I also hope they don't try to rush him back. Not worth it at all, even it means the difference between a win and a loss. Darryl Williams injury strikes at the depth of an already thin offensive line. Hopefully he is ok. Michael Oher continued his strong play from preseason, at least from the eye test, except for one occasion where he got beat so badly he fell down. Jonathan Stewart showed some good burst, but tbh, we didn't use him nearly enough to form an opinion on him, and I don't know why we didn't use him more. Our pass rush was non-existent until the fourth quarter when Mario got through to Bortles a couple times in short succession. The Ealy/Johnson combo registered very few pressures besides Johnson's one sack which Bortles basically stepped into. Overall, we are 1-0 and that is a good thing, but the Jags exposed some glaring flaws in Carolina's offense and defense that better teams are going to take full advantage of. Good luck to the Jaguars for the rest of the season! Edited September 14, 2015 by Thanatos19 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
