Panthers-Bucs running thread - 9.24.06

WOOT

SMITH IS STARTING!

 

Panthers.com has a live feed if you weant to use Real Player. Real Player is a HUGE no no here at work

You guys better post a lot of stuff for us visually impaired unlucky fucks at work. Next 2 weeks I am off and at BoA

 

Per ESPN Insider

Why To Watch
Although both teams entered the season with high expectations, they now find themselves in a must-win situation in this weekend's NFC South showdown. Bucs head coach Jon Gruden must find a way to improve the decision making and production of QB Chris Simms and his offensive system. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's vaunted defense is playing more on reputation than production at this point in the regular season.

Panthers head coach John Fox has made a habit in recent years of digging his teams out of early season holes. They were 1-2 last year and still made it to the NFC title game. Look for the Panthers to incorporate a combination of RB DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams in their power running game to set up the play-action pass against a Buccaneers defense that is allowing 326.5 yards per game.


When the Panthers have the ball
Rushing: The Panthers need to establish a running game early, especially if they're without All-Pro receiver Steve Smith for the third consecutive game. Look for offensive coordinator Dan Henning to utilize a combination of Foster and Williams. Williams was impressive in Week 2 as he led the Panthers in rushing with 74 yards and one touchdown. The Buccaneers set a franchise record for rushing yards allowed with 306 in last week's lost to the Falcons. Two games into the season, the Buccaneers are allowing an average of 204.5 rushing yards per game. With the struggles that the Buccaneers have had over the last few weeks with their gap integrity in stopping the run, look for Kiffin to rely even more on the Buccaneers' Cover 2 concepts of playing five under two deep on the backend in coverage.
The Buccaneers will put a high emphasis on the proper run fits by their linebackers and force the Panthers to be a one-dimensional team through the air. Both MLB Shelton Quarles and WLB Derrick Brooks showed some declining skills last week and really need elevate their game this week. Look for the Panthers to continue their smash-mouth approach by attacking the Buccaneers' defense between the tackles to set-up the play action passing game.

Passing: Panthers QB Jake Delhomme has a quarterback rating of 61.5 and has yet to throw a touchdown pass in two games, while being sacked six times. Delhomme has clearly missed WR Smith, especially on third down. Delhomme is a gambler with a gunslinger mentality who must do a good job of reacting to the different pressure packages that the Buccaneers will use this week and take what the defense is giving him in critical situations. Without the services of Smith, teams don't have to focus on the vertical threat that he brings to the Panthers' passing game. However, WR Keyshawn Johnson played last week the way the Panthers expected when they signed him.

The Buccaneers can pose a lot of problems with their undersized four-man rush led by RDE Simeon Rice, LDE Greg Spires and LDT Chris Hovan. They can simply play their umbrella coverages and allow their four-man rush to tee off on the Panthers' reshuffled offensive line, while being physical on the outside to disrupt the timing and rhythm of Carolina's passing game. For the Panthers to have a lot of success on Sunday they must get themselves in better second- and third-down situations based on down and distance. Look for the Buccaneers to focus on stopping the run and make the Panthers a one-dimensional team by attacking through the air.

When the Buccaneers have the ball
Rushing: The Buccaneers will look to incorporate more balance on offense against a Panthers run defense that has allowed 196 yards rushing in the first two games. RB Cadillac Williams has been a non-factor in the Buccaneers' running game over the first two games due to the Buccaneers' inability to start fast, which has resulted in them playing from behind. With their ground game stymied last week, the Buccaneers threw on 54 of their 70 snaps. That's an offensive formula for disaster because Tampa Bay is 2-13 under Gruden when attempting more that 40 passes a game.

Look for the Panthers to crowd the box against Williams and dare QB Simms to beat them through the air. Also, the Panthers will utilize their corners in a lot more man-to-man situations, which results in an extra defender near the box. The Panthers pose a lot of problems for the Buccaneers with both Kris Jenkins and Ma'ake Kemoeatu. The Buccaneers have struggled to get consistent movement with their interior, which consists of LG Dan Buenning, C John Wade ad RG Sean Mahan. However, the Panthers have struggled to stop the run in the early stages of the regular season without MLB Dan Morgan. Expect Gruden to spread the field and attack the edges of the Panthers' front seven with Williams. The Buccaneers cannot become a one-dimensional team on Sunday and expect to win.

Passing: Simms, whose passer rating of 40.0 is among the worst in the NFL, needs to play with more consistency and make better decisions in the Buccaneers' high-percentage passing game. The Buccaneers can ill afford to make game-changing mistakes in the passing game that result in big plays for the Panthers. Simms has enough arm strength to be very effective, but he's been inconsistent in overall accuracy and still needs to get rid of the ball more quickly. The biggest concern has been his inability to find passing lanes and the number of balls batted down at the line of scrimmage.

The Panthers' secondary consists of two very good corners in Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble. The Panthers also pose a lot of problems for offenses with their ability to create pressure with their four-man rush led by RDE Julius Peppers and LDE Mike Rucker. Peppers is a highly productive scheme changer whom opposing teams must account for in pass protection. The Buccaneers will have a lot of problems protecting the edges with RT Kenyatta Walker and LT Anthony Davis. So, look for Gruden to incorporate more two-tight end packages nd detach TE Alex Smith out in the formation as the third receiver, along with Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton. This will allow RB Michael Pittman and TE Anthony Becht to help out on the edges. However, the key for the Buccaneers will be their offensive line's ability to keep Simms upright in the pocket.

 

Inactive TE Jeff King, DL Jordan Carstens, C Justin Hartwig, RB Nick Goings, OL Rashad Butler, SS Shaun Williams, DL Stanley McClover

 

Yeah I got that also from KFFL, I wonder why Morgan wasn't an inactive?

 

Goings again...so Shelton will play again.

Thanks, y'all. Didn't put that much into it and I like Collin's format better, but having not watched the Bucs this year had to improvise. If he can put the work in that he can, I can slap some matchup stuff together at the least.

Yeah, I thought about that after the fact on Smith, but I don't feel he's a huge threat either. It's all execution of short zones. I also may have made a mistake assuming Zemaitis will be the nickel, since he's not been active this year, so it'll likely be Torrie Cox, a short 4th year Pitt Panther who has one pick to his career.


Hope y'all have fun in here, someone post the chat site.

 

Now that's a sight for sore eyes. :notworthy

 

How did it happen? :notworthy

 

Simms threw a INT on second play then bang Jake to Key for 31 yard TD

 

Morgan probably is inactive. They only listed 7, and 8 have to be inactive.

BRIDGES IS STARTING AT RT!!!

I just realized he was in there this series.

So far:

Gamble has his confidence back.

Jake is getting good protection, and is throwing accurately.

Jake didn't panic when he did get pressured.

We're running.

Something has happened to TB. They don't look like a good team, so far.

Great start.