Heard about this today on the way into work.

Pretty harsh, but fair, criticism of the Panthers organization, specifically Foxy and Jake.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jerome_bettis/09/14/bus.stops/index.html

May have already been posted, but we all know TWW's search feature blows.

9/17/2009 11:51:30 AM

no way this could have gone IN THE OFFICIAL THREAD

9/17/2009 12:22:56 PM

i agree with pretty much everything he said

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 12:34 PM. Reason : Bettis]

9/17/2009 12:34:40 PM

he fails to say in his thoughts about an FA that pep took up all the cap room

9/17/2009 1:23:54 PM

Jerome Bettis, YOU should be hired as the next coach of the Carolina Panthers!! It seems common sense is long gone from the Carolina Panthers organization!

9/17/2009 1:37:21 PM

man i wish roethlisberger had never made that tackle and Bettis never won a SB

9/17/2009 1:38:05 PM

[old]

9/17/2009 1:39:24 PM

^FROM THIS WEEK

SO OLD

NONE OF IT IS EVEN RIGHT ANYMORE.

hgtran, you have always been a cockface.

Time to get over yourself.

9/17/2009 1:41:51 PM

Panthro. Great article. We all know hgtran's a jackass.

9/17/2009 2:23:36 PM

A) Fire Delhomme

B) Fire Fox

C) Fire both

I would say just A but if Fox continues to play this style I say start over new. Draft Bradford, Robinson, Snead, Tebow whoever they choose with the loaded draft next year.

9/17/2009 3:01:06 PM

not trying to be an ass, but how would you suggest they go about that? i expect all 4 will probably be gone by the 2nd round, unless they can work a miracle and get rid of pep for a 1st rounder

9/17/2009 3:35:42 PM

One of them will still be available in the 2nd and I am one of the believers of Tebow's NFL prospects....I was just pointing out it could be the strongest QB class ever. On in the season when the team is like 2-5 then maybe they can trade Peppers for a 1st but I highly doubt that either.

9/17/2009 3:37:49 PM

personally i'd be ecstatic with tebow. i don't see any reason he can't be a good player

9/17/2009 3:46:23 PM

the thing that kills me is in the post game where jake was like "i don't go out there thinking 'i hope i don't make a mistake'"

motherfucker, you should be.

9/17/2009 4:01:00 PM

Quote :

"I would say just A but if Fox continues to play this style I say start over new."

the style that got us to 12-4 last season?

9/17/2009 4:14:32 PM

^people keep touting our record last year, aside from our running backs we played like crap and sraped by on a lot of games

i really dont see last year as being a great year at all

9/17/2009 4:17:05 PM

And did nothing with it. This team will not ever compete in the playoffs with Delhomme. Be honest, the schedule was kinda weak lost year and we won games we shouldn't have. More years than not, we have underachieved. One 12-4 season doesn't make up for going 8-8 or 9-7 every year. Hell this year 8-8 would be a great accomplishment.

9/17/2009 4:17:45 PM

^^^^an underrated aspect in pretty much all sports is the mental aspect...something like golf comes to mind at the top of the list, but so is QBing in the NFL...I doubt guys like Brady and Manning are like "i hope i don't throw a pick"...they have confidence and swagger...Jake USED to...hopefully he gets it back

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 4:17 PM. Reason : ^^^^]

9/17/2009 4:17:50 PM

Quote :

"This team will not ever compete in the playoffs with Delhomme."

yeah, those 5 playoff wins he has don't mean shit!

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 4:22 PM. Reason : or .610 winning percentage]

9/17/2009 4:21:42 PM

Maybe then he was a decent game-manager ALA Dilfer but now he is garbage.

I guess you guys will defend him till he dies right?

He is the pro version of Daniel Evans. Nice story coming from out of nowhere to lead his teams to a few wins but in reality we all know he just isn't good enough.

9/17/2009 4:24:55 PM

I am in no way defending how he has played his last 2 starts, but to pretend like he has been awful in his 6+ years as a starter is absolutely asinine

9/17/2009 4:26:56 PM

Quote :

"He is the pro version of Daniel Evans"

think you're going a little overboard maybe? did Daniel Evans make 2 NFC title games and win one? Was he ever a Pro Bowl QB in the NFL?

i get that Jake has played like worse than shit the last 2 games, but come on

9/17/2009 4:27:45 PM

Even in his glory days of 2003 when he led the SB run, he was an average QB. Come on.

2003, the year of the Super Bowl, he threw for 3200 yards 19 TDs and 16 INTs. Hardly great numbers.

9/17/2009 4:29:30 PM

and what's wrong with being an average QB and winning on a consistent basis?

you do realize that there are only a handful of elite qb's in the league, right?

9/17/2009 4:30:51 PM

Quote :

"an underrated aspect in pretty much all sports is the mental aspect...something like golf comes to mind at the top of the list, but so is QBing in the NFL...I doubt guys like Brady and Manning are like "i hope i don't throw a pick"...they have confidence and swagger...Jake USED to...hopefully he gets it back "

no, i get that. but when you've commited 11 turnovers in two games, maybe you should start to think about the decision you're about to make. if its not there, throw it in the stands. if the screens not there, throw it in the dirt.

Hopefully he snaps out of it. Oddly enough, his three terrible games (Oakland, Arizona, Philly = 16 turnovers) have all come after a bye week (or a week that he didn't play meaningfuly the week prior).

9/17/2009 4:38:01 PM

HOPEFULLY the Oline will improve in the next couple of games and we will also see an improvement in jake's numbers








im not holding my breath though

9/17/2009 4:44:36 PM

i hope he goes out and throw 5tds and then looks and the camera and tells everyone to fuck off. Yeah hes played bad but hell he has done more for that organization than fans like to give him credit for doing. maybe yall would like to go back to those 1-15 type seasons

9/17/2009 4:45:46 PM

ROWR ROWR 4 INTERCEPTIONS ROWR ROWR

nobody is happy about Jake's last two games, but it may be a little early to talk about firing him. Give the dude a chance, especially when our back ups aren't worth a damn

9/17/2009 4:47:26 PM

Quote :

"you do realize that there are only a handful of elite qb's in the league, right?"

Maybe elite yes. There are only about 5 QBs that start that I would take Delhomme over. Jon Kitna is Dallas backup and he's a better QB than Delhomme. The point is there are better QBs out there. At least sign someone to challenge him for God's sake. We should have been the first team to call Jeff Garcia who wins and is as steady as they come for any team he plays for.

^^^We had 1 1-15 season and that was with Weinke.

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 4:48 PM. Reason : I've been complaining about Delhomme from the beginning so don't give me this bandwagon BS]

9/17/2009 4:47:42 PM

a lot of teams have good backups, we dont even have a good starter

thats is john fox's fault

9/17/2009 4:48:47 PM

Quote :

" but hell he has done more for that organization"

while i agree with it, im tired of this statement...what he did in the past, when he was younger, before arm surgery, has no affect on what he can still do or not do

9/17/2009 4:48:50 PM

remember when we signed that starting QB to help compete with Jake and light a fire?

David Carr was his name...that worked out great

How about when we used a draft pick on Stefan Lefors? He was going to be the future!

Its not like we haven't brought people in...its just Jake is still the best we've got

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 4:50 PM. Reason : .]

9/17/2009 4:48:53 PM

the problem is the oline not giving him anytime. One play he didnt even have a chance to take a step back before he was sacked

9/17/2009 4:50:45 PM

ps:

Jeff Garcia has played his entire career in a west coast offense...it would be silly to think he could just come in and immediately contribute in a run first power I system...plus he has a weak arm...you thought Jake underthrew Smitty on deep routes? LOL

9/17/2009 4:51:37 PM

Quote :

"Its not like we haven't brought people in...its just Jake is still the best we've got"

Teams do it every single year. Bringing in a McCown is not a challenge to Delhomme.

Look at Dallas. They had a QB problem and kept plugging in someone till they got Romo. Hutchinson, Stoerner, Wright, Carter, Bledsoe, Testaverde, hell they even tried Leaf all weren't that great but they kept trying till they got Romo. They knew they would never go anywhere with these guys. They might not go anywhere with Romo but he's young and he's talented and could lead them.

Quote :

"David Carr was his name...that worked out great"

I know you are just trolling like always, but I would argue that Delhomme was at his best when looking at Carr on the sidelines, just because Carr sucked, doesn't mean it didn't work. That is part of the problem. Jake knows he is starting because of the QBs behind him.

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 5:10 PM. Reason : Competition is always good]

9/17/2009 5:08:40 PM

Quote :

"remember when we signed that starting QB to help compete with Jake and light a fire? David Carr was his name...that worked out great How about when we used a draft pick on Stefan Lefors? He was going to be the future! Its not like we haven't brought people in...its just Jake is still the best we've got"

therein lies the problem. the names you listed, on their BEST days, are barely competent as backup NFL QB's. that's all the staff has brought in for years, a bunch of 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks with zero promise and zero ability to push the starter. we drafted CHRIS WEINKE for fuck's sake.

if you're going to bring someone in to light a fire under your starting QB, he sure as shit better strike more fear in the hearts of defenses (and your starter) than fucking Brett Basenez or David "oh shit i got hairgel on both my gloves" Carr.

9/17/2009 5:52:40 PM

^,^^ this goes deeper though...this is the Panthers...you know how Tom Brady threw 52 pass attempts versus the Bills the other night? As long as Jerry Richardson owns the team, we are never gonna pass that much...thats not what we want to do

Now granted, that would be fine, if Jake could just "manage the game" and make efficient passes when he needs to, which he hasn't done during the last 2 games...but if you're EVER expecting the Panthers to be some kind of high powered throw-first offense...you're gonna be waiting a long time

All I want is a QB who doesn't turn the ball over and can make the throws when he needs to...I'm sure everyone else would be happy with that too, and I understand yall arent necessarily suggesting that we have to throw 50 times, just that we don't turn it over 5 times a game...but I'll just say I'd recommend curbing your QB expectations

[Edited on September 17, 2009 at 6:12 PM. Reason : .]

9/17/2009 6:11:14 PM

So.....tell me are you guys still going to defend Jake and Fox?

Quote :

"A) Fire Delhomme B) Fire Fox C) Fire both"

9/28/2009 11:53:19 PM

b maybe c

you cant give up on the run like that, arizona and this game

9/29/2009 12:06:03 AM

it sucks, but there's not really anywhere to go but...down... even from 0-3. d-line sucks, needs to be rebuilt, o-line... may be salvagable, QB obviously sucks, WRs should be gone without anybody to throw it (stevesmith) or retire (moose) and the rest suck (jarret).. and we don't have a first round pick.. it'll take 3-4 years of sucking, and by then the other players that are good will be old or gone or something, so maybe like 8 years from now, the panthers will be good.

9/29/2009 12:07:21 AM

^ Taking it a little extreme there aren't you.

Panthers can be good again in 1 year.

They were good last year.

Hell they could be pretty good this year, but playoffs are almost out of the picture unless someone esle in the south tanks.

[Edited on September 29, 2009 at 12:14 AM. Reason : ]

9/29/2009 12:13:47 AM

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Panthers suck, go 5-11. Fox is gone. Meeks is gone. Peppers is gone.

2. Hire Cowher. Implement 3-4 defense using our LB's (only position on strength on defense). Beason and Conner on the inside, Davis and Everette Brown on the edge.

3. With free agent space, bring in a legit nose tackle, a good FS to play with Harris, and a competent No. 2 WR.

4. Draft a QB early in the second (Tebow?), or trade up for someone like McCoy.

5. Keep Jake around, but only as a backup option if new QB isn't ready to go.

6. Profit?

9/29/2009 12:15:02 AM

Here's what I'm thinking:

GRIP IT AND RIP IT!

9/29/2009 11:36:17 AM

^^ probably truth

9/29/2009 12:55:59 PM

you lost me at Cowher

maybe if we get Cowher next year, he can win us a Super Bowl in 2025

I like how people act like Cowher is 10x better than Belicheck, when in reality, the reason he won a Super Bowl, is because the Steelers DIDN'T COMPLETELY REBUILD

[Edited on September 29, 2009 at 1:03 PM. Reason : .]

9/29/2009 1:00:32 PM

ok so is there any reason cowher's name is being thrown around besides the fact that he lives in raleigh

cause if he is interested in coaching i'm sure the extra 90 minutes to DC would be worth the $25 mil/year guaranteed that dan snyder would try to throw at him

9/29/2009 1:07:01 PM

because people think Cowher is the best coach ever, because he "went out on top"

let alone the previous 14 years he coached the Steelers, when the same lunatic fringe the Panthers have was calling for his head every time he followed up a trip to the playoffs with a 7-9 record

any coincidence that the NFL franchise with the most Super Bowl titles is also the franchise with the least head coach turnover over the last 50 years?

[Edited on September 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM. Reason : .]

9/29/2009 1:07:58 PM

"In Cowher’s 15 seasons, the Steelers captured eight division titles, earned ten postseason playoff berths, played in 21 playoff games, advanced to six AFC Championship games and made two Super Bowl appearances. He is one of only six coaches in NFL history to claim at least seven division titles."

Admittedly, I think John Fox could have a similar track record if we keep him longterm, but let's not act like cowher wouldn't be a great replacement if it came to that.

9/29/2009 1:17:15 PM

its not that he is a BAD coach, but for all his playoff wins, he has 1 Super Bowl in 15 years...whereas people want to act like he's just as good as Belichek or Bill Walsh, or assume that he even wants to come back to coaching

[Edited on September 29, 2009 at 1:40 PM. Reason : .]

9/29/2009 1:39:40 PM

Quote :

"Jerome Bettis' take on the Panthers. "

I bet Jerome Bettis could take on the Panthers single handed and win.

9/29/2009 2:43:04 PM