WEEK 14 THOUGHTS --- BEFORE & AFTER THE GAME

So, fresh after the Bye week the Panthers are preparing to jump aboard the Great Silver Bird and make 'air tracks' to Seattle where the Sea-Chickens and their infamous 12th Man will hold the Panthers attention through Sunday.  The week opened on Monday with the Panthers as  6-point "dogs". That's sort of expected given the Seahawks record, home field advantage with the 12th Man, and Geno Smith playing the way he has been.  However, as the week has advanced the Panthers have gained a little ground. Currently the line shows the Panthers as 4-point underdogs. Which, again, seems reasonable. The Over/Under for the game is currently at 44. At first glance that seems high...... BUT, the last six times these teams have met the games total points have been 50+ each time.

In additional news this week, the Panthers have (reportedly..) decided to bring back QB Davis Cheek to the PS. Cheek has been here previously (Rookie Camp..). The Panthers looked at three QBs on Monday and apparently decided on Cheek (although I haven't seen anything official yet..).

SI.COM: Panthers Decide To Add QB (Cheek) To PS Roster

In another bit of news, we finally have some information on DE Henry Anderson. Anderson had started off playing well, then fell off the roster and was listed as NFI (Non Football Injury).  Anderson has now been Designated To Return. The current news shows that Anderson was NFI because of a "minor" stroke. According to Anderson, who gave out his own information, he was unable to determine the "why" as he has no know indicators for this type of event. He said he was extremely happy with the medical care and was ready to return.

PANTHERS WIRE:  DE Henry Anderson Returns To Action After "Minor" Stroke

Tomorrow will tell a story. The Panthers QB carousel has calmed down somewhat since Mayfield departed. We have Darnold starting (for now..) and PJ Walker backing him up. If needed we have a true rookie (Cheek.) on the PS. I don't think he's ever played a snap, so lets hope he won't be needed.

As the week progressed, the Panthers slowly gained a little ground against the spread. The latest numbers show the Panthers as 3.5 point "dogs' at Seattle. That follows what most (if not all..) of the prognosticators think will happen. The most current synopsis I have seen indicates that the 'Hawks' are a consensus favorite in this game. I've looked at 15 different 'predictions' and only one favors the Panthers. Lance Pugmire (USA Today) picks the Panthers 24-21. Everyone else favors the Seahawks.

Right now, Geno Smith is tearing up the league. He leads in several different statistics. So, it's not unexpected that Seattle is favored.

Holy Moly..!!!  Imagine that..!!  Two former JETS QBs are facing off as starters with playoff implications for one team at least.

Saturday evening..

Latest news from the Panthers. DE Henry Anderson has been activated. Anderson was on the NFI list after having been diagnosed with a “minor” stroke. Earlier this week he was Designated To Return and has now been activated for the Seattle game.

Anderson had been playing in a rotational role and seemed to be doing well as a run defender. I thought he played well enough to keep as a rotational piece. I’m happy to see him back and apparently healthy.

Will need a cut of the 53. Off

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Like h Anderson!

Will need a cut of the 53. Off

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Like h Anderson!

You're right.!!  I completely forgot about that...SMH    

PANTHERS.COM:  DE Henry Anderson Activated For Seahawks Game

Apparently, the Panthers have waived Tae Hayes to make room on the 53 for Anderson. As announced by Panthers Lead Team Reporter, Darin Gantt..... Verified here by the Transaction file.

PANTHERS.COM:  Transactions: Anderson; Hayes

Okay.... some thoughts after the Week 14 game against the Seahawks.  In general, I thought the Panthers played a good game. Like any game, there were some rough spots, but there were some really solid plays and series as well. The offensive play calls were solid with a couple of exceptions, IF your intent was to play a bruising, smash-mouth type of game. By the fourth quarter, both teams were hoping for a quick end to the game....but mostly the 'Hawks. The Panthers controlled the LOS, both Offense and Defense. Two of the modern-day predictors for a winning combination in professional football are:  RUN the ball... AND ... STOP the run.  The Panthers did both of those things, and did them extremely well.

In addition, the Panthers won the First Down battle 24-16 including 14 Rushing; Total Offensive Plays 72-53; Yards Rushing 223-46; Total Yards 328-287 (Net Yds); Turnovers 0-2; and Time Of Possession 39:16 - 20:44.  The Seahawks won Passing Yards 264-120 (Gross Yards..); and K.O. Return Yards 104-24.  The Panthers had no INTs and no Fumbles lost. The 'Hawks had two INTs. The Panthers had six penalties versus three for Seattle.

So, the Panthers RAN the ball; STOPPED the run; WON Turnover battle; and WON Time of Possession.  Still, the game ended up close on the scoreboard. 

The Panthers and Darnold played an excellent ball-control game. There were some interesting things happening too. Chuba Hubbard CAN run the ball. Foreman has power. Rookie, Blackshear, is starting to perform on offense as well as ST. Sam Darnold is mobile, and has some speed, and COULD be a bigger part of the Offense. Darnold SHOULD HAVE pulled the ball and run it on a couple of RPOs. The goal line theatrics was just too cute by about half. One or two different plays could have made a BIG difference in the final score.

Both teams scored three TDs. The Panthers relied on smash-mouth power and defense. The power game plus two INTs sealed the deal. In retrospect, I would like to see a more balanced offensive game plan. Also, our ST seemed a little out of sorts. We allowed three KO Returns for 104 yards, all from the same guy.  REALLY..???  It's OK when WE do something like that, but we can't let the OPFOR do it to us.!!

So, WHO excelled..??  GAME BALLS  go to the front end. One to the O-Line and one to the D-Line.  EXCELLENT play. Masterful really.