COLUMN: Panthers may be 8-3, but they have problems to fix down the stretch
Written by Steve Reed
11/24/2008 2:22:50 PM
http://www.carolinagrowl.com/Read.aspx?Story=878
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CHARLOTTE – The Carolina Panthers may be 8-3 as coach John Fox pointed out several times at his weekly press conference Monday, but they’re a team with some emerging problems to solve heading down the stretch – whether they want to admit them or not.
Fox was in turtle mode one day after his team suffered a 17-point loss to the Atlanta Falcons, preferring to hide underneath the shell of an impressive record rather than discuss the problems engulfing this club since the bye week.
Fox would have made Oliver North proud on Monday with his non-answer answers.
The biggest question from the media, of course, surrounded the team’s recent rash of slow starts.
In each of the last two games the Panthers have failed to register a first down in the first quarter. They fell behind 10-0 to Detroit and 17-0 to Atlanta. They didn’t play particularly well in the entire first half against Oakland either after scoring a quick touchdown off a turnover.
They got away with it against the Lions and Raiders because they’re bad football teams.
They weren’t so lucky against the Falcons.
When asked if it’s a matter of the Panthers not being ready to play or the other team being that much better prepared, Fox replied, “We’re ready to play. Have we been more ready to play in the eight wins than the three losses? I can’t answer that. I’m just glad it ain’t the other way around.”
He was given another chance to address the issue when asked if it’s a emotional or technical problem.
“I’m sure glad we were more emotionally and technically right in eight of them than the other three,” Fox replied. “The other teams practice too and it’s hard to win all of them. I don’t think there is anybody in the league that has.”
Now I understand, to some degree, Fox not wanting to air the team’s problems in media and the fact that he prides himself on talking but saying nothing.
I also understand his unwillingness to fall into a “sky is falling” mentality after just one loss -- a loss that ended a four-game winning streak.
But the reality here is that behind closed doors Fox has some problems to fix.
As several players eluded to after Sunday’s 45-28 loss at the Georgia Dome, wins over Oakland and Detroit might have masked some problems bubbling underneath the surface.
Problems like starting slow, not defending the run as well as they did earlier in the season, not getting off the field on third down on defense and not staying on it on offense, as well as committing too many penalties.
And then there's this: All year long the Panthers have been able to rely on their defense when all else fails.
But after the defense surrendered 38 points the Panthers have to be more than a little alarmed, especially with five games left against teams with outstanding offenses in Green Bay, Denver, Tampa Bay, the New York Giants and New Orleans -- three of which rank in the top five in the league in total offense and the other two in the top 15.
“Overall in our body of work, I think we’ve played pretty good defense – good enough to win eight games,” Fox said. “Are the three losses problems? I guess.”
Like I said, Fox is not required to address the team’s problems in the media.
He doesn’t have to.
But behind closed doors, reality looms large.
When the Panthers turn on the film they'll know there are some problems to fix – even if they’re 8-3.
As Fox said last week, they’re assured nothing but an 8-8 record at this point in the season. And if they don’t begin to correct some of these problems they may finish closer to that record than some people think.
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