The season is over, and although I've had to put away my Steve Smith jersey earlier than I wanted to, I don't think the season was a total bust. We didn't even come close to the playoffs, and the first half of the season was an absolute train wreck, but I think we learned a lot about the players and the coaching staff: 1. John Fox was more concerned with Jake Delhomme's fragile ego than he was with the success of his team, or he's a terrible judge of talent. Either way, he's got to go. To play through 3/4 of the season saying that Jake gives us the best chance to win was ludicrous. Goodbye Foxy 2. Jake Delhomme is gone, finished, over. His is physically unable to compete as a NFL quarterback and he has never mentally gotten past the Arizona playoff loss. I've heard people talk about the dilemma of his 12 million dollar contract, but in truth there is no dilemma. No other team will ever want him, so a trade is out of the question. You can't leave him on the sidelines next year sucking up a roster spot, either. It's not fair to the defense who need to get a little deeper, and it's not fair to the receivers who no longer have faith in Jake. Jerry Richardson knows that sometime you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. Release Jake outright, thank him for his service, and show him to the door. Goodbye Jake. 3. Julius Peppers left the game on Sunday with very little to say about his future with the Panthers. Sadly, that speaks volumes. Julius is a guy that displays his emotions, and if he had decided to stay he would have been excited to tell us about it. Some folks say that this year was just a tryout for his new team, but I don't believe it. I think that there's a slight chance he'll return, but only if we get a head coach that will pay more attention to the defense. it's probably Goodbye Julius. But speaking of defensive minded coaches... 4. Bill Cowher is just itchin' to get another head coaching job. Brian Billick wants back in also, but Cowher is the better choice and he lives in NC. Coach Cowher is talking to other teams, but I don't think he'll make a commitment until the Panthers make a decision on Fox. Hello Coach Cowher. 5. Matt Moore has earned the starting job, point blank and period. He's gained a lot of experience in the last four games of the season, and shown that he can get the ball into the hands of Steve Smith, which is something Jake can't do anymore. I spent most of the game Sunday telling John Fox that if had benched Delhomme after the third game then we would have been in the payoffs this year. I was yelling it pretty loud, but I don't think he heard me through the TV screen. A hearty Welcome to Matt Moore. 6. Jon Beason needs to file a police report, because he got robbed! Brian Billick summed it up best during Sunday's broadcast when he said, "There's a lot of people around the NFL that can't figure out why John Beason isn't in the Pro Bowl, and I'm one of them". Count me in too, Coach. Welcome back Jon Beason. Okay, there they are. Whether any of these come to pass or not, this is one long-time fan's perspective on what they should do. Have at it boys and girls. 8)
I think it's because the winning seasons he did have were big ones. One Super Bowl and two near misses with the same team is more than most head coaches accomplish. The other two things are that coaches get judged on a body of work, and once a guy is the Good 'Ole Boy Network of head coaches he's there as long as he wants to be. With few exceptions it's just the same recycled people over and over again. How do peole like **** Jauron and Romeo Crenel stay employed? In an amazing twist of fate, Crennel was broken off by the Browns after doing a horrible job as head coach and the Bills fired Jauron before the season ended...but guess what? Crennel is currently in talks with the Bills ownership to join their new coaching staff, and the Browns are kicking around the idea of bringing in Jauron as the D Coordinator. Nice work if you can get it...
Amen, Panther. I've screamed all year that Fox was in love with Delhomme and if he wouldn't cut em, he should go too. Congrats to Matt Moore on making Fox look like a complete moron for blowing smoke up Delhomme's @ss all year, and last year, and the year before. You could tell team confidence was up with Moore as QB. As far as Cowher, I'd love to see him here next year.
Richardson has given some indication, but he was firm in his stance that Fox will not be offered a contract extension. That usually means that the team doesn't want you, but they don't want to pay you to sit on your butt, either. That brings us to the other side of the coin. It's possible that Fox won't want to return next year. He is widely respected around the NFL and if he is canned he'll have no problem finding another job. His phone will be blowing up the minute the news comes out, if it does.
Theres probably a lot of playoff teams in the NFC that are glad the Panthers didnt make the postseason, definitely one of if the not the hottest team to end the season.
Moore didnt have to do much other than not give the ball away when his teams rushing for 200 yards a game.
That's true, but he's still the future of the club. I was saying at the beginning of the year that all the Panthers need in a QB is someone who can hand the ball off to the best running tandem in the NFL and connect on 10 yard "out" patterns to the most dangerous receiver in the NFL. I'm glad to see that Matt Moore brings so much Moore to the table. Sometimes I just crack myself up
True, and it wasn't really a matter of what he did do - although he did have some great throws- it was more a matter of what he didn't do, and that was be a Delhomme with 4-5 interceptions a game.
True....but Fox hasn't said he'll come back either. A lot of coaches don't want a lame duck year...especially if they are afraid that they will have a losing team during that last year. Best case scenario for the Panthers would be if a team (Giants?) were interested in Fox, and Richardson would allow him to go for a 1st round draft pick.....since the Panthers traded their pick away last year during the draft. Then of course sign Cowher.....but I really don't think Richardson wants anyone under a big contract to coach when there is a possibility of the 2011 season being a lock out.
