PLEN Playground - Forum

Welcome to Step UP or Step OUT, a new for 2017 series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well, and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers, guys who are playing well are stepping up, and those who aren’t need to improve their game or... step out.This week, we are looking at guys who had an excellent game against the Buffalo Bills, and then guys who we need to improve if we hope to continue our winning streak against the New Orleans Saints.Steppin’ UPJulius PeppersAs I stated in the Hog Molly Report, it was a banner day for Julius Peppers and the defense in general. Pep especially stood out due to his two sacks, and very surprising ability to chase down plays even at his advanced age https://www.carolinapanthersgearstore.c … xon_Jersey. There is no doubt... he’s still got it, and the prospect of Julius Peppers being a continued force has to keep offensive coordinators and quarterbacks up at night. Honorable mention here to Mario Addison as well https://www.carolinapanthersgearstore.c … son_Jersey, who showed excellent ability to both rush the passer AND play the run, an improvement from week 1.Kelvin BenjaminAnother guy who I see out there giving maximum effort is Kelvin Benjamin. KB was a guy who fans chided last year for his lack of enthusiasm and effort down the stretch, so much so that people were talking about trading him away. The reality in my opinion was more complicated... he still wasn’t quite healthy post ACL injury, Cam couldn’t get him the ball due to OL issues, and we weren’t making effective use of him anyway. This year, there has been more of a focus on getting KB involved with more targets instead of fewer but longer ones. With Greg Olsen out, we are going to need a combination of KB and Devin Funchess to fill his role as the intermediate reliable pass-catcher. Funchess was also impressive against the Bills, so hopefully the combination will bear good fruit.Thomas DavisWe take Thomas Davis for granted, because he is always playing hot and at the top of his game. But right now, even on a defense full of superlatives, he is possibly having the best year of his career so far. That’s saying a lot for a guy who in his healthy years has never really had a bad one.                                        So on a week where the entire defense could really be recognized for steppin’ up, let’s give the nod to the soul of the unit.Steppin’ OUTMatt KalilIn my observation, Matt Kalil lost at least 3 one on one matchups on the first move offered by the defender Toby Johnson Jersey, and would have been responsible for three sacks instead of two if Cam Newton isn’t Cam Newton. This is a significant regression from Week 1, where his play wasn’t totally perfect, but much much better than in this one. The offensive line in general was out of sorts without Ryan Kalil directing traffic, but regardless of the ship missing it’s captain, these island matchups don’t change either way. Another thing I am having a hard time with on Matt Kalil is his non-chalant attitude. I don’t see a mean streak from him, I don’t see emotion from him, and his body language screams apathy to me. That seems to be his general personality, but he better start figuring out a way to care about the fact he is getting his quarterback killed.Mike ShulaSpeaking of doing things to help your quarterback, why was Tyler Larsen so ill-prepared to take over at center on Sunday? Given Ryan Kalil’s recent injury history, you would think the Panthers would prepare both centers for action every week. A knowledge transfer needs to start taking place between Ryan and Tyler, because I am getting the feeling that Ryan is going to be hanging it up fairly soon. Beyond the situation at center, what happened in the third quarter? No adjustment to your all-pro tight end getting injured? Just continue to assume that everything is going to work seemed to be the M https://www.carolinapanthersgearstore.c … mah_Jersey.O. The third quarter was an embarrassment, as was the final goal-to-go series with the game on the line. I’ve been very patient with Shula, but this past Sunday, the team’s general lack of preparation and rhythm starts with him.Ron RiveraAnd finally, the man who it REALLY all starts with... is Ron Rivera. I think he has allowed Mike Shula to get way too comfortable in his role as offensive coordinator, and the team’s lack of energy and preparation are offshoots from this. His unfailing focus on continuity is giving his subordinates a pass. Wilks has his guys playing with an intense fire right now, because he feels he needs to prove himself. I don’t know that Shula feels that way anymore, and I don’t see indications coming from the top that he should. Once that happens, only then can we start talking about “twisting the knife” which is supposed to be an attitude focus on the team, but is clearly not present in the offense. Riverboat Ron was scuppered long ago, as he seems to have abandoned that aggressive focus. Both coaches need to get their asses, and the team’s, in gear.