Carolina Panthers

That defense isn't good enough to keep teams under 17.

(7-8) Carolina Panthers 41
(8-7) New York Giants 9

Not exactly the way you want to close out your stadium. The last Giants era at the Meadowlands ended with a whimper as the G-men were bullied by the Panther offensive line and running back Jonathan Stewart. New York didn't crack the scoreboard until the third quarter when the game had already been decided. With the loss, the Giants are eliminated from the playoffs. With the win, John Fox saved his job for one more year.

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wn the Jacksonville ground attack, but they'll get the win thanks to Brady and the offense.

(6-8) Carolina Panthers at (8-6) New York Giants

The Giants need help, but they're currently the only NFC team that still has a shot at the postseason. With a Dallas or Green Bay loss, the G-men have hope. The Panthers are coming off an impressive win over the Vikings where Julius Peppers harassed Brett Favre without mercy and Matt Moore showed plenty of poise They're not about to roll over. Still, with the complete performance they put on against Washington, I think the Giants get the W.

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e playoff position, even if they can't catch the Saints.

(8-5) New England Patriots 20
(5-8) Carolina Panthers 10

The game was meh, the drama afterwards was fantastic. All this talk about Randy Moss "giving up" and quitting on the field is nothing new. It's just new to New England. Benching Adalius Thomas is exactly what I expected from Bill "Control Freak in a Hoodie" Belichick. They're certainly not the elite team everyone expected them to be.

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a nice win for the ‘Skins, who need to rally this season to be credible again. 

(4-5) Carolina Panthers 28
(5-4) Atlanta Falcons 19 

Simply did not see that coming. Jake Delhomme not sucking, I mean. Atlanta’s lost some tough games and is in trouble of losing out on the playoffs entirely. Odder things have happened I guess. 

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While winless, Kansas City is at least keeping things close. 

(1-3) Carolina Panthers 20
(2-3) Washington Redskins 17 

Take THAT Jim Zorn! Oh man, it is SO sweet to watch Dan Snyder’s Redskins give teams their first win. I can’t imagine Zorn or Jason Campbell’s jobs are safe for long. A do-over in DC is coming this offseason. Welcome out of the loser’s club Carolina. 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 5"

 

With some downright horrendous match-ups this weekend, this edition of the Opening Drive is shorter than usual. Just writing about Cleveland versus Buffalo would put me to sleep. Let’s get things going with the most anticipated games of week four! 

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ed all night looked older than he really is.   

(2-1) Dallas Cowboys 21
(0-3) Carolina Panthers 7 

I guess the Cowboys didn’t need Jon Kitna to start after all. After 0 turnovers and sacks combined in their first two games, the Cowboys rebounded with three of each against the Panthers. Dallas ran for over 200 yards for the second straight game, giving the fans in their massive stadium something to cheer about. (But does anyone watching the game on TV in a non-Dallas market give a crap about the stadium?) Jake Delhomme and the Panthers are in for a long season. 

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Indy looks prime to stay unbeaten.

Carolina Panthers (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

I could care less who wins this game. Carolina at 0-3 and Dallas at 1-2 are simply fantastic storylines. Still, with Denver and Kansas City coming up for the Cowboys, they have time to right the ship. They could be 3-2 headed into their week 6 bye. But one can hope!

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2 edition of the Final Drive!

(2-0) Atlanta Falcons       28
(0-2) Carolina Panthers   20

That Matt Ryan kid’s pretty good. Atlanta’s acquisition of Tony Gonzalez could be the most underrated move of the offseason. For Carolina, Jake Delhomme only tossed one interception. I’d call that an improvement.

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In the Week 2 edition of the Opening Drive, here are some teams who need to avoid an 0-2 start.

Carolina Panthers (0-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

What’s the over / under on Jake Delhomme interceptions in this NFC South match-up? I’m going to set that line at 2. Though after 9 picks (and 2 fumbles) in his last two games, I’m being generous. His leash could not be shorter. If Atlanta takes down the Panthers, they could share the division lead (or own it outright) after only two games. Expect heavy doses of both teams’ running attacks.

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They're a 7-win team at best.

Philadelphia Eagles 38, Carolina Panthers 10

Philly’s defense looked downright scary on Sunday. Donovan McNabb went down with a fractured rib, opening the door for Kevin Kolb to start their next game against the Saints. In what could be a high-scoring affair, it could be a rude awakening for Kolb. Vick won’t be able to play until week three, so the Eagles signed veteran Jeff Garcia on Monday as an insurance policy. The only question is: which of these four quarterbacks is the odd man out when Vick is back and McNabb is healthy?

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e that doesn’t look to put up more than 13 – 17 points a game.

Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers

After making it to the NFC title game, the Eagles have reloaded in their quest for a Lombardi trophy. Drafting receiver Jeremy Maclin and running back LeSean McCoy add two more weapons for Donovan McNabb and the offense. Factor in Michael Vick’s signing, and Philly has the most explosive offense in the league. This year will be key in McNabb returning to the Eagles next season.

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Now they get Pittsburgh for a third time this season. Congratulations.

Arizona Cardinals 33, Carolina Panthers 10

This was the clear-cut shocker of the weekend. Nobody (including myself) gave Arizona a shot against the mighty Panthers. The Cardinals stepped up for the second week in a row and dominated what was considered to be superior opposition. This week they received help, as Carolina’s birthday boy Jake Delhomme forgot how birthdays worked, as he gave the Cardinals six gifts in the form of five interceptions and a fumble. It was easily one of Delhomme’s worst performances of his career and it could not have come during a more important time. Obviously the Cardinals defense made plays on the ball when they needed to, but I’m putting a lot of the blame on Jake. At least four of those interceptions were just idiotic throws on his part, as he could not have been looking out for the defense. The Panthers were clearly looking past the Cardinals and they paid the price for it. If I were running things, this game would cause me to sincerely rethink any commitment I had to quarterback Jake Delhomme. His style of play doesn’t mesh well with what John Fox wants to do on offense, and he puts the defense in precarious situations with his careless turnovers. Even if he doesn’t lose his job, Delhomme will be on a short leash next year, and don’t be surprised if Carolina goes after a free agent quarterback to give him some competition. Switching to Arizona’s quarterback situation, it remains to be seen if Kurt Warner will be re-signed for next season, but I would be very surprised if he wasn’t brought back. Matt Leinart can only benefit by learning under Warner, and besides, Kurt has undoubtedly earned another season under center. He and Larry Fitzgerald have a chemistry that is currently unmatched by any other tandem. Fitzgerald was a one-man show in Carolina, as it seems the Panthers forgot he was playing on multiple occasions. Arizona is playing with house money at this point, so there’s no pressure to go any farther. Just don’t tell Warner that.

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watch a game that is sure to hearken back to the league’s olden days.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, Fox, Saturday 8:15 PM (ET)

Carolina may have eeked out a victory in their week eight shoot-out with Arizona, but these teams have gone through tremendous changes since then. The Panther are sitting pretty at the number two seed, so they will welcome the warm-weather Cardinals to Charlotte for Saturday’s night game. Carolina’s two-headed rushing monster in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart has been dominant down the stretch, and they’ll look to continue that success against Arizona’s defense which was shockingly stout against Michael Turner and the Falcons. QB Kurt Warner will have the Carolina pass rush in his face all night and must place an emphasis on getting rid of the ball early, just as he did versus Atlanta. Three-step drops and quick passes to Larry Fitzgerald (and Anquan Boldin, if he can play) will negate some of the pressure, but Edgerrin James and the running game must make another appearance in the post-season if Arizona is to continue. I expect another high scoring affair from these teams, so don’t blink or you could miss a touchdown.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

  Drew Brees won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.  I can’t argue with that pick.  Anytime you come within a deep out route of Dan Marino’s single season passing record, you can be the Offensive POY.Mike Smith was Coach of the Year.  I can’t argue there either.  Any of the successful rookie head coaches, Smith, Sparano, and Harbaugh, could have won this award.  Smith had the toughest situation before the season started and led the Falcons to the playoffs.  The Patriots franchised Matt Cassell.  That was a no-brainer.  Sure, on the surface, $29 million next year for two quarterbacks seems steep.  But the salary cap is going up about $28 million next year.  Take away the $14 million they are giving Cassell and this still have about $14 million more to spend next year than they did this year.  They sure up the most important position on the offense.  Plus, if they trade him they get a 1st and 3rd round pick.  Who knows, there may be a team out there that is only a good QB away from going to the next level.  Hello Buffalo? (And if you think the Pats won’t let Cassell go to Buffalo talk to Lawyer Milloy or Drew Bledsoe.)Did you see Lil’ Wayne on 1st and 10 on ESPN2?  When I heard he was going to be on I set-up the DVR because I had to watch.  Get this….he was really good.  He knows his sports.  His points were lucid and made lots of sense.  He made some statements that were bold and polarizing, which is what you want out of a talking-head.  I must say this though.  Skip Bayless said he loves Lil’ Wayne’s music and thinks Tha Carter III is Weezy’s Purple Rain.  Am I to believe Bayless really listens to hip-hop?  No offense Skip, but you are probably most buttoned up lily white person on ESPN’s roster.  If you’re not, you are in the team photo with Woody Paige and Marty Smith. 

Continue reading "Quick Hits and Playoff Week 2 Picks"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

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that'll I'll give them the win here.

Winners - Pittsburgh Steelers

4) Carolina Panthers @ New York Giants

Two 11-3 teams go at it in this one on Sunday night football. The winner of this game clinches the NFC's No.1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Last week the Cowboys stomped the usually sturdy offensive line of the Giants with 8 sacks on Eli Manning. How will the G-Men's O-Line hold up against the Panthers defense which is 9th in sacks in the league? Home field advantage isn't a free pass in the playoffs, since every team has a chance once the post-season starts, but it doesn't hurt! At first glance of this match-up, I went with the Panthers. However, after thinking about it all week....I'm going with the defending Super Bowl Champions. If this game was in North Carolina... I might sway towards the Panthers, but with the game being played in Giants Stadium, I'll go with the G-Men. I think Eli and company will get the job done someway. Hopefully for the Giants sake, Brandon Jacobs is able to play. But Jacobs or no Jacobs, I pick the New York Giants as they'll finally clinch home field advantage.

Continue reading "NFL Week 16 Predictions"

They’re still a long shot, but Eagles fans may have something to cheer for yet.

Carolina Panthers (11-3) at New York Giants (11-3)

After Sunday night’s “Melee in the Mead

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Carolina Panthers 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23

With a daunting task in the form of the Broncos, Giants, and Saints next on their schedule, beating a main division competitor gives Carolina

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This is my first blog. I'm just trying it out. Those Panthers tonight played tough. They did what needed to be done. Congratulations to John Fox and his team.

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This is the opening drive (sort of) of week thirteen in the NFL!

Carolina Panthers (8-3) at Green Bay Packers (5-6)

The Panthers are in a tight race in the NFC South, tied with Tampa and barely ahead of Atlanta. With tough match-ups for all three teams, winning could propel one of them towards the South title. Carolina was assaulted by the Falcons last weekend, and need to rebound against a struggling Packers team. Green Bay was blown out on Monday night by the Saints, giving up 51 points and failing to defend against the big play. Losing to Carolina would severely cripple their chances of winning the mediocre NFC North at 5-7. Aaron Rodgers has played fairly well, but the Packer defense hasn’t backed him up.

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rematch in the playoffs, so they’ll need to learn from their mistakes.

Atlanta Falcons 45, Carolina Panthers 28

With the Panthers having a tough stretch through the final five weeks, the Falcons have an inside track to the division title. Their remaining schedule is a difficult one, but they have another divisional game against Tampa Bay (8-3 at the top of the NFC South) that will factor heavily come January. At the least one wildcard team could easily come out of the South, and Atlanta has a great chance to take that spot. Carolina’s defense was overmatched by Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, never stopping the Falcon offense from marching down the field. Jake Delhomme is now unquestionably the worst quarterback in the division.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week Twelve"

and the Cowboys should roll in this one.

Winners - Dallas Cowboys

3) Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons

The Carolina Panthers are 8-2. Yes 8-2. Their 6-0 when playing at home and they took out the Falcons 24-9 in Week 4. Now the Panthers head into the Georgia Dome to play the 6-4 Falcons. My gut is telling me to pick the Falcons here. They lost a close one to the Broncos last week and I think they'll bounce back this week against a good Panthers team. If this game was in Carolina, I would not pick Atlanta, but it isn't. It'll be interesting to see how Matt Ryan plays against a decent defense in the Panthers. It's been a impressive season for the Falcons so far. I'll take them to win this week.

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That being said, this game may prove they're not ready to ascend to greatness just yet.

Carolina Panthers (8-2) at Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

No one’s really hopped on the Panther bandwagon. I suppose struggling against two of the worst teams in football will do that to your expectations. Jake Delhomme has put together a string of awful performances that were saved by an outstanding ground attack. Jake’s going to need to pull it together for these final games, or Carolina might not be able to hold off the nipping Falcons and Buccaneers. Defeating Atlanta on the road would be a welcome confidence boost for John Fox’s squad.

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Arthur Blank can rest easy; the disarray of last year is over.

Arizona Cardinals (4-2) at Carolina Panthers (5-2)

These teams have been the trendy picks to win their division for the last few years. This season, they’ve actually put themselves in position to fulfill those predictions. Arizona is sitting pretty at 4-2, and their nearest threat is St. Louis at 2-4. The NFC West is that bad. Even if the Cardinals stumble, 8-8 will probably win the division for them. They’ve discovered a workable balance on offense, with a running game that features rookie Tim Hightower more and more each week. It may frustrate veteran tailback Edgerrin James who is seeing the ball less, but it’s the best course of attack for a Cardinal offense that is dependent on the big play. Arizona could use improvement to their 14th ranked defense, but will stay in every game thanks to their explosive aerial offensive scheme.

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Carolina Panthers 30, New Orleans Saints 7

This was another game that was supposed to be highly competitive between two teams fighting for NFC South supremacy. Instead, we have another blow-out, and New Orleans has another injury to one of its stars. This time it’s the electrifying Reggie Bush, who left with a knee injury in the first half. He had surgery on Monday, and he’s expected to miss around 4 weeks. Tight end Jeremy Shockey may have re-injured his groin after returning to action after having sports hernia surgery about a month ago. Bush is the more serious injury, as he’s not only the Saints’ premiere running back, but he is among the league leaders in receptions, and he is the Saints’ primary kick returner. These facets of Reggie’s game have helped him to lead the league in touchdowns with eight (tied with the Titan’s Lendale White). If he’s out for an extended period of time, the Saints could be in trouble of falling completely out of the NFC South picture. In the stats, this looked like an even game, aside from the Saint’s two turnovers. It was anything but, as the Panthers asserted themselves.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 7"

f they can hand a loss to one of the NFL’s most talented teams.

New Orleans Saints (3-3) at Carolina Panthers (4-2)

I love these NFC South divisional contests. Its only week seven, but the playoffs are already on the line for New Orleans, who embarrassed Oakland last Sunday. Drew Brees is far and away the MVP so far, and he’s done it without three top threats in receiver Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, and David Patten. There could be an explosion in Carolina, as all three are expected to return to action. Reggie Bush has carried this team in their absence by way of his running, pass receptions, and kick and punt returns. Their presence will allow him more opportunities for big plays while taking the pressure of his shoulders.

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to sneak into the playoffs, given Pittsburgh’s difficult schedule.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37, Carolina Panthers 3

What a difference a Jeff Garcia makes. Hopefully this is the game that proves to Coach Jon Gruden that Garcia is the man for the starting job (everyone else knew). Warrick Dunn was able to put up 115 yards on the ground against the vaunted Carolina defense. The Tampa defense showed its mettle, picking off Jake Delhomme three times. Delhomme did hit Steve Smith for 112 yards, but the star receiver never made it into the end zone. The Panthers QB had his worst game of the season at probably the worst time possible. Now the Buccaneers have tied the Panthers’ record at 4-2, but in essence hold a one game lead thanks to the head-to-head win. In a scrappy division, this game could come back to haunt John Fox and the Panthers.

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being a three-dimensional offense to give their defense a much-needed break without Bob Sanders.

Carolina Panthers (4-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)

The NFC South is surprisingly more competitive than anybody wanted to predict. Carolina has been the “sexy” pick for years, and now may be poised to finally claim that title. John Fox can rest easy, as his coaching seat is now only lukewarm. The Panthers’ plan of giving Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams 35-45 total carries a game to set up Jake Delhomme’s play action pass has worked to perfection this season. Don’t expect that to change on Sunday against Tampa Bay, who along with Atlanta, sits directly behind Carolina in the standings. The Bucs will have an ornery Jeff Garcia starting under center, who returns to the line-up after Brian Griese was knocked out of last week’s contest with a swollen right elbow. He’ll be looking to impress Jon Gruden in hopes of keeping the job, which will work if he wins and won’t if he loses. Or maybe not, who can really tell what Gruden thinks when it comes to his quarterbacks?

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s), I’ll shoot through some of the NFL’s more interesting outcomes of the prior week.

Carolina Panthers 34, Kansas City Chiefs 0

Did anyone think that the Chiefs would be this bad? All we heard over the off-season was how they had the best draft class in the NFL.  Now all they can say for their season thus far is a surprising win (their only win overall) over the AFC West leading Denver Broncos. Carolina pushed Kansas City around on Sunday as DeAngelo Williams rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Jonathan Stewart got into the fun as well with 72 yards on 19 carries. Jake Delhomme seems to have completely rebounded after have Tommy John surgery. It’ll remain to be seen how his arm holds up over 16 games, but Jake has been at his best through five. Muhsin Muhammad has found his old self after returning to Carolina, finding the end zone on a 47 yard reception.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 5"

It was an interesting week in the National Football League. A few surprises, a big meltdown by one team and one bruised and battered team found a way to win a big prime-time game. Let's get right to it--game by game.

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First off, I want to introduce myself. My name is Jake, I live in Houston. I'm glad I found this place. I've read a lot of bloggers material today from predictions to their favorite teams' rants, it's great. I enjoyed it. Sports, baby sports!

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nt; otherwise Aaron Rodger’s solid play won’t mean anything.

Atlanta Falcons (2-1) at Carolina Panthers (2-1)

An early season meeting of two division leaders could help shape the landscape of the NFC South. Carolina lost their last game against Minnesota, dampening the spirits from Steve Smith’s awaited return. Atlanta, on the other hand, pummeled the defenseless Chiefs in their last contest. While Tampa Bay is facing a tough game against Green Bay, one of these teams could hold the division lead after this weekend. It’s too early to crown anyone, but it is never too early to start building a lead. Atlanta will look to run the ball as they always do, keeping rookie QB Matt Ryan from making unnecessary mistakes. The Falcons defense is underrated, but might not be able to keep track of Steve Smith. Carolina should return to the game plan they employed while Smith was out, which is a healthy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Smith will get his opportunities out of the play action pass, which needs a set-up from the running game.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Four Preview"

ak out of their losing ways, some interesting AFC versus NFC matchups, and a key divisional game.

Carolina Panthers (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (0-2)

It’s hard to say there’s a “must-win” situation in week three, but the Vikings are staring one right in the face. With the rest of the NFC North in tough conference match-ups, Minnesota needs this victory to star catching up to the top of the division. Starting Gus Frerotte at QB should add some experience to their offense and produce more than the five field goals they put up against Indy last week. Carolina is looking to stay ahead of the rest of the NFC South, who all sit at 1-1. Now they have Steve Smith back, fresh from his suspension. Jake Delhomme looked dangerous already, now he has his favorite weapon back.

Continue reading "Joey A's NFL Week Three Preview"

Too many things infuriated me as I watched my Chicago Bears lose to the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon. The two Greg Olsen fumbles are obvious, the lack of offensive production is just as problematic, but honestly, the offensive play-calling is my real issue with this Bears team. They often fail to put their personnel in the best position to win games.

Continue reading "Bears Didn't Deserve the Win"

Stop me if you've heard this one - The Saints offense does everything it needs to do but the team loses on a late defensive collapse. There is not much that hurts worse than seeing eternal WR disappointment Santana Moss streak past your secondary into the endzone.

Continue reading "Decimated Saints Defense Can't Hold Skins in Loss"

This Sundays showdown of 1-0 teams to me is an example of a game no one should bet on. It has way too many wild-cards for any prediction to be safe. That being said, I'll let you know the keys to this Sunday's match-up.

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his franchise, or will the pressure derail him?  Is Michael Turner an every down back? 

Carolina Panthers – Can and will Jake Delhom really come back from Tommy John surgery and be the QB he used to be?  Will Steve Smith make it to week 8 without punching someone, again? 

Continue reading "NFL opening weekend = Christmas in September"

I think its going to start a new era for the Carolina Panthers as far as their running game is concerned. Stewart has the ability to get it done in the NFL, all we need to see is if he has the heart to do it. If Jonathan Stewart plays anything like his days with Oregon, he will be very successful in Carolina.

Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #15: The ..."

*Editor's Note: This piece was written Tuesday night but, due to Internet problems, is being posted just now.

Only the NFL can make headlines with the release of its regular season schedule. Granted, there are only a handful of games for fans to absorb, so the attention given to each week is natural. However, this speaks increasingly to the booming popularity of the league.

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As I was watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Carolina Panthers today I saw a ray of hope. Actually, I saw several – the young defense and Luke McCown. Yeah, I know, they stunk up the place at the end of the game but at least they gave it a real try. You have to remember that many, if not all starters were out at that point. Plus I wonder if Monte Kiffin stops paying attention by the 4th but that’s a different story…

Continue reading "Shining Stars"