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NFL

Panthers – 49ers Preview

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panthers_49ers_APBy Jim Bearor

These teams look very similar on paper and on the field, because for the most part, they are.  Both have elite defenses, a young versatile quarterback, and a ground-and-pound offensive mentality.  Last time they met up, Carolina bested San Francisco, 10-9 in a game where offense was hard to come by.  To me, this is less of a knock against Newton and Kaepernick, and more of a testament to the defensive squads of each team – linebackers especially.

On the Panthers side of things, it’s Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly leading the charge.  The two have combined for 179 tackles on the season and are not only making a difference up front, but also in the flats and other passing situations.  They definitely gave Kaepernick some trouble the last time these guys met, sacking him six times and holding him to 91 passing yards.

The 49ers have an equally impressive defensive unit that is getting hot at the right time, due mostly in part to their linebackers – who in my opinion are the league’s best.  The star-studded group consists of Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith.  Bowman and Willis are the heart of the defense, stuffing the few running holes that opposing offenses manage to open up at the line of scrimmage and covering a great deal of  ground over the middle in the passing game as well.  Brooks and Smith are great at rushing off the edge, combining for 17 sacks during the regular season.

While the linebackers draw most of the attention for both of these teams, their offensive and defensive lines are also big difference makers. In a league where passing and defending the pass are usually the focus, the 49ers and Panthers win their games the old fashioned way – by controlling the line of scrimmage, creating pressure on the quarterback, and running the ball effectively.

So what’s the difference between these teams?

Not much, in my eyes.

            Carolina is playing in front of their home crowd, and there are injuries to consider, and that’s about it.  I don’t trust Colin Kaepernick more than Cam Newton or vice-versa.  Kaepernick has a touch more playoff experience than first-timer Newton, but neither has a playoff reputation to this point, and they both know how to play in big games (look at Newton’s college career and his most recent encounter with the Saints).

            What I think this game will come down to is the performance of the quarterbacks.  The difference will be which quarterback breaks out or falls on his face.  If I had to a gun to my head and had to choose between Colin and Cam, I think I’d take Cam. Steve Smith’s return and Carlos Rogers’ absence also factors in to that choice.

Panthers win 24-14

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Seattle – New Orleans preview

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Beast ModeMarshawn Lynch, doing that Beast Mode thing.

by Jim Bearor

This might be the least professional post I ever publish on here, but whatever. I’m a little crunched for time, and I wanted to sound off a bit on the upcoming Saints at Seahawks game.

Everyone knows about how important home field advantage is for Seattle (7-1) and how much difficulty New Orleans has had with road games this season (4-5). Also, it looks like it’s going to rain during today’s game. Yeah. I know the Saints had a big “statement win” on the road in Philadelphia last week, but comparing the impact of Eagles fans with ‘Hawks fans is just plain stupid.

There is no place more hostile to play in than Seattle’s home field – the crowd noise reaches about 136 decibels, just a touch below that of a jet engine (140 db). That has an effect on visiting team that cannot be denied, and I expect to see this loudness – paired with not-so-perfect weather – to expose New Orleans as the dome team they are. I’m not saying that last week was a fluke, but this is apples and oranges.

Seattle’s secondary should have no trouble matching up with the wideouts of the Saints, so I think Payton will decided to test his luck on the ground with former Ingram and Robinson. This is – in my opinion – the key to an upset, if there is one (there won’t be). But maybe, if New Orleans can control the tempo with a physical run game (nope), they’ll open up the possibility for Drew Brees to work some play action (probably not, though).

What I see happening is Russell Wilson managing the game (not an insult), and do what he can to control the clock as Marshawn Lynch does his thing. Alright, game time is getting real close now.

Here’s my prediction: Seattle takes the wind out of New Orleans’ sails early, and they control the tempo throughout. The Saints may put up some points, but not until they are already in a sizeable hole and the “Legion of Boom” starts giving receivers some cushion.

Seattle wins, 31-14.

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On Victor Cruz and the New York Giants

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On Monday, the New York Giants signed WR Victor Cruz to a 6-year, $46 million deal. Although it took most of the offseason to get done, everyone who associates themselves with the Giants franchise should be ecstatic. Cruz will be making quite a decent sized paycheck for a number-2 reciever, but the deal also leaves room for General Manager Jerry Reese to potentially sign Hakeem Nicks to a long term deal at the end of the season (barring another health issue).
Finally, Eli Manning and his offense have locked up a viable weapon for the long-term. With the contract drama out of the way, Cruz can focus on shaking off the rust and getting back on the same page with Manning. Although most of the pieces are the same, the offense will have bit of a different look this season, mostly due to the explosiveness that David Wilson brings out of the backfield. I have to imagine that the primary focus of the offense will be working on the chemistry and consistency issues that were the undoing of last year’s team.
If New York is to make a playoff run in 2013, the onus will be on the offense. I don’t believe the defense will be as bad as some expect it to be, but it definitely will not be capable of carrying the load that it did in the Giants’ Super Bowl winning years. The most reliable thing about Perry Fewell’s defense is the group of pass rushers on the line, and they even underperformed last season. Inconsistency was the keyword for last season, as the Giants would lose to the Browns and the Eagles, then go on to thoroughly dominate the NFC Champion 49ers.
New York in the past season looked elite at their best, and unwatchable at their worst – much like the Cowboys in recent years. The talent is there (more so on the offensive side of the ball), but the talent fails to come together and perform on a regular basis.
Why is this? I can’t really answer this question for the defense (poor coaching perhaps), but this issue with the offense stems from the revolving door of players on the offensive line and in the receiving corp. There are capable players in both of these groups, but they have to stay healthy for any sort of chemistry to develop. Because the biggest obstacle to the offense has been injury, I feel more comfortable placing my confidence in them as opposed to the defense.
It’s early yet, but I think the Giants will have to light up the scoreboard to remain competitive in the NFC East. I would argue that Manning’s offense, when rolling on all cylinders, is the best in the division. As we saw last year though, Eli and his receivers had issues with timing and communication about as often as they didn’t. This is going to have to change if the Giants are to right the ship and get back into the playoffs. Signing Cruz is a great step in this process, but it will require a season-long effort to establish and maintain the chemistry that was missing from last year’s unit (not to mention health).

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