Week 10 Recap:

Is this heaven?  No, it’s football.  The air was laced with excitement in the hours that preceded the Panthers game in Phoenix, Arizona.  The Panthers came into town shoulder a sub-.500 winning percentage but that was irrelevant.  That word was one that Panthers fans might have heard frequently in the past few days and was prudent on Sunday.  Because the past didn’t matter, what had occurred during the first nine games of the season was irrelevant, and what awaits this team further down the road is irrelevant.  The only thing this team can do is focus on the present.  Sunday against the Cardinals that is what we saw; a team completely focused on beating their opponent.  Three plays in we saw the effects of this newfound energy that had infected this team.  Hasson Reddick beat his man with an inside swim move before raking in the strip sack on the play, and this lead to the Panthers’ first points of the game.  In fact, it was the first points in the 2nd coming of Cam Newton’s Panther career.  With the ball at the 1-yard line the offense broke the huddle in a Jumbo set, CMC lined up in the backfield, shoulder to shoulder with Ace Boogie, McCaffrey motioned out wide, and a traditional power run play was executed.  Neither the concept nor the play itself was complicated, get the ball into Cam Newton’s hands, and let Superman go to work.  Cam’s first touchdown back in Carolina put many of the quarterback’s talents on display.  The ability to shed defensive players via stiff arms and his sheer size, the speed and acceleration to separate from players, and the cerebral instinct to find his way into the end zone.  After the following kickoff, the defense produced a four and out when Cliff Kingsbury decided to go for the first down on 4th&1; the quarterback sneak was stuffed for a negative play.  The offense did not waste the opportunity given to them by the defense.  This was the difference between the play Sunday and what we have seen out of the offense in past weeks.  The defense produced a turnover and the offense converted it into points.  In a second goal line package, we saw Cam Newton take the field, lining up in a jumbo shotgun formation, a couple of hard steps towards the line of scrimmage, before peeling back and tossing a touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson.  On two plays Cam Newton had a rushing and passing TD; possibly the most Cam stat of all time.  

The Panthers’ defense was not done for the day in the forcing turnovers department.  On the very next drive, only the third for the Arizona Cardinals, already down fourteen to zero, and just went it seem that the Cardinals had gained some traction Colt McCoy’s sails high and lands in the waiting arms of Donte Jackson.  In one quarter of play, the Panthers had 17 points off of turnovers, including the fourth down stop, and this was critical to the outcome of the game.  The Panthers were able to get out front and rely on their defense to control the game.  Arizona had no answers for what Phil Snow and this defense brought on the plane.  The Cardinals were 3-13 on 3rd downs, 0-3 on 4th downs, and could only manage 11 first downs on the day.  This explains why the team only had 10 points for the game.  

Hasson Reddick added to his growing sack total in Phoenix, recording 1.5 sacks, giving him 9.5 on the season, and on his current pace, he could easily reach 16 or 17 sacks on the season.  The Panthers’ schedule has been filled with revenge games and this was one that may have gotten overlooked with the recent Cam Newton return.  Reddick made sure to leave his mark on this game when it was all said and done.

The Panthers came into this game as double-digit underdogs, and when it was announced that Murray would not be playing the line in some places dropped to -7.5 but still considered a big underdog.  If you were backing the Panthers you were wearing a smile as this game was never in question.  We saw a team that was playing with a different energy.  Reports on Twitter from Panthers fans within the stadium confirmed what many saw happening on their televisions.  The Red Sea was parting in Arizona; it was parting for the parking lot.  The Cardinals fans could see the inevitable and that was the Panthers would be leaving with a big fat W on the week.  There was really no other outcome that would properly mark the return of Superman to the Carolina Panthers.   

A New Dawn

There has been a lot said about fan turnout at Panthers home games this season.  The Panthers started the season with an Opening Day home game, and yet there was a noticeable turnout by Jets fans at Bank of America stadium.  This could be due to a number of things; numerous factors that would be outside of anyone’s actual control.  A fan base that travels well, a noticeable trend of Northern residents transplanting themselves to southern regions thus unable to attend games, and plenty of other things that are not encompassed by football.  One aspect that does meet such a requirement is the lack of Panthers fans in Bank of America Stadium.  Understandably it has been rough being a Panthers fan the past few years, there are plenty of heartbreaking and Earth rattling moments to choose from, and I would know.  I have been a fan of this team since it debuted all the way back in 1995, and yes it makes me feel old even while writing this.  The Panthers franchise has seen a healthy share of turmoil during the team’s existence.  Now is not a time for that, it is time to be in the present because Sunday we will get to witness a game that no one knew to expect until a week ago.  On Sunday in Bank of America Stadium, the Washington Football Team will take stage in trying to spoil a certain quarterback’s return.  Ron Rivera will enter the Panthers confines as an opposing head coach for the first time, the location where Rivera spent the first nine seasons of his NFL head coaching career.  The former Panthers head coach is held in high regard on a personal level though many of those same people may feel jaded about his time coaching in Carolina.

With the news already announce that Cam will be starting Sunday the news comes across more as a formality.  It was already widely believed that Cam Newton would start Sunday when facing off against the same man that coached Cam through his first nine seasons with the team.  This is the game that we all needed and thought we would never see it take place.  It was as if the heavens themselves had parted and down reached the football gods to reshape reality to deliver this game come Sunday.

Cam Newton is not here to just inspire and challenge his teammates; the same challenge is being presented to the fans as well.  For Sunday’s game has sought out 50 recipients of game tickets, needing only two requirements, be a Panthers fan, and has never been or can rarely attend.  The act of generosity is gallant and speaks straight to the point of Cam’s challenge.  Ace Boogie is calling on ALL Panthers fans to represent, pack the Bank, show your colors, wherever you are around the globe, and yes there are Panthers fans around the globe.  This is about more than just one player, or the fans.  This is about more than selling seats and making money.  This is about more than winning games and playoffs.  This is about something that goes straight to the core of what it is to be a member of the Carolina Panthers.  There is no backing down or giving up, when faced with a challenge we do what we do best, and that’s KEEP POUNDING.