Carolina RBs (1 Viewer)

[coachbobbyfinstock]

Anyone have any insight into the Carolina RB situation? You have two ostensibly talented RBs (three if you count Goodson) who have done nothing this year. Could it be:

-Teams stacking the line and making Cam beat them through the air?

-O-Line problems. I know Otah missed a game.

-Change in coaching philosophy? (New coach)

-Has DWill given up after his big contract?

I haven't seen any of their games yet this year but I just can't understand how neither of them can get it going.

Where is this thing headed? I realize J Stew has been puttin up some decent receiving numbers, but neither of them anything on the ground.

Any CAR RB owners have anything to offer? how about Carolina homers/

My apologies if there is a similar thread out there. I looked back about 6 pages and didn't see anything.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Too much shotgun...

 

[solorca]

A couple things...

Deangelo Williams looks terrible. He is dancing behind the line and looks tentative when running the ball. This has never been an issue with him in the past, and the Panthers are still running a zone blocking scheme so it should not be something he's having trouble with. It's a veteran line and there have been holes to run through, but Deangelo just isn't hitting them. I've always loved watching him play, but he just doesn't have it this year. I'm not ready to give up on him, because he's had slow starts before, but this is definitely not the Deangelo that I've watched all of these years. Oddly, he didn't have any trouble hitting the holes in the preseason and looked like his old self.

Teams haven't exactly stacked the box against Carolina this year, but they have blitzed a lot against Cam (and Cam has mostly beaten it). When Jacksonville laid off of the blitz during the second half last week, Stewart was able to do some damage (he actually broke an incredibly long run just before the end of the first half that would have given him a 100+ yard game...they challenged it and said his knee touched, but after watching the play about 10 times, I sincerely think it shouldn't have been overturned). Stewart has looked really good all season actually, both in the running and passing game.

Don't ask me why, but I think this is the week the Panthers running game gets going. All signs point to them not having a good running matchup against Chicago, but since Cam struggled for the first time of the year last week, I see the Panthers making an effort to get Stewart and Williams involved. If Stewart outperforms Deangelo again, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take over as the starter for a while...regardless of how big the contract is.

 

[coachbobbyfinstock]

good point about Carolina possibly rededicating themselves to the run after Cam's first subpar performance last week.

Grant certainly came out of his shell last week vs Chi.

 

[FarEastKilla]

good point about Carolina possibly rededicating themselves to the run after Cam's first subpar performance last week. Grant certainly came out of his shell last week vs Chi.

There was a Monsoon last week, no one can pass or run much under that condition, this week will be a good indication.

 

[Hendo]

Stewart deserves a feature role, its so plainly obvious at this point. Dumbest move of the offseason was giving Williams the money esp when you got a capable back up in Goodson right behind Stewart.

 

[solorca]

Stewart deserves a feature role, its so plainly obvious at this point. Dumbest move of the offseason was giving Williams the money esp when you got a capable back up in Goodson right behind Stewart.

Agree with the Stewart statement, but I'll make a couple points. The Panthers had plenty of money available with a willingness to spend. and with a rookie quarterback, there really wasn't any harm with going with two good backs. Yes, it looks bad now, but I think the original decision wasn't as dumb as people made it out to be. The team is scared of using Goodson heavily unless it's an emergency, because he simply cannot hold on to the ball. At points during training camp, Goodson had to carry a ball and had to buy players dinner if they knocked it out of his hands. Funny yes, but it illustrates a serious point.

 

[eaglesfan7]

good point about Carolina possibly rededicating themselves to the run after Cam's first subpar performance last week. Grant certainly came out of his shell last week vs Chi.

There was a Monsoon last week, no one can pass or run much under that condition, this week will be a good indication.

A crazy downpour and people expect him to put up big numbers? lol

 

[solorca]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.

I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.

Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

Newton also didn't look good in the second half of the GB game.Good Newton-First 1.5 gamesBad Newton-Last 1.5 games

 

[FavreCo]

The coaching staff is hypnotized and drunk on Scam. Once the realize he needs to hand off (afer repeated ### beatings), then maybe there will be a run game.

 

[solorca]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

Newton also didn't look good in the second half of the GB game.Good Newton-First 1.5 gamesBad Newton-Last 1.5 games

He was actually pretty good in the fourth quarter against Green Bay. He led the team into the redzone three times, resulting in one field goal, one turnover (late in the game, going for a touchdown), and a touchdown in the two minute drill. The third quarter was really rough.

 

[duaneok66]

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .

Seriously??

 

[rainram]

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason. Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case? Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following: - He does have something of a history of starting slow. - Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough. - The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards. - The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D. - The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

 

[solorca]

While the theory makes sense, I should point out that Carolina had always spent the limit on the salary cap, except for last season because of the lockout issue. The floor was never a concern for Carolina this year, the cap was. Last season gave Richardson a reputation as a cheap owner, but he is actually far from that.

 

[duaneok66]

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason. Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case? Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following: - He does have something of a history of starting slow. - Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough. - The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards. - The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D. - The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

you made valid points but it makes no sense to throw good money to an aging back in a passing offense . . . the backfield wouldnt be any worse off with Stewart, Goodson and Sutton (who would have been kept most likely had DWill not been re-signed) . . .

 

[eaglesfan7]

It does make sense since they had no idea Cam Newton would be able to run the offense as well as he has so early in his NFL career. They thought it would take him time to grasp the offense so they figured they would pound the ball all day. It didn't work out that way but it's probably better this way since they know what they now have in Cam.

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason. Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case? Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following: - He does have something of a history of starting slow. - Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough. - The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards. - The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D. - The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

you made valid points but it makes no sense to throw good money to an aging back in a passing offense . . . the backfield wouldnt be any worse off with Stewart, Goodson and Sutton (who would have been kept most likely had DWill not been re-signed) . . .

 

[eaglesfan7]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

Neither was Matt Stafford in the first quarter of this past Sunday's game but he ended up with 300 plus yards and 2 touchdowns. The monsoon was the most important factor in Sunday's Carolina-Jacksonville game, not how Cam played. I'm not even a Cam supporter and I think he has played tremendously so early in his career, even with the losses.

 

[duaneok66]

It does make sense since they had no idea Cam Newton would be able to run the offense as well as he has so early in his NFL career. They thought it would take him time to grasp the offense so they figured they would pound the ball all day. It didn't work out that way but it's probably better this way since they know what they now have in Cam.

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason. Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case? Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following: - He does have something of a history of starting slow. - Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough. - The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards. - The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D. - The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

you made valid points but it makes no sense to throw good money to an aging back in a passing offense . . . the backfield wouldnt be any worse off with Stewart, Goodson and Sutton (who would have been kept most likely had DWill not been re-signed) . . .

come on - you don't just start throwing the balll around on a whim - you need a plan and preparation - not saying that they knew that Cam would be "ready" (and the jury is still out on him) but you can't tell me they didnt have a plan to throw the ball - you need to develop a scheme and have play designs - that doesn't happen overnight . . . it was a bad signing . . . it's not like they didn't need help in other areas . . .

 

[eaglesfan7]

It does make sense since they had no idea Cam Newton would be able to run the offense as well as he has so early in his NFL career. They thought it would take him time to grasp the offense so they figured they would pound the ball all day. It didn't work out that way but it's probably better this way since they know what they now have in Cam.

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason. Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case? Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following: - He does have something of a history of starting slow. - Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough. - The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards. - The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D. - The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

you made valid points but it makes no sense to throw good money to an aging back in a passing offense . . . the backfield wouldnt be any worse off with Stewart, Goodson and Sutton (who would have been kept most likely had DWill not been re-signed) . . .

come on - you don't just start throwing the balll around on a whim - you need a plan and preparation - not saying that they knew that Cam would be "ready" (and the jury is still out on him) but you can't tell me they didnt have a plan to throw the ball - you need to develop a scheme and have play designs - that doesn't happen overnight . . . it was a bad signing . . . it's not like they didn't need help in other areas . . .

Actually you do just start throwing the ball. Especially when your running backs are constantly getting hit at the line and averaging 3 yards per carry. And when you have a defense that can't keep opposing offenses off the field and your getting dominated in time of possession and losing the game.

 

[boonesfarm4me]

Nice thread, i have Jstew on my bench and am waiting for the Carolina running game to get going. I am shocked Dwill has done nothing, absolutely nothing so far. Jstew has been a real surprise in the passing game and seems more involved in the overall offense. It appears Carolina seems content being a pass happy team

thru 3 games

Cam 117 passing attempts, 25 rush attempts

Jstew 23 rush attempts

Dwill 27 rush attempts

lets see what week 4 brings

 

[solorca]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

Neither was Matt Stafford in the first quarter of this past Sunday's game but he ended up with 300 plus yards and 2 touchdowns. The monsoon was the most important factor in Sunday's Carolina-Jacksonville game, not how Cam played. I'm not even a Cam supporter and I think he has played tremendously so early in his career, even with the losses.

Oh, I am definitely with you. He has exceeded my expectations by a mile. I am thrilled with him...and I was one of the biggest doubters when he was drafted.

 

[glumpy]

Somebody please tell me why the Carolina front office paid Deangelo . . . they are turning Cam loose (no problem with that) but to pay a guy umpteen million dollars to split in a (seemingly) pass offense makes NO sense when you had two decent backs (Stewart and Goodson) who are younger and cheaper . . .

Seriously??

I've seen this comment/question plenty regarding DWill...what about this for a possible answer...

Teams were required to spend a certain amount. I don't remember a this point, but it was something like 90%-95% of the Salary Cap. They HAD to reach that amount. One easy way to do that, but not overspend on bad players is to extend your current players. Hence the big money to the oft-injured LB Davis, and big raise for Beason.

Why not give the money to Stewart if that's the case?

Well, two reasons. 1.) The guy has had some serious Achilles problems and reaggravated it around this time. 2.) Maybe they saw that keep DWill around, at a minimum, lessens the toll on Stewart, whom they plan on having as their main back for the next 5-7 years.

So I'm saying they paid him the money because they had to accomodate a Salary Cap "floor," and he offered some safety and security for the team.

Why is he not getting a lot of looks? I think the surprising play of Cam Newton has pushed this team towards passing more than they originally thought they would entering the season. I'm guessing the more success they have, the more Stewart is involved.

**Side note for ailing/reluctantly hopeful DWill Owner: This is for the owner who absolutely can't drop him because even what's on the WW is a worse option. And the owner who can't trade him, because nobody else wants him. So this owner is STUCK with him. You probably visit these threads in hopes of finding something to at least making you feel a little better during the week, even though you'll never start him unless you HAVE TO. With that...maybe you fretful DWill owners can hang your hat on the following:

- He does have something of a history of starting slow.

- Stewart does have a history of injuries. **This might be the best thing to hang your hat on, sadly enough.

- The Cardinals did stack the box and challenge Cam...who proceeded to burn them for 4 quarters. During this game Williams was 12 for 30 and 1 for 6, while Stewart was 7 for 26 and 2 for 14...Not a big difference between the two and Stewart actually had more rushes for negatvie yards or 0 yards.

- The Green Bay game didn't offer much of a sample size as the two backs rushed a total of 11 times. 5 for Williams and 6 fo Stewart. Williams was 5 for 13 and 4 for 23, while Stewart was 6 for 5 and 8 for 100 receiving. Williams was slightly better on the ground against a stout run-D.

- The 3rd game against JAX was in soaking wet conditions, more conducive to a powerful player like Stewart and makes it tougher on a more elusive back like Williams. And even then Stewart managed runs of 2, 1, 1, 2, -1 and 3...he just broke some nicer runs in between.

I'm not making a case for DWill here...in fact I own him and I'm kinda stuck with him myself. Although I'd get rid of him in a heartbeat if I could. I just can't. He won't see my lineup unless I have to start him or Stewart gets hurt. I'm just trying to help out the psyche of those stuck with him.

you made valid points but it makes no sense to throw good money to an aging back in a passing offense . . . the backfield wouldnt be any worse off with Stewart, Goodson and Sutton (who would have been kept most likely had DWill not been re-signed) . . .

My only objection to this is the "aging back"--DWill is in his prime. Too much money for anyone maybe but both backs should be considered as viable. This from an owner who drafted DW as his #3, just dropped for JStew this weeks waivers, and just might move him as well. Dunno what to do with the new regime in town.

It's a whole different game in Charlotte these days, and I won't get a first hand review for another couple weeks...

 

[duaneok66]

I don't think that 28 is the prime age for a running back . . .

 

[Sabertooth]

 

[Tigerbot Hesh]

It appears Carolina seems content being a pass happy team

I think some of this has to do with a new coaching staff. It's like a Bizzaro version of the old John Fox teams; they're trying to show the fans that this isn't one of Fox's run-all-the-time, pass-15-times-a-game, grind-it-out-and-win-with-defense teams.

 

[bonesman]

A couple corrections...

Stewart was able to do some damage (he actually broke an incredibly long run just before the end of the first half that would have given him a 100+ yard game...they challenged it and said his knee touched, but after watching the play about 10 times, I sincerely think it shouldn't have been overturned).

That was a screen pass, not a run. And he was ruled down because the elbow touched, not the knee. If you sincerely think it shouldn't have been overturned, watch it again and keep an eye on his left elbow... he was clearly down by contact.

 

[solorca]

A couple corrections...

Stewart was able to do some damage (he actually broke an incredibly long run just before the end of the first half that would have given him a 100+ yard game...they challenged it and said his knee touched, but after watching the play about 10 times, I sincerely think it shouldn't have been overturned).

That was a screen pass, not a run. And he was ruled down because the elbow touched, not the knee. If you sincerely think it shouldn't have been overturned, watch it again and keep an eye on his left elbow... he was clearly down by contact.

My bad on the screen pass. Regardless, it would have been a very nice fantasy game. I forgot to the record the game, so I only saw the original airing...but I did rewatch the play multiple times and it never appeared that he was down to me. I'll trust the refs on the call though.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

For the record, Newton wasn't really looking good prior to the rain starting. It started raining with about 4-5 minutes left in the first half, and he was not playing well at that point. From the time the rain started through the end of the game, you can't really judge his performance. While the rain itself stopped early in the 3rd, the field was a mess because it dumped about 6 inches of rain in less than an hour.I think without the monsoon, he would have put up around 250 yards with 1-2 touchdowns. It would have been a solid game, although his completion percentage would have been around 50% given his poor passing.Like I mentioned earlier, without a very close call during the monsoon, Stewart would have been well over 100 yards rushing with a nice stat line. Deangelo probably wouldn't have been much different.

pretty amazing that you could watch that "run" 10 times and not realize that it was a screen pass.

 

[packersfan]

I think the Panthers made a huge mistake spending all that money on Williams when they had quality RB depth already and massive holes at nearly every other position.

That said, I'm stunned by how bad Williams looks. I think he's a very talented RB. I also think the Panthers have to try and run the ball more going forward. They can't just hope for Newton to do it all offensively. Maybe it won't be Williams getting in on the action. Maybe it will be Stewart. But if they do make more of an attempt to run the ball, I think Williams can still play well. It's a long season and a lot of football left to be played. From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn't give up on Williams yet even though it's absolutely painful right now.

 

[majarrek]

Dwill looks slow this year. I bet Stewart takes over as the primary back pretty soon. Newton wanted Smith to stay and he did. It's clear he favors Stewart, it's just a matter of time.

 

[FantasyTrader]

I don't think that 28 is the prime age for a running back . . .

It is. Statistically speaking, 28 (rather, a RB's sixth year in the league) is the sweet spot.

 

[Possum]

I think the Panthers made a huge mistake spending all that money on Williams when they had quality RB depth already and massive holes at nearly every other position.

with the way the Panthers have been using him, it definitely doesn't make much sense. He's on pace for about the same total rushing numbers for this entire season as he had last year in six games.

That said, I'm stunned by how bad Williams looks. I think he's a very talented RB. I also think the Panthers have to try and run the ball more going forward. They can't just hope for Newton to do it all offensively. Maybe it won't be Williams getting in on the action. Maybe it will be Stewart. But if they do make more of an attempt to run the ball, I think Williams can still play well. It's a long season and a lot of football left to be played. From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn't give up on Williams yet even though it's absolutely painful right now.

I agree that he looked a lot better in the preseason - he seemed to be back in form and had me thinking he'd be a solid RB2. I think you make some good points here, especially about his fortunes being tied to Rivera increasing his commitment to the run. If you're a Williams owner and can afford the roster spot, it still seems like the best course of action is to keep holding on and hope that he'll put up some numbers before long.