A Cowboys Scouting Report on the Carolina Panthers

by Aaron Novinger on Sep 24, 2009 11:14 AM CDT

Last Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons won 28-20 at home against their division rival, the Carolina Panthers. With Carolina coming to Dallas for this week's Monday nighter, I asked Dave the Falconer at SBNation's blog for the Falcons, The Falcoholic, if he would do a little scouting report on the Cowboys' upcoming opponent.

He was more than happy to do so, and I thank him for that. Click below to read how he thinks the Cowboys can be victorious over the Panthers.

I realize MBIII may not be playing, but you're going to want to aggressively attack the Panthers front four with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice regardless. The Panthers just lost starting defensive tackle Louis Leonard and you should have some immediate success pounding the ball through the middle. That will also open up some passing lanes for you. Despite Michael Turner looking a bit shaky through the first half, Matt Ryan was still able to pass all over them, so by simply mixing up your playcalling you should find some offensive success.

Run to set up the pass...hmm. Sounds like a plan to me!

The strength is obviously the running game, which got going pretty well against us last week. DeAngelo Williams is very talented and Jonathan Stewart didn't look like he was bothered by any lingering injuries, and the duo combined for 144 yards and a touchdown on only 25 (carries). You'll need to stop them and try to force Jake Delhomme to make some bad throws. He may be more obliging for you than he was for us.

Even though the Cowboys did a good job bottling up the Giants, we can not forget their horrible job of defending the run in the season opener at Tampa Bay. Williams is fast as lightning, and Stewart has a good combination of quickness and strength.

On D conventional wisdom says Julius Peppers, but our second year tackle Sam Baker almost completely neutralized him on Sunday. Take him out of the equation and the pass rush is virtually nonexistant. You'll need to worry more about the secondary, which has a number of good players who will be going for the ball and can pick Romo if he's not spot on.

It may be safe to assume that whomever gets the centerfielding duties for Carolina will be licking their chops. Whoever controls the ball in this one may control the game.

Good luck!

Thanks again, Dave. Good stuff. We owe you one!

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Comments

Yes!

Finally…move on to week 3

by MicThaRock on Sep 24, 2009 11:15 AM CDT reply actions

Took the words

right off my keyboard. Time to move on.

by Road Warrior on Sep 24, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions

I know......

About time to step off the ledge folks…..nothing to see here. We will be fine and I can’t believe some of the things I have read on these boards the last few days. Trust me things could be much much worse. Remember BJ? Remember Babe Laufenburg in 1990? I had to sit there and watch us get annihilated by of all teams the Atlanta Falcons…….when they weren’t any good. Things could be much worse……

by BarbersQuad on Sep 24, 2009 11:25 AM CDT reply actions

We should pay them back

by giving them an ‘L’ on their schedule when they play us! :)

by Rickyy. on Sep 24, 2009 11:35 AM CDT reply actions

I'm telling you the next three games

Should be win’s not gimme’s but they have a W in my book. Week 6 Vs ATL they should have it together. But ATl is going to be another good challenge there O weapons should be a good match up. I see us going 11-5 as the schedule stands. Means Playoff : )

Someone's always Going to be Hating on Da Boyz

by Jeff G. on Sep 24, 2009 11:42 AM CDT reply actions

I'm just a little off.

I see us going 10-6. I can’t help but feel we’ll botch at least one more game this year. I hope it’s not against a divisional rival.

by Rickyy. on Sep 24, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

I think 11-5 is still a very good possibility

but to do so, they will have to put together a string of wins at some point and the next several games seems like a great place to start.

Even if Romo and the team plays better in December than in years past, those last 5 games to end the season look brutal. They need to gets a lot of wins the next few months.

by cowboysfansince75 on Sep 24, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions

10-6

Should still means playoffs, less something bizzare happens. But ur right we need to be on a roll going into the playoffs, The last few games are brutal that’s where i see us going 3-3 and haveing a two game win streak going into the playoff’s.

Someone's always Going to be Hating on Da Boyz

by Jeff G. on Sep 24, 2009 12:28 PM CDT up reply actions

I'd like for the Packers and Eagles to suffer a few more losses early

Hope their opponents kick ‘em while they’re down and hand them some more in the L column.

And we can help ourselves by beating these NFC South teams, a couple of whom I’m sure will be in Wild Card contention down the road. These could end up being tiebreaker games at the end of the season.

Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.

by Tim Wilson on Sep 24, 2009 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep

The softest part of our schedule is coming up right now.

Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.

by Tim Wilson on Sep 24, 2009 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions

At the least 10-6

I see us winning both WAS games though, Portis can’t do everything. But then again Moss and Randle El kill us at times.

Someone's always Going to be Hating on Da Boyz

by Jeff G. on Sep 24, 2009 11:47 AM CDT reply actions

Yeah,

both WAS games should be wins. Again, key word being should.

by Rickyy. on Sep 24, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions

I hate the week after a loss, Time stands still

and to make it worse we have to wait til Monday.

(From the the back seat)How much longer til we get there?

KICK ASS every day!!!

by squidlo97 on Sep 24, 2009 12:13 PM CDT reply actions

yep

Ready to wash that sour taste out of my mouth.

by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Sep 24, 2009 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm right there with ya Squidlo

At least it’s almost Friday!

by torchindefenses on Sep 24, 2009 1:02 PM CDT reply actions

"licking their chops"

Yikes!

by torchindefenses on Sep 24, 2009 1:04 PM CDT reply actions

Run the ball~

Run the ball, to set up the pass. I like it! Play Action to Williams. PA to Austin deep for a TD. Keep our defense off the field and keep the ball “at least 50%” out of the air.

by torchindefenses on Sep 24, 2009 1:05 PM CDT reply actions

I hope Garrett is reading

Use the run to set up the pass. And don’t let our bonehead QB lose this one too.

by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Sep 24, 2009 1:48 PM CDT reply actions

It's Thursday...

get off of it already.

by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Sep 24, 2009 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

I can’t wait to watch the Romo nay-sayer bandwagon empty like a theater on fire… :)

Romo’s fine, last I checked he wasn’t on the field during the Gints last drive, all we need is some Ws…

Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.

by DalaiLuke on Sep 25, 2009 5:04 AM CDT up reply actions

I love you like a brother Luke,

but he was on the field for three costly turnovers. Every qb has a bad day every once in a while, it is just that Romo has them more frequently and in the wrong games.

"Help, it's hot and dark in here and someone is laughing." Taco Bell

by GunsUp on Sep 25, 2009 6:18 AM CDT up reply actions

In case you're interested...

I did a little strength and weakness piece on the Jake Delhommes before Week 1.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2009/9/4/1015357/getting-to-know-our-week-1

Bye, Big Stew and JJ :(

by JimmyK on Sep 24, 2009 1:58 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

And by the "Jake Delhommes," I mean the whole team of course...

Bye, Big Stew and JJ :(

by JimmyK on Sep 24, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Pretty prescient piece

but I do have one thing to nitpick about…you write that with all the offensive talent surrounding Delhomme, that he should have had way more than 15 TDs. But really Delhomme just “pulled an Aikman” last year. In other words, DeAngelo and Stewart ate up 25 TDs between them. Delhomme had just 3 TD passes last year of less than 10 yards. If Carolina was more of a “pass first” offense I’m sure he would have had probably 10 more TD tosses, like he did a few years back. Meanwhile, not to disparage McNabb, but 16 of his 23 TD passes last year were from 10 yards or less. But that’s what happens when you have Andy and Marty at the controls. Nothing wrong with that.

Us Cowboy fans surely recall how the team considered signing Delhomme prior to the 2003 season, only to stick with Quincy “Chronic” Carter. We have seen Delhomme have a few good games against Dallas (in 1999, the 2003 playoffs, 2005), a bad one (2003 regular season) and one ugly mother (in 2006 in Romo’s starting debut). But all those games were without the stellar backfield of DeAngelo and Stewart. We should know better than to underestimate Jake Delhomme.

by DavidH22 on Sep 24, 2009 2:51 PM CDT reply actions

you write that with all the offensive talent surrounding Delhomme, that he should have had way more than 15 TDs.

DeAngelo and Stewart ate up 25 TDs between them.

Delhomme had just 3 TD passes last year of less than 10 yards. If Carolina was more of a "pass first" offense I’m sure he would have had probably 10 more TD tosses, like he did a few years back.

That’s a fair point.

Bye, Big Stew and JJ :(

by JimmyK on Sep 24, 2009 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Too bad we have to wait until Monday

I’d love to see us get back on the field at noon on Sunday and get last week’s bad taste out of our mouths. I imagine the players feel the same way. I hate having to wait for MNF games. And I’m sure that the ENTIRE pregame ESPN build-up will focus around Romo and his recent struggles. I’ll be tuning in at kickoff and not a moment earlier.

I do enjoy the work Gruden and Jaws have been doing, though. Between the two of them and Colinsworth replacing Madden, there’s been a real announcing upgrade for the prime time games. I feel like I learn something every time I listen to one of their broadcasts.

Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.

by Tim Wilson on Sep 24, 2009 4:11 PM CDT reply actions

What's the over-under

on how many times ESPN mentions TO in their storylines

by fretman on Sep 24, 2009 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Or punting into the video board

by staubachfan on Sep 24, 2009 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions

I know somebody mentioned it earlier

but after watching the game again, it was nauseating how the cameras followed the punts in the air. I hope they quit doing that soon and focus back on the returners.

And the sign said long haired freaky people need not apply ...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys

by Aaron Novinger on Sep 24, 2009 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Let's hope

After it was pretty clear that you would really need to TRY to hit the video board you would hope the networks would stop this motion sickness inducing follow cam. But, until the cowboys start to win handily and show themselves as an elite team, there is no way that they’ll actually talk cowboys football instead of their overplayed story lines.

by SDTrueblue on Sep 24, 2009 9:30 PM CDT up reply actions

They’re going to follow the punts like that all season. I actually saw something about that on the NFL Network where they discussed how punts would be filmed at the new stadium.

If no punts hit the scoreboard this year, maybe they’ll stop it next year, but you better get used to it… It isn’t going away.

Bye, Big Stew and JJ :(

by JimmyK on Sep 25, 2009 7:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Pat Kirwan’s article on NFL.com suggests that pressuring the QB accomplishes 6 things

1. It restricts what a running back can do.
2. It lures the QB into turnovers.
3. It beats the standard six-man protection schemes.
4. It forces receivers to break off routes.
5. It hurries the clock inside the QB’s head.
6. It gives your best pass rusher a chance.

OK – Wade, how ’bout dialing up some of your blitz-packages so we can see:

1. DeAngelo stall
2. Delhomme throw picks
3. CAR OL confused
4. Steve Smith frustrated
5. CAR offense go three-and-out
6. D Ware rack up some sacks

by BishopWest on Sep 24, 2009 9:31 PM CDT reply actions