Sep 15 2004
Panther Post-mortem
Len Pasquarelli of ESPN suggested in this column that it was “remarkable” that John Fox would attribute this loss to just a couple of turnovers.
What’s so remarkable about that? Green Bay scored 14 points off those two turnovers. Take away those 14 points, and the Panthers enter the 4th quarter down only 10-7 with a shot at winning the game. Sure, Green Bay dominated over facets of the game, but those two turnovers were a lot more crucial than Pasquarelli suggests.
In the meantime, Karl Hankton may be on the roster, but he won’t replace injured WR Steve Smith in the starting lineup. Head Coach John Fox is taking a closer look at Keary Colbert, a rookie from USC whom the Panthers took in the second round. Of course, Carolina would love to have that other receiver from USC right now, too, but I doubt Paul Tagliabue is going to make any exceptions here.
Also, look for another rookie, cornerback Chris Gamble, to return some kicks, though I suspect Rod “He Hate Me” Smart, third-string running back and special teams specialist, will field his share of kicks as well.
Oh, and if you’re a fantasy football guy, start Stephen Davis next week. Green Bay’s defense prevented Davis from getting into any sort of rhythm. He won’t have that kind of trouble against Kansas City. Denver RB Quentin Griffin, a 4th round draft pick from Oklahoma who played sparingly as a rookie last season, gained 156 yards on 23 carries against the Chiefs. Davis and DeShaun Foster will combine for at least that much in Week 2.
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