Carolina Panthers 2011 Preseason Schedule: Full Preview

The preseason is here and that means the regular season is just one month away. Luckily for the Panthers, the season will not be starting soon as they are still in much need of learning and practice.

Most of the Panthers will be getting their lessons from the preseason. The preseason is a time to get into the NFL game as rookies learn what it is like to play game speed against real opponents, while veterans are looking to just get warmed-up for the 16 game season.

The Panthers will face the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Each game will mean something different and will require the Panthers to play to certain levels depending on the position.

Here is what needs to be accomplished at every position as the preseason progresses and the September 11th game approaches.

Defensive Line

The defensive line will be under the microscope as it is the main blame for the poor run defense last season.

I expect the end positions to only get stronger. A successful preseason will provide two sides that are mirror images of each other.

Charles Johnson is a starter and just needs to do what he did last season.

Everette Brown is on his last legs and he needs to prove to coach Ron Rivera that he can get to the quarterback. He is the fourth of four ends and is very close to being an official bust after the Panthers traded a first round pick to draft him.

Greg Hardy needs to stay on the field. Hardy’s main goal should be to stay healthy. His secondary goal should be to do exactly what Johnson does on the other side. Hardy needs to hold his edge and terrorize the quarterback.

Eric Norwood finally knows now that he is an end and not a linebacker. Norwood should be trying to prove that the other starting end spot is not Hardy’s to lose but his. Norwood has great speed and could be very good on passing situations.

As for defensive tackle, maturity and the ability to just hold the line are what should be expected.

Sione Fua, Corvey Irvin, and Terrell McClain are all third round picks that will be expected to start. They must play like they were drafted to be impact players.

Due to Ron Edwards going down and the Panthers not signing any other tackles, Fua will be asked to be the run stuffer for the first unit. He is intelligent and has good leverage, but the NFL linemen are big boys as well and he needs to prove he is up the task of being the key to the line.

Irvin has so much to prove it is indescribable. He was a third round pick out of Georgia and has been a huge disappointment since. The Panthers even released him before re-signing him due to the lack of tackle depth. Irvin is currently listed as the starter and if he wants any future in the NFL, he will show that he can man his position.

McClain missed a lot of time, for a rookie, due to contract issues. Now that he is here, he needs to prove he is worth the wait. While Fua will be asked to be the run stuffer, McClain will be asked to penetrate. He does not need sacks, but he needs to show he can collapse the pocket and force opposing quarterbacks into the ends.

Linebackers

For this group, it is all about health. All Carolina asks is that Jon Beason, James Anderson, and Thomas Davis to be on the field week 1 against the Cardinals. They have proven themselves and just need to keep off the injured list.

The guys to look at will be Dan Connor and Omar Gaither.

Connor needs to keep competing as if there was a starting job open because the last few seasons have shown that a starter going down is a definite possibility. He has lived up to the Linebacker University label provided by Penn State, but he needs to show it. If he plays like a starter, he may still never be one but he could definitely earn more snaps which only benefits the position.

Omar Gaither needs to prove himself the most. He is the new guy, but he is from Sean McDermott’s defense and needs to prove he can fill in at any time and keep up the production.

The linebacker position is the key to the defense and if all five can make it through the preseason then the defense will return to being a force in the league.

Secondary

The group that has the most to prove on the defense is the secondary. The defensive line just needs more game experience but can be good now. The secondary, on the other hand, scares me and the Panthers but frightens no one.

Chris Gamble is said to be locked on to the opposing team’s number one receiver this season. This is his time to prove he can be the shutdown corner Carolina paid him to be a few years ago. He is the leader of the secondary and will need to play like it.

Captain Munnerlyn is going to be asked to do more than he probably should be. Right now it is between him and Chevis Jackson for the second corner position. Captain is a nickel corner, but I would like him to play like he could cover the 6’3” receivers in the league.

Whether it is Captain, Jackson, or some homeless guy, someone needs to step up. The second corner is a big bulls-eye in the defense right now. In a division with quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Josh Freeman, there can be no bulls-eye in the secondary. Someone needs to prove they can handle the job or the defense will have more trouble against the pass than they will against the run.

Lastly, safeties Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin will be looked to break out this season. They will need to show they can intercept the ball. They will need to show they will not be trucked when in run support. Most importantly, these two will be like corners as they will need to help out a lot in coverage until the corner position is solidified.

Both have shown they can be NFL safeties, and with the help of Sean Considine they should be able to adapt quickly to the new system and show during the preseason how well they have absorbed the new defense.

Special Teams

This area of the Panthers may not be the biggest area of concern, but the special teams play would definitely make a young quarterback’s job easier.

Olindo Mare will have the attention of every Panther fan after he replaced John Kasay as kicker. He has been brought in to kick the ball into the end zone and to make field goals. Kasay made 50 yard attempts look easy, so Mare will have to match that. Mare could take some of the heat off of him and set up the defense with great field position if he is all the $3 million per year says he is.

Jason Baker did not seem to be at his best last season, but really no one was for Carolina. Baker needs to just erase last year and go back to his 45 yard average per punt so that the defense can make the opposing offense work for their points.

Then there is the return game. Since Steve Smith stopped being a return man, that aspect of the game has been pretty much a no show. Well, that is no longer the case and it is time for the return game to explode this preseason.

Between Mike Goodson, Captain, Kealoha Pilares and Kendric Burney, a lackluster return game will no longer be tolerated. There is too much speed and big play ability between these four players for the Panthers to not have great field position for its offense and sometimes even providing the offense.

The best way to help a struggling offense is to improve the field position and the Panthers assuredly have the talent to get the job done.

Offensive Line

The offensive line for Carolina has been a strength of the team for many years now, but last year it was in shambles and allowed 50 sacks. It does not matter that Jimmy Clausen was thinking he had four minutes to throw and not four seconds, 50 sacks is an embarrassment.

All I expect from the starters this preseason is to keep Cam Newton upright and I expect the starting five to remain the starting five when the regular season rolls around.

Furthermore, if Jeff Otah can keep on the field and show he is ready for football then the Panthers offense will automatically be ten times better. I mostly just want to see Otah as a pass blocker and stay healthy, but for missing last season I personally want him to do something.

I want him to go out and just eat people. The man is 6’6” 330 pounds he should have no problem just making the right side defender free. If the game-day announcers have to call in a detective to find missing defenders then I will know Otah is ready.

The preseason will mostly be about the back-ups. The Panthers lacked depth last season and it came back to haunt them. If guys like Lee Ziemba, Duke Robinson and Gary Williams can show that they can handle the job then the Panthers will be more than prepared for this season.

Tight End

There is no question that the moves made at the tight end position have Panthers fans and the team just eager to get on the field.

The additions of Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen make the position the deepest it has ever been and puts them as one of the top units in the league.

Unfortunately, they are only good on paper, for now. During the preseason, I would like Olsen and Shockey to prove why they were brought in and how dynamic coach Chudzinski’s new offense is going to be.

Then, the underrated battle will come between Gary Barnidge and Ben Hardstock. This match-up will be big for the coaches as it will be a battle for the final tight end spot. Now is Barnidge’s last chance to make something of all the fifth round tight ends selected under John Fox.

Barnidge still has the chance to be the future tight end to go with Olsen after hockey leaves. If he can prove he can be like Shockey and be a good blocker as well as pass-catcher, then he will make the team ahead of the poor-man’s lineman known as Hardstock.

This will be a position of great importance this year and it will be joyous when Panthers fans finally see these guys in action.

Wide Receiver

The second biggest battle this preseason will be the battle for the second and third receiver positions. Steve Smith is back at the No.1 and is rearing to go, but who can be just as dynamic and help the offense the most.

The candidates are Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, Keoloha Pilares and Legedu Naanee.

LaFell and Gettis are the incumbents and both had very solid rookie seasons. LaFell is the big body that is able to go over the middle of the field, while Gettis is a 6’3” burner that is a huge deep threat.

Pilares is the rookie out of Hawaii that is looking to be like Smith. He is 5’10” and about 200 pounds making him a solid slot receiver with deceptive speed. Naanee came over from San Diego as he looks to prove himself as a solid No.2 receiver.

The battle will be immense and this may be the most crucial receiver battle in the league.  

Running Back

The pecking order in the backfield is set. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will split the carries, while Mike Goodson and Tyrell Sutton act as back-ups with Goodson coming in on some passing situations.

The key to the preseason for these guys is health. Last season was a disaster as the Panthers were down to just Mike Goodson at one point. This preseason needs to be about taking care of themselves.

Goodson and Sutton will also look to prove themselves to the coaching staff, but what I am looking for out of them as where else they can contribute. Can Goodson become a playmaker at the return position? Can Sutton push Tony Fiametta for the fullback spot?

If Double Trouble stays healthy and Goodson and Sutton make the most of their abilities, Carolina will come in locked and loaded week one and there will be no mercy.

Quarterback

The most talked about quarterback competition anywhere resides in Carolina. The battle between Jimmy Clausen and Cam Newton is on like Donkey Kong, and it may take the first three preseason games before a decision can be made.

The Panthers signed Derek Anderson, but let’s be honest Armanti Edwards shows more potential to be the starting quarterback. The competition Clausen v. Newton, old regime v. new, but how to decide the winner?

First, both players start with a clean slate. Newton’s place in the Draft and the fact Clausen bombed it last season is irrelevant.

Second, the man to be the next quarterback for the Panthers needs to show pocket presence. The offensive line is healthy, but that does not mean the quarterback can hold onto the ball for ten seconds.

Third, one of these two men need to prove they know enough of the offense, know how to use the tight ends, and complete passes to Panthers receivers down the field.

Lastly, the winner will be the one who earns the respect of the team, proves to be a leader, and for all that is holy score points. The Panthers offense was very inept in the preseason and it carried over. John Fox proved that if the team can learn to win that it can finish with at least a 7-9 record.

The Coaching Staff

People must remember the coaching staff must prove it is capable as much as the players do.

McDermott needs to prove he has moved on from Philadelphia and is ready to make the most of his new beginning.

Chudzinski needs to prove that his offense will work even with a young quarterback at the helm. He will have the monumental task of getting the Panthers to score points this season.

Finally, Ron Rivera had been to many interviews for the Head Coach position and was turned down every time. The preseason will be his first chance to prove himself as a Head Coach and the captain of the Panthers’ future.

This will be the most memorable preseason since the Panthers’ inaugural year and I would not miss a second of it.