Take 2: Panthers vs. SeahawksFriday, October 29, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Panthers and Seahawks. Now they're back with a
second look.
Carolina head coach John Fox has already stated that RB Stephen Davis will
not play because of his knee injury and Rod Smart will also miss this game
with a knee injury. Hoover will replace Davis with backups Nick Goings,
Joey Harris and Brandon Bennett all getting carries in relief. While
Hoover and Goings lack the burst to turn the corner, Harris signed with
the Panthers as an undrafted rookie free agent and started the year on the
practice squad. Bennett, who also lacks ideal speed, had been out of
football since August before signing with the Panthers on Tuesday. Expect
Carolina to have some problems establishing its running game working
against what has been a very strong Seattle run defense as a result.
One of the ways Panthers offensive coordinator Dan Henning will try to
open up the running game will be running some traps. Henning likes to trap
the defensive lineman lined up on the inside shoulder of a guard or over
OC Jeff Mitchell's head and he generally uses a tight end to do it.
Mitchell and the play-side guard will head up to the second level at the
snap and the tight end, which will be lined up in the backfield and often
goes in motion, will block down. The Seahawks' defensive tackles must be
aware of this play and try to anchor when they feel the offensive guard
and center release downfield too quickly. Clogging the gap will force
Carolina's back to bounce outside where the pursuit should be in a
position to make the play.
Two of the biggest reasons Seattle's passing attack is struggling to beat
the blitz are suspect protection and the inability of QB Matt Hasselbeck
to stay on the same page as his receivers. The offensive line needs to do
a better job of sliding off its blocks and picking up the blitzing
linebacker or safety. Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac will
send MLB Dan Morgan up the middle at times. Morgan does a good job of
masking the blitz by lining up deep. Although it takes him a second
longer, that hesitation gives the offensive line time to commit to blocks
creating seams. One of Hasselbeck's four interceptions last week came when
a receiver simply stopped running his route. Another came on a play that
he threw to the inside shoulder of WR Koren Robinson when the corner had
inside leverage.
GoingsThe Seahawks must be aware of Goings' versatility. Goings can line
up at receiver and Carolina will line up him up in the slot in certain
empty-backfield sets. The Panthers can then shift Goings back into the
backfield and hand him the ball. If Seattle's linebackers are unaware of
this play and get caught dropping into coverage, Goings should be able to
pick up three-to-four yards.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell will also move his personnel
around in an effort to keep Carolina off balance. Seattle likes to run
play-action in certain red-zone situations and it runs a three-tight end
set with the third tight end lined up behind the second tight end. Haskell
will line WR Darrell Jackson up as the third tight end. Hasselbeck will
fake the hand off and roll away from the strength of the formation at the
snap off the ball. Jackson will slide across the field and it's easy to
lose him in the motion of the play. The Panthers must beware of Jackson's
alignment at all times as a result.
Carolina QB Jake Delhomme's timing with his receivers is off, and
inconsistent protection has forced him to get rid of the ball quickly,
which is a recipe for disaster. Delhomme is leading his receivers too much
at times and they are taking some big hits as a result. It doesn't help
that the Panthers' lack of a vertical passing game is allowing opposing
safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Seattle FS Ken Hamlin
plays with a mean streak and he can punish receivers coming over the
middle given the opportunity.
Finding a way to stretch the Seahawks' vertically would help open
up the short-to-intermediate routes and the running game, so Delhomme will
have to take some chances early. Delhomme should look for WR Muhsin
Muhammad working against CB Marcus Trufant when he throws downfield. While
Trufant has the speed to run with Muhammad, Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald's
size gave him problems last week. Muhammad has great strength and he
should be able to compete for any jump balls working against Trufant.
Carolina's protection must give Delhomme enough time and space to step
into his throws when the does take his chances in the vertical passing
game, as Seattle will bring a lot of pressure early. If the backs, tight
ends and offensive line can handle the blitz, allowing Delhomme to get
into a rhythm early, it will force Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray
Rhodes to stay a little more conservative.
Seattle No. 3 WR Bobby Engram is expected to miss this game with an ankle
injury and Jerry Rice will replace him. While Rice is similar to Engram in
the sense that both are great route-runners who rarely drop balls thrown
in their area, Rice is still learning the system. In addition, the
Panthers lack depth at corner and the Seahawks' four-receiver set won't be
as potent, so Engram will be missed.
Special Teams
Seattle P Tom Rouen has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury
and it is unknown if he'll be able to return at this point. Donnie Jones
has done an adequate job of replacing Rouen, but he mishandled a poor snap
last week. The punt was blocked and the Cardinals recorded a safety. Rouen
is far more experienced than the rookie Jones and he probably would have
handled the situation a little better.
With Smart still out with a knee injury, Carolina is expected to give
Bennett some opportunities to return kickoffs. Bennett was one of the best
kickoff returners in the AFC while playing for Cincinnati in 2002 and he's
capable of giving the Panthers' offense quality starting field position.
Prediction: Seahawks 31, Panthers 10
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Panthers and Seahawks. Now they're back with a
second look.
Carolina head coach John Fox has already stated that RB Stephen Davis will
not play because of his knee injury and Rod Smart will also miss this game
with a knee injury. Hoover will replace Davis with backups Nick Goings,
Joey Harris and Brandon Bennett all getting carries in relief. While
Hoover and Goings lack the burst to turn the corner, Harris signed with
the Panthers as an undrafted rookie free agent and started the year on the
practice squad. Bennett, who also lacks ideal speed, had been out of
football since August before signing with the Panthers on Tuesday. Expect
Carolina to have some problems establishing its running game working
against what has been a very strong Seattle run defense as a result.
One of the ways Panthers offensive coordinator Dan Henning will try to
open up the running game will be running some traps. Henning likes to trap
the defensive lineman lined up on the inside shoulder of a guard or over
OC Jeff Mitchell's head and he generally uses a tight end to do it.
Mitchell and the play-side guard will head up to the second level at the
snap and the tight end, which will be lined up in the backfield and often
goes in motion, will block down. The Seahawks' defensive tackles must be
aware of this play and try to anchor when they feel the offensive guard
and center release downfield too quickly. Clogging the gap will force
Carolina's back to bounce outside where the pursuit should be in a
position to make the play.
Two of the biggest reasons Seattle's passing attack is struggling to beat
the blitz are suspect protection and the inability of QB Matt Hasselbeck
to stay on the same page as his receivers. The offensive line needs to do
a better job of sliding off its blocks and picking up the blitzing
linebacker or safety. Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac will
send MLB Dan Morgan up the middle at times. Morgan does a good job of
masking the blitz by lining up deep. Although it takes him a second
longer, that hesitation gives the offensive line time to commit to blocks
creating seams. One of Hasselbeck's four interceptions last week came when
a receiver simply stopped running his route. Another came on a play that
he threw to the inside shoulder of WR Koren Robinson when the corner had
inside leverage.
GoingsThe Seahawks must be aware of Goings' versatility. Goings can line
up at receiver and Carolina will line up him up in the slot in certain
empty-backfield sets. The Panthers can then shift Goings back into the
backfield and hand him the ball. If Seattle's linebackers are unaware of
this play and get caught dropping into coverage, Goings should be able to
pick up three-to-four yards.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell will also move his personnel
around in an effort to keep Carolina off balance. Seattle likes to run
play-action in certain red-zone situations and it runs a three-tight end
set with the third tight end lined up behind the second tight end. Haskell
will line WR Darrell Jackson up as the third tight end. Hasselbeck will
fake the hand off and roll away from the strength of the formation at the
snap off the ball. Jackson will slide across the field and it's easy to
lose him in the motion of the play. The Panthers must beware of Jackson's
alignment at all times as a result.
Carolina QB Jake Delhomme's timing with his receivers is off, and
inconsistent protection has forced him to get rid of the ball quickly,
which is a recipe for disaster. Delhomme is leading his receivers too much
at times and they are taking some big hits as a result. It doesn't help
that the Panthers' lack of a vertical passing game is allowing opposing
safeties to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Seattle FS Ken Hamlin
plays with a mean streak and he can punish receivers coming over the
middle given the opportunity.
Finding a way to stretch the Seahawks' vertically would help open
up the short-to-intermediate routes and the running game, so Delhomme will
have to take some chances early. Delhomme should look for WR Muhsin
Muhammad working against CB Marcus Trufant when he throws downfield. While
Trufant has the speed to run with Muhammad, Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald's
size gave him problems last week. Muhammad has great strength and he
should be able to compete for any jump balls working against Trufant.
Carolina's protection must give Delhomme enough time and space to step
into his throws when the does take his chances in the vertical passing
game, as Seattle will bring a lot of pressure early. If the backs, tight
ends and offensive line can handle the blitz, allowing Delhomme to get
into a rhythm early, it will force Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray
Rhodes to stay a little more conservative.
Seattle No. 3 WR Bobby Engram is expected to miss this game with an ankle
injury and Jerry Rice will replace him. While Rice is similar to Engram in
the sense that both are great route-runners who rarely drop balls thrown
in their area, Rice is still learning the system. In addition, the
Panthers lack depth at corner and the Seahawks' four-receiver set won't be
as potent, so Engram will be missed.
Special Teams
Seattle P Tom Rouen has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury
and it is unknown if he'll be able to return at this point. Donnie Jones
has done an adequate job of replacing Rouen, but he mishandled a poor snap
last week. The punt was blocked and the Cardinals recorded a safety. Rouen
is far more experienced than the rookie Jones and he probably would have
handled the situation a little better.
With Smart still out with a knee injury, Carolina is expected to give
Bennett some opportunities to return kickoffs. Bennett was one of the best
kickoff returners in the AFC while playing for Cincinnati in 2002 and he's
capable of giving the Panthers' offense quality starting field position.
Prediction: Seahawks 31, Panthers 10
