Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson broke his silence earlier this week, telling the press that head coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney were never in danger of losing their jobs, but that they clearly needed to make some changes during this offseason.The thing that grabbed my attention, though, was Richardson's fascination with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s.
We want to be a physical team, and we want to be able to run the ball; stop the run. If you do those two things, you're likely going to have opportunities to exploit the passing game and specifically, Steve (Smith).
You know how I feel about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Rooney family. I would like for the way we operate our team to simulate the Steelers. John and Marty know that. And that's the best example I can give them.
Indeed, the 2003 Panthers did resemble Steelers of the 70s -- slightly manic Louisiana native at quarterback, big bruising running back, dual threats at wideout, run-stuffing defense and even allegations of steroid use.
There's one problem with Richardson's plan, though. The 70s are over, and the 2007 Panthers don't have the personnel to be like those Steelers anymore.
You can thank Hurney for that, really. Hurney let his Lynn Swann (Muhsin Muhammad) run off to the Bears in free agency, and now there's only one really reliable receiver. His Franco Harris (Stephen Davis) was never right after his knee injury 2004, and DeShaun Foster wasn't the same type of back. Hurney drafted Eric Shelton, but he was a bust. Then he drafted DeAngelo Williams, who's more a speed back like Willie Parker than a bruiser like Harris. Mismanagement of the offensive line and secondary hasn't helped, either.
As for John Fox, he still has a job because Richardson believes he's the best coach for the type of football he wants the Panthers to play. He got them to a Super Bowl playing that style, too, and that still counts for something. Just ask Brian Billick, who held on for years in Baltimore on the laurels of Super Bowl XXXV.
The problem is that Hurney's personnel moves have the Panthers trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They don't have the type of team that can just run the ball and stop the run like those championship teams in Pittsburgh, and they don't have the salary cap space to build that kind of team this year.
Plus, it's not the 70s anymore. More NFL teams are using the pass just as much as the run -- the 17-0 Patriots first and foremost. As Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer notes:
Consider, however, that there are four NFL teams still playing meaningful football, and only one finished in the top five in rushing and not one finished in the top five in defending the run.
Simply put, Richardson needs to put the bell bottoms and Laugh-In DVDs away. It's a different era in the NFL, and "Run the ball and stop the run" isn't enough to build a championship team. Instead of trying to recreate someone else's past, the Panthers would be better off building a team that can compete in the future.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I think its kind of embarrasing that the panthers owner says he wants his team to be just like another, after almost 13 years as a franchise the panthers still don t have their own identity, with only 3 winning seasons and the glory of losing a superbowl richardson acts like this is still an expansion team. To me its time the whole organization got its act together and start putting some consistint if not championship winning or at least something thats keeping fans interested the carolinas could be losing a team. Richardson said after the 1-15 year that the "spirt had been took out of the fans and it was time to get it back". Well to me its happened again. Its time for Carolina to get it going become the CAROLINA PANTHERS and not the pittsburg steelers.
Newsflash Mr. Richardson......the 70's have been over for 30 years. It's 2008 now and this is NOT the same kind of football that was played back then. Players are faster, stronger, and (sad to say) greedier. Not many players play for the love of the game (like the Steelers of old), THEY PLAY FOR (in the words of the infamous Vince McMahon) THE MONAAY!!! Fact: you do not own the Steelers. Fans all over the Carolinas do not come to Bank of America Stadium to watch the steel curtain. We come to watch the team that you own; the team that we love, the Carolina Panthers. To sit here and want to simulate a team that's long gone is asinine. Why try and assume and simulate the identity of a team that's literally history WHEN YOU CAN CREATE AN IDENTITY ALL YOUR OWN AND MAKE HISTORY??? What's next??? Are we all gonna wave "terrible towels" in our own stadium??? I don't think the play strategy is so much the issue here anymore....I think it's the fact that as much as I'd like to say we've forgotten who we are as a team, I guess it's more appropriate to say that we never had our own identity to begin with. Where is the Panther pride??? Don't slap your players in the face and tell them to be like someone else; let them be who they are, start making better decisions player and salary cap wise, and of course...DON'T GET RID OF PLAYERS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO CHEAP TO PAY THEM!!!! I saw first hand how the fan base is dissipating this year and if massive work in the off season isn't done and an identity isn't found for your team other than that of the Steelers of old, there'll be less fans in the stadium than last year and that's not good (I was there....I know). I'm out!!!
Run the ball, yes we need to be able to run the ball. Stop the run, yes we need to be able to stop the run. How about rush the passer...do we need sacks? I think so...one thing that JR failed to do is draw any comparisons to the STEEL CURTAIN and discuss exactly what that team was...and it was a powerful defense that got off the field for the glory boys.
Our sack totals are disgraceful and our "corners" specifically gamble (lowercase intentional) have been exposed. Let's talk draft picks.