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08 Nov 2010

The NFL's Worst Team Gets Worse

No, not the Buffalo Bills or the Dallas Cowboys. I'm talking about the team that will rank 32nd in tomorrow's DVOA ratings: Carolina. The Panthers are now stuck putting QB Matt Moore, LB Dan Connor, and LB Thomas Davis on Injured Reserve. (Davis has been out since preseason but there was always hope he might be able to come back late in the year.) Moore's injury leaves Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike at quarterbacks, and John Fox is actually talking about moving Armanti Edwards back to quarterback from wide receiver. Oy. That blowout of the Giants in Week 16 of 2009 sure seems like a long, long time ago.

Posted by: Aaron Schatz on 08 Nov 2010

31 comments, Last at 10 Nov 2010, 5:15pm by realheavyd

Comments

1
by jmaron :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:20pm

My pick to win the NFC this year. I'm starting to think that one isn't going to pan out.

2
by ammek :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:25pm

Well they had 250 rushing yards in that Giants game. This year, they're on course to gain 1000 fewer rushing yards than last year — and that's without Jonathan Stewart getting hurt. What's going on there?

3
by justanothersteve :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:26pm

Well, at least they'll have the first draft pick. Or did they trade that away too? I'd actually like to see Edwards at QB. It wouldn't surprise me if he turned out to be the best player on the roster at the position.

4
by Aaron Schatz :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:35pm

They have their first-round pick but their second-round pick, which is going to end up being somewhere between 33 and 36, belongs to New England.

24
by Bobman :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 2:09am

What? Did the Pats trade them Moss for a week, too?

5
by BigCheese :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:36pm

It is VERY lucky for the Panthers they already got their win this season, or they'd be joining the 08 Lions in 0-16 land. Serisouly, how is this teamg oing to win another game?

Or maybe it's not as lucky since they won't be able to challenge the Bills for the top pick (I honestly thought that the last best chance they had at getting a win was against my Bears yesterday)?

- Alvaro

6
by jackgibbs :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:46pm

the bills are playing a lot of teams tough. All it takes is a good team to come out flatfooted against them, like new england yesterday, and they'll get their win. I wouldn't be surprised to see more than a few 1 win teams this year, though

13
by graywh :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 4:27pm

All but 3 teams already have 2 or more wins, so unless there's a rule that takes away wins, there *can't* be more than a few 1-win teams.

16
by jfsh :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 4:42pm

Just wait til you see the new penalty for helmet-to-helmet hits.

21
by MilkmanDanimal :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 6:33pm

You have to play QB for the Panthers for a week?

22
by commissionerleaf :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 7:58pm

Thread win.

7
by montanapanthersfan :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 2:51pm

...and I really thought we couldn't get worse than 2001. Oh, we can. Oh, we did.

8
by ammek :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 3:05pm

Are you sure? Going into yesterday's game Carolina's defense was #8 in DVOA; #4 in ALY; and top three against both first and second receivers. And they're doing that without a semblance of a pass rush. John Fox can still coach defense (although maybe not against the Saints).

The problem is on offense, and it's a mix of the totally expected (QB, WR) and the mysterious (RB, OL).

9
by B :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 3:30pm

To be fair to Carolina, the monsters stalking them from the opponent's defense isn't exactly a fair obstacle for a team to face:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/terrified-matt-moore-audibles-after-all...

30
by mathesond :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 9:56pm

Since my name is also Matt Moore, I got a great kick out of that article

10
by andrew :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 3:33pm

I propose the two worst records in the NFL play a game during the superbowl off-week. The winner gets the first overall pick.

17
by Kevin from Philly :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 4:42pm

Most of the time, the Super Bowl is a crappy game to watch. Do we really need something worse?

18
by >implying implications (not verified) :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 5:38pm

Actually, last year's loser bowl (Lions versus Browns) was actually a really exciting game to watch, what with the last second td-pass by a shoulder-separated Stafford to seal the comeback victory.

19
by tuluse :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 5:48pm

Yeah that was fun, I kind of like Stafford just for that play.

How about this idea. The week after the Superbowl (or before, depends when the pro-bowl is). The worst two teams play a game, and the winner gets to pick whichever first round pick it wants. Everyone else is shifted to accommodate.

28
by Mike B. In Va :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 6:10pm

That idea is so brilliant that it will NEVER be implemented.

20
by BJR :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 5:56pm

The past 3 Super Bowls have all been great games to watch.

23
by Jay Z (not verified) :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 10:32pm

Have you watched any Super Bowls since 1998 or so?

26
by tunesmith :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 3:18am

So in the competition for the worst record, both teams battle to be runner-up, with the loser coming in second. There's something poetically daffy about that.

11
by ghinterm :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 3:40pm

As a North Carolina resident, the Carolina Panthers really make me appreciate the NFL package I pay so much to get.

12
by Boomer68z (not verified) :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 3:50pm

I propose the two worst records in the NFL play a game during the superbowl off-week. The winners get $1,000,000 each, the losers are banned from the NFL for life.

14
by ammek :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 4:28pm

In 1998, that could have meant Peyton Manning or Brian Dawkins. Both played on 3-13 teams.

Or it could have meant banning Bobby Hoying. Actually, that pretty much happened by itself.

25
by Bobman :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 2:13am

With all possible sarcasm fonts turned on.... Polian would have gotten that rule changed, too.

Actually, since the Colts picked Edge #4 the next year, there must have been three teams below them, right?

27
by ammek :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 5:44am

Browns (expansion); Eagles, Bengals, Colts (all 3-13: coin toss for draft order).

15
by bravehoptoad :: Mon, 11/08/2010 - 4:40pm

They looked GREAT when they played against the 49ers.

Oh...wait....

29
by matt millen's brain (not verified) :: Tue, 11/09/2010 - 9:18pm

On the upside, it looks like they're getting closer to clinching the 2011 NFC South championship, with a magic number of 5.

31
by realheavyd :: Wed, 11/10/2010 - 5:15pm

Poor Panthers. Ha! Not really...

RealheavyD

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