Baltimore @ Carolina / As Close To ''Real'' As It Gets

By Eric Quackenbush

Okay, the Panthers are now 0-2 in the preseason--I know, I know, it doesn't really matter, but still...Last year at this time they were 1-1 and finished the preseason with a 2-2 record (wins against the Colts and Redskins), but finished in a close one (19-13) in Pittsburgh.
So far we've discovered a number of things in two games.
Sherrod Martin is best suited at the Safety position, the position he played in college.

DeAngelo Williams has not regressed at all from the offseason, and seems to be at the same tempo he left off at.
Mike Goodson is going to do well at the kickoff return position, not to mention, should Jonathan Stewart miss any time to that nagging sore Achilles, Goodson should fare pretty well backing up DeAngelo Williams. Goodson has impressed both coaches and teammates in training camp and in preseason games.

Defensive back Captain Munnerlyn is the equivalent of Panthers' receiver Steve Smith on the defensive side of the ball: Same height, speed, aggressiveness, and work ethic. Munnerlyn will do well at the punt return position and even better as the team's nickel cornerback.

Dwayne Jarrett's last opportunity to show something more than his poor showing on Saturday night in Miami, is now.
Jeremy Leman and Dan Connor are both formidable players on the defensive line (Leman) and at the "Mike" linebacker position (Connor).
Kenneth Moore just might edge Dwayne Jarrett for the No. three receiver position Saturday night.
That should be enough to look at for now.

This game and next week against the Steelers, are the closest the Panthers will get to game-planning without the end result having an effect on the post season. This game will give better insight as to where the starting lineup is in their game. That also means Julius Peppers should put forth a little more effort than one tackle.

It's still way to early to press the panic button, but I would just like to see a little more effort and emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and in the passing game, especially from certain quarterbacks and receivers.
One area of great importance on the defense, is in run stopping abilities. The Panthers are faced with two more very good running attack teams, and doing whatever is necessary to stop the run becomes more of a hot topic now.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have yet to sign a defensive lineman that even resembles run-stuffer Ma'ake Kemoeatu, instead signing Kevin Kaesviharn, who spent two seasons with New Orleans and six years prior to that with the Bengals, as a free safety.
Kaesviharn's eight-year body of work includes 463 tackles, 40 passes deflected, and 17 interceptions for 114 yards. Nothing really worth writing home about, but he adds needed and experienced depth, when considering the injury issues at the position.

On Saturday night the Panthers are faced with large tasks at defending the Ravens offense, playing well against a physical Ravens defense, and putting up respectable return numbers against Baltimore's fast special teams coverage unit.

While the Ravens' running game and receiving threat in Derrick Mason seem scrappy and he is an older veteran, it's just fodder that plays well into the Ravens' strategic mental game plan, giving them a certain amount of confidence against any team that undervalues their playmaking abilities.

It's also unsafe to say that with some of the Ravens aging defenders--linebacker Ray Lewis, nose tackle Kelly Gregg, defensive end Trevor Pryce, defensive backs Samari Rolle, and Ed Reed (30+ club)--that any younger team has an advantage, because these guys maintain consistency year in and year out, and some add a little something to their game.

It's just another mental advantage the Ravens hold over their opponents, allowing the opposition to underestimate the integrity of the Ravens' defense.
Once again I find myself in the difficult position of picking against the Panthers, because so far the Ravens look like they have "it" together more than the Panthers do.

While injuries have played a certain role in the Panthers performance and coming up short on plays and in the score, it's not the sole blame. Mis-reads on defense, poor play in the return game, and a sloppy receiving game have all contributed to the Panthers positional--and losing--woes.

Still, the good thing is this is only a preseason game and we will definitely have a very clear picture of what the Panthers have going into the regular season.

The downside is in three weeks, this counts for real.

Ravens by six.