My Jonathan Stewart Blog

Panthers roll call requires answers from a host of players including James Anderson (50), Jason Baker (7), Gary Barnidge (82), Jon Beason (52), Mackenzy Bernadeau (65), Tyler Brayton (96), Jeremy Bridges (73), Jason Carter (11), Dan Conner (57), Donte Curry (55), Thomas Davis (58), Jake Delhomme (17), Na'il Diggs (53), Chris Gamble (20, Gary Gibson (91), Charles Godfrey (30), Nick Goings (37), Jordan Gross (69), D.J. Hackett (18), Geoff Hangartner (63), Chris Harris (43), Nick Hayden (78), Brad Hoover (45), Dwayne Jarrett (80), Charles Johnson (95), Landon Johnson (54), Mark Jones (84), Ryan Kalil (67), John Kasay (4), Maake Kemoeatu (99), Jeff King (47), Jason Kyle (56), Damione Lewis (92), Rhys Lloyd (5), Ken Lucas (21), Richard Marshall (31), Josh McCown (12), Kenny Moore (3), Muhsin Muhammad (87), Frank Omiyale (76), Jeff Otah (79), J'Vonne Parker (98), Julius Peppers (90), Ryne Robinson (10), Dante Rosario (88), Nate Salley (25), Adam Seward (59), Steve Smith (89), Jonathan Stewart (28), Hilee Taylor (66), Quinton Teal (26), Keydrick Vincent (68), Darwin Walker (93), Dante Wesley (23), Travelle Wharton (70), DeAngelo Williams (34) and C.J. Wilson (27).

The coaches include head coach John Fox, tight ends/quality control-offense coach Geep Chryst, special teams coach Danny Crossman, offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson, linebackers coach Ken Flajjole, secondary/safeties coach Mike Gillhamer, special teams/assistant strength and conditioning Matt House, secondary coach Tim Lewis, offensive line coach David Magazu, quality control/defense coach Sam Mills II, strength and conditioning coach Jerry Simmons, assistant head coach/running backs Jim Skipper, defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac and wide receivers coach Richard Williamson.

When it comes to their top 10 plays, the Carolina Panthers have quite an interesting line up of accomplishments:

* Tenth - Chad Cota intercepts in the end zone against the Steelers in 1996.
* Ninth - Steve Beuerlein made the winning 5-yard touchdown against the Packers in 1999.
* Eighth - Sam Mills pulled off a 24-yard return against the Cowboys in 1997.
* Seventh - Ricky Proehl scored a 12-yard, game winning touchdown against Jacksonville in 2003.
* Sixth - Sam Mills intercepted and ran a 36-yard touchdown against the Jets in 1995.
* Fifth - Kris Jenkins blocked an extra point against Tampa Bay in 2003.
* Fourth - Ricky Manning threw a one-handed interception that won the game against St. Louis in 2004.
* Third - DeShaun Foster completed a one yard touchdown with four broken tackles against Philadelphia in 2004.
* Second - Muhsin Muhammad made an 85-yard touchdown against the Patriots in 2004.
* First - Steve Smith's 69-yard touchdown won the game against St. Louis in 2004.

With a history of accomplishments that include such fabulous plays, fans and opponents alike can expect more great footwork and ball-carrying feats from the Panthers in the season ahead. Even Owner/Founder Jerry Richardson has the brakes off to get to the next season. Richardson was recently released from the hospital just 12 days after having heart transplant surgery. Although still recovering, one can imagine that he's still got plenty of love for his Panthers.

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Jimmy Clausen certainly seems to have the swagger of a champion. He has spent an ample amount of time saying the right things around the Carolina Panthers training sessions, and the Panthers have not said a whole lot about who will be leading the Panthers into the 2010 season. They named Matt Moore as the starter during the offseason, but that was before they used their top draft pick to draft Notre Dame product Jimmy Clausen. Since then, they have been largely quiet about who will lead the Panthers.

Moore has to be the odds on favorite to be under center on opening day, but he faces a number of challenges moving forward. Most of the problems he has are not related to his football skills. Moore is one of many Carolina Panthers starters that are to be free agents come the off season, and the Panthers clearly are not going to be able to sign them all. That group of free agents also includes all-world running back DeAngelo Williams, and the Panthers are sure to have him at the top of their list. Where does Moore fit in?

It appears that Matt Moore is going to be moving on regardless of his performance on the field. Of course, this could change with an incredible on the field performance, but it is not likely. He simply is not playing in the type of offense that allows a quarterback to put up big numbers. Sure, he has Steve Smith and some interesting rookie options at the receiver position, but the Panthers are really all about running the football. With Williams and Jonathan Stewart on the team, that is not going to change. The bottom line is, Moore is likely playing to make his trade value go up this year.

The Panthers need to recognize this, and get what they can from Moore. If they hope to make any type of trade and get something either from Moore or potentially Clausen if Moore is as good as he appears, they need to establish that Moore is their starter. They have been a bit dicey about coming out and saying so. That has to hurt Moore's confidence.

Hand Moore the football, tell him that he is the man, and then let the chips fall where they may. If the Panthers do this and Moore flops, it is easy enough to then bring in Clausen to see what he has got. There is no advantage to the Panthers to do otherwise. Moore needs to be named the starter and either win or lose the position with his on field play. By making it up in the air, the Panthers are essentially telling the rest of the NFL that Moore is not as good as they thought. That could hurt his trade value going into a tough off season next year.

Rodney Southern has been writing on the Carolina Panthers and NFL action since they first came into the league. He runs popular blogs on several players and the Carolina Panthers in general, as well as making NFL predictions weekly. If you are looking for content to be written, or just simply want to enjoy reading the hottest Panther and NFL news, then you should check out his work today.

All Carolina Panthers fans need to head on over today for the hottest Panther action and most entertaining Panthers blogs on the Internet! Come visit Carolina Panther Fanz today! Carolina Panthers rule in 2010!

Aside from the word "injury", there is no other word more feared in fantasy sports than the word "platoon". It has been much more common in fantasy baseball with Outfielders and Closers for many years, but the offensive approach in the NFL has been evolving for some time. We are now seeing platoon situations commonly used in the NFL backfields. The polite way of describing the use of multiple running backs is "running back by committee". No matter how you term the approach, Platoon situations can be fantasy football team killers.

We have come to expect starting running backs to produce on a weekly basis, which is why they normally make up 80% of the players drafted in the first two rounds of standard-scoring fantasy football leagues. However, with over half of the league employing a Committee approach to their backfield, it is proving wise to change your drafting strategy. You can now use your first three picks on one of the top quarterbacks and two of the top wide receivers. This leaves plenty of productive running backs to draft from these committees, some of who could be the primary workhorse during the season in the event of an injury.

Teams With RB Committees To Consider

? Detroit Lions - Kevin Smith, Jahvid Best, Maurice Morris. You should target Best as your fourth round pick. There is a good chance that Kevin Smith will see little time after coming off an injury. The Lions have a good opportunity to see if they made the right choice with Best in this year's draft.

? Carolina Panthers - DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart. Williams will be drafted in the first three rounds. Stewart is a number 1 back in most offenses, but is 1A here and is coming off of a foot injury. Over 1000 yards and double-digit TDs is very nice so grab him if Best is not available.

? Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams. Brown always has great games, but is too injury-prone. Ricky had a fantastic year after Brown went down last year and has plenty left in his legs. Grab either of these, Williams first, should they be available next.

? Arizona Cardinals - Chris Wells, Tim Hightower. The Cardinals will run much more this year with Leinart at the helm. Both running backs are productive and you cannot go wrong with either. Your preference should depend on your scoring system. Wells will get more carries, but Hightower will see more passes floated his way as well as more action around the goal line.

? Cleveland Browns - Montario Hardesty, Jerome Harrison. The Browns will be horrible, but they will continue to run the ball a lot, especially with Jake Delhomme at QB. Harrison had a monster final three games of 2009, but Hardesty seems to be getting drafted in the same location as Harrison (rounds 6-7). Hardesty seems to be the carrier the Browns would like to see succeed, but he is already dinged up. So, I would rank them equally at this point and consider getting both of them if you have the chance.

? Seattle Seahawks - Julius Jones, Justin Forsett, Leon Washington. Jones is way to unreliable and unproductive. Washington is coming off a devastating injury. So, Forsett would be the only back that I would draft. You could steal him in rounds 8-10 and end up with a possible number 1 RB.

Teams With RB Committees To Consider only when finishing your skill positions

? Houston Texans - Steve Slaton, Ben Tate, Ryan Moats, Arian Foster. After butterfingers, lack of production and injuries last year, Slaton should not be considered before the last few rounds. I truly think the rookie, Ben Tate, will be used sparingly and may be the first player drafted from this committee. So, your may strike gold with Arian Foster in low double-digit rounds.

? Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden, Michael Bush. Both of these guys are only worth a risk in round 10 or later. With a more talented QB running the show, Oakland's offense may actually score some points. Which RB is the better choice is yet-to-be-determined. I have a slight lean on Michael Bush.

? Washington Redskins - Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker. I don't think Fast Willie makes the team. With Portis coming off a knee injury, he is a risk and should only be considered around round 10. Larry Johnson may be cooked but is worth a gamble in the later rounds. Hey, someone needs to get the carries in the Nation's Capital...just who and how successful they will be is a true mystery.

Bill Parsons is the owner of http://www.MaximumFantasySports.com and a rabid fantasy sports participant. He began creating his own football and baseball fantasy leagues at the ripe old age of seven; tracking stats and standings on paper. Bill decided to create a real-time fantasy football league website that includes all of the best features and some of which have never been attempted at any other website. Maximum Fantasy Sports offers Free Fantasy Football leagues, Free Pools and Public Fantasy Football Leagues with cash payouts.

We look at it this way from a fan point of view... It is about risen above misfortune, having faith that the guy next to you is going to be doing his job and you being responsible by doing your job and having conviction that it is going to happen, having tolerance, because you know that sometimes you make errors and there are ups and downs through the game, that there's this tide and flow going on. Throughout all of that, the teams that overcome that kind of adversity are the teams that are going to win.

The Panthers overcame about as much adversity as a team could in their 20-17 home-opening victory over the Bears last Sunday September 14th.

As much determination as the Panthers demonstrated a week ago, winning their season-opener at San Diego on a last-second touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Dante Rosario, they managed to dig out of an even deeper hole to improve their record to 2-0. On Sunday, the Panthers battled back from a wicked first half filled with penalties and other mixed mistakes, including allowing a punt to be blocked and returned for the game's first touchdown to help the Bears to a 10-3 halftime lead (which would grow to 17-3 early in the third quarter).

This is not to deceit the Bears. They opened the season with a convincing win over the Colts at Indianapolis. They have an impressive rookie running back in Matt Forte, who rushed for a game-high 92 yards Sunday and they have a highly talented defense, we've stated this before (Preseason Preview NFL - Chicago).

The Panthers were simply inferior through two quarters. How bad? They nearly had as many yards in penalties (40) as they had in offense (47). They were called for multiple false starts and illegal-formation penalties (one of which was declined).

Muhsin Muhammad finished with five receptions for 59 yards, making him the 29th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards, but he was not alone, Jake Delhomme's 3 for 3 and running back Jonathan Stewart gave the Panthers a boost in the second half after the team managed just 47 total yards in the first two quarters. The rookie finished with 77 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Just how is it possible to overcome a 17-3 lead by Chicago at the end of the 3rd quarter? The Panthers' final five full series included two touchdowns. Chicago's final five series ended in three punts, a fumble and a turnover on downs, creating a result that showed how both the offense and defense picked each other up and carried the team when the other side needed it the most.

More importantly, the Panthers learned just how intensely they can count on each other, a lesson that could serve them richly in the weeks and months to come.

Cindy Ferguson is a high-ranking sports writer, currently writing reviews on the NFL Season 2008-09 for the sports betting industry. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

NY GIANTS (-4) VS. Washington Redskins: The Giants kick off the 2008 NFL season and the defense of their Super Bowl title on Thursday night against a Redskins team that begins the Jim Zorn era. Zorn has installed a pass-happy scheme for Washington and QB Jason Campbell has the accuracy and strong arm to make it work. Of course this is also the third different offense he has had to learn in the last three years so expect some struggles early on as he tries to adapt. DE Jason Taylor comes over from Miami to shore up the line but he currently is listed as questionable with a knee sprain. For the Giants, the loss of DE Osi Umenyiora to season-ending ACL surgery and retirement of Michael Strahan will certainly take some bite out of the pass rush but Justin Tuck is on the verge of becoming a star and Mathias Kiwanuka has great pass rush ability so things won't fall apart in that aspect. The offense has the chance to be very good with a great corp. of RB's and solid depth at the WR position led by Plaxico Burress who looks to put his ankle issues behind him in his quest for a new pact. As far as the game goes, the Giants do qualify in a solid 28-15 ATS angle against a division foe at home but the -4 is a tad high for our liking. Both teams will be jazzed up a nationally televised kickoff so expect the best from both squads. Washington also has some angles that favor them here so it's best to stay clear of this game altogether. If the line drops to -3 then jump on the Giants with confidence but at -4 it's in that danger zone of a field goal game. One major commandment of football betting is to be extra careful with Week 1 games due to the lack of knowledge of the teams and that certainly is the case with this game. THE PICK: PASS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-7.5) VS. St. Louis Rams:*******BEST BET*****

BUFFALO BILLS (-1) VS. Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks come into the season as one of the most overrated teams in the NFL. The pass-happy 'Hawks have major issues in the receiving department as Deion Branch wont be available until possibly midseason and the leading pass catcher looks to be the very mediocre Nate Burleson who flopped in that role with Minnesota. The infusion at the RB position with Julius Jones and TJ Duckett will surely help and the defense looks great led by LB Lofa Tatupu and CB Marcus Trufant. This team however struggled on the road at times in 2007 and now they must open 2008 across the country against a Bills team that always gives a good effort. Buffalo is nothing to write home about but they have an emerging offense led by super talented RB Marshawn Lynch and very smart QB Trent Edwards. All-Pro OT Jason Peters is still holding out as we write this which could hurt but the rest of the unit is solid enough to get the job done. The defense also looks to be good as DE Matt Schobel leads a good pass rushing unit with some emerging players in the secondary. They certainly stand a good chance of beating the Seahawks here as a major betting no-no is going with West Coast teams in Week 1 on the road in the East. That's the setup here and the value clearly rests on the Bills who won't be getting much love as many bettors will take the points with the seemingly better team. Value is where you make your money and the home team has it and then some. THE PICK: Buffalo Bills (-1)

New York Jets (-3) VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS:*****STRONG OPINION***

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-16) VS. Kansas City Chiefs:******STRONG OPINION***

Detroit Lions (-3) VS. ATLANTA FALCONS: This is truly the worst game on the slate for Week 1 and is one that looks to be unwatchable. The Falcons will start the Matt Ryan era right off the bat against a Lions team whose defense can't stop a retirement home team. Ryan will surely lean on the running of new RB Michael Turner and the pass catching of emerging star Roddy White. The offense line is a joke however and it wouldn't be surprising to me so se Ryan challenge David Carr's record for most sacks taken. For Detroit, they continue to wallow in mediocrity but they continue to add pieces to the offense in rookie RB Kevin Smith who looked good in preseason and second-year wideout Calvin Johnson who will be a star very soon. The Lions being the Lions however, they then go out and sign a washed up Rudi Johnson late of the Bengals and continue to give the ball to mistake-prone QB Jon Kitna. So expect nothing but struggles for both teams all year. This game is one to stay away from for sure and I would rather watch women's tennis than sit through this. THE PICK: PASS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-3.5) VS. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Saints went into the off-season hell-bent on improving a defense that let them down way too often last year. The offense could be the best in the NFL however led by the steady hand of QB Drew Brees and an explosive receiving trio of RB Reggie Bush, WR Marques Colston, and TE Jeremy Shockey. If the defense can be even average, then New Orleans could be sitting on a huge season. For the Buc's, Jon Gruden has successfully changed the look of his team on the fly as new young additions to the defense have reestablished the tradition of a hard hitting stop unit. MLB Barrett Rudd and DE Gaines Adams are on the cusp of stardom and they form the perfect blend with still effective vets LB Derrick Brooks and CB Ronde Barber. The offense is once again led by QB Jeff Garcia after failing to acquire Brett Favre and the Earnest Graham looks to build off a breakout year in the running attack. This is a classic match up of great defense versus great offense and should be fun to watch. The Saints struggled against Tampa last season and it wouldn't be a shock to see Gruden's bunch steal one on the road. Either way this looks to be tight contest between two bitter division rivals. The extra half point makes Tampa Bay an attractive pick. THE PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3.5)

Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5) VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS: The Joe Flacco era begins in Baltimore as both Kyle Boller (injury) and Troy Smith (illness) couldn't answer the bell. Flacco played well in preseason at times and has shown the tools that made Baltimore salivate over his selection in the draft. Count on a heavy dose of RB Willis McGahee as the Ravens try to ease the transition for their franchise QB. On defense is where this team's strength lies as usual as Ray Lewis and company look to clamp down on opposing offenses as they have done so well over the years. They will look to do just that against a solid on paper Bengals offense. led by QB Carson Palmer. Palmer certainly has lots of weapons to throw to as Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh form possibly the best wideout combination in the NFL. As far as the running game is concerned, Chris Perry gets his chance after Rudi Johnson was cut and there is no telling whether he can hold up over the course of the season as injuries have been a problem. This is a very tough game to call as the Bengals struggled tremendously on the road last season but with Flacco starting for Baltimore, things could take awhile for them to get going. One trend that does stick out is that the Ravens qualify in a 33-19-1 ATS home underdog season opening angle so based on that aspect, we will go with the home team to stay competitive. THE PICK: Baltimore Ravens (+1.5)

Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) VS. TENNESSEE TITANS: These teams played a crazy series last season as each won on the other's home turf. Both teams also had successful 2007 seasons as each qualified for the postseason, with the Jags winning a game in Pittsburgh. Expectations are certainly high as we go into 2008 so this will be a barometer game for both squads. Jacksonville needs contributions from a so-so receiving unit in order to take that next step and the Titans needs QB Vince Young to learn to be a better passer for them to progress. This game figures to be a defensive contest as both units can lockdown any offense so the UNDER is worth a look. The Titans are also in the better betting position as a home underdog at home against a division foe which has gone 33-19-1 ATS. Just like the Cincy-Baltimore game, we will take the points and back that solid trend. THE PICK: Tennessee Titans (+3)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5) VS. Houston Texans:*******BEST BET******

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-9) VS. Carolina Panthers: Another interesting game here as the Chargers have the look of a team destined to make the Super Bowl and the Panthers look to make a run of their own now that QB Jake Delhomme is back. The Chargers have stars all over the field at almost every position and 14-2 is not out of the question. The offensive is explosive with RB LaDainian Tomlinson, TE Antonio Gates, and WR's Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson. The defense is just as good with All-Pro LB Shawne Merriman, DE Luis Castillo, DT Jamaal Williams, and CB Antonio Cromartie. Carolina on the other hand more of a blue collar look to them but don't take this team lightly. Delhomme is a Super Bowl runner up so he has proven he can win games and take his team deep into the postseason. Also rookie RB Jonathan Stewart is the perfect fit in coach John Fox's run heavy offense. The problem is that WR Steve Smith is suspended for the first two weeks of the season due to sucker-punching teammates Ken Lucas in practice. Without Smith the offense looks almost punch less, at least from a passing standpoint. It's almost too easy to say the Chargers will cover this one easily but based on the matchups, you can't argue against it. The only problem is that Carolina historically is a great bet as an underdog under Fox (31-16-2 ATS, with Delhomme at QB its 19-4-1 ATS). Those are some serious trends to look over when going with San Diego as the Chargers are great at home as evidenced by them having a 22-6-1 ATS when not favored by more than 11. So based on last trend and the fact Smith is out, leans us toward the home squad. THE PICK: San Diego Chargers (-9)

Dallas Cowboys (-5.5) VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS:******STRONG OPINION*****

Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Certainly no one will be paying much attention to this one as both teams figure to struggle. The 49ers are in worse shape than the Cardinals however as its been determined that journeyman QB JT O'Sullivan gives them their best chance to win. Unreal. The Cardinals had their own QB issues as Kurt Warner beat out Matt Leinart in preseason. That's actually good news for Arizona as Warner had a great year last year and has much more ability to run the offense. WR's Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald should both have huge years with Warner at the helm and if RB Edgerrin James can give them one more good year, then this unit will be a major force. The defense needs work however but they do have some nice pieces in S Adrian Wilson and DE Bertrand Berry. They certainly wont have to work hard against a terrible 49ers offense that has only RB Frank Gore to scare people. Mike Martz comes over from Detroit to shore up the unit but there is no talent to work with. Hate going with Arizona on the road as they certainly have a long track record of letting down to the opponent but no way we back the 'Niners in any situation. THE PICK: Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-9.5) VS. Chicago Bears: Colts QB Peyton Manning looks like he will play after having an abscess removed during the preseason. He will once again lead an offense that is one of the NFL's best and is expertly run. Manning will have four great options to throw to in star WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, emerging WR Anthony Gonzalez, and the returning from injury WR Marvin Harrison. Harrison's return is huge in that the offense will be much tougher to contain with him on the field. Throw in the great running of Joseph Addai and the Colts are one of the bets units out there on offense. The defense on the other hand struggled toward the end of last season due to injuries but star DE Dwight Freeney is back and S Bob Sanders looks like he is ready to go. When all hands are on deck, this is a very tough defense to score points on. The Bears certainly are no strangers when it comes to struggling to score points. Kyle Orton is in QB and rookie RB Matt Forte will run the ball. Not very scary. The defense is decent as there are big names up and down the roster but this is the same group that struggled badly toward the end of 2007. The Colts will be able to score no matter who they play and the Bears just don't have the ability to hang tight. If Manning doesn't play however then we pass. THE PICK Indianapolis Colts (-9.5)

GREEN BAY PACKERS (-2.5) VS. Minnesota Vikings: The Aaron Rogers era begins on Monday night at home against division rival Minnesota. The whole Brett Favre drama was certainly a major distraction for the Pack but they have said all along that Rogers is their guy and he looked all right in preseason. For Minnesota, QB Tarvaris Jackson is the key to the whole team's fortunes as every other unit looks outstanding. If Jackson can be even somewhat decent, then the Vikings could be Super Bowl-bound. The defensive line looks to be one of the best units ever assembled with incoming star DE Jared Allen joining stud DT's Kevin and Pat Williams to make life miserable for opposing passers. That will spell big trouble for Rogers who really couldn't have drawn a worse assignment from a pass rushing sense. RB Adrian Peterson is looking to build on a ridiculously awesome rookie year and so Green Bay must be ready on D to make sure this game doesn't get away from them early. This is a very tough game to call as it could go either way. There is way to much uncertainty here so it would be best to stay away as there are no trends pointing firmly toward either squad.. THE PICK: PASS

Denver Broncos (-3) VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS: There is nothing that Mike Shannahan loves more than to beat up the Oakland Raiders. Ever since he was unceremoniously fired by Al Davis as coach many eons ago, Shanahan has made it a point to stick it to his former boss whenever he can. The opportunity is there again as the Raiders are very young and raw on offense with QB JaMarcus Russell and RB Darren McFadden. The wideout corps is weak and there surely will be struggles for Russell early on. The defense needs a comeback from DE Derrick Burgess in order to be able to stay in games. The Broncos on the other hand have an emerging talent in QB Jay Cutler who has successfully dealt with the diabetes that plagued him last year. Cutler has a cannon of an arm and will be looking to air it out. The running game will also churn along as always with Selvin Young being the guy to pick up the workload. Oakland could certainly make strides this season but they have to go through some growing pains before they can take that step. Denver is the safe choice in this game. THE PICK: Denver Broncos (-3)

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After winning the NFC South divisions of the NFL in 2008-09, the Carolina Panthers finished with an 8-8 on NFL Picks in 2010-11, 3rd in the division. The Panther had high expectation coming into last season but quarterback Jake Delhomme had a less than spectacular season and that got him a one way ticket out of Charlotte. Last year the Panthers offense struggled, especially in the passing game, averaging only 174.9 and that was 27th in the National football League, The running game was very good, the tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart was 3rd in the entire NFL averaging a little over 156 yards per game, Stewart led the team with 1,133 yards. Carolina scored 19 points per game which was not exactly spectacular. The Carolina Panther defense gave up 315.8 yards per game, 8th in the league, the pass defense was the units strong point as opposing quarterbacks threw for 191 yards per game and that was 4th in the entire NFL, the run defense led by linebacker Jon Beason gave up a 124.8 yards per game. As far as the team was for sports bettors, they were 9-7 against the spread, going over the betting odds total 6 times and under 10 times.

Panthers coach John Fox and the Panthers will be faced with Delhomme, the quarterback who led the team to their first and only superbowl appearance. Incumbent Matt Moore played at the end of the season and performed admirably but this sports handicapper doesn't think he is the answer and apparently neither does the Panthers management, the team drafted high profile quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame in the 3rd round and University of Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike in the 6th round. Carolina is strong up front on the offensive line and the team may have the best tandem of running backs in all of football with Williams and Stewart, the tandem will be even better this season and we really believe Jonathan Stewart will have a breakout season, becoming one of the best backs in the NFL. Wide receiver Steve Smith will have another great season, there is no problem with his confidence and he will back it up every time.

Carolina also parted ways with longtime defensive end Julius Peppers, who has a much talent as anyone at the position has ever had, I mean anyone and Peppers is not that old, this will hurt Carolina. Middle linebacker Jon Beason is becoming one of the best in the National Football League, he's just a tad behind Ray Lewis when it comes to intensity and hitting, this guy can flat out play. cornerback Chris Gamble is the stud in the defensive backfield but the guy on the other side isn't bad either, Richard Marshall could easily have a pro bowl season. The Panthers lack of experience at the quarterback position will be the only thing holding them out of the 2010-11 playoffs.

Greg C Nelson