Not good.
Looks like we will see some Banjo and Goodson.
Hope they are ready.
Originally Posted by: buckeyepackfan
If we were facing a passing team I would agree with that, but the Panthers have clearly been a run first team... so I'm guessing the dime package, in theory could be played the least that it has all year... especially with Shields/Rollins out... might even be interesting how much or little they go with the nickel package... might have to some with Greg Olsen playing so well, and Hyde normally not being that bad against the run.
Goodson held up against Denver, imo. He didn't get many snaps, but he had one beautiful deflection down the left sideline.
I wouldn't mind seeing Gunter get some snaps covering TEs. Hyde got burned in that regard last week. Although that was partly due to Palmer not knocking the TEs off their routes.
Originally Posted by: nerdmann
Greg Olsen is basically a huge over sized WR... heck he's kind of like a bigger / slower Nelson... I'm not sure if I want Gunter on a veteran speed TE (who also has some power) if they don't trust him enough to even be active last week, or to get playing time against the Chargers in which they had some physical WRs which he might of matched up well with on the outside. But Olsen on the inside will have more options in the slot or inline as which way to go... either way they're going to run fakes with him (fake blocks turn into pass routes etc... or block first then go out on routes, or just plain burn someone with his 4.55 speed (Nelson has/had 4.51)...
I feel like Gunter can match up well with some of the guys with his physical play, but Olsen might be more physical, faster and more experienced and a veteran both over Gunter but also with the TE/guard the TE role.
I wonder if Capers might break out the old one safety 4-3 nickel package against the Panthers. Where basically 2 DL and 2 OLBers make up the front 4 guys, and a Safety drops down to join the two ILBers, while one Safety stays deep and their are 3 CBs near the line playing a couple of one on one match-ups.
Capers has done that in the past against very heavy run first offenses that struggled to pass including the Panthers (with Cam Newton I think) and the Jets (with Rex Ryan calling the plays). But honestly I don't remember seeing it much since Nick Collins went down...
But it'd look something like
Front: Peppers, Raji, Daniels, Perry
2nd: Burnett, Matthews and Palmer
Deep: Clinton-Dix
With Hayward, Randall on the outside and Hyde in the nickel/DB role.
Of course they also had Woodson for that role and he seemed to normally make a great choice in weather to attack the line/runner or stay back in coverage.