Silver And Black Pride - Welcome to Gameday: Raiders at PanthersCovering all things Las Vegas Raiders footballhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49501/sbp-fav.png2012-12-23T18:46:07-08:00http://www.silverandblackpride.com/rss/stream/35621412012-12-23T18:46:07-08:002012-12-23T18:46:07-08:00Kelly admits retaliation against Panthers
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<figcaption>Grant Halverson</figcaption>
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<p>Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer was hit hard and knocked out of the game against the Panthers late in the first quarter. Tommy Kelly was one of many Raider players who took exception to it.</p> <p>Palmer laid on the field for a short time clutching his ribs. He eventually would be taken to the locker room for X-rays, which were negative, but he didn't return.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Panthers</a> were flagged for roughing the passer on the hit on Palmer but a 15-yard penalty didn't bring him back in the game and without him, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders" class="sbn-auto-link">Raiders</a> offense could do next to nothing. With <span>Matt Leinart</span> at quarterback, they were only able to put six points on the board and lost the game going away.</p>
<p>The Raiders began going after Cam Newton with renewed vigor after that and <span>Tommy Kelly</span> had this to say about this to say about it:</p>
<p>"You don't ever want to see your quarterback get put out of the game," said Kelly to the media following the game. "So, personally, we try to put their quarterback out of the game. You don't try to do nothing illegal but you see someone put your quarterback out, it kind of makes you want to put theirs out."</p>
<p>The hit on Cam Newton <a href="http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798940/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-not-ejected-kick-oakland-raiders-tommy-kelly-face-contact-with-official">had him literally kicking and screaming</a> about the Raiders coming after him. The kick was to the face of Tommy Kelly and the screaming came later when he was hit by <span>Mike Mitchell</span> on a blitz. He screamed at the referees for which he made contact and was penalized.</p>
<p>There was nothing Kelly or Mitchell did on the field that would suggest they or any other Raider player was trying to intentionally injure Newton. They were coming after Newton but that is what they are supposed to do with nothing extracurricular.</p>
<p>One can still interpret Kelly's words as trying to cause injury even though he does accompany those words by saying there was no illegal intentions. In light of the Saints bounty scandal, the league is ultra-sensitive about the idea of intentionally injuring a player and if the league thinks he was saying they were trying to hurt Newton, he could be fined.</p>
<p>Newton will most definitely be fined multiple times for <a href="http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798940/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-not-ejected-kick-oakland-raiders-tommy-kelly-face-contact-with-official">his extracurricular face kicking and going after an official</a>.</p>
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https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3799804/oakland-raiders-tommy-kelly-admits-retaliation-carolina-panthers-taking-out-carson-palmerLevi Damien2012-12-23T14:45:18-08:002012-12-23T14:45:18-08:00Raiders offensively inept in loss to Panthers
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<figcaption>Streeter Lecka</figcaption>
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<p>This game typified the ineptitude of the Raiders offense. They couldn't get into the endzone and gave the Panthers a fairly easy win in Carolina.</p> <p>The Panthers struck first in this game when they drove for a touchdown on their second drive. The touchdown was set up by a 29-yard run by Cam Newton and capped off by a 23-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.</p>
<p>The Raiders first offensive drive began with a 22-yard catch by <span>Terrelle Pryor</span> but could go no farther.</p>
<p>Carson Palmer went out of the game with a rib injury on the Raiders second offensive possession at the end of the first quarter and <span>Matt Leinart</span> replaced him in the lineup.</p>
<p>The Raiders were able to put together a good drive with Leinart to begin the second quarter. He went 6-7 for 53 yards and got the Raiders inside the five yard line, but the Raiders were held out of the end zone again and settled for a field goal.</p>
<p>On the ensuing Panthers possession, the Raiders appeared to have them stopped with a three and out on a sack by <span>Desmond Bryant</span> and Tommy Kelly. Cam Newton was not happy with being sacked and kicked Kelly in the face yet somehow, Kelly was flagged for roughing the passer following the kick despite making no further contact with Newton.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798940/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-not-ejected-kick-oakland-raiders-tommy-kelly-face-contact-with-official/in/3562141">Read more about that here.</a></p>
<p>The Panthers drive would be kept alive after the penalty and it resulted in a missed field goal. The Raiders would get the ball back with 1:45 left in the half. Then after two bad passes by Leinart for incompletions, he lined up in third and 10 and threw an interception to <span>Luke Kuechly</span>.</p>
<p>The Panthers took the ball at the Raiders 29-yard line and scored a touchdown on four plays. So instead of having a chance to score before half or at least punting and heading into halftime down 7-3, the Raiders are now down 14-3 and not looking good.</p>
<p>In the second half, the Panthers would turn the ball over twice. The first came early in the third quarter when <span>Chimdi Chekwa</span> forced a fumble on a punt return and Richard Gordon recovered it. But the Raiders again couldn't do anything with it and were forced to punt.</p>
<p>The second turnover came when <span>Miles Burris</span> intercepted Cam Newton to put the Raiders in scoring position. They couldn't get it in the endzone but the field goal made had the Raiders down one score at 14-6.</p>
<p>The Raiders would not score again while the Panthers were able to seal the victory with a 51-yard field goal with 1:45 left in the game.</p>
<p>The Raiders fall to 4-11 on the season with just the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers" class="sbn-auto-link">Chargers</a> remaining next week. They are solidly in line for the third overall pick.</p>
<p>Terrelle Pryor saw his first catch, pass, and rush in the game. <a href="http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3799042/terrelle-pryor-has-three-nfl-firsts-against-carolina-panthers">Read more on that here.</a></p>
<p>X-rays on <span>Carson Palmer's</span> ribs came up negative but he didn't return to the game due to pain.</p>
<p>Cornerback Phillip Adams and safety <span>Tyvon Branch</span> both left the game with ankle injuries. This is the third time in four weeks Adams has left the game with injury. It was a concussion the previous weeks. Branch had been questionable coming into the game with a neck injury. This ankle injury could be enough to have him sit for the final game of the season. Adams was replaced by Chimdi Chekwa and Branch was replaced by <span>Mike Mitchell</span>.</p>
<p>The interception by Miles Burris was the first of his career.</p>
<p>Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was all over the field making plays. He led all tacklers with 13 combined tackles (9 solo) with a tackle for loss, 2 passes defended, and an interception.</p>
<p>The Raiders have now not scored a touchdown in two straight games. Their last touchdown came with 5:47 remaining in the week 14 loss to the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Broncos</a>.</p>
<p>BOX SCORE</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders" class="sbn-auto-link">Oakland Raiders</a> (4-11-0) <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Carolina Panthers</a> (6-9-0)</p>
<p><b>Raiders</b></p>
<p>Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT</p>
<p>M. Leinart 16/32 115 0 1</p>
<p>C. Palmer 3/3 31 0 0</p>
<p>T. Pryor 1/1 5 0 0</p>
<p>Rushing ATT YDS TD LG</p>
<p>D. McFadden 17 33 0 13</p>
<p>M. Goodson 4 12 0 7</p>
<p>T. Pryor 1 2 0 2</p>
<p>Receiving REC YDS TD LG</p>
<p>D. Heyward-Bey 2 31 0 20</p>
<p>T. Pryor 1 22 0 22</p>
<p>D. Hagan 1 19 0 19</p>
<p>M. Reece 4 18 0 19</p>
<p>R. Streater 2 16 0 12</p>
<p>D. McFadden 3 15 0 11</p>
<p>D. Moore 3 12 0 7</p>
<p>B. Myers 3 10 0 7</p>
<p>M. Goodson 1 8 0 8</p>
<p>Fumbles FUM LOST REC YDS</p>
<p>C. Chekwa 0 0 0 0</p>
<p>R. Gordon 0 0 1 0</p>
<p>Kicking FG LG XP PTS</p>
<p>S. Janikowski 2/2 31 0/0 6</p>
<p>Punting NO AVG I20 LG</p>
<p>S. Lechler 5 41.0 4 61</p>
<p>Kickoff Returns NO AVG TD LG</p>
<p>M. Goodson 1 26 0 26</p>
<p>Punt Returns NO AVG TD LG</p>
<p>P. Adams 2 0 0 3</p>
<p>D. Moore 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>M. Mitchell 0 0 0 2</p>
<p>Defense T-A SCK INT FF</p>
<p>B. Ross 5-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Hanson 4-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>M. Burris 3-4 0.5 1 0</p>
<p>L. Houston 3-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>M. Huff 3-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>M. Mitchell 3-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>T. Branch 2-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>O. Gaither 2-2 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>T. Kelly 2-4 0.5 0 0</p>
<p>P. Wheeler 2-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>D. Bryant 1-1 0.5 0 0</p>
<p>A. Carter 1-2 0.5 0 0</p>
<p>M. Giordano 1-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>P. Adams 0-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>C. Bilukidi 0-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p><b>Panthers</b></p>
<p>Passing CP/AT YDS TD INT</p>
<p>C. Newton 18/29 170 1 1</p>
<p>Rushing ATT YDS TD LG</p>
<p>C. Newton 12 60 1 29</p>
<p>M. Tolbert 5 28 0 8</p>
<p>D. Williams 10 19 0 14</p>
<p>J. Adams 1 5 0 5</p>
<p>Receiving REC YDS TD LG</p>
<p>G. Olsen 6 53 0 20</p>
<p>S. Smith 4 45 1 23T</p>
<p>B. LaFell 5 38 0 14</p>
<p>D. Williams 2 29 0 22</p>
<p>L. Murphy 1 5 0 5</p>
<p>Fumbles FUM LOST REC YDS</p>
<p>J. Adams 1 1 0 0</p>
<p>Kicking FG LG XP PTS</p>
<p>G. Gano 1/2 51 2/2 5</p>
<p>Punting NO AVG I20 LG</p>
<p>B. Nortman 4 48.3 1 55</p>
<p>Kickoff Returns NO AVG TD LG</p>
<p>A. Smith 1 26 0 26</p>
<p>Punt Returns NO AVG TD LG</p>
<p>J. Adams 1 14 0 14</p>
<p>A. Edwards 0 0 0 0</p>
<p>Defense T-A SCK INT FF</p>
<p>L. Kuechly 9-4 0.0 1 0</p>
<p>T. Davis 5-3 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>C. Munnerlyn 4-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>M. Addison 3-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>D. Campbell 2-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Dockery 2-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>D. Edwards 2-2 1.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Phillips 2-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>F. Alexander 1-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>C. Godfrey 1-1 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>C. Johnson 1-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Senn 1-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Thomas 1-2 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>J. Williams 1-0 0.0 0 0</p>
<p>G. Hardy 0-2 0.0 0 0</p>
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https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3799166/oakland-raiders-held-out-of-endzone-again-in-17-6-loss-to-carolina-panthersLevi Damien2012-12-23T13:54:08-08:002012-12-23T13:54:08-08:00Pryor has three NFL firsts against Panthers
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It has been a long time coming for Terrelle Pryor but in week 16 of his second season, he finally had the first three positive plays of his young NFL career.</p> <p>The first first was not a pass but rather a catch. It didn't take long before the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Raiders</a> put the ball in Pryor's hands. He was in on the Raiders second offensive play. Pryor lined up behind center with <span>Carson Palmer</span> out wide right. Pryor passed it to Palmer and Palmer passed it right back to him and Pryor slipped a tackle and ran for 22 yards.</p>
<p>That play was Pryor's first positive yards as an NFL player. He saw his first plays last week against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Chiefs</a> but it was two handoffs and an incomplete pass.</p>
<p>We saw Pryor again in the second quarter and it was a read option for two yards. It was his first rush as an NFL player. It put the Raiders at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> nine yard line but the Raiders would settle for a field goal a few plays later.</p>
<p>Then in the fourth quarter he finally had his first NFL pass completion. It went to <span>Marcel Reece</span> for 5 yards. It put the Raiders at the three yard line but the Raiders would settle for a field goal after a holding penalty nullified a McFadden touchdown run.</p>
<p>When Palmer went out with injured ribs, it was actual backup quarterback <span>Matt Leinart</span> to who came in for him so we didn't see a lot of Pryor. But it was a step up from his three plays last week as the team continues to try and get at least a bit of a look at him. We'll see if those looks go up again next week in the season finale in San Diego.</p>
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3799042/terrelle-pryor-has-three-nfl-firsts-against-carolina-panthersLevi Damien2012-12-23T13:35:52-08:002012-12-23T13:35:52-08:00Newton kicks Kelly in face, contact official
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<p>How exactly Cam Newton remained in the game today in Charlotte is a bit of a mystery.</p> <p>The first offense by Newton came after he was gang sacked by the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders" class="sbn-auto-link">Raiders</a> and as he laid on the turf tried to put a cleat in the face of <span>Tommy Kelly</span>. Not only wasn't he penalized for the classless move, but Tommy Kelly was penalized for unnecessary roughness despite there being no cause for the penalty against Kelly.</p>
<p>The kick was on the level of Ndamukong Suh's stomp on Packers Evan Dietrich-Smith last season - Suh was ejected for that move. And yet Newton's high kick went without notice.</p>
<p>The penalty called on Kelly happened on third down and gave the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Panthers</a> an automatic first down to keep the drive alive. The Panthers were able to drive into field goal range and miss the field goal.</p>
<p>That wasn't Newton's only moment of immaturity.</p>
<p>In the second half, Newton was angry at a no-call on <span>Mike Mitchell</span> on what Newton thought should have been a roughing the passer penalty. He hopped up and put his chest into the official and began barking in the officials face. Yes, he MADE CONTACT WITH THE OFFICIAL which, as we all know, is a an offense that is supposed to result in an ejection. And yet somehow, Newton remained in the game. At this point, it is a shock he was even flagged for it.</p>
<p>The Panthers would not be able to pick up the yards necessary to convert the first down after that and Cam Newton left the field looking like he was about to cry.</p>
<p>His actions and attitude further prove the majority opinions of his immaturity. I was asked by Panthers blogger James Daton for an outsiders opinion on the Panthers and my response garnered a great deal of anger from Panthers fans. This is what I said.</p>
<p>"They are a team in flux. I wasn't a fan of Cam Newton coming out of college and he is proving me right this season with his lackluster play on the field and his attitude off of it. I don't think they will ever win with him. At least until he grows up. If that ever happens. There are some good players on the team otherwise. Two great running backs in <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> and <span>Jonathan Stewart</span> for starters."</p>
<p>That little part about Cam Newton needing to grow up is what got their fans all worked up into a lather. They like to pretend it is the media making Newton look bad as opposed to his own words and actions. Their fans' responses were rather entertaining before. They are downright delicious now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012/12/22/3792984/panthers-vs-raiders-five-questions-with-silver-and-black-pride">To read them (and comment), click here.</a></p>
<p>Part of my opinion of Newton was validated/strengthened by this press conference in which he throws his coaches under the bus. Start around the :45 second mark where he claims zero responsibility and then follows it up by blaming the playcalling.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oHlubc-kNsY" frameborder="0"></iframe> <br id="1356304396792"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I would expect Newton will be quite a bit lighter in the wallet after this week thanks to his twinkle toes and his little tantrum that had him contacting the official. But that won't be of any solace for the Raiders in this game and anything short of a one game suspension wouldn't be punishment enough for Cam Newton.</p>
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https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798940/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-not-ejected-kick-oakland-raiders-tommy-kelly-face-contact-with-officialLevi Damien2012-12-23T11:35:28-08:002012-12-23T11:35:28-08:00Raiders at Panthers week 16 game thread: 2nd half
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The second half is about to begin in the Raiders week 16 match-up with the Panthers in Carolina.</p> <p>There hasn't been a lot of scoring this half but the Panthers have done most of it. The Panthers struck first when they drove for a touchdown on their second drive. The touchdown was set up by a 29-yard run by Cam Newton and capped off by a 23-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.</p>
<p>The Raiders offense couldn't get anything going most of the first half. Carson Palmer went out of the game with a rib injury and Matt Leinart replaced him. The Raiders were able to put together a good drive with Leinart. He went 6-7 for 53 yards and got the Raiders inside the five yard line. But the Raiders were held out of the endzone again and settled for a field goal.</p>
<p>Late in the second quarter, Leinart made a huge mistake. The Raiders got the ball with 1:45 left in the half after a missed field goal by the Panthers. Then after two bad passes by Leinart for incompletions, he lined up in third and 10 and threw an interception to Luke Kuechly.</p>
<p>The Panthers took the ball at the Raiders 29-yard line and scored a touchdown on four plays. So instead of having a chance to score before half or at least punting and heading into halftime down 7-3, the Raiders are now down 14-3 and not looking good.</p>
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798552/oakland-raiders-at-carolina-panthers-week-16-game-thread-second-halfLevi Damien2012-12-23T09:49:31-08:002012-12-23T09:49:31-08:00Raiders at Panther week 16 game thread
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H1sztUctKf9vEnYu4EQba37eqLg=/0x149:4000x2816/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5488007/156942559.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Andy Lyons</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Raiders are on the field warming up on the field in Carolina to face the Panthers.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders" class="sbn-auto-link">Raiders</a> are trying to get a look at some younger players while continuing to be competitive through the final two games of the season. In the interest of this youth movement, <span>Jack Crawford</span> has been activated while <span>Dave Tollefson</span> is a healthy scratch.</p>
<p><span>Terrelle Pryor</span> will also see more of the field more in this game. He came on for one series (a three and out) last week against the <a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chiefs</a>. Today Greg Knapp said Pryor will see some plays on third down and in the red zone. Last week it was to see if he could run the same offense as Palmer and this week it is to see if he can provide a change up for the team, utilizing his speed and athleticism.</p>
<p><span>Juron Criner</span> is also out with a hip injury. He is replaced in the lineup by <span>Derek Hagan</span> which is the opposite of youth movement but that's just how it goes.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Panthers</a> will start <span>DeAngelo Williams</span> at running back with <span>Jonathan Stewart</span> inactive today. Either Stewart or Williams is a nice option for the Panthers. The Raiders hope to be able to keep Williams under wraps as they did <span>Jamaal Charles</span> (9 rush for 10 yards) last week.</p>
<p>The Raiders will have all they can handle from the fleet of foot Cam Newton. They have struggled with even the lesser mobile quarterbacks when they tuck the ball and run. But make no mistake, Newton can also put the ball in the air.</p>
<p>It is the defense in Carolina that gives them problems. They have similar issues in the secondary to the Raiders but the Raiders seem to have found some good replacements for their injured starters. They also have some issues stopping the run. The Raiders could score a touchdown last week against a weak Chiefs defense. They are hoping they can actually get into the end zone today.</p>
<p>Raiders inactives: RB J. Stewart, DT R. Seymour, LB R. McClain, WR J. Criner, T W. Smith, OL L. Nix, and DE D. Tollefson</p>
<p>Panthers inactives: QB J. Clausen, WR D. Gettis, RB J. Stewart, LB J. Anderson, C/G G. Hangartner, G H. Hicks, and DT S. Fua</p>
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798166/raiders-at-panther-week-16-game-threadLevi Damien2012-12-23T09:23:09-08:002012-12-23T09:23:09-08:00Welcome to Gameday: Raiders at Panthers
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2UCampRoTGmFc1qE2F6yIHkJTvQ=/0x179:4000x2846/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5486739/158673339.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Grant Halverson</figcaption>
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<p>The Raiders (4-10) travel east to fast the Panthers (5-9) in a week 16 match-up.</p> <p>Who: <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a></p>
<p>Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte North Carolina</p>
<p>When: 10:00 am Pacific Standard Time</p>
<p>TV: CBS</p>
<p>The Raiders are in Carolina for the fifth and final East Coast trip. They are set to face off against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.</p>
<p>Neither team has anything to play for outside of pride at this point. They are both out of playoff contention. The Raiders already have double digit losses and the Panthers are last in their division.</p>
<p>With a win last week, the Raiders ensured they would not get a draft pick higher than the third spot where they sat before this week's games began. If there were to win today, it could conceivably drop them near the bottom of the top ten.</p>
<p>But winning on the East Coast is never easy. Beating the Panthers is no easy task either. They have a lot of fight in them which is more than can be said for the Raiders who just snapped a six game losing streak to the worst team in the NFL but could not score a touchdown in the game.</p>
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/23/3798094/welcome-to-gameday-oakland-raiders-at-carolina-panthersLevi Damien2012-12-22T15:36:24-08:002012-12-22T15:36:24-08:00A few good questions with Panthers blogger
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<figcaption>Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Raiders are in Carolina this weekend to face the Panthers so to get the insider's perspective on the Panthers, I spoke to James Dator of Panthers blog Cat Scratch Reader. One of the best names of a blog I've ever heard.</p> <p><b>Last year the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> were not winning while Cam Newton was putting up huge number. Now neither is happening. What happened?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>2011 was all about Cam Newton and an amazing offense being let down by an atrocious defense. Cam got too much of the blame (as he always does) but there wasn't anything more he could have done. This season offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinksi moved away from the offense's strengths, and almost entirely relied on the read-option for the first ten games of the season. The defense improved, but the offensive drop off was so apparent that they couldn't recover. In the last seven weeks the Panthers have moved back to what they did well on offense last year, and now Newton has returned to dominance.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>The Panthers seem to be cold most of the time but jump up and play well in certain games. Is it one thing that clicks that usually doesn't or is it a variation of things?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>It's all about the offensive game plan changing. The read option was all risk and reward. Either teams knew how to stop it and they stonewalled the offense, or they didn't which allowed they to be close. Now the offense has changed I'm not sure there is that hot-and-cold aspect to them anymore.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>What are the Panthers' three strongest areas?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>- Pass rushing with <span>Charles Johnson</span> and <span>Greg Hardy</span></p>
<p>- Cam Newton's ability to improvise under pressure</p>
<p>- <span>Luke Kuechly</span> swallowing everything at middle linebacker</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>What are the Panthers' three weakest areas?</b></p>
<blockquote>
<p>- Patchwork secondary that is very inconsistent</p>
<p>- Interior defensive line</p>
<p>- Power run-blocking by offensive line</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To see my answers to his questions, <a href="http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012/12/22/3792984/panthers-vs-raiders-five-questions-with-silver-and-black-pride">Click here</a>.</p>
https://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/12/22/3796342/a-few-good-oakland-raiders-questions-with-carolina-panthers-blog-cat-scratch-readerLevi Damien