At DE, Julius Peppers has a hand injury that has affected him since the Saints game. While it’s not forced him out of action totally, he has been used more on passing downs than those against the run the past few weeks.
After failing to get to .500 last week, on the Sunday the Panthers (4-6) look play the also 4-6 Jets. With rookie QB Mark Sanchez struggling, the Jets will look to focus on running the football against a Carolina defense that is weak stopping the run. The Jets rank second in the league in rushing and with Carolina’s front seven depleted, look for Sanchez to get plenty of help from running back Thomas Jones.
The vibe inside the Panthers locker room at practice this week has been one of a team that has lost its bond, lost its enthusiasm, and lost its respect for Coach John Fox. Players do not have the booming music in their lockers and the chatter and joking that goes on in most locker rooms; in fact, there is almost an aire of “ready to get the season over with”. After practice, many players have been taking a shower and seem in a hurry to get out. This is almost the sign of a team that has folded their tent for the rest of the season.
While this doesn’t sound very positive for those hoping for Panther wins to close out the season, it sounds quite good to a large contingent of fans hoping for whatever it takes to get Coach John Fox and GM Marty Hurney out after this season. Many Carolina fans are looking for a complete overhaul and no longer have faith in a regime that has yet to post consecutive winning seasons in over 8 years.
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