NFL Week 15: What's the Morrall to the story?

I'll say this ... no NFL season has intrigued me less than this one has in a long, long time. One big, "who cares?" from start to finish.

 

I blame Favre.

 

Favre or no Favre, I was pretty indifferent even before all of that came down.

I've covered a few NFL games, but I just haven't been able to get into it this year.

 

I will always be into the NFL no matter what.

 

I agree that no one should give up 300 yards rushing, but the Panthers were built to do that. To boot, Jake Delhomme was starting to stink it up again and that probably turned power football into the primary and secondary means of offense.

Understanding that I'm obviously a fanboy looser, is it possible that the Panthers should be given credit for that rushing bonanza as least as much, if not more than, the shoddy tackling of the Bucs? That line was overhauled specifically to do much of what it did on Monday night. Having all those linemen healthy didn't hurt, either.

The Bucs aren't as bad as you think, BYH, though I do agree that the popgun offense puts them at a disadvantage for those games where the defense isn't humming along as it usually does.

 

The Panthers absolutely deserve some credit for that, but the Bucs also deserve some blame. Elite defenses do not give up rushing yards like that to any offense.

 

The Bucs' defense is still one of the better ones in the league. Monte Kiffin is still one of the best D-Co's in the league. I take what happened last night as an abnormality, nothing more.

Not taking anything away from the Panthers either, their offensive line wore the Bucs down late and that tends to happen when you have that kind of 1-2 punch in the mix.

 

It's not like they had a keeper at RB or WR either

 

The world needs more playoff teams like I need another jelly doughnut.

 

Mmmmmm. Jelly doughnut </endHomerSimpsondrool>

 

OOP and T_D,

The Panthers set that up with their physical style the first three quarters. The fourth quarter was simply those backs and that line sledgehammering what was left of the Bucs' defense.

As both of you pointed out, it is a bit of both. But Tampa didn't just step aside and let those guys have it. The Panthers took that game, and I think many people much less a fanboy looser than I would acknowledge that.

 

Sammy,

That's how Dallas beat Washington earlier this year and conversely how they lost to Washington much earlier in the year. When Dallas is able to run late they're usually going to win the game.