Things Look Rougher For Panthers

Steve Smith may go ballistic on someone soon as his frustrations of constant double and triple teams becomes more apparent each game. Without a viable playmaker on the other side in the passing game this is Smith’s life in 2009. You saw signs of trying to get others, like tight end Dante Rosario, in the mix Monday night but that was short-lived once Dallas adjusted to it.

Their running game is DeAngelo Williams and only him. Jonathan Stewart appears to be the kind of back who’s chronically injured. The fact that Carolina didn’t get a first down in the second half Monday night until close to the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter tells you everything you need to know about their ability to move the ball.

When you stack that up against the league’s toughest schedule, which includes another game against a decent Atlanta team and two against potent New Orleans within their division, you begin to realize that the franchise’s dubious trend of never following up a winning season with another winning campaign will continue this fall.

In terms of the future, due to trades they were without a first round draft pick this past year (a deal in April of ’08 did gain them the opportunity to land starting right offensive tackle Jeff Otah) and they’ll also be without a first-rounder this year unless they make a trade and that’s always tough to do.

So, there likely be about 35 picks, or so, before the Panthers select in April and instead of going for a marquis wide receiver who could come in and help immediately or an elite quarterback who could be developed to step-in maybe within two years they’ll have to settle for someone who could help (keep in mind Smith, for example, was a third-rounder) but do that with second and third round picks, etc.

The really good news is that after their open date they actually have a chance to get back to .500 as they play home against what looks like a dreadful Washington team and then travel to winless Tampa Bay and play host to Buffalo, which is off to a bad start.

But five of their final six games are against teams that are either unbeaten or expected to contend for their division title.

One wonders if they can find enough offense between now and then to finish strong.

On the high school front the anticipation builds for Byrnes’ game Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas in a battle of the nation’s top two high school teams according to most services.

Based on what I’ve been able to learn about St. Thomas they have speed on top of speed, which Byrnes also possesses.

What I’ll find interesting to see is if the speed the Rebels show to their competition around here is enough to hang in Friday’s game.

You also wonder if their opponent the following week, Spartanburg, will be at an advantage or disadvantage in terms of the come down factor for Byrnes.