Starting Moore is a mistake

   Strange decision by Carolina Panther coach John Fox to announce Monday that he will start Matt Moore at quarterback Sunday against San Francisco.

    Announce is the wrong term. Director of communications Charlie Dayton read a Fox quote.

    Moore started the first two games and then was benched. Rookie Jimmy Clausen started the last three.

    When Fox elected to start Clausen, there were media reports that Panther owner Jerry Richardson made the call. Do the folks that floated that rumor also believe Richardson made the call to start Moore this weekend?

    Richardson had nothing to do with either decision. He doesn't make personnel decisions. The decision to start Clausen was Fox's exclusively.

   So is the decision to start Moore.

    Because Fox won't be coaching the Panthers next season, he wants to win now. San Francisco, at Bank of America Stadium, offers a better opportunity than he'll have most Sundays.

     But it's a mistake. Clausen will be Carolina's starting quarterback. So why not give him the valuable experience playing provides?

     It's not as if he's getting beaten up out there. He's taken some big hits, but so do Brett Favre and Tony Romo. Clausen certainly is not taking the beating former Panther (and current San Francisco back-up) David Carr did as a rookie.

     The Panthers started over this season. They jettisoned their veterans and filled the roster with young talent.

    It's a mistake not to commit to it.

    

 

 

Comments

[anonymous]

agree 100%

[garret]

I completely agree, I just hope this doesnt mess with Clausens head

[STH]

No Tom, drafting Clausen was a mistake!

[tpnay]

F&*K Clausen I want Andrew luck with the first pick

[JoshuaMac]

Hey Tom, you Scott, or Darin: who calls for Fox to be fired immediately first this season?

[Jeff Batts]

There was an experienced newspaper reporter who made a mistake in an article so the editor pulled him off the next important story and gave it to an inexperienced rookie reporter. The rookie reporter proceeds to screw up the next several stories worse than the veteran. The editor says to himself, "I could put Johnson my veteran guy back on those big stories. I know he has come through before. Maybe he should get another chance. After all, I owe it to my readers and employees to put out the best paper possible. On second thought, to hell with the readers and other employees. Let the rookie screw up some more stories. He is only dragging down the morale of the entire paper and maybe causing us to have a drop in readership and revenue this year but he needs the experience."

Yeah, that makes sense to me.

[Original Panther's Fan]

As long as John Fox remains a lame duck head coach, his decisions will not necessarily be in the best interests of the team. And just as it has been said that a team takes on the personality of its coach, so go the Panthers. The nightmare continues.

[big daddy]

Tom do you know something we dont about Fox not returning next season? You say that quite often as if you got the inside scoop that he's as good as fired? Though we know this is the last year of his contract, Richardson may want him back!

[patdaddy]

Jimmy Clausen can't even snap the ball or see over the line of scrimmage. He is too small and quiet frankly HE SUCKS! between sucking so bad and that ego of his not fitting into the helmet that is why he dropped to 48th in the draft. Nobody wanted him and everybody sees why now. I don't see him in a Panthers uniform too much longer...and take Jeff (run run pass punt) Davidson with you!!!

[Newnate]

You said it yourself in your article Tom; Fox wants to win now because he won't be here next year. Why would he care about developing Claussen for a team that will likely give him the boot anyway?

[Ben]

If Tom says it, it's probably wrong. Good move, Foxy.

[jd]

It does matter who starts, they are not winning!!!! Oh yeah Clausen sucks!!!!!

[Zack]

Face it, Claussen is not ready! They wanted to give him a try to see if he was the next wonder boy but he failed and has shown that he doesn't yet have what it takes. Also the offence around him is not going to make it any better. Moore is the right call.

[matt]

whether Fox is gone or not next year (we all assume he will), isn't the objective in the NFL ALWAYS to win NOW?? Shouldn't he be playing the QB that "gives us the best chance to win" no matter who the opponent or what his (Fox's) future plans are??

[SCPOAB]

I disagree Tom; there is nothing to show that Clausen is our future QB. He hasn't looked any better than Moore. The only difference between Clausen and Moore is about 7 games worth of experience and the fact that Moore has actually won games.
That makes Moore (in my opinion) the best choice.
This is Moore's chance to reclaim the job and move forward.

[SS]

Clausen hasn't been great...but Moore was much worse...and it doesn't matter what quaterback you have back there when your rookie WR's run the wrong routes and drop everything thrown to them, any QB will look horrible...of the two QB's Clausen is the better of the two, and right now thats bad.

[jack]

If he wants to win NOW then he would play armanti edwards at qb and run the spread/option offense. He can throw the ball at least as good if not better than the other qb's on the roster as well, but then Davidson would have to work on a new game plan which would be too much like work, so we'll see more of the same old.

[JR-SUCKS!]

My question is when will you grow a set big enough to ask the REAL questions Tom? This ownership/management must have you in their pocket. Just about every move this year has been about saving money at the expense of the team. When will you ask Jerry what he is thinking? When will you hold him responsible? Fox should have been fired YEARS ago, yet he is still here, stinking the town up. Why is that?

[BJWADE]

"But it's a mistake. Clausen will be Carolina's starting quarterback."

Really? Have you been watching Clausen play? Are you under the Hype-Spell that Clausen brought with him? I am telling you right now that Jimmy Clausen is going to struggle for playing time in the NFL. There is a big reason they switched. JC is not cut out to play QB in the NFL. Too many mechanical problems with his delivery is going to slow up any and all progress. If Fox really thought Clausen was going to develop, there is no way he gets benched. But Clausen has been exposed for what he really is, a below average NFL QB with above average hype, that was actually padi for with ca$h!!

[J]

Tom wrote, "The Panthers started over this season. They jettisoned their veterans and filled the roster with young talent.

It's a mistake not to commit to it."

When did Matt Moore turn into Vinny Testaverde? He's not old at all. This is not Earl Morrall taking over for Bob Griese, or Testaverde taking over for Carr.

The Panthers have TWO young QBs, neither of which has produced much thus far. Let's see if Moore can bring home a win.

[jd]

What a joke!! Sport writers in Charlotte suck, Panthers suck!!! Bobcats Suck!!! Charlotte sucks!!!

[Tony Romo]

If for no other reason, let's give Jimmy some time to heal. We don't want him to turn into David Carr. But also, Matt got robbed. Give him another chance!!

[mikey]

I think Clausens foot is hurt worse than we know..

[Robert]

Not sure we have what we really need at the QB position on the roster with any of the four, yes App Homers that includes Your Messiah also...

[Justin]

Starting Moore is the right thing to do. He has a better grasp on the offense and it seems to have flow(as much as he is allowed to let it flow). Play calling and bone head decisions are going to be the downfall of this organization.