Cutting Medlock was a panic move by the Carolina Panthers

    Despite losing eight of 10 games, I hadn't seen panic from the Panthers this season -- until Tuesday, when they cut kicker Justin Medlock. Yes, Medlock had missed his last three field goals, one of which was blocked.

     But good kickers go through slumps, if two misses and a block constitute a slump. The good ones come back. And Medlock, I believe, will be a good one.

      Firing coaches and cutting players won't save the season. The season can't be saved.

     Remember, Medlock converted five of five field goals against Chicago, where the wind comes  whipping at unpredictable angles off the lake.

      Had Medlock converted a 40-yard second-quarter field goal against Tampa Bay, would three points have been enough to avoid overtime,and thus preserve a Carolina victory?

        If you believe that, you haven't watched the 2012 Panthers.

 

 

 

Comments

[philip]

Are u kidding me, have u seen the kicks he did make. They were shaky at best, and after 40 yards he was weak. By the way, they need to panic and boot the punter, he stinks, too.

[p2kfan]

i remember rivera passing on a 50 yarder in chicago because he did not want to mess with the kickers head.

[JT]

If cutting the effing kicker constitutes panic, what does axing the GM mean? Grow up Tom.

[charlottean]

firing hurney was too. the talent on this team is SOLID. coaching has been HORRIBLE.

[Globlwmr]

Punt the punter too, he's awful! 2 more wasted draft picks.

[fan]

grow up. none of the field goal misses were for the win. the panthers haven't been able to put the kicker in the position to kick a game winner so you can't put it on Medlock. the fact that the kicker they signed has a less than stellar kicking history shows it's a panic move.

[david gibson]

unless there is an unreported underlying reason, this is the most damning evidence of coach riveras inadequacy. wrong call. bully move picking on the kicker. bush league.
in contrast, consider the cho bobcats. competitive and balanced. mkg is just a piece of a solid roster. bismack and 2nd rounder taylor contributing. veterans solid and walker emerging. in just one off season, with no major FA signing.
night and day.

[Chris]

Tom,

I agree with you. It's akin to kicking your dog 'cause your house is on fire.

Everyone's glad to see some effort for improvement, but this young man ain't where ya start. And did they really just give away Kasay's #4?? Can I be in these meetings please? Can you find out who decided that was a good idea? We all would love to know.

This is The Caine Mutiny. Who ate the damn strawberries?!

I'm exhausted with it. I am now totally convinced that I could do a better job in righting this ship. Not to be self serving, because I am no one special other than my amazing 3rd grade common sense.

This reminds me of the Dallas Cowboys who have now gone almost 20 years in denial. Surely, it must be the kicker or the long snapper or the dang slot receiver! Let's get T.O.!

Stop the madness. It ain't the players fellas. Jim Harbaugh could come in here and win 40 to nothing weekly. I actually believe that and I'm sorry if it hurts anyone feelings or what have you.

We have supreme talent and everyone knows it. What to do with it is and has always been our weakness. We are one Kevin Greene punch to a coach's face away from total mutiny again.

It sho enuff ain't cuz no kicker.

[CC McNeely]

after the debacle on Sunday against the Bucs, nothing the Panthers do anymore surprises me.

[Chris]

I've said this again and again fire the owner he is incompetent to own or run a professional football team. Once gone the team will improve no matter whom you have kicking field goals. Perhaps the problem is the lack of touchdowns vs field goals. Wake up people. How is that $12.00 beer doing!!!!

[Steveo]

A lot of bad moves by Rivera. I was shaking my head when we cut John Kasay and replaced him with Olindo Mare...and wasted a pretty penny on that journeyman before cutting him. I agree with Tom on this. It doesn't make much sense, unless they're seeing something we're not. Is John Kasay still available?

[SC Ken]

Sorry Tom, I think both kickers need (needed) to go. The missed 40 yarder was the difference-can't you do the math. The punter is as bad with shanks and no ability on directional kicks. Neither of these guys make it on another NFL team.

[Stephen]

Fire the coach that sets up these weak pass defenses in the last few minutes of the game that cost us several games or fire the corner backs. The Panthers need to spend money and hire four Pro Bowl corner backs. Rivera should be fired because he is too quiet and can not fire up the team. Remember the intensity and screaming of Bill Parcells, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher, we need someone more aggressive. The coaches messed up Cam Newton's free style of run and pass, they put him in a box.

[SHAWN]

Say what you want, but Rivera is ultimately responsible for this mess and he should be fired for it. Winning is contagious look at how the city is gravitating towards the Bobcats!!

[Dullclaws_07]

Yep, Rivera is definately at fault, he often is in panic mode on the end, and lacks the moxy to not only learn from the past, but take risk to put this team in winning situations. His play-not-to-lose philosophy is why this team is in this perdicament. He overacts in most situation, remember Adams, no way this kid should have sat that amout of games.

[Brenda Leigh]

Yesssss, it's time to punt Coach RR. I have never seen a team that never communicate on the sidelines, coach never talking to the players, never chewing out anyone. RR/DWill/QB Coach and the Defense should all give half the pay back. I don't see where any of them have earned their pay this year. We have a half of a team, win one half, lose the other, every week. I feel RR should have let Cam play his game, just like last year. Every since those dumb calls against the Giants, the team has gone down hill, way down. I blame the Coach for all this misery we have gone through. Coach RR should be told before the end of the season not to return. The only thing he should return is his check. How can the kicker be the blame for all these loses? I say bring him back. Blame those dumb calls.

[DW Huggins]

Moved to NC 4 yrs ago, adopted panthers as team as they are my new "home's" team. They are a joke! Going back to being a Packer fan. Yard sale on panther gear ???

[In the No]

I am still thankful we have a NFL team here in the Carolinas....I wish coach Rivera success at his next stop.

[DJSlash]

I think it is crazy that the Panthers are now paying for THREE kickers, and with cap room issues that is simply insane.

[Big Bad John]

Remember last year during the "coaching search" when asked by a reporter about hiring Jim Harbaugh, Mr Richardson said "Who's that?" Jim Harbaugh was on this team earlier in the franchise history. I'll bet Mr. Richardson knows who he is now. Number 4 should have been retired, and cutting Medlock was a really stupid move. The buck stops with Jerry Richardson, nobody else. The players are not at fault. Some new coach will use them the right way.

[Panther fan]

Panic is an under statement...it's clear the panthers are lost with no direction from the front office or staff....lots of lost drafts picks, but again what do you expect from a former newspaper reporter who never evaluated talent or played the game......

[TR]

kicker's aren't football players... they are on step away from being a third string right guard or an assistant athletic trainer

[bjwtaylor]

Unless Jerry Richardson is interfering with coaching and calls (seems highly unlikely), then it looks to me like the direction to point for failure at winning games with the staff he has is the head coach.

However, I also believe the head coach is hampered by the stupid staffing decisions to cut excellent players because they get "old" and hire young, unproven players who keep turning out to be duds. Does the head coach do that? Certainly this head coach didn't.

What football dunce made the decision to let Kasay go? Or Mohammed? or a myriad of other experienced, still near the top of their game players who were better than anybody available? Even though I could see the problems with Delhomme at the end, as did most other fans, how did Matt Moore and Jimmy Claussen work out? What were they thinking? How did any of those decisions work out?

[Ruhana]

Radiohead sind in Ordnung, kann man hf6ren. Ich hab immer nur ein grodfes Problem mit Musik, wenn die Melodie fehlt. Oder ich sie nicht nach dreimaligem Hf6ren ernkene. Wenn mir irgenwer erze4hlt, da we4re mit viel Liebe dran gearbeitet worden, genialer Sound und so weiter, und ich bin zu blf6d, daran IRGENDETWAS zu ernkenen. Ich finde das Album klingt wie eine Regenpffctze. Ich hasse Alben die wie Regenpffctzen klingen, genauso wie ich Musik hasse, die mich an Jahrmarkt und bunte klebrige Lutscher erinnert. Warum kann Musik nicht klingen wie ein Laubwald oder wie eine alte vergammelte, aber unglaublich charmante Hfctte. DAS ist das was ich will BAUMHAUS-MUSIK!!!@DonParrot: Da wfcrde ich deinem Freund, dem Tontechniker, irgendwie recht geben. Aber kleine dcberraschungen gibts glfccklicherweise immer noch ab und zu mal.

[Amel]

Hahahaha! Unfortunately I'm the photographer so have been unlbae (so far) to take photos of myself while working this could be a tricky exercise!!!The knife in the photo is a billhook couldn't think of any song titles with a billhook though Will take a few photos of the axe, don't worry!Thanks for the comments x