Monty Fetty Jr.

Hot Takes w/ Monty: Week 5 Rush Review vs. Atlanta Falcons

Hot Takes with Monty


By Monty Fetti 

After five weeks of football with a 3-2 record, I think we all can agree that this Carolina Panthers team is a lot better prepared for the 2020 season than we all originally expected. Coach Matt Rhule made it very clear earlier this year that he had no intentions on waiting until three or four years to start expecting this team to win games and be competitive in the NFL. We all are thankful for it too. With the 1st quarter of the season already in the books, the Panthers are in great shape and in control of their own destiny. I also believe that expecting us to win seven or eight games this year is a fair and attainable goal that maybe a lot of us didn’t expect to happen at the start of the season. Sure, some fans will complain about draft capital and about us needing ___ position or player from next year’s 2021 NFL Draft. But winning should always be the main priority for this team. Especially with a team that’s so young and looking to build for the future. I’ll admit that we still have a very long season ahead of us, but 3-2 never felt so good. Let’s jump right in. 

 

Week 5 Hot Takes w/ Monty

 

  • Brady’s Bunch 

Over a five week span offensive coordinator Joe Brady has proven to be worth every penny spent to get him here in Carolina. One could also make the case that he may be the biggest, most impactful “Free Agent” addition ever in Panthers history. Very simply put Brady and this offense is legit. VERY legit!!! This is also taking nothing away from the talent we currently have on the roster. I understand that your system is only as good as the men you have in place to effectively execute what you want to do on offense.

That being said, I absolutely love what Brady has done with this system in such a short time. After losing Christian McCaffery in Week 2 to a high ankle sprain, who would have thought that Mike Davis would come on and have as big an impact as he is having right now. Since Week 2, Davis has a total of 348 all-purpose yards with three total TDs on 67 combined touches. Davis simply hasn’t missed a beat since McCaffrey’s injury, and neither has this offensive line. This makes it the 2nd week in row that our offensive line has not allowed a sack on Teddy Bridgewater after starting the season off with six allowed sacks over Weeks 1 & 2.

 In fact, in this new system, we see guys like Mike Davis, Robby Anderson and Teddy Bridgewater all on pace to have career years across the board which I don’t think is coincidence. There are a lot of things to be excited about with this team in Carolina and Joe Brady coaching this offense is one of them. 

 

  • WR1a & WR1b 

Staying on the topic of offense, it’s been seven years since the Panthers decided to release and move on from Steve Smith Sr back in 2013. It also feels like it’s been just as long since we have actually had a true “#1 WR” that teams fear and game plan against each Sunday. Well I am happy to inform you all that those days are officially over. In a division full of WRs like Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Calvin Ridley. It’s only right that we have our own 1-2 punch at WR and that starts with Robby Anderson. 

Anderson has been a perfect addition to this offense with his combination of size, speed, crisp routes, and playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. It has shown up big time on the field too with him currently ranked 3rd in the NFL in receptions with 36 and 3rd in receiving yards with 489 yards. Robby has also been a perfect compliment to a young and still developing DJ Moore who is coming off of a stellar 2019 season. Moore is currently ranked 11th in the NFL in receiving yards with 381 yards and 12th in YPC (yards per catch) with 17.3. It’s easy to see that Teddy has found his two favorite weapons on offense with CMC out, and it will be exciting to see Robby and DJ continue to grow with Teddy as the season progresses. Right now both WRs are on pace to break 70+ catches, and both are on pace to surpass 1200 receiving yards a piece. We have all waited long enough, so it’s time we enjoy these two while it lasts. 

 

 

  • #Snowfall 

I am going to try and keep these last two points short, sweet and simple. This defense, week in and week out, continues to impress. With THE youngest roster in the NFL and with having THE most turnover of personnel from 2019 to 2020 you would think that our defenders would struggle all year. Outside of Weeks 1 & 2, our defense has arguably been one of the better units throughout the entire league over five weeks. Going from allowing an average of 32.5 PPG (points per game) in our first two contests to only giving up an average of 17.6 PPG from Weeks 3 to 5 is a perfect example of the work defensive coordinator Phil Snow has put in to fix this unit. Guys like Brian Burns, Jeremy Chinn and Derrick Brown have all been huge for this new look defense and I expect them to only get better as the season progresses. Good job fellas and #KeepPounding

 

  • Teddy B. 4 President 

Again I’m keeping this short, sweet and simple. STOP CALLING THIS MAN “a bridge QB”. He led Carolina to a convincing win over the Falcons in Atlanta which is something we haven’t done in six years. Also after starting the season off ranked 5th in passing yards with 1460, 2nd in the NFL in completion percentage with 73% of his passes, and being ranked 11th in passer rating with 101.3. If you are still on the edge on not being sold on Teddy as our starting QB and likely the future for this team at that position, then you simply need to get your head checked by a state licensed professional. Bridgewater is a leader and more importantly a WINNER. Give this man the RESPECT that he deserves and has earned. Keep up the great work Teddy!!  

Offensive Game Ball(s): Mike Davis

Defensive Game Ball(s): Brian Burns

 

 

Hot Takes w/ Monty: Week 2 Rush Review vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hot Takes with Monty

So after dramatically crying myself to sleep and after washing the stinch of yesterday’s UGLY

loss off, I am finally back and ready to discuss what happened in the matchup against
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by our Carolina Panthers. Let’s just jump right into it.

Week 2 Hot Takes w/ Monty

● The Tale of Two Weeks from our O-Line & QB 5
Since signing Teddy Bridgewater to the Panthers back in March, I think I’ve been one of the more vocal fans in my support of him and in his ability to play QB. Even now, I still believe that he is
a very solid QB that is talented enough to come in and win games when needed. That being
said, Week 2 of the 2020 season was NOT a good outing for QB #5. Teddy came right out the
gates with 2 costly turnovers that put us in a 14-0 hole early in the first quarter. For most of
the first half, Bridgewater could never establish any type of rhythm with his receivers or tight
ends. Adding insult to injury, Tampa Bay did a great job of bottling up Christian McCaffery and
preventing us from running the ball effectively like we did in Week 1. You match all of that with
absolute terrible play from our offensive line, and you can see why we leave Sunday’s contest
with such a lopsided loss. Now, I will give credit where it’s due. This offense, led by Bridgewater,
never gave in and continued to battle back all the way down to the very last whistle. We in fact fought back from a 21-7 deficit in the 2nd half, and were able to cut the lead down to a TD midway throughthe 4th Quarter. But sometimes when it rains, it pours. A late INT by Bridgewater, costly
penalties in the second half, and just bad execution from our offense as a whole is what
ultimately sealed our fate. Moving forward, I still have faith that Teddy can turn things around for
this offense, and I still stand by my assessment that QB isn’t close to being the biggest need we
have on this roster. Bridgewater must be better and I expect him to be.

● Defense continues to struggle in Week 2
To be honest, this week I am willing to give our defense somewhat of a break. A minor break
but a break nonetheless. I’m sure after looking at the scoreboard and after looking at highlights
of Tom Brady shredding our defense to pieces, it’s easy to say our defense was the biggest reason
for us losing yesterday’s contest. I also think you have to consider how well this unit played
during the start of the 2nd half, especially during the top of the 4th quarter by holding the Buccaneers scoreless. I also believe that if the Panthers offense did not turn the ball over two times in our first two possessions, then we are not down 14-0 in the 1st quarter. We would potentially be talking about a complete different game at that point and potentially a completely different outcome. That’s also as far as my break goes for this defense. Just like in Week 1 there was poor tackling, a lack of a true pass rush and silly mental mistakes that led to penalties which is what ultimately cost us yesterday’s game. Not to mention, Tom Brady and his offense missed out on a couple of opportunities to make this game that much more embarrassing. A dropped TD pass from Shady McCoy in the end zone, and a doink off of a Tampa Bay’s WR helmet is what kept the game closer than it really should have been. Bottom line is that this defense is BAD and doesn’t look to be getting better anytime soon.

I’m keeping this week’s Hot Takes short, sweet and simple. There wasn’t a lot to cheer for yesterday at all and we have A LOT of work to do.

Offensive Player Of The Game: WR Robbie Anderson

Defensive Player Of The Game: EDGE Brian Burns

Hot Takes w/ Monty: Week 1 Rush Review vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Hot Takes with Monty

The 2020 NFL Season is finally here! Beyond all of the trying times of COVID-19 and the never ending battle against Social Injustice in America, the Carolina Panthers return to football has come back with perfect timing. We have a lot of different things to break down and cover so let’s jump right into it.

Week 1 Hot Takes w/ Monty
• Solid Performance by Teddy “2 Gloves”
It’s been a very long journey for Teddy Bridgewater with him battling back from a near career ending knee injury, back to a starting QB role in the NFL. So after showing flashes from last season in New Orleans, Teddy B has started off the 2020 season in good shape. Today we saw a very efficient, very composed, very poised and very confident QB. Teddy completed nearly 65% of his passes (64.7%), threw for 270 yards with a TD pass. And when needed, he escaped pressure by extending plays with his legs to pick up key first downs throughout the game. Now, by no means was his performance in Week 1 without mistakes. He actually struggled for most of the 3rd quarter with hitting WRs in stride down field, along with looking a little stagnant at times. However, it was also good to see him rebound late in the 2nd half with a 75 Yard TD pass to Robby Anderson to close a double digit defect. Moving forward I believe Teddy is in a perfect situation to thrive and be successful in Joe Brady’s system. I’d like to see a more aggressive QB at times, with him taking a more shots down field, but I also recognize that this all will be work in progress. So Panthers fans…”Buckle up and enjoy the ride!”
• Attack of the C-Mac / WRs struggle
Very simply put, Christian McCaffery is THE best RB in football. Also in other news, water is wet. We may not have turned out a W in today’s contest, but it definitely wasn’t because of “Run CMC” not showing up and showing out. On a Sunday where WRs not named Robby Anderson, were less than spectacular. In classic Carolina Panthers fashion McCaffrey carried this team offensively. On 23 carries, our guy rushed for 96 yards on the ground matched with 2 TD runs. He also tacked on 36 yards receiving on three catches, which ultimately put him over 100 total scrimmage yards for the day. As great as C-Mac was in Week 1, it was disappointing to watch DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel struggle throughout today’s competition. Both had costly 3rd down drops that would have extended drives in key moments of today’s game. To add insult to injury, DJ Moore got hit with a bonehead penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for taunting, which killed our momentum in the middle of the 3rd Quarter. We absolutely HAVE to see more from guys like DJ and Curtis moving forward.
• Defensive Woes from a Young Core
Coming into the 2020 season most Panthers fans knew that our defense would likely be the “Achilles heel” of our team. We are simply too young, and too inexperienced in way too many different areas. Match that with a first year NFL Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, we are bound to make plenty of mistakes in 2020. We are still incapable of stopping the run, our LBs look to be a liability in coverage, and our secondary desperately missed Donte Jackson today, who was injured early in the 1st QTR. It seemed like after the very first drive of the game, the Panthers defense had absolutely no answer for the Raiders offense and it’s quick passing game. QB Derek Carr had his way with our defense all game, and RB Josh Jacobs ran the ball down our throats. Rookie CB Troy Pride Jr was baptized by fire today with multiple blown coverage assignments down field which resulted in chunk plays from the Raiders. That being said, Rookie SS Jeremy Chinn was all over the field today and looked very comfortable in Snow’s system. Chinn finished 2nd in tackles for our defense today with 8. Rookie DT Derrick Brown looks like he’s going to be a monster on the interior once his fellow defenders learns to mesh with one another as the season continues. We didn’t see much from 2nd year DE/OLB Brian Burns today, which is a little disappointing and something to keep our eyes on. All an all, we have A LOT of growing to do Defensively but the talent is there to be molded correctly.
– Week 1 Offensive Player of the Game: Christian McCaffery
– Week 1 Defensive Player of the Game: Jeremy Chinn

Hot Takes With Monty: Week 1 Summary vs. Los Angeles Rams

Hot Takes with Monty

First before we get into this thing , let’s all give a huge round of applause and welcome back our beloved and favorite game … We all know, Football😍👋🏽. The wait is finally over. 
 
Now, we’re back at it. Week 1 of “Hot Takes w/ Monty” #4MR style. So let’s jump right into it.
 
1. CAM NEWTON 
 
– So for point #1, it’s only right that we start with #1. There is no sugar coating it. There is no way around it. Cam Newton had a sub par game, to say the least. We cant let the 65.7% passing fool us. Cam Newton couldn’t consistently deliver an accurate ball down field, and it further showed as the game went on. At times he looked to be flustered in the pocket and struggled to trust his protection, and he just never seemed to get in any kind of rhythm. The offense ultimately struggled b/c of it. With several misses to a wide open Olsen late in the 4th, with him completely overthrowing Samuel down the sideline late in the game as well … #1 put together a very disappointing performance in Week 1 against the defending NFC Champs, the LA Rams.
 
2. CMC 
 
– You can call him Run CMC, Duece Duece, White Lightning, whatever.  No matter what it is, just make sure you put BEST RB IN FOOTBALL at the end of it. If ever there were a game where one player totally carried his team to near success …THIS was it for Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina Panthers. With 19 carries for 128 yards on the ground along with 10 catches for 81 yards receiving and 2 Rushing TDs, Christian McCaffrey was easily the best offensive player on both teams. It’s just too bad his amazing performance couldn’t translate over to a win for the Panthers. In a game where there wasn’t much to be excited about concerning the offense, McCaffrey sure did deliver. With performances like these, CMC will surely be looking to cash in on a HUGE deal and extension hopefully from the Panthers this coming offseason. 
 
3. DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES/ JAMES BRADBERRY & SHAQ THOMPSON
 
– I’m truly having mixed feelings about our defensive unit as a whole today, especially after re-watching part of the game and calming down a bit. 
On one hand, we held Jared Goff, (a Pro Bowl QB) to 186 yards passing, 58.9% completion, and for majority of the game kept one of the best offenses in football to 20 points. But on the other hand, as the game went on, the defense got very sloppy. From mental mistakes that led to silly/costly penalties, to HORRIBLE tacking late in the game, matched with absolutely no pass rush in the 2nd half. For a defense that is supposed to be the best unit we have had since 2015 (on paper), we sure didn’t look like it at times.
– Now, all of that being said James Bradberry and Shaq Thompson are HERE ladies & gentleman. Both guys played lights out. From Shaq being a consistent big hitter and run stuffer, to JB coming down from coverage to get a sack on the QB. And we all love Bradberry being aggressive and coming down with a beautiful INT. Our defense flashed it’s dominace at times, as well as it felt a little like 2018 all over again. We need more out of this front 7 if we are serious about making the playoffs this year. 
 
4. DJ Moore, Turnovers and O-Line woes
 
– I know what everyone is gonna say. And I also know we all need someone to place blame on for today’s loss. Let me be the first to say …DJ had a rough game. And his fumbling problem is becoming a very frustrating issue that needs fixing asap. All being said, I still like what we have in both DJ and Curt Sam. We just didn’t see much of them. For the record, turnovers lost us this game. And we all will remember DJ’s fumble, but for the most part, DJ had a decent game. 7 catches for 76 yards on 10 targets isn’t a bad game. Cam just couldn’t consistently get our skill players the ball at times. On top of having a few miscommunications up front from the o-line that resulted in sacks on the QB. It was all around a very sloppy game from the offense. 
Sloppy game all around. 
 
– All and all …I still believe we have a very talented team. But we have a lot of work to do. 
Next stop, bring it on Tampa
#KeepPounding Carolina 
 
Offensive Game Ball: Christian McCaffrey
Defensive Game Ball(s): James Bradberry/Shaq Thompson