Jaguars Madden 12 Franchise Week 1 at Panthers - Gronk4M13's Blog

Gronk4M13's Blog

Jaguars Madden 12 Franchise Week 1 at Panthers

Posted on July 17, 2012 at 06:34 PM.

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In the 2015 season opener, the defending/reigning Superbowl champions traveled, not too far, to North Carolina to meet the Carolina Panthers on a hot, humid and rainy day.
[Cam newton has progressed to a 90 overall. Antonio Gordon, a rookie halfback, looks to have a great year/career at 82 overall and already starting. The Panthers, overall wise, have a weak offensive line, and secondary, barring a 99 overall safety by the name of Taqwaun Benion. On the Injury report, The Jaguars will be without cornerback Cedric Griffin for four weeks at the hands of a dislocated hip, while the Panthers will be missing right guard Brandon Moore due to a torn bicep for nine weeks. The Panthers won the coin toss, and got the ball first.

Mediocre secondary play from Jacksonville allowed the Panthers to easily march down the field, ultimately leading to Cam Newton passing the game's first touchdown. On the Jaguars' first possession, they looked to have similar success, easily marching down field with a mix of run plays and pass plays. That is, until the Champs crossed into enemy territory and settled for a field goal. At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers led by a score of 7 to 3.

Yet again, Newton was seemingly unstoppable, leading the Cardiac Cats downfield for another passing touchdown. Then, both teams went three and out. Once again, history repeated itself, and the Jags settled for a field goal after a passing touchdown by the Panthers. Yet, the game began to turn rapidly. The unstoppable passing game of the "Cam-thers" were marching downfield, prepared to score when all star free agent pick up Earl Thomas leaped into the air and returned an interception for a touchdown. The Jags' star quarterback, Raymond O'Neal showed that he was back and better than ever form the injury that kept him from the Superbowl, running into the endzone after spinning out of a tackle, stiff arming another defender, and dragging another Panther into the endzone on the two point conversion to tie the game. The Panthers' bad fortunes, and thus the Jaguars' fortunes, continued when the Panthers fumbled, but recovered it. However, they would still stall and punt the ball with a minute to go in the half. Quickly, O'Neal marched downfield, and found Carl Clements sprinting across the field. Clements caught the ball, and used his [97 overall] speed and [99 acceleration and agility] to beat the defenders for a touchdown. At halftime, the score was 21-14 Jaguars.

Jacksonville got the ball as the second half began. Yet O'Neal would show that everyone makes mistakes, throwing his first interception in Carolina's redzone. The Panthers would then settle for a field goal. All game, Gronk 4M13, head coach of the Jaguars, knew that Cam Newton was/is one of the most dangerous scrambling quarterbacks in the NFL. Every play, he put at least one linebacker, sometimes two, in a quarterback spy. That resulted in Newton only having two runs over 10 yards, none over 20, and no quarterback-rushing touchdowns.

The Jags covered the field quickly on offense, and O'Neal found free agent pick up Vincent Jackson for a touchdown. Darnell Dockett walked away with two sacks on the day,two of several by the Jacksonville defense.

After the game, Darnell Dockett had this to say:
"All game, I saw Terrell Suggs throw whoever tried, and failed, to block him to the ground, and he was always sprinting at Newton-every play. Suggs got a sack, but on one play, i got one of my funniest memories from football. Suggs threw his blocker to the grass, was running at Cam like a mad man, and Cam saw him. Newton's eyes got huge (laughs) and he tried to run away from Suggs. Well, there I was, running right at him from the other side. BOOM! I demolish him, and Terrell Suggs was laughing with me after the play."

[I subbed in rookie QB Jarrett Cabot and rookie HB Jaelin Craig halfway through the third quarter because we were up by two scores.]
The Panthers, under Cabot, went three and out. However, fan favorite LC Morris intercepted Newton, and got the ball to The Panthers' 25 yard line. In one of the best HB screens I've seen, especially for a rookie quarterback turned halfback, Cabot found Jaelin Craig on a screen play. Craig had some nice blocks, but had a Panther coming right his way. Craig fake juked a few times, then had a devastating juke, getting free down the sideline. Craig stiff armed another defender and got a 10 yard gain. Cabot, making a rookie mistake, threw an interception with little under two minutes to play. The Panthers went 4 and out, leading to the Jags settling for a field goal, and then the Panthers scored a touchdown. The Jags recovered the onside kick, and that was the game. The reigning Superbowl Champions win the season opener, away, 31-24.
Coach Gronk had the following to say:
"I was blown away at how quickly the free agents have learned this system, and their great play so far. The rookies also impressed me, especially Jaelin Craig. I'm glad I thought to switch him to halfback and gave him a chance to use his talent. He delivered. Nothing is perfect, and I know what we can do better, which is defend the pass a little stronger. Next, we travel to Houston to meet the Texans [who lost the season opener.]"