Photo credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

 

Zach Ertz wants more playing time

Probably not the best day for this, Zach. From Eliot Shorr-Parks:

“When I was in there, I thought I was open a lot,” Ertz said. “But I can’t control where the ball goes. If the first read is open, and I’m the second read, I’m not going to get the ball. Mark (Sanchez) picked the guys that were open and made great plays.”

“I don’t know to be honest,” Ertz said on if blocking was the issue. “I thought I blocked well tonight. I thought I played very well.”

“Maybe that’s something I bring up,” Ertz said of asking for more playing time. “But we are 7-2, so whatever we are doing is working. I don’t have a lot of room to talk. I don’t want to be a distraction to the team. Whatever happens, happens.”

There are more quotes in the full story.

 

Ohhhh yeah

Jordan Matthews on his success:

“I felt like I was Jeremy Maclin,” said Matthews, drawing a big smile out of No. 18 a couple stalls down. “At the same time, you have to put it behind you. Like I said, I have a bunch of great guys ahead of me who show me how to be a professional. If you take too much time looking at the stats and drinking the Kool-Aid, you lose your appetite. I just try to put it behind me and move forward.”

You know who doesn’t subscribe to that philosophy? This guy:

via LSUFreek

via LSUFreek

 

Cam

Jon Gruden, who just wouldn’t stop harping (rightfully) on how Cam Newton appeared to be on the verge of injury last night, was on to something. Mike Garafolo is reporting that, along with a bad left ankle, Newton is suffering through a right foot issue of some sort:

Newton is nursing a right foot injury the Panthers training staff believes might be the result of compensating for the lingering soreness in his left ankle, a source told FOX Sports. The combination of lower-leg issues could explain why Newton has appeared to be sluggish, particularly on Monday night while he was trying to escape Philadelphia Eagles pass rushers during a 45-21 loss for the Panthers.

No, no– that last part was just Connor Barwin.

 

Fight, sort of

Email from reader LL Cool Jeff (real name?):

Taken in lot between Xfinity and subway after game. Girl started talking shit to car next to her, gets out and starts swinging at dudes forcing her boyfriend to get out and get hit with her. Then she complains a guy took swing at her. Like 40 Year Old Virgin said “gotta keep your ho on a leash”

Kudos to passerby who said “this will be on crossing broad later”. Well, guess that part is your call.

Later

Well now I have to put it up here, don’t I? [And no, taking a swing at a girl is never OK.]

 

Carolina media

I asked on Twitter if there were any outlets covering the Panthers other than the Charlotte-Observer. I got two recommendations– both of which, as best as I can tell, syndicate news from the Charlotte-Observer. So no. No is the answer. But said outlet is attacking the Panthers pretty strongly today – one report card gave them grades of D, C, D, F, D, B, F, D, F in different areas of the game last night – and nestled in with that criticism is this odd dig at Philly fans by Scott Fowler in his originally named column, Scott Says:

Although Philadelphia fans are considered some of the most fervent (and nastiest) in the NFL, they sure are late-arriving. Lincoln Financial Field was completely full once the game started, but at least half the crowd didn’t settle into its seats until 10 minutes before kickoff. By contrast, the Green Bay crowd at Lambeau Field this year showed up much earlier.

Sweet breakdown, bro. [Shit, I’m talking like Mark Sanchez.]

 

Sproles knew

From Pro Football Talk:

“During the week, the coaches were telling me I should get one this week,” Sproles said, via Philly.com. “Because they leave the middle wide open. So we had a middle return called and it hit.”

Yeah, I’d hit that, too.