Being 2-2 isn’t the worst thing, but the Carolina Panthers face a critical stretch to find themselves in October before a tough second half schedule. 

There are a lot of issues with this team right now.  David Carr is filling in at quarterback while Jake Delhomme decides on the next step with his elbow.  Carr has better physical tools than Delhomme, but not the intangibles.  Delhomme is the heart of their offense.  Carr has far less leadership ability - let alone chemistry with their only weapon - Steve Smith.   Against a reborn Tampa defense on Sunday, Carr looked like the version we saw in Houston – nervous in the pocket and afraid to push the ball downfield. 

The Panthers also hope to establish an identity with their ground game, but DeShaun Foster has become fumble prone again. 

It’s not much better on the defensive side of the football right now.  Julius Peppers is spending too much time chasing running backs and tight ends around the field instead of getting after the quarterback.  Dan Morgan is hurt – again.  The secondary has been subpar.  They have no legitimate starter at safety.  The cornerbacks are playing soft despite the addition of Tim Lewis as secondary coach. 

Kris Jenkins called out his teammates’ heart in front of the media.  That’s created a lot of ruffled feathers in the Carolina locker room. 

John Fox faces a tremendous challenge to bring this football team together over the next several weeks. 

I’ve had a lot of emails the past week on whether Fox should be fired at the end of the season.  It’s too early to answer that question.  I have a lot of respect for Coach Fox.  He’s one of the best head coaches in this league.  He runs a tremendous program.  Jerry Richardson is a level-headed owner who understands Fox’s value. 

I do believe the organization will need to take a step back at season’s end and review its direction though.  They’ve had a lot of turnover from their old guard the past few seasons that helped create a strong culture around this team.

More league thoughts:

I have a lot of people asking whether Tampa Bay is for real.  I believe the jury remains out on the Buccaneers.  It runs deeper than the loss of Carnell Williams and Luke Petitgout.  I haven’t been sold on Williams anyway.  Petitgout is definitely a tough loss because it shakes up the left tackle position.  Donald Penn is a capable athlete, but could struggle with the physical demands of being thrown into the fire against many of the league’s top perimeter players.  My biggest question is Jeff Garcia.  He’s definitely brought a spark to an otherwise dull offense, but I’ll be surprised if Garcia makes it 16 games healthy and effective.  If opposing defensive coaches catch up to Garcia or he can’t stay healthy, the Buccaneers are just an average team.

Browns’ quarterback Derek Anderson faces his toughest test against New England.  Bill Belichick exposes quarterbacks like Anderson.  Anderson has been competitive on Sundays, but he’s going to struggle protecting the ball as the season continues.  At this point, I give Browns’ offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and quarterback coach Rip Scherer a lot of credit for coaching up Anderson the last several weeks.  And the offensive line is showing signs of stability after a rough opening. 

What’s wrong with the Ravens?  They lack depth at cornerback and losing Trevor Pryce to a broken wrist has been a blow.  But I believe a lot falls on Rex Ryan at this point.  Ryan is one of the league’s top defensive coordinators.  Ryan likes to devise a lot of exotic packages with his defense, but he can’t get away with as many packages without the versatility of Adalius Thomas.  Ryan must take a step back and simplify a few things right now.  They need to focus on playing traditional Raven defense this week against San Francisco.  The 49ers haven’t been able to get their run game untracked.  A big reason has been their ability to make plays through the air.  Darrell Jackson hasn’t been a difference-maker at this point.  None of their other receivers concern opposing coordinators.  Their best athlete is Vernon Davis at tight end.  He remains out.  Look for the Ravens to capitalize on this opportunity to find their balance again. 

Is Norv Turner that bad or was Marty Schottenheimer that good?  Let’s step beyond that question for a moment.  The bigger factor was the loss of several coaches on both sides of the ball – including new coordinators on both sides of the ball.  Although the system remains the same on the offensive side of the ball, it takes time to adapt to a different playcaller.  The offensive line has surprisingly struggled.  Kris Dielman hasn’t played up to his new contract.  Shane Olivea is hurt.  Marcus McNeill isn’t nicked up.  The biggest loss though has been Wade Phillips.  Ted Cottrell is a long-time defensive coordinator in this league, but his stock has dropped since leaving Buffalo several years ago.  This defense just doesn’t possess the same identity and aggressiveness that Phillips established. 

The Washington Redskins are concerned over the slight tear in Cornelius Griffin’s right knee.  Griffin has been up and down throughout his career, but is valued highly by defensive coaches in Washington.  When healthy, Griffin is very disruptive inside and allows Gregg Williams to become more aggressive on the perimeter.  But when Griffin is slowed by injuries, he level of play drops off considerably.