Dec 22, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scores a touchdown as Oakland Raiders defensive end Andre Carter (97) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The roll the Panthers had been on really led me to believe Carolina would blow out the Raiders. The Raiders had other plans in mind. Their defense was stingy and chippy. That frustrated Cam and company. Normally the Panthers play is pretty well disciplined, or at least has been the last few weeks, but today it most certainly was not. The very first play of the game would set the tone for the remainder of this contest. A great 76 yard touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams brought back by a holding call against Steve Smith. Yep from that point on, it was a poorly disciplined football game.

There was a lot of  brashness displayed by Oakland when big plays were made. This was enough to bother Cam and as the game went on, his frustration increased. The Raiders did come into this one with a good game plan, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They were able to pressure Cam and force him out of the pocket at times. Now that is not always a bad thing. Cam is good at gaining big chunks of yards when flushed from the pocket, as evident by his leading the team in rushing yards with 60. He did that on only 12 carries. As a team the Panthers ran for 112 yards. That was good enough for Carolina to extend it’s winning streak to 3 straight. The game was really ugly in the 2nd half and really Carolina was their own worst enemy.They committed 10 penalties for 97 yards. That poorly disciplined play will cost you wins against better quality opponents.

The good thing is Carolina did win. Cam played well even though he did throw a pick, and we’re still seeing the more than the occasional poor throw. Truth be told, there was probably more than 1 ball Cam threw today that should have been intercepted. Fortunately for Carolina they were not. I think a mark of a good team is an ability to win ugly and the Panthers surely did that today. We love to see the raw emotion often displayed by Cam, but he crossed a line today when he bumped an official after being hit on a pass play. I guess he felt the hit was unnecessary and got up screaming at the official nearest the play. Well in all his youthful exuberance he did bump said official and drew a 15 yard penalty.  Cam will have to learn to keep his emotions in check because actions like that can and will cost the team games.

Dec 23, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) stands on the field during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Bank of America Stadium. Panthers defeated the Raiders 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The player of the game in my opinion was Luke Kuechly. This guy has got to be the leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year! Luke had a team high 13 total tackles and                                                              added an interception for good measure. To me it seemed like he was all over the field and in on every tackle. Along with Kuechly, Thomas Davis played well also. The defense as a unit played solid football. Too many 15 yard penalties called against both teams today. One or 2 of them were warranted but a few of them seemed like they were good hard hits. Football is trying to remove a key element from the game. I am for making the game safer, but we can’t flag players for bringing the wood when the hits are clean.

The kicking game is still dicey at best. Gano missed a field goal but thankfully it did not come back to haunt us in the end. The team is trending upward but today’s win could be considered a lateral move. The good thing is now the coaching staff has something to drive home all week to the team. I hope they focus on player discipline this week. That will also help set the tone for things going into the off season.

Next up the Panthers travel down to the Big Easy. The Saints are playing well right now. Their defense is porous at best but the offense is on fire. I know the Saints are going to be looking for revenge against Carolina because of the loss they suffered in week 2 at Bank of America Stadium. We should see lots of points and several big plays in that one. That is gonna be a great game to end the season. It is of critical importance for both teams, preparing to go into the offseason, to end 2012 with a win.

God Bless!

Follow me on Twitter @JoeRiollano

Dec 16, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs at the O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders are on a roll of their own, losers of 6 out of their last 7 games. In those 6 losses Oakland has given up an average of more than 35 points per game, while only averaging just over 18 points per game. The season has been what most prognosticators expected,what will be a record between 4-12 to 6-10. First year coach Dennis Allen has instilled discipline and placed greater significance on offensive and defensive detail. This coaching style has taken the team in a new direction but has yet to yield any results.  The team’s leading rusher Darren McFadden did miss 4 games this season and his absence limits the big play ability of the offense as well as the effectiveness of the ground game. Quarterback Carson Palmer has produced this season. He has managed to post a quarterback rating of 85, passed for 3,987 yards and also thrown 22 touchdowns. The teams leading receiver Brandon Myers, a 4th year tight end out of Iowa, has managed to grab 72 passes from Palmer. As usual the Raiders have speed to burn on the outside. That is where they can they can be explosive. Denarius Moore, Darius Heyward-Bey, Derek Hagan, andRod Streater all average at least 12 yards per reception, with Moore and Heyward-Bey averaging greater than 15 yards per catch. That is what scares me with this offense. If given time, Palmer can get the ball deep to the receivers, and with the 9th ranked offensive line having only given up 26 sacks , he may get that time. The team ranks 7th in passing offense, so they have proven to be effective through the air.

Dec 16, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski (11) watches the ball as he scores another field goal, accounting for all of the Raiders points in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 15-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Defense is another story for the Raiders. They rank 25th in total yards and are tied for dead last in points given up with the Buffalo Bills, surrendering almost 29 points per game. The defense is anchored by leading tackler Phillip Wheeler. The 5th year outside linebacker from Georgia Tech has 104 tackles on the season and is tied for 2nd on the team in sacks with 3, and is 1st on the team with 2 forced fumbles. This Oakland defensive unit has not had much success stopping anyone during the 2012 season and that will likely continue in this matchup against Carolina. Expect Cam and the boys to put up some good numbers versus this unit.

All and all I see the Panthers winning this game. We should be able to stop the run and focus our attention to thwarting Palmer and the Raiders passing game. The potential  for a shootout is there but the way Carolina has been playing as of late leads me to believe Carolina should win this one comfortably. Look for the score to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 31-14 in favor of the home team. If it so happens to be close, remember the Raiders do have Sebastian Janikowski, he could be the difference maker in a close game.

God Bless!

Follow me on Twitter @JoeRiollano

Yet…the newspaper had the odds as a “pick em” game.

When the Chargers have the ball

QB Philip Rivers threw a career-high 20 interceptions in 2011 and he lost Vincent Jackson in free agency. This is not good on the surface, but his QB rating was actually higher without him than with him, strangely. I’m not 100% certain about that, but I read it on the Internet, so it must be true.

They replaced him with their own free agent – Robert Meachem of the Saints. Meachem doesn’t have the size or speed of V-Jax, but the organization really wanted to be rid of the WR and let him get paid by someone else. He had sat out until week 10 of the 2010 season over contract issues and only returned so he could get his year of eligibility towards that unrestricted free agent status…which is why he’s no longer there.

Eddie Royal has made the transition from Denver, and aging TE Antonio Gates can still do some damage. RB Ryan Matthews is out yet again/still, so ex-Eagle Ronnie Brown gets the start. Malcom Floyd provides the deep threat at the other wideout spot; Royal’s a slot receiver. The team doesn’t lack for capable players at all the skill positions, so the Raiders’ defense will have to take advantage of the weakness of the Chargers’ offense: their line.

I wonder if DE Matt Shaughnessy might have a disruptive game or Rolando McClain might make a lot of stops. They’ve got a decent pair of corners, but the Chargers still have a lot of weapons if Rivers has time. Ronnie Brown’s ability could be the key to their success or failure this week.

Aug. 17, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback (3) Carson Palmer against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

QB Carson Palmer has had some awful games as a Raider, but most of them were early on in his tenure. It seems that way, at least. But he’ll throw up the occasional stinker of a game. If he struggles early, he can lose confidence.

WR Darius Heyward-Bey has 4.3 speed and 10 thumbs. It looks like Rod Streater will get the start on the other side because Jacoby Ford is out and Denarius Moore is questionable. They’re also starting backups at center and left guard already.

RB Darren McFadden is the real threat in this game. If their walking wounded line can give him a crease, he’s got his own speed to burn. These are the Raiders I’m talking about, after all. They’ve always had at least one or five guys with blazing speed if nothing else. This offense is no different in that respect.

With DE Cory Liuget setting the edge against the run on the weak side, it appears their 3-4 should be successful in giving their linebackers every chance to make plays in the running game and bottle up McFadden. Rookie Melvin Ingram should see some action in passing situations from the weak side so keep an eye on him.

The Chargers have a great ball-hawk in safety with Eric Weddle. With Palmer’s history of inconsistent play early on, this game is as likely as any to see Weddle haul one in but those are nearly impossible to predict. I guess all those 3- and 4-interception games in week one has me thinking that Palmer might just add to the old trick pile with another trifecta there of his own.

I think I’ll stick with my earlier prediction…out on a limb a bit by the margin, but oh well.

Chargers by 21