2016 NFL Week Two Hot Takes: End of the Tony Romo Era?
By Erik Lambert
Absence of Josh Norman is noticeable
The Carolina Panthers romped their way to a blowout win at home in week two as Cam Newton and the offense hung 46 points on San Francisco. However, buried within that victory is something of notable concern. This marks the second-straight week that an average quarterback has performed better than he should’ve against that defense. Trevor Siemian did enough to beat them in Denver and then it was Blaine Gabbert putting up 27 points for the 49ers.
More than ever their decision to release cornerback Josh Norman must be called into question. GM Dave Gettleman said he felt the team didn’t build their defensive success off paying corners large amounts of money. Yet the absence of the All-Pro has clearly weakened the entire back end of it. Teams no longer fear throwing the ball anywhere and its made their vaunted front seven less effective. Quite possibly the worst “business” decision in recent memory for Carolina.