Works in progress
OTs Jones and Terry show improvement
by Herbert L. White, THE CHARLOTTE POST
 Clarence Jones and Chris Terry know Carolina Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein is a
marked man. Their mission is to keep him unmarked. Jones and Terry, the Panthers' offensive tackles, are responsible for protecting Beuerlein from outside pass rushers. Although Beuerlein
has been sacked 11 times in the first two games, the line is showing signs of improvement.
"We got a little better (against Jacksonville) than we did (against New Orleans), but we still didn't come up with a victory," Jones
said. "That's what it's all about. But we're a better football team this week than last week."
For the 0-2 Panthers to win Sunday against Cincinnati, the offensive line will have to do better. Last week, Jones and Terry played their best game to date, allowing a half-sack to defensive
end Renaldo Wynn between them. Given Beuerlein's relative immobility, allowing four sacks in the 22-20 loss represents a major improvement.
"The guys up front played very well," Beuerlein said. "When you're playing against a team like (Jacksonville), they're going to get hits on the quarterback. You just want to try to minimize them."
Jones, a nine-year veteran, and Terry, a rookie, are key to Carolina's improvement up front. As
first-year Panthers, they represent a major overhaul of a line that was one of the NFL's least effective last season. As a unit, the line is "developing the mentality where every week we're
coming off the ball well," Jones said. "Not we did well this week or didn't do well the week before. Consistency in run blocking and pass blocking." Carolina did that against Jacksonville, averaging 5.9 yards per play compared to 5.2 for the
Jaguars. Although the Panthers run just 18 times for 87 yards, Beuerlein had enough time to complete 16-of-26 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. "We've shown the potential to be good this season," Jones said. "We've made mistakes, so we
haven't executed properly. We're a potentially good football team, it's just a matter of us playing our game and not worrying about who we're playing against." Offensive tackles are part of a unit, but also have to work in tandem on most plays. Terry, who
is still learning the professional game, tries to learn as much as he can from the more experienced Jones, especially when it comes to defensive tendencies. "We talk, we help each other," Terry said. "A lot of times you have defensive ends who go from
one side to the other. ...We all talk and help each other communicate. We have to be a unit on the offensive line. That's the only way we can be successful." "Since a lot of teams switch their rushers anyway, I'm always asking him what's the guy doing
over there on him and I'm going to tell him what the guy on me is doing, so when he does get that defensive rusher on me, he'll have an idea of what he's going to do," Jones said. "We'll
communicate in terms of little things, technique things."
Terry, the Panthers' top draft pick, developed quickly enough to win a starting spot at right tackle despite limited experience. Originally expected to compete with Jones at left tackle,
Terry's quickness and athletic ability forced a switch to the right side. Since he didn't expect to become a starter so quickly, the sudden promotion came as a surprise. "I never knew. All I knew was that I was going to come in here and try to play football like I
always have," Terry said. "It just happened that now I'm starting. It wasn't really a surprise. I've worked hard for everything I've got, but I didn't expect to be starting so soon." Terry's on-field tutors Jones, Anthony Redmon, Frank Garcia and Matt Campbell have 25
years of experience. They've been valuable teachers, he says.
"My development is going great," Terry said. "I'm fortunate to be on a line with good veterans. These guys have experience, they've taken me under their wing like a brother, and it couldn't be
any easier."
Although the Panthers are winless, there's time to turn the season around if the offensive line continues its improvement. That goes for everyone else, too.
 "None of us are satisfied. We can all play better," Beuerlein
said. "I think the offensive line is going to keep getting better as we go along. The mentality they had (against Jacksonville) running the ball we ran the ball down their throat pretty well
and the pass protection for the most part was great. We have a lot of getting better to do, but it was a step."
As a group, the offensive line can't wait for another chance to improve, Terry says.
"The bad part is it's frustrating, but the good part is that you know the best part is right around the corner," he said. "It's getting better and better every
week. It's not like we're regressing, we're progressing, so everything is coming together. We're just going to have to start winning some games." el
|
