Former Panther safety Mike Minter retired in August after earning the respect
of his teammates and opponents during a career that spanned a full decade. The
second-round draft pick out of Nebraska set a number of Carolina franchise records on the
field while being awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2005 for his
community service work off the field.
Mike has joined Scout.com's Ed Thompson as an analyst, providing his unique
insight on the Panthers and their opponents each week. They kicked off their new
series this week with a look at the Panthers' 31-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Here are just a few brief quotes from Mike's analysis during this
week's 11-minute audio segment.
On facing Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre based on his experiences
against him on the field: "It's very difficult. The guy has seen every
coverage known to man, and he's seen every blitz known to man. So he knows where
he's going with that ball before the play even starts ... "
On what he observed while watching Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers
during this game: "What I saw was a lot of energy out of Julius
Peppers. I think this is what the Panthers need in order for the Panthers to be
successful on the defensive side of the ball. They have to have No. 90 make
plays ... "
On the team's special teams struggles against the Packers, giving up two
big returns: " ... You come out at halftime, and this is where you set
the tone. This is where you set the tone for the second half, we kick the ball
off and Koren Robinson returns it sixty-some yards and it makes it harder on our
defense to come out and try to stop these guys when you're already behind ...
"
On the performance of wide receiver Drew Carter with Steve Smith
sidelined, and how it impacts future opponents: " ... Now you've got to
worry about Steve Smith coming back and now you've got to worry about a hot Drew
Carter who now has confidence that he can make plays ... "
On Panthers running back DeShaun Foster: "I see a man that's
determined, a man that's running with power ... "
Listen to Mike's full analysis on those topics along with his responses to
Ed's questions about quarterback Vinny Testaverde's performance after joining
the team in midseason, who the Panthers' unsung heroes have been during this
2007 campaign so far, and his thoughts on the upcoming Panthers-Saints contest.
Mike Minter and Ed Thompson's audio feature is a Scout.com subscribers'
exclusive: Listen to Audio
Learn more about Mike and the great work he does by
visiting his website.