|
| |
The Real Bowl |
Written by Jon Beason
December 16, 2008 |
|
|
I was recently selected to the Pro Bowl and it’s a great honor, especially because the fans vote, your peers vote and your coaches vote, so it means a lot.
I was emotional because last year I kind of expected to make it but I felt like I got shafted. This year I knew I had the same stats as last year so I didn’t want to get my hopes up. When I found out I made it, I realized how much it meant to me that I didn’t make it the year before.
My next goal? Well, all that individual stuff is great. I think about that stuff, and part of making it to the Pro Bowl is being a great player for your team, being consistent and helping the team win games. For me, the main goal has always been to win a championship. That’s what we call the Real Bowl, the Super Bowl. Guys were congratulating me on making the Pro Bowl, but we reminded each other to keep focused on the Real Bowl.
Beating the Giants on Sunday night would be a good step in that direction.
We definitely believe we can beat the Giants and the Giants know it’s possible. Now it’s just a question of whether we will be able to make it happen and if the Giants will let it happen. Hey, we haven’t even clinched a spot in the playoffs yet. If we win we’ll be the No. 1 seed, but if lose we might not even be in the playoffs. So to be associated with a game of this magnitude is a great feeling.
Yes, all three of our losses this season were on the road and we’ll be playing in New Jersey. I think it really comes down to starting fast, realizing where we’re at. Having home field is great, but personally I like to play on the road because I like coming out of the tunnel and having everybody boo. That gets me fired up, I like it.
And if it snows, let it snow. I’m pretty sure it will snow, there’s a big storm headed that way. Everyone’s been asking me about the weather, but having gone up to Green Bay and played well and got the win, I don’t think the weather will have any impact. It’s such a big game, no one is focused on that.
The Giants have a big back in Brandon Jacobs. You have to respect him at 6-4, 265, he’s a man among boys. The way to stop him is to hit him before he gets started, or just swarm him. If everybody gets to the ball it will be tough for him to run. It’s a great opportunity to make a name off someone who is a monster in the backfield.
I think the Giants are a complete football team, but what makes them special in my eyes is the defense. They especially have good players all across their front four, but their offense hasn’t given them anything lately. I think they gave up 14 sacks in their last two games, eight against Dallas and six against Philly. You can’t win like that.
What’s scary is you know they’re the Super Bowl champions and they’ll be there fighting until the end, so on defense we can’t give up anything.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com |
|
 |
|
We Control Our Destiny |
Written by Jon Beason
December 11, 2008 |
|
|
We control our own destiny and it feels great. There’s really no better feeling. It was a must-win situation against Tampa and to go out and get it done this late in the season is big. You want to have momentum going into the playoffs, you don’t want to go in not playing well or coming off a loss.
Now, if we win our last three games, we get the bye week and home-field advantage through the playoffs, and we’re unbeaten at home so far so that would be big.
We knew against the Bucs that we had to stop the run first, contain Garcia in the pocket and have good formation recognition. I knew that pre-snap stuff would be huge and it was. I’m a huge fan of studying tape, because a team has a philosophy that won’t change. They can change the personnel, change some things around but they can’t change their philosophy every week. That was the key to the game.
I made nine tackles, but of course the clip they showed on SportsCenter had Cadillac Williams going over the goal line as I tackled him. It was a Power O, which is a very common play at every level. The Mike linebacker, that’s me, has to fight through all kinds of traffic to get into the right hole and he got to the goal line before I could get all the way across. He got in on that one, but I think I got the best of him on a goal line play early, when it was mano y mano in the hole, so I felt good about my performance.
That’s what keeps me going, thinking that someday hopefully I’ll get to that level of respect where they’re talking about me the way they talk about Derrick Brooks, the way they talk about Ray Lewis.
Pep had another great game with a couple of sacks. He’s playing great, he’s been relentless, that’s one thing I appreciate and one thing I think all defensive players should have.
We’ve got Denver this week and they’re a dangerous team, 3-0 against our division. They’ve been hurt, some linebackers out, Champ Bailey was injured, every starting running back has been hurt. Something has to give but it hasn’t for them yet.
The offense starts with Cutler, he can make every pass and he’s not afraid to try to fit a pass into a tight spot. When he’s on, he’s dangerous.
It’s going to be a big game. Winning the game is important, but right now we’re just thinking about being consistent in all three phases and going out and dominating.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
| Everything’s At Stake on MNF |
Written by Jon Beason
December 4, 2008 |
|
|
We had a tough couple of weeks and I just can’t put my finger on why. I wish I could just say it was one guy or one bad call, but we tried different things, changed our schemes, made them more complex, then not as complex.
Still, for some reason teams had some success against us.
When we pulled out that win against Green Bay it was more like a “Thank God” feeling than an “Oh My Goodness.” We dominated in the first half, just like we expected to, then in the second half they started to move the ball and had some big plays and we started to second guess ourselves. Then we won and it was like, “Wow, the offense bailed us out again.”
Hopefully this weekend it will be the defense’s turn. We’ve got a big game against Tampa Bay at home on Monday Night Football and I think it’s just a matter of getting back to basics, having fun and believing in our schemes, just letting it all hang out.
We also have to come out faster than we did against Atlanta, we were down 17-0 early and it’s hard to crawl out of that hole.
Monday night, there won’t be a question that we’re going to come out faster. There’s no way you can go out there and not start fast in a game like this, the magnitude, the stage, what’s at stake. Everybody’s going to be watching.
There’s so much at stake for us and for Tampa, it’s time to show the whole country that we’re Super Bowl contenders, that the road to the NFC title is going to start down here in the NFC South.
I’ve been watching more tape than ever and I just want to be perfect, though I know I can’t. But 2 or 3 plays each game can make the difference, and when you’re really studying and know what to look for, you can have an impact on those plays instead of just reacting to them. And that can make the difference in the game.
I have three interceptions this season but don’t have a sack in my career. Back when I played on offense I had great hands, it was natural to catch the football. Then you become a linebacker and catch a ball or two a day, you don’t really work on your ball skills and you lose that touch. I’ve taken it upon myself to get on the Juggs and catch 40-50 balls a day.
As far as getting to the quarterback, I do blitz, but me being the Mike backer I have the option to read out, so I don’t bury myself in a gap when the play is going somewhere else. Say I’m blitzing into a gap, but I read the play and see that it’s going to be a run. I can pull out of the blitz and go where I know the play’s going to be run.
Anyway, we have a really good group of coaches and players, and when you have that kind of group God is in your favor.
I’ve got a lot of respect for Jon Gruden, to me he’s an offensive guru or genius. It’s going to be a fight against Tampa, and could come down to a battle of wills and preparation. That’s where we want to be—where preparation meets will.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
| Matt Ryan: Now I’m a Fan |
Written by Jon Beason
November 20, 2008 |
|
|
Matt Ryan has established himself as a polished quarterback, a guy with a lot of heart, a lot of guts, and you can see he has all the intangibles. I’m fairly impressed with how far he’s come along since college.
In college, I was not a fan.
When I was at Miami and he was at BC, we rattled him that day, our front four put on the pressure and it really got to him. I got a sack on him and we beat them, though we didn’t kill them. I think it was 17-14.
We know going into the game their offense is based on how well they run the ball with Michael Turner. If they can run it, it opens up the field for Ryan and Roddy White to throw the ball downfield. We have to do all we can to make their offense one-dimensional.
Statistically, we do better against the big-name backs. It’s been the rookies and guys who don’t have that mystique that have done well against us. With a big back like Turner, I find the best way to stop pressure is to meet it with equal or more pressure. You’ve got to hit a big back hard, and know that the calvary’s on the way. We have to gang-tackle and swarm.
At 8-2, I can start to admit that we have a pretty good shot at getting to the playoffs at this point. Ten is still the magic number, though. You can’t sit back and hope and wait until you get into the playoffs, you have to take care of your own business and make sure you get in the playoffs.
We didn’t play too great on defense against Detroit. Everybody’s getting on our offense, but anytime you put up 31 points and have a positive takeaway percentile, I’m fine with that. On defense I thought we played down to what we thought would be the level of competition, and to our surprise they’re a talented group. They kept coming after us.
It’s important that we keep winning, because home-field advantage would be huge for us. We’re 6-0 at home, 8-0 including the preseason, and we feel confident that if a team comes into the Panthers Den, our 12th man will really help us out.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
| The Season Starts Now |
Written by Jon Beason
November 15, 2008 |
|
|
For me personally, right now is when the season is truly beginning.
The Titans are 9-0, the Giants are 8-1, we’re 7-2 and no one has even clinched a playoff spot yet. This is when the championship contenders step up. This is what everybody’s fighting for, to take it to the next level. I’m doing more now, studying film more, running more, lifting more to ensure that this team can move on and go deep into the playoffs.
This is the time of year when a team finds out a lot about itself. You’ve been working it all summer long, through OTAs, training camp and the early part of the season. At this point, the body is starting to leave the mind. And if you’re telling yourself you’re tired, hurt and beat up, that’s how you’re going to play.
The guys playing well right now are the guys who really want it, who are mentally strong.
The margin between being a good player and being a great player is very small. It comes down to the little things, like watching more film. A lot of the guys in this league are more talented than me, but they might not put in all the time I do.
That little extra does it for you and you always have that in your back pocket when you walk out on the field. You know you did the work, so you expect to go out and play well instead of hoping to go out and play well.
We play Detroit at home on Sunday. Even though the Lions haven’t won a game, there’s danger in this game, probably more so than against Oakland last week. From a personnel standpoint they have Calvin Johnson, quietly one of the best receivers in the league. I played against him in college and he almost beat us by himself. He’s a tremendous talent. Daunte Culpepper can throw it and run it. They’ve been in every game, every time they’ve lost it’s come down to two or three plays that determined the outcome.
I can’t speak for their defense, but they’re a very dangerous team from an offensive standpoint. They’re more than capable of getting the job done.
You learn a lot as a rookie, and last year I learned that when you look at the schedule, you can’t just say, we’re going to win this game, this game and this game, but these other ones will be tough. It’s a cliché, but on any given Sunday, any team can win and you find out that’s true. It’s not like in college when your team wins 7-8-9 games in a row. In this league, everyone has a franchise player, every team has first-round draft picks. Everybody has the ability, and it usually comes down to role players.
We won, what, seven games last year? And now we’re 7-2. To me that just means we’re promised at least a 7-9 record, that’s it. It’s unlikely we’ll go 7-9, but if you don’t take it one game at a time, you will stumble and it will cost you.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
| Wearing the Headset |
Written by Jon Beason
November 14, 2008 |
|
|
When you’re the guy wearing the headset, you do feel special to a certain extent. You’re the captain out there, everybody is coming to you to get the play. It gives me the opportunity to get everyone’s attention and give them a quick message while they’re looking to me to get the call.
It’s been fun, and it’s a lot less stressful than trying to get the call from the sidelines and worrying about hand signals after all the Spygate allegations.
Let’s say the other team is in their two-minute offense. You make a tackle and go out of bounds, then realize you have to get up and run all the way across the field to be able to see the sidelines to get the hand signals from the defensive coordinator. And you’ve got players walking in your way, the coordinator is wearing the same color as everybody else.
The headset makes it a lot more simple, especially after being a rookie last year made it even tougher. Now I’ve got the call right in my helmet.
Mike Trgovac is our defensive coordinator. Sometimes he’ll say something before giving me the play, like, tell someone to watch for a draw or a screen, watch the hard count. I told him to be careful, because my LB coach at Miami used to say you could get “paralysis by analysis,” meaning too much information could make you think too much instead of just going out there and playing.
In our win against the Raiders our offense struggled, but that didn’t mean we felt any added pressure on defense. We expect to be dominant, and put in that situation we know we can play well and not make any mistakes and we’ll be fine.
Pep had a tremendous game, he was flying around, giving a great effort, making huge plays, sacks, turnovers, a monster game and was rewarded by being named Defensive Player of the Week.
A lot of people said JP had a down year last year. It’s weird, but when you’re really good and people recognize that, they double team you and try not to let you beat them. That becomes frustrating for a player like Julius. But he wants to be that marquee player and I know what he’s capable of. This year, he’s got guys around him who are making more plays, other guys stepping up so offenses can’t key on Pep. I know from a physical standpoint, last year vs. this year, he’s a monster.
He really put in the work in the off-season and came back jacked up, which is working out really well for us right now.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
| NFC Defensive Player of the Month |
Written by Jon Beason
November 8, 2008 |
|
|
Truth is, I didn’t know much about it at all until some people told me I was the second player in Panthers history to get it. It’s only awarded four times a season, so I started to think maybe it was a pretty big deal.
But I’ve never really been big on the individual stuff. It feels good, it’s something to strive for, but I want to be a champion—not the Defensive Player of the Month.
If you win an award, that’s like a bonus, but winning a Super Bowl dominates my thoughts and dreams and just about everything I do.
Every day I picture myself in a game, making a play to win it. I do that all the time, and it’s the same thing, every game.
Every night football crosses my mind at some point. They say your dreams are your unconscious desires.
When I set a goal I stay focused on it, I constantly think about it. It’s easy to forget when you get tired, tired of practice, tired of meetings. Every day you have to go out there and say, what can I do today to make myself a little better? To help the team win? When you stay focused all the time, it’s easier to maintain a high level of intensity.
Not everyone can stay that focused; anybody can do it for a day. Being consistent is hard. Most guys in this league are just as good or better than me, but they can’t stay as consistent as me, as focused and intense. Those days when you’re tired, when you push through it and something good comes out of it, that makes you feel like it was all worth it.
We play at Oakland on Sunday. Amazingly, we didn’t have a good practice on Wednesday. You would assume after a bye week you would come back mentally fresh, but it just wasn’t a good day for us. Guys were making a lot of small mistakes on stuff that we’ve repped a million times since training camp.
Today, we had a great practice, the intensity was there and guys hardly made any mistakes. Jake was on fire, putting the ball wherever he wanted.
It’s a dangerous game against the Raiders. When you play a game that you’re supposed to win, some guys go in extremely confident and think they can win just by showing up. It’s a cliché, but it’s true … any given Sunday in the NFL, any team can win.
My approach is, the Raiders are a very talented team with a lot of big-play capability. They can just put it together, go out there and have fun, rally behind all the critics saying they don’t have it.
We’re halfway through, when the true season starts. At 6-2 we’ve set ourselves up to be in a good position, but so have a lot of other teams. Every game is huge right now, and teams can still turn it around. It comes down to winning one game every week, so the next game is always huge.
We’ve been real good at home, so getting home-field advantage for the playoffs is really important to me right now. We’re unbeaten at home, so it doesn’t matter who we’re playing or what predicament we put ourselves in, we know we can come back from it.
That’s a good thing to see and be a part of.
Carolina Panthers starting middle linebacker Jon Beason, the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, writes a blog for playerpress.com at www.jonbeason.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
