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A  number of readers have asked if BBR plans to break down film. Some have even offered and/or asked to do it. Before answering, a quick aside:

This quote from Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick is a great reminder that no matter how much we know, our knowledge is limited when it comes to fully understanding what went right or wrong during a play, game or season.

Coaches and players made the “need to look at the film” line an interview crutch years ago, but it’s not necessarily just an easy way to avoid answering questions. There’s often some truth in the cliché. And if Belichick — who knows football perhaps better than anyone on the planet — admits “there are plenty of plays where I have no idea what went wrong” when he watches another team’s film, what does that mean about our criticisms during games?

“I don’t know how you can really know that unless you’re really part of the team and know exactly what was supposed to happen on that play.”Bill Belichick

With all that said, BBR will do some film breakdowns this season after we talk to coaches and players once they’ve watched the film. An all-22 subscription can only reveal so much. Even though it’s unlikely the Panthers will invite us into their meeting rooms, our goal will be to piece together accurate explanations.

No one outside those rooms will ever know all the reasons behind success or failure in a given game or season, but good work can still be done, and valid questions can be raised. This recent piece on Cat Scratch Reader is a good example.

The author, Crawford Rundlett, came to a handful of conclusions after charting each Panthers’ rushing play from 2013. The findings aren’t groundbreaking, and it’s impossible to tell how entirely accurate some of it is without asking the coaching staff, but he raised some good points. The best: Ben Hartsock was vital to the run game.

When the blocking tight end missed Weeks 11-13, it showed. His absence, along with the cumulative effect of injuries on the offensive line, put the Panthers’ ground game on a downward spiral from which it never recovered.

Hartsock’s not around anymore, an unsigned free agent after 10 seasons. And while tight end should be one of the more intriguing positions to watch in Spartanburg, it would be a mistake to focus on one dimension.

Ed Dickson and Brandon Williams could help add pass-catching wrinkles that have been missing post-Jeremy Shockey. But how good are those two at blocking? When he was with the Rams, Mike McNeill was Hartsock-like. But is he an equally-skilled blocker?

A complement to Greg Olsen would make the Panthers’ passing attack more interesting, but the still-important run game may sputter if none of the ends can block.

Yes, that’s not the most pressing concern facing the Panthers. It may not even be in the top 10. Yet those are questions worth pursuing. We will, so thanks, Crawford.

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BBR NUGGETS

• Really like this piece by Alen Dumonjić. Kelvin Benjamin could be great. He could be a bust. We actually don’t need to decide right now. — theScore
• Fishing philosophy with Luke Kuechly. — Twitter
• Die-hard fan tattoo. — Twitter
• Jonathan Stewart beach training. — Instagram
• Cam Newton video tease. — Instagram
• Graham Gano diaper kick. — Instagram
• Wofford is looking for training camp volunteers. — wofford.edu
• Mike Tanier ranks NFL run games. — SportsOnEarth

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