Panthers | Boring and Better
November 6, 2008
by Greg Bailey
Everyone we talked to in the Panthers locker room Wednesday refused to bite. Big picture? Don’t care. Where could this team be headed? Don’t know. Special season in the making? Ask me later.
The Panthers convinced me they are just boring enough to be great. Not good like 10-6 good, but great like make an impact in the playoffs great. Back from the bye week with all their fingers and toes (and that’s not a given with today’s professional athletes) and feet firmly on the ground, the Panthers are looking at two things and two things only: their own effort and the Raiders.
Jake Delhomme told me that he learned that lesson last year while he watched from the sidelines. He noticed the Patriots never talked about perfection. They just talked about the week ahead and getting ready for the next opponent. Then it dawned on Jake – the Patriots never talked about perfection because that was never really their focus. The goal each week was simply getting better at all the little things that decide games. Lesson learned and now Jake has brought that to Carolina’s locker room.
Last year it wouldn’t have mattered. The 2007 Panthers were too easily distracted by internal issues. This is a different group. Thank Jake. Thank Moose. Thank Jon Beason, and thank all the young players who are willing to listen.
This is a special group because it’s different than almost every team I’ve covered. Focused and driven by exactly the right amount of internal pressure. Not in your face scream at your teammates because everyone’s nervous and worried type pressure. But the kind of pressure that you feel when you want to do well for people you care about.
All of this can change in a heartbeat with an injury or a run of injuries, but the Panthers are nearing the point where they won’t beat themselves. Pack that trait in your playoff luggage and you might be traveling for a while.
