Jeremy Igo

KK Short Is The Carolina Panthers Defensive MVP ... at least in my opinion. 

Allow me to state my case....

Yes, Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman are both playing at incredibly high levels. One could make a valid argument for either to be the defensive MVP. But for me, it is all about KK Short. 

Point 1 - The Panthers kept winning without Luke Kuechly.

This is not a knock on Luke Kuechly at all, but more an endorsement of the amount of amazing talent on the Panthers defense. Even with Kuechly out for several games, the Panthers kept on trucking. 

Point 2 - Josh Norman benefits from the play of KK Short.

 I am a huge Josh Norman advocate, have been for years. No one can deny how he has dominated his opponents this season. But Norman has benefited from the play of KK Short. With Short applying pressure from the interior, QB's are forced to make throws that otherwise would not be made. 

Point 3 - Those KK Stats 

44 Combined Tackles

9 Sacks

81 Yards lost on Sacks

4 Passes Defended 

3 Forced Fumbles

2 Fumble recovery

These numbers are All-Pro caliber numbers for a defensive tackle. 

Point 4 - Game Winning Play.

Yes, Josh Norman single handedly saved the Panthers from a loss with his last second interception against New Orleans. Incredible play. But KK Short also saved the Panthers from having a loss this season. Against the Texans, it was Short's pressure that forced an intentional grounding by Ryan Mallet and kept Houston from scoring. 

For the Panthers, it all starts with that defensive line and particularly the interior of the defensive line. KK Short is by far the best player in that unit which has dominated this season. 

Therefore, he is my defensive MVP. 

 

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A lot has happened on the injury front this week, I thought I would get more casual fans caught up with the latest and what needs to be known. 

1. Jonathan Stewart is out on Sunday. He suffered a sprained foot on Sunday against the Falcons. In his place will be Fozzy Whitaker, Mike Tolbert, and Cameron Artis-Payne. How much Cameron Artis-Payne? Well, that is up to him. The Panthers will be giving him a shot early. If he can produce, he could see 15-20 carries. However, if Artis-Payne struggles in pass protection, you may not see him much at all. Instead, Tolbert and Fozzy will carry the load. 

2. Corner Bene Benwikere is on IR and former Panthers corner Robert McClain was signed to fill the empty corner spot. It is unknown if we will see McClain very much on Sunday if at all. Which brings me to point 3..

3. Peanut Tillman has a partially torn ACL. How partial is partial? No one knows. The good news is Tillman practiced today and appears, for at least the time being, to have a shot at playing on Sunday. So whats the deal here? I can tell you what my opinion is on what is happening behind closed doors....

When it was discovered that Tillman had a partially torn ACL, the Panthers had two choices. IR Tillman or give it a few weeks and see how Tillman responds to therapy. ACLs can indeed heal themselves as long as not fully torn. So the Panthers have been weighing Tillman's injury and likelyhood of a full tear from returning to play against how bad they needed him out there. 

Well, with Benwikere now on IR, the Panthers cannot wait any longer. They need Tillman on the field and could opt to put him out there and hope that he has healed enough without surgery to last through the post season. Will it? Who knows, could be. Depends on far too many factors and variables to list. But the Panthers at this point do not have much of a choice. 

I do know that I have seen Peanut Tillman making cuts on the field that anyone with a badly torn ACL would not be making. So hope for the best, because the Panthers desperately need him for several more weeks. 

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This week the Carolina Panthers find themselves in a familiar position, playing a team that sees this game as a playoff type game. The Giants are fighting still for the NFC East title. It reflects in their fans attitudes. 

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So my fellow Giants fans, just for this week, forget that the sky is falling, stop calling for the heads of our coaches, quit down talking our QB, and have a little faith, after all, the "playoffs" have started early for us, and as we all know better than any other team... anything can happen.
Enjoy the game this Sunday, if your at the stadium: BE LOUD, if your at home: BE LOUDER, because this is our season right here.

See what I mean? The playoffs have started early for the Giants. What is just another game for Carolina is do or die for NYG. Carolina needs to be prepared for a hostile environment. Exciting stuff. 

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Undefeated team, they are due for a bad game.....
I think we can cover there wrs.
If we can somehow contain the running and stop cam from running, which to me is the biggest keys.

offense, dont push it play it safe and control and manage the field.

giants win 27 -24

or

Panthers win 42 -0

Seems reasonable, except the Panthers just delivered a 38-0 shutout to a team where Cam Newton destroyed the opposition from the pocket. Atlanta's defense ranks higher than NYG, by the way. 

There is a lot going on this week. Sometimes teams do lose focus. But the Panthers, on the cusp of a perfect season, I don't feel will let their eye off the ball. 

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The Giants can't tackle, this defense is trash and we still can't beat a good team. 

Panthers win 34-10

....even more reasonable. 

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I think the biggest reason for the success we had on monday was because the coaches finally started doing what worked on offense. 

Or.... you were playing the Dolphins and one of the worst defenses in the league. 

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31-26 Giants

My confidence in this game has a lot to do with my thinking that Carolina has no business going 16-0. They are a very good team, but they aren't THAT team. Nyg, tb, atl. Someone is knocking them off and my money is on the Giants at home with the season and jobs on the line.

They aren't THAT team? Has no business going 16-0 when they are already 13-0? Hot take right there. 

 

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Worried about the Panthers entire offense, their entire defense and Cam's dancing ability!

Fair enough. No one wants to be dabbed on just before Christmas. :(

 

 

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After their Monday night win against a bad Dolphins team, the New York Giants fans and media are feeling like world beaters. 

First, a quick review of the Panthers vs the blundering NFC East so far this season... 

 

Philadelphia Eagles - October 25 

Philly fans - "Double Olsen, Stack the box"

Result - Panthers 27 Eagles 16

 

Washington Redskins - November 22

Redskins fans - "Double Olsen, Stack the box"

Result - Panthers 44 - Redskins 16

 

Dallas Cowboys - November 26

Cowboys fans - "Double Olsen, Stack the box"

Result - Panthers 33 Cowboys 14

 

And now here come the New York Giants... 

 

But the truth is, the Giants are not a good football team. They are an average football team with two good play makers. 

Eli Manning against the Dolphins looked good, I must admit. He was stepping into throws nicely, and got the ball out decisively. When the hot an cold Manning is on the warmer side, he is a threat. 

Odell Beckham Jr is a talent. He is basically a slightly faster Deandre Hopkins, who the Panthers faced in week 2. Hopkins was held to 5 receptions and 53 yards. 

The Giants have exactly one path to victory this week while trying to keep up with the #1 scoring offense in the NFL .... 

Move OBJ around and exploit the injuries at corner the Panthers have had. 

OBJ won't win against Josh Norman. Norman, having just shut down Julio Jones, won't have much issue with OBJ. But move OBJ into the slot, and suddenly it is Colin Jones or Cortland Finnegan covering OBJ.... not a favorable match up for the Panthers to say the least. 

The Carolina Panthers will have their hands full this week setting in place a defensive game plan. 

The Giants defense isn't much of a concern. They are currently last in the league in yards given up per game, at 418. Even worse than the New Orleans Saints... yikes. I expect the Panthers to exceed their 32 point average this game. 

In short, if the Panthers can keep OBJ in check this week, it won't be close. 

 

 

 

 

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The Carolina Panthers Topcats put on their Santa suits and cheered their team on to a 13-0 record. Heck, they even dabbed on 'em. 

 

Without further ado, here is the Santa Topcats Slideshow guaranteed to lift your holiday spirits. 

 

 

 

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Each week I bring to you the best photos my camera manages to capture, all in HD.

 

I hope you enjoy.

 

Along the Sidelines - Falcons at Panthers

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Each week I bring to you the highlights, and lowlights, of what the fan base of the opposition is saying. This week, the Atlanta Falcons.

On beating the Panthers... 

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I am tired of Cam Newton

I am tired of negativity 

I am tired of losing 

I am tired for everyone calling for the end of Matt Ryan

 

eff em. 

 

There is no doubt in my mind that the Falcons can and WILL beat the Panthers at least once.

I mean, it could happen. I am happy that at least one fan is man enough to still cheer for his team despite adversity. 

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And you woke up 

Well, sheesh, the guy is being positive. Give him a break. 

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You can tease the line for this upcoming game to Panthers -6.5 at 1.75. If you want free money take that bet. This game is going to be ugly. 

Ok Ok, maybe it is a long shot. But at least he was trying not to be a downer? 

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 Ryan will pay dearly for his comment a couple years ago...gtfomf!!! This may be an abortion and a pain clinic for matt! Better sit him! 

OK, this is getting morbid. 

The conversation then devolves into a strange mix of Third Eye Blind and football. 

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Third Eye Blind has a better chance at beating the Panthers.

Might be true. 

 

 

On trading Matt Ryan for Kirk Cousins? ( WTF? )

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Say what you want about scheme but lets be honest. It worked wonders the first 6-7 games. It's the throws Matt has been making that literally assures me that this is mostly on him. Ryan won't get any better than his best seasons here which and he has been far removed from that kind of performance and it's like he'll never reach that relative peak again. His confidence is shot and all of the receivers have started running lazy routes because they aren't confident in Ryan putting the ball where it needs to be. Just go look at the body posture of our receivers on plays especially Julio. It scares me to know that Julio isn't giving his all when Ryan has little to give performance wise which makes a horrible combination. In short, this would never happen but I'd approve for us trading for Cousins and getting rid of Ryan. Heck I'd take RGIII as long as Kyle is gone. Ryan still has trade value believe it or not. We won't overtake the Panthers this year and that's absolute fact so lets just plan for next year and the inaugural Mercedez Benz Stadium year. Trade Ryan for picks for all I care... just get something for him because I don't see us getting much else out of him. Thank you for your good years Ryan you got us out the funk Vick left us in. Ironically, if Ryan stays, he'll be the coach killer just as Vick was. 

When Kirk Cousins looks like the answer... you may just want to give up on football and watch the Hawks from here on out. 

 

On the Falcons Draft Selection... 

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If The Season Ended Today We Would Be Drafting 16Th

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Even if we lose out, our best draft position will not improve that much. There are a huge number of terrible teams this year.

Long time Panthers fans can really relate to talking about the draft in December. It is an awful, gut wrenching experience knowing you are a full 10 months away from any hope of a Superbowl. It crushes the soul. That said, I am thoroughly enjoying watching the Falcons fans go through it. 

The funniest thing is that the second post up there is true. They have won too many games to get a top 10 pick this season. What they have is a worst case scenario. Peaking early in the season when it didn't matter, and now stuck watching a cesspool of anemic football with no hope of a sure thing top tier college player to help cheer them up. 

 

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Each week I bring to you the best photos my camera captured all in HD. Your viewing and sharing of these slide shows keeps this joint running and the content flowing. Thanks for your support in this amazing season. 

 

Along the Sidelines - Panthers at Saints

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Each week I bring to you the highlights, and lowlights, of what the fans of the opposition are saying. The Saints have had a rough year, as predicted back in July. 

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The Saints.... they aren't getting better in 2015. They are in real danger of finishing last in the division. 

So what are Saints fans saying? Well, I went on over to our personal punching bag Saints Report and found a few gems. 

On Saints Playoff Hopes ... ( Playoffs?!?)

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Yes, I know this team isn't very good right now but they have shown some bright spots at times. I was disappointed at our poor start to the season but I expected that after going 0-4 during the preseason. When the Saints went on a 3 game win streak to get to 4-4 I like I'm sure everyone else was thinking we turned a corner. These last few weeks have been difficult but there is still hope; there is nowhere to go but up IMO. 

There are 5 more weeks of regular season football left. If we were to go on a run and get to 9-7 and with a little help from other teams we could wind up being the 6th seed. I was playing with the ESPN playoff machine this morning which is why I am posting this topic and I hardly ever start threads. I'm just really curious what others may think because as long as we're mathematically still in the hunt I'd like to stay positive and root for us to make it.

It all starts with a win over the Panthers. If the Saints can win that is a huge confidence boost that could send them on a 5 game streak possibly to finish the season. If we get hot at the right time and make the playoffs no team is gonna want to face us. Just look at the 2011 Giants. They started out 6-2 before falling to 6-6. They finished the season 9-7 winning 3 of their last 4 games. They went on to win the Superbowl that year as we all know.

Bad teams with an old QB typically don't get better in December. As fatigue sets in, things get worse. Much, much worse. 

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Wow, I wish I had your optimism. 
I was thinking of starting a thread about trading Brees, firing Payton & rebuilding lol.

... more reasonable. 

 

Would beating the Panthers help make the season a little more enjoyable? 

 

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Does it fix the bad season we're having? No, but knocking the last unbeaten team off their perch would be great. Certainly not expecting it, but would love to be surprised.
 

Sounds right, I would feel the same way. 

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It would be like inheriting $20 grand from a close relative that passed away. I'd much rather have the relative be alive and around, but if you can get past the grief, the $20K check isn't bad.

Someone take away this guy's firearms, stat. 

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I would love to see us put on some big boy pants and at least play a physical game. Since this is wishful thinking not seeing us embaress ourselves by quitting in the middle of the game again would do. As far as I am concerned this is our Super Bowl. Leave it all on the field since it is probably the last thing the team can give the fans this year except more sadness.

I have bolded the important part here, as this is what many players on the Saints team feel I imagine. Not much left to play for, but knocking the Panthers off the undefeated column would be a great moral victory. The Panthers need to bring their A game. 

 

On Cam Newton 

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I don't wish to hear about how wonderful Newton is.

It's the great team he has around him that makes him look legit.

Yes yes, those amazing pro bowl receivers make Cam Newton look good. 

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Huh. I keep trying to get to Saintsreport, but it looks like I'm getting redirected to Carolina Huddle.

People enjoy talking about a winner, they can't help it. 

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It's not hard to put homerism aside. Cam is becoming the most lethal QB in the NFL. We need to get our franchise turned around bc the Kitties are looking to dominate this division for the foreseeable future. Give them props-they are a really good team.

 Accurate. 

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First, let's look at his credentials as a passer being that he's, you know, supposed to be a quarterback. He's 19th in passer rating. Brady, Palmer, and Dalton all have great records and are top three in passer rating. All more deserving to be MVP. His rating so far this year(89.5), better than his career average(86), is still below average. When it comes to completion percentage he's ranked 29th in the league. 29TH! That's like a Saints defensive ranking. I'd hardly call that lethal. 

No mention of Cam having one of the worst WR corps in the NFL, yet he continues to win. 

 

Saints will beat Carolina

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I can't back it by science, but by NFL logic, Panthers will lose.

This guy should work for ESPN. 

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Can't see Carolina losing. Both of our units are now playing horrible (granted our defnese played better, but lets see what happens when they face a legit offense) and Carolina will have an extra couple days of rest

This guy is way too good for ESPN. 

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lol not happening. They would literally just have to stop playing to not beat this team. Pretty certain the best college team would beat us right now, these guys are playing with zero pride and zero effort. Disgusted by what's going on right now, and it's time for a change.

OK, I am starting to get depressed. These guys are bringing me down. 

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This ridiculous asinine thinking of us beating anyone is nonsensical behavior.

I need to go run a warm bath, I suddenly have menstrual cramps. 

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Let's lose the game
Get a better draft pick
See some coaches get fired
See some players play themselves off the team

Losing is for the long term health of this team. It's like sweating out a fever.

Thats the spirit! There is the Saints fan mentality we all knew and loved for decades upon decades. Welcome back, you lovable losers. 

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As is customary here on the Huddle, a victory celebration slideshow featuring the lovely ladies of the opposition. 

 

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

 

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Each week I bring to you the very best of what my camera lens captures all in high definition. 

 

You don't want to miss any of these images..  Without further ado.....

 

Along the Sidelines - Panthers at Cowboys

 

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6 hours ago, Peppers90 NC said:

You called Romo "soft". So more than just a message board guy behind a computer screen, you're an idiot. You don't play QB in the nfl as a starter this long being soft.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Today the Carolina Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. This is a huge game for the Panthers on the biggest national stage of the year. 

I will be tweeting from the field starting at around 2 hours before kickoff. Follow @CarolinaHuddle on Twitter for pregame photos and observations. 

Panthers Keys to Victory

- Josh Norman must contain Dez Bryant. A big day from Bryant could be the Panthers downfall. 

- Ground and Pound. The Panthers have the 4th ranked rushing attack in the league. Dallas has the 5th worst rushing defense. Capitalize on that matchup, own the time of possession. 

- Front 4 pressure. If the Panthers with Charles Johnson can get adequate pressure on Tony Romo without blitzing, the game is won. Having the best linebackers in football roam the field freely is an insurmountable obstacle for Dallas. 

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It is widely known that the Cowboys fan base is one of the least knowledgeable, tolerable, and likable fan  bases in the NFL, generally speaking. 

As such, here are a few tasty nuggets I found while surveying their fan communities. 

From the official Dallas Cowboys Message Board

 

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Tony missed wide open throws, we had horrible field position all day, the OLine looked a little sloppy, but the boys still won by 10 in MIAMI... A team that has a pretty stout defense and a lot of pundits had them in the playoffs. This team will be rolling on ALL cylinders on Thursday, and the Panthers are feeling cocky. I predict a huge win, and the boys will be 1 game out of first place this time next week!
 

The Cowboys won a game by 10 points against another bad team, and now they are a Superbowl contender. The Buffalo Bills beat the same Miami team by 16, I guess they are a dynasty in the making. But, to be fair, the Bills are a respectable 5-5. Comparing them to the 3-7 Cowboys does them a disservice. 

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Cam's probably going to eat some turf for every Hardy comment he makes.

The Panthers upgraded offensive line handled JJ Watt easily earlier this year. After witnessing that, individuals on any defense are no longer worrisome. It takes more than one or two good players to stop the Panthers potent offense. It would take an overall solid defense at all positions, something the Cowboys are far from having. Dallas has a mediocre defense in the literal sense of the word. They are currently ranked 15th in points allowed per game. The Panthers are ranked 5th. 

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Yeah, their fans are talking crap about us and they have every right to. The Panthers are a legit great team and as a matter of fact Tolbert is one player I wish we had on out team; great player

Having said that; everyone of those pussycat fans are deep down terrified that Antonio Ramiro Romo will lead a last minute drive that will drive a stake into their hearts and beat them on national TV.

So let it be written, so let it be done

Tony Romo doesn't crack the top 5 in QB's the Panthers will have faced this season. If he played anywhere but Dallas he would not be on the national media radar week in and week out. 

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We also have the "HARDY FACTOR" remember he played for Carolina. He knows them better than our own coaches and he can provide "Big Time" insights that should help our defense & offense.

The Cowboys are waiting on intelligent insight from Greg Hardy.... 

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I don't like to play "what if", but truth be told, if Romo was healthy all year, this coming game would likely determine the #1 overall seed in the NFC.  Cowboys would probably be 9-1 at home against a 10-0 Panthers team. 

lol

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SCam is ...

Stopped reading. I appreciate it when opposing fans have witty smack talk, but seeing "SCam" on every troglodyte NFC East message board is lazy and ineffectual at best. Do better. 

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I live in charlotte and I think the panthers may be the MOST overrated 10-0 team in league history. 

Hey look, one of those Charlotte residents we all laugh at and share photos of when we see him in his Cowboys gear. Sad. 

 

 

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Along the Sidelines - Redskins at Panthers

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After defeating the hapless New Orleans Saints, Redskins fans have new found confidence in their team. 

Here are some highlights, and low lights, from their message board.

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I wish this was a home game, we haven't played nearly as good on the road, but sooner or later that has to change, right? I think this Redskins team is growing up faster than many expected, and if they can limit the mistakes on the road, they can pull off this upset. The Redskins have to win this game and next week if they want to stay in the race and take over 1st place in the division, the Panthers don't, they are well ahead. Redskins pull off the upset!

 

Redskins 24

Panthers  23

Fairly valid point here. The Redskins must win to stay in the playoff hunt. The Panthers situation is not as urgent. However, the Redskins have not won on the road in roughly a year. 

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Could be a trap game for Carolina if they are caught looking forward to Thanksgiving against the pukes and Hardy.

Plus I think they are overrated,

'Skins find a way to pull out an ugly win on the road 20-19.

Yeah, they are 9-0 and overrated. 

Anyways, this Panthers team is too experienced now to overlook any opponent. It isn't like this is their first playoff run. 

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Carolina is sneaky good.  They are hard to move the ball on.

I'm not sure what to expect in this one because the last two times we've played them we had two QBs who hated getting the ball out quickly.

They don't score a ton, but they also don't give up a ton of points. 

I'd like to think if it's close at the end, and we have the ball last, we win.  I have the same feeling for Carolina, though.

I think as long as the offensive weapons bring their hands with them, we have a shot. 

I don't have a score, but I see us winning this one in an ugly throwback.

Panthers just put up 27 points on the road against a much better defense. Not sure if I buy a low scoring throwback game. 

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I think the Panthers are a bad match up for the Redskins. What they do well, we struggle against. 

Panthers 27
Redskins 13 

Reasonable. 

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Carolina is not particularly amazing on either side of the ball except for one super key area: Turnovers.  When you have an average offense, and average defense yardage wise, but you dont turn the ball over and you force lots of turnovers, that creates a recipe for being very good.

 

They are very good, and very disciplined.  While we are improved from last year, we are not yet.  Also, this game is on the road, where we are terrible, rather than at home, where we are unbeatable.

 

Panthers 24-9

Reasonable. 

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Really, really, REALLY want this win.  I want to knock Cam the eff out, not literally, but put him on his back repeatedly and keep him out of the endzone.  I want the kid to be embarrassed and humbled with all this bull**** he does when he scores.

I haven't predicted a victory this season, and I won't **** it up by doing so now.

LOL at that last line. Must be tough to be a fan of a team you never predict a victory for. 

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Two things I'll promise you:

1)  You're going to lose

2)  You're team is going to lose in front of at least 35% Redskins fans in your own home

Bit of a reach. There will be a decent number of Redskins fans at the game. Maybe 20%, just like every other east coast team who can access stubhub. 

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