hepcat

Jake Delhomme straight up called Darnold out in the Jordan and Jake podcast and said he can say that but there's no way it's true. Jake said he was so motivated to beat the Saints in 2003 in his first year with the Panthers because then Saints head coach Jim Haslett had considered him a backup. And he did beat the Saints twice that year. And let's say it is true and Sam doesn't give a sh*t and it's just another game to him If Sam isn't using that as motivation then he might not have what it takes to be a QB in the NFL. The greats always seem to have a chip on their shoulder. Maybe that's why he's sucked ass since he came into the NFL then.

Even if it's the latter and it's a back and forth game, the Panthers are at home and should have the talent and experience to win the game even if it's close. If we see a rookie QB and head coach pull out a last second victory on the Panthers home turf, something that eluded the Panthers all season last year, it's going to be meltdown worthy here on Sunday. It won't be the same feeling as losing a back and forth game to 7 time Superbowl Champion Tom Brady on the road in the final minutes, like the Cowboys did last night. Losses might count the same in the standings, but they are not all created equally.

I mean you can say that, just like Sam Darnold said this is "just another game" despite playing the team that drafted him and where he spent the first 3 years of his career, who traded him away for far less than his original draft value. But we all know it's not true. A loss Week 1 at home to a team the Panthers by all accounts should beat handily would be a disastrous way to start the season.

What should our reaction be? By all accounts, the Panthers should come out and curb stomp the Jets. The Panthers roster is way ahead of the Jets, especially on defense. Almost every single pundit and their grandma is picking the Panthers to win this game. And as many long time Panthers fans know, when everyone is picking the Panthers, they always seem to lose in miserable fashion. The Jets are likely to be one of the worst teams in the NFL again with a talent depleted roster. They have a 1st year head coach and rookie QB. Even though HC Robert Saleh seems legit from his time in San Fran and Wilson is obviously a talented young QB, they're both still inexperienced and this is the Jets we're talking about. The Jets one of if not THE worst franchises in the NFL over the last 50 years. They're a perpetual lesson in what NOT to do to have a winning football team. So let's say the Panthers come out Week 1 and lose to the Jets. I don't really care how, because no matter what happened, a loss is a loss. How should we react?

Watching how quick Tom Brady gets the ball out of his hands in the Tampa/Dallas game last night shows me the blueprint for how Darnold could have a successful future in the NFL. It's probably the only way he has a future. If Joe Brady can dial up the easy completion plays for Darnold and the defense can shut down a rookie QB it should be an easy win. I'll be concerned if they're calling 7 step drops with that O-Line. I won't rule it out because this is the Panthers we're talking about after all.

Well this seems like a bad idea then

Yea the Jets defense knows it'll only take a few pressures and sacks to get Darnold rattled. Panthers O-Line is horrible so McCaffrey gonna need to take pressure off Darnold early with some dump offs.

Can we talk about that blatant no-call on the pushoff by Godwin at the end of the game?

There are other reasons I'm losing interest in the NFL than just strictly how much passing teams are doing now. 1) The games take way too long and the commercial breaks seem to get longer and louder. Actual NFL gameplay is only like 11 minutes total. Compared to MLS which I am getting more and more into, it's a crazy difference. MLS games have commercials only at halftime and it's constant action for 90+ minutes. 2) Accessibility to watch games out-of-market is stupidly cumbersome and expensive. NFL Sunday Ticket is not easy to sign up for unless you have full DirectTV. The NFL basically begs you to stream the games illegally. 3) The safety rules are getting over the top. These ticky tack unnecessary roughness penalties are getting ridiculous. I wanna see guys wreck an unprotected QB again. Holding calls seem to be on the way down though which helps scoring. 4) The NFL finds itself on a precise to either go full NBA social progressive or try to continue pandering to the military/right wing vibes of the past. Colin Kaepernick really did a number on the NFL and owners punished him for it. The NFL fanbase is definitely smaller than it was a few years ago 5) The Panthers have sucked ass since Tepper bought the team.

Elijah Moore gonna be the truth. I wanted the Panthers to draft him in the 2nd round. Donte gonna have to be on his game against him.

I like it so far except I've never liked Selena Gomez and find her trite existence to be annoying.

I think he gets another shot somewhere this season. There's bound to be an injury somewhere along the line on a contending team. What better option than Cam? His vax status is the biggest concern right now.

I bet Brady's hair costs more than Drew's.

Brady is hopped up on umbilical cords tonight

I’m expecting him to be disruptive and open up plays for guys like Burns and Reddick

Samuel peaked at the right time during a contract year. I bet he’s never as good as he was last year again

By his stats on the Jets alone, he's in the conversation. He can quickly change that narrative though.

Dak and CMC are the top candidates for CPOY. Burns could put up 20+ says with help from Reddick and others. OROY will be Najee Harris. Agree with Parsons being DROY.

Good for him. I think being cut was just what he needed to get his head on straight.

Pharoh Cooper is still a FA. I mean if they're rolling CMC back there to return punts Week 1 of the season, they made a mistake.

I hope so. There's a chance Darnold becomes a serviceable starting QB in the NFL. He has one of the best WR and RB groups in the NFL to support him. Unfortunately the offensive line is bottom 1/3 in the NFL.

Anything under 7-8 wins this season will be considered a failure of a season IMO. And that failure will probably rest on one player - Sam Darnold. If he even plays at an average level, this team will compete for a playoff spot. If Darnold fails…and we all know the team didn’t bring in another starting option, it’s going to be an awful, terrible, miserable season.

I don't even know who the for sure leaders on this team are anymore outside of probably CMC and Shaq.

You might not be wrong about that. If the team starts winning, maybe we see more insight from reporters.

Quality of reporting on the Panthers is at an all time low IMO. Unless you pay for the Athletic content you're just getting fluff pieces for players who are about to get cut.