electro's horse

Where we stand Panthers are 5-4, a record I'd say is right around where the slightly optimstic Panthers fans would have thought they've been, thought having got there a little differently. They have one impressive but ugly win (Packers) and four other wins against bad teams. The Cowboys are not a good team overall, regardless of the trauma response of a lot of posters on here. I don't really consider that an upset. No one predicted that Drake Maye would ascend to the top tier of NFL QBs. The Cardinals loss looks worse and worse, near heroics not withstanding. I have no idea what to make of the Falcons. As far as the Packers, there's something to be said about making a finesse team play ugly. Overall, I think the Panthers have a middle of the road defense and a bottom third offense that are both overperforming. Reasonable people can disagree, So where does that leave us for the back half of the season? How does this project for postseason play? I want to look at the Panthers upcoming schedule, the teams in a snapshot, and see how it projects and wax poetically about where that leaves us. Teams Left on the Schedule New Orleans Saints (1-8) - two games left. the rebuild the saints have been staring down for the better part of the decade has finally arrived. They were sellers at the deadline. Penning isn't a big loss, but they effectively only have one WR now. Barring any substantial developments, the Panthers should be favored in both their games against the Saints. The second game occurs after the Panthers late season bye. But.....it's the Saints. They will Do It for The City. They're also playing hard for first year coach Kellen Moore. Saints have kept the Panthers out of the playoffs twice in the last week of the season (1999, 2002) Atlanta Falcons (3-5) - Panthers have a game at Atlanta left on their schedule. The falcons are a complete mystery to me. They have Bijan Robinson who's probably the best player on any field. They handled the bills, a team that boat raced Carolina. By all metrics they have a very good defense (shut down Carolina) and there may have been some technical difficulties in Carolina. All that said, there's a lot of whispers the offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is gone after the season, if he even survives it. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) - Lots of story lines in this one. 49ers are 3rd in a brutal NFC West. No idea if Purdy will be healthy, but Mac Jones is 5-2 as a starter. The 49ers are the better team from a coaching, player, organizational standpoint. They seem to lose a high profile starter for the season every week. Panthers won't be favored in this game. Might be seeing the Panthers starting qb for 2026 in Mac Jones. Los Angeles Rams (6-2) - In Carolina. Panthers are traveling from the west coast for this after a Monday night game in SF, so they actually have a short week and no travel advantage. Thanks schedulers. Rams are like the 49ers in that they're a better organization in every aspect. I doubt the Panthers will be favored in this game. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) - two games left, including the season finale. Like the 49ers and Rams, the Bucs are a better organization top to bottom that the Panthers, and Jason Licht might be the best GM in the sport. They've suffered an incredible number of injuries that they're fighting through just because of how deep a team they are. It's impossible to say exactly what form of the Bucs you're going to see week to week since they're basically rotting and being resurrected on a moment to moment basis. Panthers end the season in Tampa with the Bucs coming off a bye (game against the Dolphins). Panthers played them close last season in Carolina then got blown out in Tampa Bay 2 weeks later. Story lines...hah... Hah! Seattle Seahawks (6-2) - Sam Darnold revenge game. Let's just be grateful this game isn't happening right now; the Seahawks look dialed in as hell. It's being played in Carolina, and Seattle historically has underperformed on the east coast, but they'll be playing a thursday night game the week before against the Rams so they'll likely practice all week over here. Also, the Panthers play the Bucs the week before this game, so both teams are going to have fuging gone for it. Seahawks will likely be favored. Where does this leave Carolina Seven teams make the playoffs. Glimpsing at the standings, I don't think a wildcard is in play, barring something dramatic. For the Panthers to make the playoffs I think they have to win the South. Absurd optimism: we sweep the Saints, finish off the Falcons, steal one game against the remainder of the NFC West, and split with the Bucs. That puts the Panthers @ 10-7, a huge accomplishment considering the limitations at QB, and a big springboard into 2026, maybe enough to take the South. Alcoholic Pessimism: split with the Saints, lose in Atlanta, get boat raced by the rest of the NFC West, maybe still split against the Bucs because they'd be resting starters in week 18. Finish @ 7-10. An improvement from the year before. Split the Diff - about where this team was always going to be. 7-8 wins. A couple of gut wrenching losses. A win they had no business of getting. Go into 2026 one draft and a QB away from doing serious damage.

it's already a blunder. They have to have the opportunity to waste it. Bryce is a complete bust, the advantage of a good qb on a rookie contract never materialized. Tepper has shown the willingness to move on from bad decisions. I can't really point to an instance of Tepper putting his fingers on the scales since he hired a coach with as limited a scope of practice as he could find.

I don't remember Weinke calling Moose the n word.

i don't agree with that. they'll make the decision immediately after the season ends so bryce's can either request a release or find a team that wants to trade for him. League year starts march 11th, deadline for 5th year option will be may 1st. there is no way they're going to pick up another year of this after the historically bad poo he's putting out on the field. Bryce might be beta enough that he chooses to play out the 4th year without any guarantees but even then they have to bring in someone to challenge him/beat him in camp.

Are you saying if they pick up his 5th year? That'd be a horrible development. I'd rather cut his ass the second the season ends. I have a premonition that he's going to be traded to SF for McCorkle after the season.

I'd put Chris Weinke way higher tbh. He hung around forever as a backup and was by all accounts a good team mate. Kerry Collins was actually complete trash. Obviously it was a different era and he had some demons but if you go back and look at any of those 1996 games its difficult to watch. A lot of them are on youtube. Yeah he went to the pro bowl in 1996 but that's just because he was already there on vacation and so many other QBs pulled out. He actually threw a game losing interception in that game. This is to say nothing about his multiple, ahem, gamer moments, or straight up quitting the team to go to new orleans. I'm glad the guy got his life together and actually put together a pretty good little career but he was straight ass in Carolina.

paying 20-25 million per year for bryce young is complete insanity

I hate when my exes talk about how huge my cock is.

People really don’t understand the implications of not picking up the fifth year option. i made a whole thread about it

Willis is the packers backup so in about a season he’ll be a pro bowl qb somewhere else will Levis probably will never throw a football again

finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs.

FWIW when a player is going to a bunch of teams like this, the first team is usually their preference. They just want to make sure the money is right. If they leave they’re gone.

Bryce got a “game winning drive” last year after they kicked a field goal following a Daniel jones fumble in overtime. Didn’t attempt a pass.

he had a c4-6 ACDF I cannot imagine he'll ever be able to safely tackle someone again