Achilles

One thing the Panthers proved this year in 2 games: The Rams are a very potent offense with a mediocre defense that leaves them vulnerable. They are NOT the best team in the NFL. Matt Stafford is amazing, but not untouchable. I would not take the Rams to make it to the Super Bowl. Seattle is the best team in the NFC by a mile. Proud of our boys! Good showing except for the prevent shell on that last LA drive.

I’d love it if the Panthers sent a big middle finger to every pundit out there who’s saying we’re the worst team to ever make the playoffs and we don’t belong. I don’t think that’s true, but I also think everything broke our way in that week 13 win vs LA. Hard to imagine that happening again exactly the same. We would need to win the turnover margin +2 minimum. And our running game would have to be dominant, and they haven’t been very effective lately. Plus we got two long TD passes on 4th down…hard to duplicate because they’ll be more prepared. I’d say Canales held his own against McVay last time, but he tends to get out coached in these higher stakes scenarios. I’ll be there pulling for Carolina all the way, but I just don’t see us getting over this hurdle right now. If by some miracle Robert Hunt starts and that sparks the run game to show up in a huge way…I think we’d have to outgain them in rushing by 100 yards or so to control TOP…then maybe we’ll stay in it enough to give Bryce the ball on a game winning drive. I might put money on Panthers to cover, but not to win. LA 3 14 3 10 30 Car 7 3 3 10 23

That out of the blue 30-0 win over ATL seemed unimportant when it happened and now it’s the very win that earned the Division title!!

Seems to me that the Bucs have less fight in them now than they had in week 16. The real test is going to be if the Panthers can sustain focus and discipline throughout. With the Bucs being at home, maybe that gives them a little boost of confidence and energy. Wouldn’t it be something if for ONCE the Panthers came out and dominated from the opening snap and just took this shook Bucs team to task? If the Panthers see-saw form follows, we are in line for the W. Hard to say we have momentum but we do have a pretty clear pattern of following a loss with a win. I’m going to say 24-16 Panthers!!

Chances are we end up playing a winner take all game in Tampa next weekend. Even if we win this game, that is still the most likely outcome. It very well could go like the Rams game. It could also go like the Bills game. So…all you can do is play your best against every opponent. We’ll see how we measure up against a very good team. On paper, Seattle has a few more advantages in this game. Will home field balance that out?

The refs were bad in this game overall. I don’t think the most logical conclusion is that the game was rigged, but it did seem like the calls the refs did make advantaged the Saints more than the Panthers. The Shough story is compelling from the NFL’s perspective. That’s for sure! But isn’t the Bryce-Canales story equally compelling. Maybe it’s in the NFL’s best interest that the remaining Bucs AND Panthers games will matter…higher viewership. But look…it’s not the refs fault that D Brown, Latham, and Icky lost their brains for a split second on those personal foul plays. They had to call those. It’s not the refs fault that the Panthers coaches had a bum game plan. The players lacked discipline and intensity. Maybe that’s why they committed so many penalties.

The problem isn’t being scared I don’t think. The problem was lack of discipline and intensity which led to poor execution. The real difference in this game were the 3 personal foul penalties against the Panthers. Icky, D Brown, and Latham lost their focus and didn’t execute an understanding of situational football. You can’t lay a hit on a QB who has given himself up. Shough was excellent at baiting our defenders into making those mistakes. Much the opposite of playing scared, this indicates an over aggressiveness.

This loss comes down to a lack of discipline and a lack of intensity. We had how many personal foul penalties? Mental mistakes. Poor execution and not great coaching in a must win scenario. This team is just not quite ready for success. Blown opportunity. Panthers really let this one slip away. So much improvement but ultimately we’re not there yet. Lack of discipline I think got the better of us today.

When he put his helmet by the heater and it got too hot to even put on his head…comedy gold! He might not be a world-beater, but our D has been MUCH more solid with him making the calls. He has leadership qualities. Also, he’s had better games than the Rams game.

Dave “Uncanny” Canales His choices are often inexplicable, but work absurdly well about half the time.

Pick up the option and bring some viable talent in to compete at the position. Bryce has to prove he can put it all together and not be so streaky. At the same time, we can bring in a vet backup with the potential to push him. One more year with Canales and this offense might still make a difference at this point. Ultimately I think his size disadvantage shows. He still takes too many sacks. Let him play out his contract, and consider what it would take to retain him. Bryce will have to know that it’s either time to get paid or time to accept a role as career back-up elsewhere.

It just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Panthers would have to have at least a +2 turnover differential AND score 14+ points off those turnovers. Then, we might find ourselves in this game. Maybe Stafford has a Bryce-like 1st quarter. Even then, they can score so fast we would struggle to keep up. They could spot us 2 tds and still come back to beat us. With all our injuries on D, it’s hard to imagine keeping them within one score headed into the 4th. That said…if we are within a score late in the 4th, maybe we have a shot. That’s not how I see this going though… LAR 10 7 10 6 33 CAR 3 3 7 3 16

Glad he realized what a mistake that Victory Monday was. Team lacked focus all the way from that point to halftime of this game. Not winning in a way that calls for a day off. WAY more work to do but there is growth in this young team. Loved that he called himself out for a few questionable coaching decisions. Great chemistry and relationships in this locker room. Changing the culture of this franchise after years of mediocrity is no small accomplishment.

This Panthers team does not look prepared or focused. It’s like they are already resigned to get their butts handed to them. The failure vs NO is clearly rolling into this week at ATL. At this rate, it’s hard to imagine winning more than 1 or 2 additional games. Or any. If this season goes south and we end up 5-12, I don’t see how you return next year with the combination of Bryce and Canales. This team is not prepared physically or mentally.

Game. Winning. Drive.