The Season so far

[twylyght]

So, here is our team, sitting atop the NFCS and putting together an impressive half of football to get yesterday's win.  So why don't I feel so hot?  Perhaps there is reason to believe that we've turned the corner with that second half and the Panthers can finally put together back-to-back winning seasons in their two decades of existence.

 

At this point, I am still in a holding pattern.  The biggest reason still remains with the fact that our offensive line has yet to perform in a way that I would be confident with our franchise QB to protect.  I don't give a damn who you are.  If your QB is getting hit on the third step of a 3-step drop, the offense isn't moving.  Can we go K-Gun and try to make this beast dance for the rest of the season?  We may be better off, but even then our O-line has to be disciplined enough to hold the trench, much less open passing and rushing lanes.

 

What I am most hoping for is that our line is working to gel better than it has shown this season.  The defensive front will have to pick up on their end as well.  We are going to have a QB that has spells of interceptions like Cutler every week.  We are not going to be facing brand new head coaches with career backup QBs at the helm every week.  We won't be facing a historically bad franchise with a questionable coach every week.

 

For those that are thinking we have, get over yourselves.  We haven't arrived.  I firmly believe we have a severely bright long-term future.  However, the fact of the matter is that the win this week was as much Chicago losing as it was Carolina winning to get that victory.  The teams that we want to be are the ones that don't get the wins with the assist, but take them with impunity from whomever regardless the competition.  It the team that can impose its will that almost always rises to the top.  

 

The best thing going for Carolina this season is that we seem to be playing in a crap conference.  I am used to be able to speak proudly of the NFCS knowing that the competition we have here is perennially among the best year-in and year-out.  This year?  Not so much.

 

Until I see improvement where it is sorely needed in the trenches, I'm not putting this team on that pedestal.  Enjoy the win.  Savor the wins.  Those of us that have been fans of this team from the outset know exactly how fleeting these can be.  Simply put, temper the expectations with an eye on what is being set to come.  Having watched like I have for a while now, that time is finally approaching.

[OriginalPantherDan]

Not sure that you mean crap conference, maybe division? Though the NFCS is down a bit right now, I expect the Saints to fix their woes...as for the Bucs and Falcons, who know? Same can be said of the Panthers right now, I'm afraid. If you tell me you know how this team will play next week I'll tell you you're full of poo because NO ONE knows right now. They could look great, they could look putrid. They could, like yesterday, look like both. I still have high hopes for them this season, but I'll temper that, like you, until i see some consistency.

[TheRumGone]

Yesterday's win is something you build off of.

For goodness sake kony ealy was in coverage when we got that pick. If the younger guys continue to gain confidence this team will be in good shape.

One thing I noticed our oline gelled with no huddle and kalil and turner mauled people for obis td. It was a confidence booster IMO

[UKPanther94]

Any given Sunday, 90% of the league seems to be struggling with consistency right now with teams just as Jekyll and Hyde as us!

[chknwing]

we won dammit. nothing else matters. even byron bell gets a pass this week.

[UpstatePanther]

yes ive been thinking the same thing. the win yesterday was a great morale booster. and we are going to need as much morale as we can get. if the season is divided into quarters, the Panthers went 2-2 for the first quarter. But the second and third quarters are gonna make or break our season:

 

in quarter 2 we play:

Chicago at home (win)

Cincinnati away

Green Bay away

Seattle at home

 

we need to go 2-2 in this quarter to set ourselves up for a successful season. this will be the toughest portion of the schedule. preferrably, one loss would come from Cincy this weekend to keep our conference record from taking a hit. this may be crucial later in the season

 

in quarter 3 we play:

New Orleans at home

Philadelphia away

Atlanta at home

Minnesota away

 

i think its entirely possible that we could go 4-0 in this stretch of the season. but more realistically i want the panthers to at least win 3 of the four. we MUST at least win the home division games. depending on what the other teams do, this could put the Panthers ahead permanently for the division...

 

in quarter 4 we play:

New Orleans away

Tampa Bay at home

Cleveland at home

Atlanta away

 

we need to win 2 of these games if we are going to make the playoffs. because the division is so weak, its entirely possible we go on a tear and win these four. but more realistic is 2-2 or 3-1 if we go with the "at least" options from each quarter... that will put us at 9-7. if we go with the realistic options its 10-6. depending on how we play our division games, 9-7 or 10-6 could guarantee a playoff berth. of course, if the Panthers can go 3-1 in each quarter from here on out... that puts us at 11-5 which is probably good enough for the division lead anyway, and certainly for a wild card berth. however, i think 11-5 will be our ceiling. homer glasses on, the ceiling is 14-2 if this happens and that happens. but the most optimistic yet realistic outcome i can see is 11-5.

 

TL;DR: panthers need to win at least 6 of their last 11, with as many division and conference wins as possible to make the playoffs. they have the talent to win a couple more. but it would take a providential amount of luck to win more than 8 of the last 11.

[X-Clown]

We are going to have a QB that has spells of interceptions like Cutler every week.  

 

Yeah, he's thrown a whopping one interception in four games which came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

[WhoAmI?]

we won dammit. nothing else matters. even byron bell gets a pass this week.

 

Oh hell no, you went to far now lol

 

[mbarbour21]

If they pull it together like the second half, holding the Bears to 3 points and scoring 24, we can beat anyone. That does not mean we will, but we can be competitive. 10-6 may win the division, I see it as our likely record.

[Davidson Deac II]

Yeah, he's thrown a whopping one interception in three games which came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

 

Four games actually, but I agree with you, Cam has played very well this year.   Especially given the relatively poor play of the offensive line. 

[Snake]

I for one are happy about our crap Div and will let the NFC West hold the crown for hardest DIV. Football is about breaks and I doubt the NE Pats or the Broncos complain about a weak DIV. If we get Hardy back and somehow Shula figures the offense out and we squeak into the playoffs its the same as any other way and we have just as much chance as any other team that might be beat up more than us.

[firefox1234]

I remember the season where the Broncos wit Kyle Orton at QB and Josh Mcdaniels at HC went 8-0 and went to lose all their remaining games. This league is way to unpredictable to be all doom and gloom and your sitting at 3-2 at the top of your division so excuse the rest of us fans who like to remain optimistic about our favorite team.

[Major wRecktum]

Remember guys, Gettleman said he was going to make sound moves to smooth things over until the cap issues could be worked out while trying to keep the team competitive. I think there are a lot of folks in here that took that to mean Super Bowl or conference champs. We have a competitive team now and had one last year. The front office knows that for the next couple of years we are not likely to be contenders for the title. However, I feel like when we get to spend our money in the right places we will have the talent to go to the top.

[twylyght]

Yeah, he's thrown a whopping one interception in three games which came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

Three turnovers in the last possessions of the game to seal it. Are you willing to count on that week in and week out?