Time for Predictions...

[jpniner]

Given the schedule and what the team has showed us so far, I think your far from being a pessimist. Question is are you a realist or, gulp, an Optimist?

[Brandon]

Given the schedule and what the team has showed us so far, I think your far from being a pessimist. Question is are you a realist or, gulp, an Optimist?

We have been missing two of the best linebackers in the league on defense, of course our defense isn't going to look as good.

[rayzor]

so no realist would predict a winning season?

you are funny.

[carolinarolls]

5-11

We'll start 0-3.

if we start 0-3 a full month will pass between home games due to the bye week. I cannot imagine the turnout and potential for boo-birds against Wash. if that happens

[pantherclaw]

Watching the Falcons defense makes me think they'll be easier to beat than last year.

[Sam Mills Fan]

The fact that someone can predict our defense as bottom feeder based on a Davis-less, Beason-less, and Kemo-less preseason is beyond me still. We get two back on week one and will fill in the other somehow.

There is lots for the Panthers to work out but the talent on this team will keep it far from the "bottom-feeder" variety

Beason and TD don't play in the secondary and they don't play on the line. And those were our biggest trouble spots.

[CAPantherFan]

We have been missing two of the best linebackers in the league on defense, of course our defense isn't going to look as good.

I dare you to say that with Conner and Anderson in the same room.

Dude, it's more than just missing linebackers. It all begins in the trenches and we have a glaring hole there. HOPEFULLY this new guy from Cleveland will help but he's still somebody else's garbage so not sure how effective he'll be. If our defense is above average and start making some plays it'll be because of some great coaching!

[Sam Mills Fan]

problem is the Defense was average at best at the end of last season. Arguably below average after the Giants game where we peaked.

Kemo is out of the yr, nobody there to replace that hole that is any good. Even if the rest stay healthy there is no reason to expect a Defense that is atleast Middle of the Pack(what we need, best case scenario).

Its up to Meeks to work wonders.

That's a very good point. We had a very bad defense at the end of last year, signed nobody new, added Everette Brown who won't see the field much early on, and lost Kemo.

How is that supposed to translate into a good defense?

[carolinarolls]

Our defense is not that much different. With Kemo and Lucas, Justin Fargas and M. Bush ran on us for a buck 50. Kevin Smith and Culpepper drug us up and down the field at home.

We won because we ran hard, scored on long runs and Smitty caught two unbelievable balls against GB in a game we were clearly outmatched in.

There is plenty of room of optimism and the exciting thing is watching it unfold and seeing where the production comes from this year.

Fantasy Football has crossed over into making people bet on the "sure thing they can count on for production" in the real game. When they can't figure it out they panic now.

This is not fantasy football. Either our coaches motivate the players while putting them into positions to excel against whatever opponent is across from them or they don't.

It's called Football. Google it.

[Sam Mills Fan]

We have been missing two of the best linebackers in the league on defense, of course our defense isn't going to look as good.

Even with the injuries, the linebackers still looked better than the defensive line and secondary this preseason.

[carolinarolls]

Even with the injuries, the linebackers still looked better than the defensive line and secondary this preseason.

How in the hell can you separate the three units? They all feed off of each other. Each unit can look better or worse dependent on the effectiveness of the other unit. And typically lack of penetration equates to poor look in the secondary.

None of what you are predicting has any base outside of it merely being your negative prediction based on observations in practice.

[MadHatter]

I'm saying 5-11 but you may be spot on with this. 6-10 more likely but I'm sticking with 5-11 cause I'm a pathetic pessimist.

You two are just freakin' idiots.

[Sam Mills Fan]

How in the hell can you separate the three units? They all feed off of each other. Each unit can look better or worse dependent on the effectiveness of the other unit. And typically lack of penetration equates to poor look in the secondary.

None of what you are predicting has any base outside of it merely being your negative prediction based on observations in practice.

How hard is this to understand? If we're PREDICTING the regular season without having seen a single regular season, what else do we have to go on other than preseason, how they finished last season, injuries, and who they've added this offseason?

Minuses

They were bad late last season.

They were bad this preseason.

They lost Kemo.

They didn't add a single new starter through free agency.

Pluses

They added Everette Brown.

So do I think that Everette Brown is going to singlehandedly take what was a bad defense last season that got worse with the Kemo injury and looked terrible this preseason and turn them into a good one? No. That's what a prediction is.

Could I be wrong? Of course. People predict things wrong all the time. But at least I'm basing my prediction off what I have seen and know about this defense rather than blind faith that it will all somehow come together for the D against Philly. I really hope I'm wrong though.

[MadHatter]

So, when we start 2-1...are all of you Chicken Littles going to immediately switch over, or will you keep chirping the same crap about 5 or 6 wins?

Just wondering.