Mike Tanier on Panthers-Titans

[electro's horse]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2588693-nfl-week-10-mike-taniers-previews-and-score-predictions/page/8

 

Three reasons to pick a Titans upset in this game:

• It's a trap game for the Panthers.

• The Panthers are "due" for a loss.

• The Titans are a much better team with Mike Mularkey as their head coach, as shown in last week's overtime victory against the Saints.

Three responses to those reasons:

• "Trap games" aren't quite an old handicapper's tale, but they are close. Since 2011, road favorites by more than six points against out-of-conference opponents (that's a trap game: an unfamiliar weaker foe on the road) are 19-8 straight up and 13-13-1 against the spread. There are enough upsets in there to make you pause but not enough to really beat the house. (Data courtesy of the Pro Football Reference Game Finder.) It takes more than Admiral Ackbar logic to wager against road teams with a .680 winning percentage.

• "Due" is not a thing.

• The Saints defense consists of eight guys who do not know where to line up, two guys who do nothing but commit penalties and Cameron Jordan. The Titans only beat them by barely blocking a 46-yard field goal to set up overtime. Mularkey's pre-overtime victory strategy involved handing off three times to set up a 55-yard field goal in the Superdome. Let's not wipe Dan Quinn and Dan Campbell's fingerprints off that Coach of the Year trophy and hand it to Mularkey just yet.

The Panthers will lose a few times this season. It will happen because they are facing quality opponents, not because they are due, trapped or surprised by the latest coach to roll out of the retread workshop.

Prediction: Panthers 24, Titans 14

[uncfan888]

Dan Quinn's fingerprints off the coach of the year trophy? Seriously? He's not even the leading coach of the year candidate in the division 

[t96]

Every game for us has been a trap game so far.

[Doyle]

I trust Vegas on this one. 

[CPantherKing]

You have Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Charles Tillman, Roman Harper, Josh Norman, Jared Allen, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, and Ryan Kalil running this team. Have you seen their faces and determination. The defense is playing 14+ drives a game and willing themselves to finish off opponents.

The look in their eyes tells you there will be no trap game this season.

[PntherPryd]

Quote

The Saints defense consists of eight guys who do not know where to line up, two guys who do nothing but commit penalties and Cameron Jordan. 

I lol'd. 

[CarolinaSunday]

Why in the world would Dan Quinn and David Campbell be considered front runners for COTY?

[Jeremy Igo]

Well, I would rather lose this game than any of the remaining games.

 

 

And with that, I bid you ado.

[4th_and_inches]

What really grinds my gears here is that when we destroy titans, he'll say well we should have, because we are a superior team....  But if the titans somehow pull off a miracle,  everyone will think this man is a genius....  There is simply no logical reason to suggest the titans will win.  Don't buy into the sensationalism...  9 and 0 coming up.  Fug this guy.

[t96]

19 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

Well, I would rather lose this game than any of the remaining games.

 

 

And with that, I bid you ado.

I'd rather lose to a good team...

[Lilsmitty09]

Mariotta shredded the worst D in the league with a lot of luck and now they think they have the next Cam Newton.....riiiiiiight

[rayzor]

33 minutes ago, thomas96 said:

I'd rather lose to a good team...

not if it's in conference or in division. 

[CRA]

1 hour ago, uncfan888 said:

Dan Quinn's fingerprints off the coach of the year trophy? Seriously? He's not even the leading coach of the year candidate in the division 

He was joking....he named 2 coaches who won out of the gates but there teams look like dog poo now. 

[CRA]

1 hour ago, CarolinaSunday said:

Why in the world would Dan Quinn and David Campbell be considered front runners for COTY?

They are two coaches who came out and people quickly jumped on their bandwagon as awesome.....then reality set in.  Dolphins have been pimp slapped ever since that 2 game debut.....Atlanta now has lost 3 of last 4 and look like poo.

He was joking about the Titans winning under the new coach....and not getting too caught up in it.  Like people did with Atl and Miami's new coaches.