Illusion...correction...

[Mr. Scot]

Week One of the NFL season is a time when we tend to learn a lot of marvelous things that aren't actually true.

Sometimes you believe your team is prepped for a Super Bowl run when in reality they just beat up on a terrible opponent.

Other times you're worried about having a down year when the truth is your team just had a rough first game.

Maybe you're wondering about a rookie because they didn't look so great in the season opener, but they're just needing a little time to fully transition into the NFL.

Or perhaps you think an older veteran is in for another great year when the fact is that while they started the season well, they're going to fade down the stretch.

Honestly, there's just so much unknown going into a new year that it's difficult to know what's real and what isn't. Everyone wants to get their hot takes in early, but it actually tends to take a good four to six weeks to really get a grasp on the true quality of players and teams alike (sometimes even longer than that).

This is why early predictions from people trying to look like Nostradamus end up making them look like Nostradumbass.

In team history, the Panthers have seen illusions both good and bad. An 0-2 start in 2013 had a lot of us nervous, but the team corrected, went 12-4 and wound up winning the division. On the flip side of that, 2001, where we started off the season with an exciting win over the Minnesota Vikings...and then never won again.

Mind you, I'm not worried about this year being a repeat of 2001, but there are going to be misconceptions coming out of Week One that will be corrected in Week Two and the weeks to follow. There pretty much always are for every team, every season.

So my question: For good or bad, what corrections do you expect to see tomorrow and over the course of the season?  And not necessarily just for the Panthers, but across the league.

What are the things that we think we know, but we don't know?

 

[Mage]

Didn’t we start 2-0 in 2014?

What a dismal season that turned out to be (somehow still made the playoffs). We went on like a 5-6 game stretch where we got blown out every week.  We legitimately looked like the worst team in football.

[Khyber53]

I think we're going to have to grind out our wins this year, nothing is going to be easy and no posing for team pictures late in the third quarter.

And it will make us a tough, resilient team that will just out tough everyone on its way to the championship.

And when we get there, we'll act like we've been there before and walk out with the only hardware that matters.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, Mage said:

Didn’t we start 2-0 in 2014?

What a dismal season that turned out to be (somehow still made the playoffs). We went on like a 5-6 game stretch where we got blown out every week.  We legitimately looked like the worst team in football.

Yep. Beat the Bucs and the Lions. Came back to earth against the Steelers and the Ravens.

If I recall correctly, the Saints have started 0-2 for something like four years straight, including last year. But as much as we all enjoyed last week, does anyone really believe this year's Saints are that bad or this year's Bucs are that good?

(I especially question that second part)

[DaveThePanther2008]

Exactly why power ratings in the beginning of the year are crap.

Teams rise and fall like the sun.   

I always like optimistically but the reality of every game has my heart thumping and I know that ANY team can beat any other team on Sunday.  (ie Chicago last year)

 

 

[jayflip]

Jared Cook will go back to the fantasy waiver wire soon enough. 

The Browns will go 0-0-16.

Carr and Stafford rebound to top 15 QB finishes.

Watson continues to struggle (he'll rebound next year).

Darnold looks like a (promising) rookie the rest of the year (but promising = plenty of lumps).

DJ Moore and Calvin Ridley actually catch a few balls. 400-450 yard range for each. But they show the flashes in an ordinary rookie campaign effort for each. 

Our run game takes off when our starting lineup (which should be Moton-Van Roten-Kalil-Turner-Clark/Robinson/Anyone but Amini) has three consistent weeks to gel. 

Cam captures MVP form in week 6 forward. 

Saints are the contenders for NFC South with us, as Brees, Thomas and Kamara show out the whole season. Their D resembles more of their 2017 D than their 2018 opening D. Maybe split the difference. 

Our D will suffer against the pass. Vs Julio and vs any of the quick hitting QBs we'll play this year, and our D coaching staff will not adjust accordingly. 

Flip side, Norv's O will continue to be installed and we'll see evolution and adjustments consistently. 

Barkley = OROY

Brady = MVP (puke)

Gronk = Comeback player 

Little Watt comes back to earth 

NFC East: Philly, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys

NFC South: Carolina, Saints, Falcons, Buccs

NFC North: Vikings, Packers, Bears, Lions

NFC West: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals

AFC East: Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bill's

AFC South: Jaguars, Colts, Texans, Titans

AFC North: Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Browns

AFC West: Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Raiders

No real surprises.

[Mr. Scot]

Side Note: A lot of folks have hilariously pointed out that the Browns 0-0-1 record is the best start to a season they've had in years

[Pup McBarky]

8 minutes ago, jayflip said:

The Browns will go 0-0-16.

I'd love it if they actually broke the record for most games tied in a season. FTR, it's da Bears in 1932 with 6.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, Pup McBarky said:

I'd love it if they actually broke the record for most games tied in a season. FTR, it's da Bears in 1932 with 6.

I'm sure Hue Jackson would spin that as a sign that he's improved greatly as a head coach.

[Hoenheim]

I don't think the Cowboys as a home opener was a great watermark for out team 

Playing in ATL is a much greater test and I think it'll have a huge impact on the rest of the season. Keep in mind we've lost the last 3 times at least in Atlanta (and the at ATL game even ended up being the only game we lost in the regular season in 2015). I think this is a huge hurdle the team needs to get over and if we do, I think it bodes extremely well for the rest of the season. 

After this game we have 2 home games in a row vs Bengals and vs Giants. Not that either teams are scrubs, but they are two very winnable games. Beating ATL drastically increases our chances of starting out 4-0 . 

[raleigh-panther]

Injuries are a great equalizer and Carolina has little depth and a lot of age at some positions and make no mistake, that age will show come December   Too, Shaq is better than Davis, but you know Ron.

i continue to be optimistic given Norv’s experience. Cam’s ego. And Luke’s heart. As long as Cam and Luke breath, this team has a chance. They have shown this time and time again

injuries come to all teams.  It’s last team, standing 

I still say Carolina will grind and be at worst be 11and 5 and it won’t be pretty. After that, we will see but the fate of Carolina runs through Newton. He is it and always has been. He makes up for every injury and personnel weakness 

next year, if Byrd and Samuel have not consistently stayed On The field and produced, they have to go. Olsen as well and if they can trade them, even better. It is very obvious that the oline needs a total rebuild and if they have to trade someone to get picks, do it...same for that dline

is Hurney the guy to do those things, who knows.

[ellis]

Death, taxes, and the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl. 

[JARROD]

 

[CarolinaSamurai]

This narrative that Dallas D isn't good is the same narrative after we played the Pats in the 3rd preseason game. Yet the Pats D was very good week 1 and not as horrible as many thought.