#1 seed = overrated

[rayzor]

yeah, yeah, yeah....we would have had homefield advantage all the way through...boo hoo. it will be OK. i promise.

i just thought this would be a good time to remind you of some things that both darin gantt and steve reed said before the game. if this is a repost....who cares? just read.

Yes, tonight's for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. But lately, that currency hasn't been worth as much as in years past.

The NFC's top seed hasn't won a Super Bowl since St. Louis turned the trick after the 1999 season. Since then, the top dog in the NFC has lost five Super Bowls, the Championship twice and last year, Dallas lost in the divisional round.

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When you look at the recent trend, it shows that winning on the road is imminently do-able, and becoming more so. The last three Super Bowl champs were the fifth-seeded Giants, the third-seeded Colts and the sixth-seeded Steelers, and the Giants and Steelers had to win three road games to get to the big game.

The Panthers know that route as well, having only played one home game since John Fox took over here in 2002.

"When you say home-field advantage all of the way, well you have it for one game," QB Jake Delhomme said last week. "If you look at it any other way then you are fooling yourself.

"Whoever wins this game, they are guaranteed one playoff game at home You want one game at home and see what you can do with it."

http://www.heraldonline.com/665?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aded44479-eff0-4fb5-98bf-9edb9d130913Post%3ab490d621-818e-401a-bf6e-d2b0d2077a67&sid=pluck.heraldonline.com

The last No. 1 NFC seed to win the Super Bowl was the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Here is a list of how the NFC’s top seeds have fared since 1990:

Year: Team Result

2007: Dallas Lost in Divisional Playoffs to N.Y. Giants 21-17.

2006: Chicago Lost in Super Bowl to Indianapolis 29-17.

2005: Seattle Lost in Super Bowl to Pittsburgh 21-10.

2004: Philadelphia Lost in Super Bowl to New England 24-21.

2003: Philadelphia Lost in NFC Championship to Carolina 14-3.

2002: Philadelphia Lost in NFC Championship to Tampa Bay 27-10.

2001: St. Louis Lost in Super Bowl to New England 20-17.

2000: N.Y. Giants Lost in Super Bowl to Baltimore 34-7.

1999: St. Louis Won Super Bowl over Tennessee 23-16.

1998: Minnesota Lost NFC Championship to Atlanta 30-27.

1997: Green Bay Lost in Super Bowl to Denver 31-24.

1996: Green Bay Won Super Bowl over New England 35-21.

1995: Dallas Won Super Bowl over Pittsburgh 27-17.

1994: San Francisco Won Super Bowl over San Diego 49-26.

1993: Dallas Won Super Bowl over Buffalo 30-13.

1992: San Francisco Lost NFC Championship to Dallas 30-20.

1991: Washington Won Super Bowl Buffalo 37-24.

1990: San Francisco Lost NFC Championship to N.Y. Giants 15-13.

http://www.carolinagrowl.com/Read.aspx?Story=943

point is we are in very good company.

also consider this: the pressure is off of us. now we go in as not sure bets. we will have lost some level of respect which means that the panthers will have to gain it back. the panthers have something to prove....AND THEY CAN DO IT!

the loss hurt, but it isn't the end of the world. we are still heading to the playoffs and we don't have any window closing in on us. we have a good young team with lots of talent and incredibly valuable vet experience and leadership with still a lot of talent. we have a legit chance at getting to the superbowl this year still. last night was NOT a playoff game.

what last night did, though, was let us know for sure where our weak spots are and gives us an opportunity to clean things up.

think of the benefits that came from the loss to atlanta. did our team not improve drastically after that game? we did the same thing after the loss to the bucs as well, did we not? what makes you think that we won't do the same thing this time?

it was a far better thing to have our weaknesses exploited in this game so that appropriate changes be made than to go into the playoffs with us still not knowing the weak spots, playing over-confidently, and be a one and done team?

the panthers are going to rise above this. have faith.

we aren't done yet.

not by a long shot.

[southpaw]

we aren't done yet.

not by a long shot.

A loss or two can humble you as it well should. It seems to have done the Titans some good. How can any true fan be ashamed of 11-4 and another playoff berth? Maybe we play in the wild card or we get a bye and home field advantage dependent on next weekend's performance.

Whatever the outcome, the postseason is ours and from there on out it's the same for each and every team...you've got to win out and it doesn't matter your regular season record...you made it to the dance!

We have the talent, the post season experience and yes the desire to go all the way. The only thing we can't do now after last night's loss is put our feet up and wait for the post season to start. We still have one very important game left to play in the regular season. The importance of it dictates the shape our post season will take.

So, here we go! Let's shape up for the Saints (who will not go to ground for 300) and do what we have to do. Either way, post season here we come...watch out!

[2jakefansinva]

Stats are for losers...

Yes...the #1 seed from the NFC hasn't fared well in the SB, but....

I sure do believe it enhances your chances of getting there.

[N1kkadeemuz]

Any other year this would be fine with me but the Panthers are basically untouchable at home, would have been very, very nice.

[MurkN]

The only thing I can think of after reading that is how much the Cowboys suck for being the only team on that list that was knocked out before they got to a championship game.