ESPN predicts 7.7 wins and a less than 30% of making the playoffs

[Matthias]

 

[PootieNunu]

Just now, PootieNunu said:

Way too early for any win projections, if Cam is healthy we have a much better chance than they are giving us.

Also the whole article seems pretty dumb, so only four teams will win 10 games and everyone else will 9-7 or worse, yea sure that will happen.

Given ESPNs great take, we upset two teams and win 9 and we are in the playoffs i guess, lol

[ChibCU]

Panthers' success depend entirely on Cam's arm at this point. No glaring roster holes, but still need to hedge bets against the possibility of Cam falling apart.

[MountaineerChemist10]

58 minutes ago, panthers55 said:

I was thinking the same thing. What switched in 2015 is we won lots of close games instead of losing them like we did in the second half of 2018. If we can come closer to the average I think that gives us 10 wins if nothing else changes.

Not to mention we spread the ball more on offense instead of throwing to Benji half of the time.

[MountaineerChemist10]

I don't buy it. They ranked the Falcons (7-9 in '18) & Packers (6-9-1 in '18) as #9 & #12. Seriously ESPN?

No one ever seems to think highly of us. Always predicted to go 7-9 or 8-8.

[Goondal]

1 hour ago, Wolfcop said:

Cut and paste from last year? It seems we are projected to win 7-8 games every year.

To be fair...we normally do.  If I were not a fan I would usually slot us there simply based on track record.

[Captain Morgan]

from the same article ...our reporter thinks we drafted Miller in the 3rd.  The amount of mistakes this guy makes is amazing.

 

Where the team improved this offseason: Edge rusher. With the retirement of Julius Peppers and a move toward an odd-man front, the Panthers made a big investment in finding edge rushers to improve a pass rush that ranked 27th in the NFL last season. They signed veteran Bruce Irvin to a one-year deal, then drafted Florida State's Brian Burns in the first round and Alabama's Christian Miller in the third. Pair them with Mario Addison, Efe Obada and a few other players the team is developing, and the pass rush can't help but be better. -- David Newton

[Captain Obvious]

they are overly optimistic in my opinion. Defense still sucks balls. 

[Zaximus]

I mean this is completely fair.    We've never been a consistent franchise so 7-8 wins is probably going to be normal every year for us until we start having some sustained success.    No reason really to take it as an insult or anything.   

[Sgt Schultz]

If you are in the business of making predictions at this point, you have to hedge for all reasonable scenarios.  If Cam is and stays healthy, 7-8 wins would be disappointing.  If he not, 7-8 wins would be an achievement.  Somewhere in the middle is where the prediction lands.

Let's face it: until we see Cam throw the ball, which may not happen in front of an audience until the season starts, his health is a huge variable in the equation.  What we are hearing gives me (cautious) optimism, but in all honesty, would anyone really expect Cam and the Panthers to be saying the opposite right now?

[Pantha-kun]

A lot is hinging on if Cam and the oline can actually stay healthy. 

[Palmetto]

Most of the Panthers playoff seasons have come after no one expected them to be a good team

[CatTower]

Opponent expected wins:

10.1 Los Angeles Rams

6.4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5.5 Arizona Cardinals

8.5 Houston Texans

7.6 Jacksonville Jaguars

6.4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7.6 San Francisco 49ers

8.0 Tennessee Titans

8.6 Green Bay Packers

8.4 Atlanta Falcons

10.1 New Orleans Saints

6.2 Washington Redskins

8.4 Atlanta Falcons

8.4 Seattle Seahawks

9.2 Indianapolis Colts

10.1 New Orleans Saints

 

Beating Rams in Week 1 would be huge with most of our easy competition happening early.  

[Shotgun]

That's probably close to Rivera's average wins per season. Seems reasonable.