The closest thing to a must-win game in years?

[iamhubby1]

40 minutes ago, Sgt Schultz said:

I feel that way about the entire month of September.  There were several seasons where the Bills were the champions of September and finally going to unseat the Pats in the AFCE......only to finish under .500.

September has almost become and extension of preseason except the results carry over.  I expect it to be more so given one less preseason game for teams to work out the kinks. 

About the only way a September game can be a must win is if a team with expectations is sitting at 0-3 heading into the final week.  And that assumes the team is not in the 2021 reincarnation of the 2020 NFCE.

 

I think the most important first came is if it is against a Divisional opponent. Then it adds some value to the game. But otherwise, it's just the next game. No one game is any more important than the next one.

[CRA]

14 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I think a loss would be one game followed by sixteen additional chances.

All loses aren’t actually the same though.  Some are more impactful to a team or player than others. 

season was pretty much done IMO after the 2016 and 2009 openers.  We went into week 1 thinking we could be contenders….think everyone felt it wasn’t happening that year after week 1.   Those were some brutal Ls for Jake and Cam IMO. 

I don’t know Sam’s mental makeup.  But you gotta think an opening Jets loss is going to hit and be more impactful than some random team. 

[RumHam]

2 hours ago, top dawg said:

OK, some of you may not agree, and perhaps I'm being hyperbolic in a literal sense, because it's just a game (season opener, no less), but there's no way that we can lose to the Jets and good things happen. We have to beat the Jets, period! New staff, and new QB, with a decidedly less talented offense. This is a must-win! Now I really think that there's no way we should lose, especially considering that the new boy wonder of New York City is not quite living up to great expectations in camp--i.e., he's looking like a lost rookie that is presently in no way prepared for the speed of the game; lose to him and that unstable organization, and our atmosphere here will become just as volatile as the Jets' may become very shortly. Our opening game won't be the Hot Seat Bowl because one staff is new and one is relatively new, but it will be the Hot Potato Bowl, and that hot potato represents  volatility. You catch it, and the atmosphere surrounding your franchise will become potentially explosive, even if it's just a slow burn that leads to a big boom at some given point in the future.

The Panthers really don't have any reason to lose. Sam Darnold, Rhule or anyone can say anything they want, but the crystal clear irony of the game, and something akin to the poetic justice of victory makes the Panthers' game against the Jets a must-win game in my eyes.

What do you see?

This franchise and last year's Jags won the first week of the season. It's not that big. I'd rather win out at the end and start sluggish. If we start out on a high, that just means teams will figure us out and we beat the lowly Jets. Our early schedule is pretty easy, however. Team just needs to show signs of growth each week of the season.

[iamhubby1]

38 minutes ago, trueblade said:

Winning or losing Week 1 isn't a great barometer for the season. One year we beat Minnesota Week 1 with Chris Weinke as our QB and didn't win another game all year.

 

First. Valid point.

 

Second. You shut that dirty mouth.

[iamhubby1]

8 minutes ago, CRA said:

We play some stout defenses this preseason which will be good to see how Darnold fares behind our weak OL.  

Teddy was a check down king afraid to make the throws needed.  But I think it might be overlooked how him spending a couple years in the scheme and liking to get rid of the ball helped the O function last year. 

 

First thing first. How much do you expect Sam to play "behind our weak OL"? I am expecting they have a set number of plays for him. Once that is done, depending on the drive, so is he. We won't see much, but the staff will.

 

Second, we haven't done anything but practice. How do you know we have a "Weak OL"? IMO, you are basing that off your own fears of past lines. 

 

Whereas, I can speculate that, with our new additions, our line will be muchly improved. 

 

You say the glass is half full. Yeah, let's be honest, to you the glass is almost empty. I say the glass is near the top, and is in danger of over filling.

[CRA]

10 minutes ago, iamhubby1 said:

 

First thing first. How much do you expect Sam to play "behind our weak OL"? I am expecting they have a set number of plays for him. Once that is done, depending on the drive, so is he. We won't see much, but the staff will.

 

Second, we haven't done anything but practice. How do you know we have a "Weak OL"? IMO, you are basing that off your own fears of past lines. 

 

Whereas, I can speculate that, with our new additions, our line will be muchly improved. 

 

You say the glass is half full. Yeah, let's be honest, to you the glass is almost empty. I say the glass is near the top, and is in danger of over filling.

Well, to date we have literally seen not a single snap.   So preseason will be something.  We will finally get a look at something.  They will have to rep him.   And when they do….it should be against good fronts. 

Have at it.  Consider  the OL all pros until they prove otherwise.  I don’t view football like that.  Our OL play has been weak for years and we haven’t added the talent for me to magically claim it isn’t now. 
 

 

[Mother Grabber]

30 minutes ago, My Chuck Dont Matter said:

Must win game? Lol. The Jets secondary is so bad. They have no corners. It’s a game we should win easily. If we lose, Panthers fans better start looking at QB prospects and head coach candidates 

so you’re saying it is a must win then

[Wolfcop]

I think we win, but its not "must win". We could lose and still go 15-1. Stranger things have happened. 

[Basbear]

53 minutes ago, cookinbrak said:

Half the teams in the NFL don't win their first game every year. Look it up.

[Happy Panther]

+1 for must win.

[cookinbrak]

41 minutes ago, Basbear said:

That's why I said "don't win" and not "lose".

[Basbear]

6 minutes ago, cookinbrak said:

That's why I said "don't win" and not "lose".

I would have understood that if I could read...

[iamhubby1]

50 minutes ago, CRA said:

Well, to date we have literally seen not a single snap.   So preseason will be something.  We will finally get a look at something.  They will have to rep him.   And when they do….it should be against good fronts. 

Have at it.  Consider  the OL all pros until they prove otherwise.  I don’t view football like that.  Our OL play has been weak for years and we haven’t added the talent for me to magically claim it isn’t now. 
 

 

 

So your answer to "How much should Sam play?" is, they should rep him. That is short and somewhat to the point..

 

And because I am hopeful our OLine isn't "Weak", does not mean I expect them to be "All Pros". That's quite a leap there. I see your heart isn't in it. So I'll let you be.

 

I guess we don't have to save you a seat on the bandwagon then. There is still lots of room when you change your mind. lol

[Jon Snow]

No more than every other game.  They all are must win games.  Don't you how to football?