Even though we're only 5-9 I feel like this has been of the best seasons ever

[Herb]

The close losses stung hard, especially earlier this season. I knew that if we didn't pull those out we were looking at a losing season. After the heartbreaking Vikings loss I officially expected a losing season. But wins and losses truly don't tell the whole story.

Winning in this league doesn't come easy. Sometimes luck is involved (and we haven't had much of that this season) but almost everything is earned with hard work and dedication. We have had a massive amount of drawbacks this season. The lockout, injuries, bad breaks. Our coaching staff and players have been great about not making excuses. It's true that every teams has to deal with these things, but it's also true that some teams are affected more than others whether opposing fans and teams like to admit it or not.

Let's just look at a few simple things. We were the worst team in the league last year, the worst offense in the league, and the most boring and hopeless team in the league. One player changed all of that -- our Cam! This is easily the most exciting and dynamic Panthers offense I have ever watched and I'm sure it's only going to improve.

Cam has had a lot of help though. I think Ron Rivera was a brilliant hire. And the best proof of that is the people who he hired. Chud, Shula, Turner as new guys and retaining Mills and Meeks just as a few examples. Not everyone or everything has been perfect. Our special teams has been rather bad and that falls on Murphy, and ultimately Rivera. But it is his first year after all. And without question the positives greatly outweigh the negatives and there's a lot more that goes into than just blaming coaching.

People talk about potential a lot, but what we haven't just shown potential. We've actually tapped into it and proven what we can be. The problem is that we haven't been consistently good. That comes with experience and time. Rivera and his team aren't trying to make a quick fix here. They're in the process of building a winning franchise that is going to compete for a Super Bowl year in and year out for years to come. I know it stinks to not be in the playoff hunt during December, but I can't remember a season where I was ever this excited in December and the Panthers only had 5 wins. 2002 was full of a good amount of optimism, but nowhere near what we have right now.

For the first time in our relatively short history we have a superstar QB. It goes without saying that it's the most important position in football. Cam is only 22 and has shattered all kinds of records and is only going to get better. For the immediate future we have a lot of talent surrounding him made up of veteran players who will continue to teach and help him and young players who will grow with him. And it's scary to imagine how much Cam is going to grow with a full offseason under his belt and another draft and free agency worth of fresh talent to work with. And getting Beaston back.

I have never been more excited to be a Panthers fan. It sounds silly to say, but we are seriously one of the most dangerous and explosive losing teams I have ever seen play. And losing 6 games that we led in the 4th quarter and being close in every game except the Titans brain fart it shows just how close we are to turning the corner. The Texans game was a huge win and will work as a great springboard for us.

The Panthers are back. We are going to be one of the best teams in the NFL for several years to come and there is a new word we're going to have to embrace, because it's going to change for us. That's 'consistency.' We've only known it as being related to disappointment and consistently being inconsistently good. Now it will take on a good meaning and that's consistently winning and being competitive.

[teeray]

Yo tambien!!

I do want to express a word of caution to everyone that is expecting us to be awesome next season. We need to temper expectations to avoid a major letdown if we struggle again next season.

But I am confident that when this thing finally turns it is going to turn in a big way.

It is so hard to be this excited about the future of your franchise and still be patient. But their are still a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball and Cam has to continue to progress.

But the future is very bright!!!

[Guest Irv]

i didn't read but im gonna agree with you anyway +rep

[pstall]

no

[King Taharqa]

I dont know about best, but this is one of the most important seasons in our history. And its more memorable than our other losing seasons.

[Argus Plexus]

Careful. Remember the end of the 2009 season? Almost everyone here, including me, thought Matt Moore was Jebus himself and at the very least a short term solution until we could groom Pickles, our "Long Term" solution.

Yeah, I know. Cam and Pickles/Moore are two completely different worlds of capability. However, the same rule applies. Don't get too hyped until we wake up one morning next fall with a positive record.

That's my policy, anyways. But I'm just a huddler. What do I know?

[panthers55]

It shows how far we have fallen when fans are excited about a 5-9 team. It was only a few years ago we were 12-4. Seems like a long time ago though and 2010 was a nightmare. I am excited we have a franchise quarterback but until we make the playoffs and win the division, I am tempering my enthusiasm.

[Davidson Deac II]

Sorry, but no. Future potential doesn't matter. Wins matter. We cannot predict what our future record will be, because as we have already seen, one or two injuries can change that dramatically.

Best season ever was the year we went to the Superbowl. Next best, the years that we went to the NFC championship game. This year doesn't even rank among our top 5 seasons.

[stirs]

Fail

"our Cam"

you have issues

[Way Truth Life]

no

[redbuddha]

I see know the problem with Old huddlers vs. New huddlers. New huddlers see unlimited potential, its like falling in love for the first time, they see a team with few or no flaws. Older huddlers have gone through the highs and lows, and now that they are skeptical of anyone new.

I challenge Old Huddlers to know, it is ok to love again. :grouphug:

When I first fell in love with football, it was during the Steelers heydays!

You loved all of the characters, Mean Joe Greene, Bradshaw, Swann, Stallworth, Hamm.

Now my new love is the Panthers. I love the Offensive Scheme, I love that our coach looks like Castillo from Miami Vice. Cause Castillo was a mf'n Samurai. I love that Smitty is crazy and will attack his own players, I love that Cam loves the game of football like a little kid, and my hope is that once this offense is tied to a quality RR defense, that know one can stop them.

Just like my old love the Steelers.

The one thing I know about the Panthers, is that last year, you were the ugly girl at the high school, but when you came out this year, you were the baddest bi... on the block.

[Neylus]

Stopped reading at "our Cam"...barf.

[rayzor]

wins/playoffss/lombardi are always the #1 thing i hope for each year. this year i didn't expect it. still wanted it, though.

i had other things that i wanted to see aside from the wins.

i wanted to see flashes of potential greatness and a QB that was learning his job.

i wanted to see a coaching staff that could make adjustments and lay out an aggressive and creative gameplan.

i wanted to see us be competitive, even if it resulted in a loss.

i wanted to see this team hungry.

i've seen all of these things and more and i couldn't be more excited about the potential in this team.

i don't know about this being one of the best years ever for the panthers, but i think it was one of the most important and the team's best years lie ahead.

[Miguel O'Hara]

This has deff been the best 'losing' season we have had, but i would much rather be a boring 12-4 than an exciting 5-11/6-10/7-9