Games decided by a TD or less

[panther4life]

So far under Rivera we are 1-12 in these games.

How do you think we will do in close games this year?

[rayzor]

bound  to change unless he's still a dummy that thinks its a good idea to give the other team the ball with  a couple minutes to play and invites them to score.

[Squirrel]

A good defense will change that stat.

[rayzor]

A good defense will change that stat.

that will also change that apparent all so important statline of cam's, the 4th qtr comeback wins....that is if we let teams get ahead at all.

 

if this offense doesn't dick around like they did the beginning of last year and actually picks up where they left off and the defense shows the last two preseason games weren't an illusion and are truly dominant then this team should continue to have the lead going into the fourth and not let go of it.

 

of course a lot if that also depends on rivera's handling of the last few minutes if the game. do we keep the lead  and the ball safe and keep it in our offenses hands or do we risk losing  the game by giving the other team an opportunity to come back?

[panthers55]

It wasn't too many years ago that we welcomed the defense going out there to preserve the lead.  We didn't worry about whether we could hold a lead late.  Now we pray and hope we can hold them to a field goal.  Probably our greatest defense to me was in 1996 where you just knew the defense was going to make a big play or get a turnover to seal the deal.  We started somewhat slow that year as well and reeled off 8 wins in a row to finish the year 12-4.

 

It has been a number of years since we have had a dominant defense.  I am hoping this year is the first of many again.  Our offense is good enough to win if we are only spotting the opponent 17 points a game and are money in the 4th quarter. 

[RoaringRiot]

bound  to change unless he's still a dummy that thinks its a good idea to give the other team the ball with  a couple minutes to play and invites them to score.

 

 

Or calls a time out so the other team can get their field goal unit on the field and ready to kick.  

[Gucci Mane]

as soon as we stop playing 95 yards off the ball

[Louie]

Last season if we only won half the games we should have won we would have been about 11-5. I might be a homer thinking that with our upgrades on defense like Star, Kwan, and now Mikell will enable us to close out those games where we blew them in the 4th quarter last season. I really don't think 9-7 or 10-6 is out of the question here. With the signing of Wharton I feel a little better about the O line, not to mention the signing of Ginn for Special Teams and a 3rd WR. I feel more optomistic this year than I have in years. I believe.

[Squirrel]

Main difference between the 2002 and 2003 Panthers was the defense won the close games,

[KillaCamNewton]

or we had delhomme and stephen davis and not rodney peete and lamar smith ^^^^^^

[Navy_football]

Main difference between the 2002 and 2003 Panthers was the defense won the close games,

Very true. That and Jake's miracles. But, he was often the reason last minute comebacks were needed.

 

I stated in another post that the team will be better because they're not so young in key positions.

 

The only first time starters on defense are Star and Kwan. And they'll be in a rotation. Plus they're not your normal rookies anyway. Keek has a year of experience. Hardy is in a contract year. And the secondary has the veteran leadership they need to at least avoid the boneheaded plays.

 

Cam is going into his 3rd year - and sort of in the same offensive scheme. That alone makes the offense better. Add the fear of Ginn's speed on the outside. Smitty in the slot getting open and moving the chains. Amini and Bell with another year under their belt.  

 

The team should figure out how to close out the tight games. Just need to continue to keep them tight. And this defense gives you good reason to believe that'll be the case.  

[Swaggasaurus]

I feel like late in games under Rivera we would try to throw the ball 3 straight times inside the 10....like we have Tom Brady. I'm like bitch, we got Cam Newton the least accurate QB in the NFL on short throws...if he just falls forward three times we score. Maybe it was Chud not Ron Riv, either way someone is/was fuging dumb.

[SOJA]

Statistically speaking we're bound to improve just because of regression to the mean