Panthers Fans Need to Adjust Their Season Expectations
by Jaxon on Oct 7, 2009 12:30 AM EDT
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PrintNow that our worst fears have come true, a 0-3 start to the season, it is obviously time to adjust our predictions for the season. I have to first admit that I never did a game-by-game prediction post in the preseason. I have to also admit it's mainly because I couldn't honestly predict the season game by game. It would have been too painful. Now I'm not saying I would have predicted a 0-3 start but I knew the Panthers were very unlikely to get off to a strong start after watching their preseason performance.
All is not lost though as the Panthers face better match-ups in the weeks ahead. Let's look at each of them and see if the Panthers can truly turn this season around.
Redskins vs. Panthers - Though the Redskins are 2-2 they have beat two teams that are a combined 0-8. They also provided the Lions their first win in 20 games. It's not hard to imagine the Panthers getting their first win this Sunday. Record 1-3.
Panthers @ Bucs - The Bucs are 0-4 and give no reason to believe they are on the verge of turning things around. The Panthers record should shortly be 2-3.
Bills vs. Panthers - The Bills have an unconvincing win over the Bucs and two bad losses to the Dolphins and Saints. It's mot hard to imagine the Panthers beating a team that struggles to stop the run (27th) at home. Record 3-3.
Panthers @ Cardinals - The Cardinals appear to be a shell of the team that made its SB run last season. Add in the fact the Panthers will want to exorcize some demons I can see a very inspired win on the road. Record 4-3
Panthers @ Saints - I hate to admit it but the Saints appear to be for real this season. Darin Sharper has improved the secondary and Drew Brees continues his good work. The Saints will be inspired to beat the Panthers who swept them last season. Record 4-4.
Falcons vs. Panthers - This is back-to-back revenge games yet the Panthers come out on the winning side this time. The Panthers have to know they match-up well with the Falcons as an inspired home crowd will watch a convincing victory. Record 5-4
Dolphins vs. Panthers - With QB Chad Pennington out for the season the Panthers will pack the box and look to stop the wildcat. Having seen it in the preseason they will be ready this time. Record 6-4
Panthers @ Jets - This game is one of the harder ones for me to predict. I think the Jets have a chance to make some noise this season if not for the rookie QB Mark Sanchez. I'm scared to think what Kris Jenkins will do to our o-line as he tries to send a message to the Panther brass. Conversely the rookie QB could have a meltdown, but I'm not seeing it deciding the game. Record 6-5
Bucs vs. Panthers - The Bucs put up a bit of a fight but still fall. Record 7-5
Panthers @ Patriots - This game is my upset special. Nobody but the Panther faithful will expect this victory but I think the Panthers will avenge their 2003 SB loss. The Patriot defense is not what it was and I'm predicting a late season swoon for the musket lovers. Record 8-5
Vikings vs. Panthers - The Vikings look very good with the graybeard Favre at the helm. Problem is he is bound to be hurt by then leaving the Vikings at the mercy of T-Jack. The Panthers avenge their loss to the Vikings last season. Record 9-5.
Panthers @ Giants - I would love another upset here but I'm not feeling it. The Giants have the Panthers number, a stout running game a d-line we can't keep at bay. Let's pray we don't see them in the playoffs. Record 9-6
Saints vs. Panthers - I'm think the Saints will already have a two game lead will have wrapped up the division at this point and have nothing to play for. The Panthers on the other hand will have to win to get in and then need help from another team. Record 10-6.
At 10-6 I see the Panthers getting the last playoff spot as two teams from the NFC East secure spots. Whether it's the Giants and Egles or Giants or Cowboys I don't know. I'm also seeing the Falcons and Packers tripping up down the stretch allowing the Panthers to squeak into the playoffs and go up against the 49ers on the road.
So though I'm predicting the Panthers fail to defend their division title they will still grab a playoff spot and opportunity to make a post season run that comes with it. You may recall the Panthers made both of their post season runs this decade from a wildcard spot. I realize is a Homer slant but its not a huge stretch is it?
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Love the Optimism
But wasn’t the title “Adjust (Your) Expectations?”
My preseason prediction: 8-8.
Thank FSM for the Redskins and that we don’t play Detroit this year (never thought I’d say that). We’ll never have to worry about that stain on our history (losing to a team that lost 19 straight), though I guess going winless is still a possibility (not going to happen).
My current prediction: Losses to Falcons, Cardinals, Saintsx2, Jets, Dolphins, VIkings, Patriots, and Giants.
Any team with a running game will shred us, and any team with a competent defense will keep us under wraps. This also presupposes that we don’t have any other crippling injuries during the season, which is wishful thinking, at best.
We’ll beat the worst teams (hopefully), and end up a respectfully bad 4-12, though we’ll be better than that record, and I’d say 6 wins is definitely reachable (though so is 13 losses). Finishing up the season in the lower quarter of the league will give SF another tool they need to compete under the new Singletary era, which is looking to be quite formidable.
My final prediction: This opens the door to a new Panther GM and coach(es).
by the bomb dot com on Oct 7, 2009 2:36 AM EDT reply actions
Errr...not sure on the grammer correction
Its not my forte’. So now your predicting 4-12? Wow…that’s pretty dour. So our 12-4 record last season was a fluke huh?
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Of course it was a fluke!
It’s evident even more now! They have the same team on offense(except Hackett), with the same coordinator but rank near the bottom of the league so far in every offensive stat. The cupcake schedule last year was a big reason for that 12-4 record. Now that they actually have to face teams with winning records, their true colors are shown. Their colors were shown all through preseason & even now! Theres no way they finish 10-6, they will go 0-4 to close the season after the bucs game & finish around 7-9, 8-8 at best.
"it's a bad day to have a bad day"
So the 0-3 couldn’t be the fluke? It has to be the 12-4?
Basically you’re saying the 1/5th of the 2009 season is representative of the team, not the whole season of 2008?
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
yes i have almost lost my tolerance for his pessimism
its evident on almost every single article
by carolinabrave89 on Oct 7, 2009 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
good stuff
I think we’ll go 9-7 and miss the playoffs. We could go 10-6 and miss the playoffs, too. I don’t think we lose to ATL and NO twice in the same season, no matter what our records are, or their records. I think we have lacked confidence and mental toughness, and Fox and Jake no longer have the confidence and support of the rest of the team like they used to. But all it takes to fix that is wins. We get 3 wins in a row, with the same philosophy and everything, and then everyone on the team believes in jake and foxy, and we have momentum and motivation. that will allow our performances to start to match our potential. we also have to remember, in my opinion, that only one team in the west will get in, the 49ers. only one team from the east will get in, the giants. and that leaves some combination of bears, vikings, packers, panthers, saints, falcons. only four can get in from this list, though. yes, i do believe the eagles will have a losing record with mcnabb, and they will go into next season with vick and kolb competing for the starting job. mcnabb may end up starting for tennessee b/c collins is old and young sucks.
I did one of those a while back
Didn’t post it here though. I have us beating the Jets as Sanchez hits the rookie wall, but losing to the Pats. I also have us beating the Vikes with Favre, though he melts down at that point in the season.
I hope you’re right, because my season prediction has us two games behind yours. I’m thinking 8-8 with losses to Minnesota and Buffalo.
I, as much as I don’t care for the guy, think Favre will complete the whole season, and any play-off games they may see. With Peterson back there, the load isn’t going to be too heavy. AP didn’t do too well against Green Bay on paper but I honestly believe that is the very reason Favre shredded them the way he did.
I also see Lynch & Jackson killing us. If we don’t straighten up, Jackson is going shed tackles like crazy and nullify any blitz we may come with on screens, meanwhile Lynch just continue to pound the ball.
I hope we turn around and I end up wrong about both.
On defense, we'll be different than last year
Last year we started out very strong and then got worse as the season progressed. This year I believe we’ll follow the Indy model of starting out poorly and getting better.
Special teams has nowhere to go but up.
On offense we still have all the pieces, they just need to put them together properly.
I expect to finish the first half of the season at 4-4 or 3-5. I hate to say it, but I can see a loss to the Redskins or Bucs. The Redskins because they always seem to have our number, and the Bucs because playing an 0-5 team with talent at their house is always dangerous.
If we do finish 4-4, then I’m thinking that barring injury we get a winning record this year. We’ll split with the Falcons, get swept by the Saints, win at Arizona or at the New York Jets (Sanchez will be done by then), and beat the Fins and Bucs easily. So there’s eight wins and five losses right there.
That leaves us with three games, at home against the Vikes, at New England, and at New York (Giants). I can see any of those three games going either way. Given how well Fox has historically the team playing in December, we should take one. If we take two then 10-6 may get us into the playoffs. I’ll be plenty happy with 9-7 though, even if the boo-birds won’t.
Ever get the feeling that some people actually want a losing record just to see if Fox will get the boot?
Yes some certainly want us to lose for that reason
but then they won;t be happy with whoever else is brought in if we don;t win a SB the first year. Some people are just never happy period. We could win the SB and they would bitch about “How we almost lost it” or “We should have won by 3 TD’s”.
I’ll be happy with just making the playoffs and giving the 49ers a 20-something pick. Those guys are really ticking me off, much worse then the Philly fans last season. The 49er blogger has already made a comment about us ‘losing every game’ but I’m resisting going postal so far…;)
I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com
Ask him how Crabtree is doing
And when next year’s pick under-performs you can always ask them if they want to swap for Brown, who should be a productive starter by that time. :)
Nice article, James the Aussie
A little Wednesday morning optimist. I think 10-6 is a little too much for this team. Jake and the guys do a good job to keep things close in most games, but for us to be better than 8-8 it would have required winning a few games that we shouldnt and we just let 2 of those slip away already. I do think as fans we will feel better over the next few weeks, but it is as likely one of those 4 teams will stick in there and win one they shouldnt.
by parkershawn2001 on Oct 7, 2009 10:04 AM EDT reply actions
Optimism suits you Jaxon!
I agree with everything you wrote. We really do have that potential, and let’s face it… we’ve already paid our dues to the injury gods. There has to be some bad mojo left for some of the teams on this list!
LETS GO PANTHERS!
Cat Scratch Reader's resident optimist.
8 or 9 wins tops
There ain’t no way this team is going 10-3 the rest of the way, although I’d love to see it. Let’s get 1 win before puting on the rose colored glasses. I can see getting 8 wins possibly, and 9 if the guys really turn it around, but that’s a best case scenario. beating the Pats, Vikes, and splitting with the Saints and Falcons? I don’t think so. I do hopr you are right though. If your predictions come true, I’ll be happy to eat crow!
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Go Panthers!
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