.500 is a number that defines a season. Any team above it had a pretty good year, and any team at or below it is either currently rebuilding or will be thinking about it. For the Panthers, being .500 was about an attitude change. A team that had spent the previous few seasons figuring out exciting new ways to lose was suddenly in a new and unfamiliar position of figuring out how to keep winning.
Currently sitting at 3-3 and without a division contest under their belt, Panther fans were still not quite sure what to make of this team. However, on the strength of two straight wins and the prior weeks "gritty" contest with the St. Louis Rams, there were good feelings in the air. We knew the defense was mean and nasty and that the team had swagger, but it was time to let the world know it on Thursday Night Football's national stage.
National television... unproven young team... short week... away game... weaker division rival...
It was time for the Panthers first real TRAP game of the 2013 season. Success is a funny thing, especially when you're talking about young talented players. They get in their own heads, and can sometimes get a bit aloof when everyone tells them they're going to win. When that happens games tend to get close, closer than they should be. A close win in this case is almost as bad as a loss, because you go in expecting to beat the pants off someone, barely scrape by, then all the sudden you and all your fans wonder if the team is as good as advertised. No, any old win won't do. You need to convincingly crush a weaker division opponent on national television, bring your team above .500 for the first time in years, and prove to everyone that "this team is FOR REAL."
And that is EXACTLY what the Panthers did.
The Panthers gave no quarter and showed no MRSA in a systematic dismantling of the Buccaneers. They scored a touchdown per quarter, and added on a Graham Gano field goal late "just for kicks" in a 31-13 rout of their weaker division rival. It was an impressive victory not from the standpoint of who they beat, but how they beat them. The Panthers played error-free football, and Newton continued his turnover-less streak to three straight games.
Newton was efficient, making smart throws while still picking the right time to break out of the pocket and make plays with his legs. His superior athleticism was key in the first quarter, where he stiff-armed his way out of a sure tackle and found Greg Olsen wide open in the end zone for a touchdown. He later would add a short dump off to Mike Tolbert for a touchdown, as well as another nifty run for a score.
DeAngelo Williams didn't get much work, gaining 43 yards on 8 carries, but did manage to contribute a nice 12-yard scamper for a touchdown early in the 2nd quarter giving the Panthers a more comfortable two score lead.
The defense only gave up two field goals the entire game until a garbage time receiving touchdown by Timothy Wright. Mike Glennon was harassed all day by Monsters inc. who combined for three sacks, and the Buccaneers struggled to find a ground game without Doug Martin in the lineup. Vincent Jackson failed to make a difference in the receiving game, partly due to the pressure on Glennon, but also thanks to a defining game from Melvin White. The UDFA was given a difficult task trying to cover a much larger foe, but did a great job on the whole.
If it weren't so fun to watch our team beam with confidence and play so consistently well, you might almost feel bad for the Buccaneers. Almost. But as it stands, the Panthers accomplished what they came in to do...
Get above .500... Check.
Don't lay an egg on national TV... Check.
Show your dominance and leave no doubt... Double Check.
The hype officially reached a fever pitch after this dominating performance, with Panthers fans of all walks coming to CSR to express their pride and celebrate with fellow fans. Cam Newton was voted the player of the game, and it wasn't even close, garnering 80% of the vote after going 23/32, 221 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, throwing for 2 touchdowns and rushing for 1 more. Some of the best tidbits from the game recap:
TXPanther posted this classic, which garnered a massive 80 recs...
via i.imgur.com
And allow me to also shower some praise on our defense.
Only the SECOND team, since 1935, to keep its first seven opponents out of the end zone in the 1st half of games? That is just remarkable." By Newsinz
Im not gonna lie.
Before tonights game, i was the most nervous ive been in awhile. And, that says alot. F-ing cardiac cats, still. By CARPAN
Robert Lester and Melvin White
Diamonds in the rough. By Will_Beasley
However, there were still some wary fans out there, as there should have been. We still had yet to get a quality win against a very tough opponent, and the game didn't go completely smoothly. There were some missed opportunities for turnovers, as well as a really bad drop by Ted Ginn Jr. Many fans raised this valid point, but it was perhaps said most succinctly by WoahCam:
I'm glad we got our swagger back
But we're still not a playoff team. ESPN and the NFLN are all over our nuts now, but all we've done is beat up really bad teams.
So far our Strength of Victory (record of teams we beat) is .185 (5-22!). That's the 5th worst in the NFL, behind the Eagles Giants Bucs and Jags.
Until we beat a good team, and hopefully we'll give the 49ers and patriots a run for their money, then i'll believe that this team will be playing in January. By WoahCam
It wasn't a big win. But it was a necessary win. Good teams beat bad teams convincingly. They don't collapse under the primetime pressure, and they don't let the game play out on paper. It was an important win for team and fan confidence, and would be just another notch in an impressive late season run that saw us lose only one game.
Editor's Note: This series is a flashback of the 2013 season game by game by new, aspiring applicant authors to CSR. If you find one that you think is well written please give it a Rec. We will use the Rec as one of the measures to evaluate and select our new authors.