Faulkner: Panthers to go 13-3

[Nick81]

It's a weird feeling to have a team that you legit feel could go either 13-3 or 5-11.

It's just pre-game jitters.  The butterflies will go away by halftime on Sunday.

[Argus Plexus]

This could happen. Or everything could go wrong and 6-10. Truth is probably somewhere in between.

[pstall]

You will be stunned.

 

Barring any significant negative change to the Panthers I have them at 5-3 on the road and 8-0 at home. On the low end 4-4 on the road and 6-2 at home. Now this is due to the Panthers young defense getting better, the offense having no significant drop off from the previous season, and a majority of the teams on the Panthers schedule in flux at several key spots. Quite a few teams on the Panthers schedule have actually declined in areas that were strengths from last season.

 

500 says they don't go undefeated at home. I will take that Pepsi challenge all day long.

[CPantherKing]

500 says they don't go undefeated at home. I will take that Pepsi challenge all day long.

 

Their home record last season was 7-1. DeAngelo fumbled the only loss away at the 6 yard line in week 1.

 

But that was all due their defense right? Wrong.

 

That horrible offense under Mike Shula, as some declare it to be, would never be able to go undefeated at home. Oh wait, they were that close against 3 defenses that ranked in the top 10 and 6 that ranked in the top 20. 

 

The Panthers offense scored 25.9 ppg at home. (38-34-30-30-27-24-17-7) How quickly we forget!

 

Comparable offenses at home to the Panthers: Packers, Colts, Lions, and Bears.

 

And we know this offense has gotten better in the running game and with bigger sure handed targets in the passing game. The one area of regression will be pass protection, but at what rate of regression, if any? The Panthers had an OL that could not pass protect well last season and they still produced because of Shula's offensive system.

[Ruff]

Byron Bell was graded one as one of the worst LT in the league during preseason. So, you know, 13 wins, here we come!

[Navy_football]

Byron Bell was graded one as one of the worst LT in the league during preseason. So, you know, 13 wins, here we come!

 

If Shula allows Bell to ruin this season like he did against the Bills, he needs to be fired. We have TEs and RBs that can help Bell against speed rushers. 

 

I could not believe he wouldn't give consistent Bell help against Mario Williams. I think Chud allowed Bell to get demolished against Denver in 2012 as well. You have to be realistic and face facts when a guy is overwhelmed. Just give him help or replace him. Nothing pisses me off more with this team than we they allow one or two defenders to completely disrupt the offense because of an obvious mismatch.