Are we seriously the underdog with a 15-1 team at home against the 6th seed?

[Everfrost]

6 minutes ago, Camp Fodder said:

What was the spread the first time we played Seattle this year?

Closed at Seattle -7 . 

[*FreeFua*]

36 minutes ago, King said:

This team has won one playoff game in 10 years.

You people act like the Panthers have done anything to earn the nod.

Yep

[Ace_Aladdin]

10 hours ago, cardiackat88. said:

We will be the underdogs no matter what, for every remaining game we have. Get over it, and keep pounding.

Everyone will start respecting us next season , after we prove to the world that we can win a SB in couple of weeks.

[Daddy_Uncle]

Our guys play better as the underdogs so all these guys can keep tooting seattles horn and sleeping on us. Im fine with that

[stirs]

Media outlets and betting lines do not play the game.  The Panthers play the Seahawks tomorrow and Vegas nor Bristol will have a say in the game.  Don't be so worked up continuously.  Everybody wishes the game was here already and media outlets are picking both us and the Seahawks, big surprise.  They are doing the same for most of the other games also.  Chill

[VerticalThreat]

What is a 1.5 point favorite anyway? Who even cares? This whole spread crap is for Vegas. You either win or you lose (on the scoreboard). This team is 15-1. Not without flaws, but as the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs it is ranked as the best team and playing at home. That motivation of, "XYZ Network picked Seattle over us" or "We're not favored in this ranking" works Monday-Saturday. It gets you to put in extra reps or fuels you on a long day. Come Sunday, however, this team's rallying cry will be, "You are better than they are. Go prove it." That's all that matters, do they believe they're the better team enough to compete like it.

The rest of that stuff is for clicks, bets, and to get us through to Sunday.

[hepcat]

We got the monkey off our backs beating them @Seattle.  It's going to be a close game, but I don't think Seattle gets lucky again.

[Crazydounut]

12 hours ago, Wundrbread33 said:

I'm sorry, as I'm sure some of you are tired of reading/thinking about this stuff, but I honestly cannot believe we are sitting here at 15-1, as the number 1 seed in the NFL, as underdogs against the visiting Seattle Seahawks. (I know we are given 1.5 but you get what I'm saying)

 

I know they won the Super Bowl two years ago, and nearly did last year, but going 8-6 during this season (two wins against Pickles doesn't count) and being gifted a win last weekend tells me this is not the same team from the prior two years, and yet still, the majority see them walking in here and owning the place. Does the "what have you done lately" mantra only apply to some teams?

 

Honestly, all I should need to do to defend my team is point to "15-1" but people just give us no respect and act like it doesn't matter. Our loss to Atlanta "hurt our confidence" yet Seattle's loss to the Rams is overlooked.

 

It's downright disrespectful and I can't wait until Sunday at 4:30 when all these sons of bitches can pull up a chair at the all-you-can-eat crow buffet. Let's blow these bitches out.

1 PM game BTW

 

[CRA]

1 hour ago, King said:

This team has won one playoff game in 10 years.

You people act like the Panthers have done anything to earn the nod.

What happened 7 or 10 or 4 or whatever years ago means very little.  I mean what the heck does Jake Delhomme and John Fox losing in 2008 mean? What would it of meant today if they had won?

[pantherj]

People tend to remember post season QB play. Wilson has done better than Cam thus far in that regard. That effects the betting. We're the better team, and Cam is playing better than Wilson. That points to a Panthers win, but gambling odds are a little odd.

[Apotheosis]

If you are mad now, just wait until the Panthers win. Someone should create a "Excuses Bingo Board" for all the reasons why Seattle lost. One of the squares should read, "Back to back road games tired them out" another should read "It is tough to travel so far in so many weather conditions." The middle square could be "Panthers outplayed them and were the better team" as that illusive middle square.

[csx]

2 minutes ago, Apotheosis said:

If you are mad now, just wait until the Panthers win. Someone should create a "Excuses Bingo Board" for all the reasons why Seattle lost. One of the squares should read, "Back to back road games tired them out" another should read "It is tough to travel so far in so many weather conditions." The middle square could be "Panthers outplayed them and were the better team" as that illusive middle square.

They can say anything they want to. We will enjoy another week of football.

[Chaos]

We could be 50-0 with three straight championships and many would see us as overrated.  Our team embraces this and uses it to fuel their fire, so i say keep the haterade flowing. 

[Banjo]

I read this 10 facts thing recently. I haven't been following the board since last week, so maybe a Seahawks fan has already posted it: http://www.hawkblogger.com/2016/01/10-things-to-keep-in-mind-about.html

Quote

1. The Seahawks have played the Panthers five times in the last four years, and are 4-1 in those games

These two teams have largely been made up of the same players over the past four years, and have clashed almost as often as division foes during that time. More relevant than any game the Panthers played against the rest of the NFL, or the game the Seahawks just played against the Vikings, is how these two teams have fared when facing each other. Seattle has been the Panthers' nemesis.  

 

2. Carolina has played just 4 teams with winning records this year, and two of those teams were 9-7 (Houston, Washington)

Amassing 15 wins against any level of NFL competition is a terrific accomplishment. Still, the Panthers played the fourth-weakest schedule in the league this year, per TeamRankings.com. Give Seattle six games against the Falcons, Saints, and Bucs instead of the Cardinals, Rams and 49ers, and make Carolina play in the NFC West, and the two teams records would probably be identical. The best teams the Panthers played this year were the Seahawks, Packers, Texans and Redskins. Facing that kind of schedule and then having to face a team as talented and proven as the Seattle in the playoffs is going to be a little playing catch with your dad, and then having Randy Johnson take his place. 

 

3. The Seahawks were without Bobby Wagner, Jordan Hill, Frank Clark, Jeremy Lane, Marcus Burley, and Brock Coyle in the first game

The team that will travel to Carolina will be different than the team the Panthers faced in October. Six players, including All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and starting corner Jeremy Lane, did not play against the Panthers in the last game. K.J. Wright was forced to play out of position at middle linebacker, and Kevin Pierre-Loius started at Wright's customary weakside spot. How well did that go? Pierre-Louis did not get more than 13 snaps in a game the rest of the year, including games when other starting linebackers were hurt. The team turned to Mike Morgan instead. Marcus Burley is probably the least impactful of the players who were absent before, and he is still a great special teams player and sometimes nickel corner. Brock Coyle is such a key special teams player that the team used their injured reserve with designation to return later slot on him this year. 

 

4. Bruce Irvin has 7 sacks in 4 career games against Cam Newton and the Panthers, including 2 sacks this year

Over 25% of Bruce Irvin's career sacks have come against Cam Newton. In fact, he has had at least 2.0 sacks in every game against Carolina except for the playoff game last year when he had just one. 

 

5. Cary Williams does not play for Seattle anymore

Go back and watch the fourth quarter of the Panthers comeback against Seattle. Newton wisely found a weakness in the defense with the name "Williams" on his jersey, and targeted him relentlessly. That crack in the defensive foundation has been patched and sealed. Since removing Cary Williams from the team, the Seahawks have allowed just a 64.6 passer rating to opposing QBs after allowing 87.4 before. 

 

6. The Panthers are missing two of their top three CBs

Charles Tillman and Bene Benwikere are both out for the rest of the year due to injury. Tillman was lost in the very last game of the season and Benwikere was lost in mid-December. Cortland Finnegan and Robert McClain step in. Both were street free agents a few weeks ago. The chances for communication breakdowns in the secondary are increased when adding this many new players to the mix this late in the season. 

 

7. Carolina has played only one game this year where they failed to force a turnover, and that was against Seattle

The Panthers are tops in the league in turnover differential, powered largely by their sizable lead in takeaways. They have done a terrific job at taking the ball from opponents and giving their offense a short field, which has led to many of their blowouts. Seattle is among the best in the league at protecting the ball, and was the only team to keep the Panthers from feasting on turnovers this year.

 

8. Cam Newton's passer rating after 3 quarters in the first game was 15.5

The man who is almost certain to win the MVP trophy was 8-21 (38%) for 107 yards 0 TD and 2 INT through three quarters of the first game against the Seahawks. His career passer rating against Seattle is just 71.5, with more interception (5) than touchdowns (4). Yes, he had a great fourth quarter picking on Williams, but it seems generous to assume that one quarter is a better predictor of what we will see on Sunday than his other 19 quarters against the Seahawks.

 

9. The Panthers have only trailed one team at halftime, and at the end of three quarters this season: the Seahawks

New Orleans, and what some statistics show was the worst defense in the history of football, led the Panthers at halftime and ultimately lost 41-38. Atlanta led the Panthers after three quarters, and become the only team to beat them. Seattle was the only team to lead all the way until the fourth quarter. In fact, they led until just a few seconds remained on the clock. 

 

10. Carolina has faced just one Top 5 defense and one Top 5 offense: the Seahawks 

The last Top 10 offenses to face the Panthers defense were the Giants and the Saints. The Giants scored 35 points while gaining 406 yards, and the Saints scored 38 points and totalled 334 yards. The last Top 5 offense the Seahawks played scored 6 points and gained 232 yards.

I mean... it's a convincing case. Seattle is the proven team. It's no wonder they would be favored by the public. Nobody believes in the Panthers!