Guys, I know you all are confident, but...

[Blade]

This team is playing GREAT, right now.....

At home.

They really haven't done anything playing AWAY that would indicate us having the ability to go to the #1 team in the league's house and knocking them off.

We pulled two of those away wins completely out of their asses, and they were against bottom feeders. Even the Raiders gave us problems in their house.

I hope this team can pull out a win tomorrow, but i'm not going to be in "FIRE FOX", "CUT PEPPERS" mode, if we get our faces kicked in. I only get like that when we play like garbage against lesser teams; just like 90% of this board does.

You guys should be proud of what this team has accomplished thus far, and I hope we can turn our road woes around when it really matters. Playoffs are like a brand new season.

I guess the point to this thread is to not get all pissy if we lose, and to stop being so overconfident. It's good to think we can win this, but quoting blowout scores isn't realistic. This is a great team, who's mettle will be tested when it really matters; playoffs. This game should be a test to what level we're really at, and a learning experience.

I honestly predict second seed, and we play Minnesota in the second round of the playoffs.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm not about to predict a huge win, and what sucks the most about it is that if they lose, depending on other results they may well need to win in the final week just to get in the playoffs, and that's a road game too (against a division rival). Knowing how this team's fortunes usually go (i.e. down to the wire) that scenario is my honest expectation.

With all that said, the good of it is that they can put themselves in the driver's seat to not have to leave home at all during the playoffs if they can win one, just one, game against a quality opponent on the road.

Ultimately, you're either good enough to win it all or you're not. But if they want to pave the road and enhance their chances of getting to the big game, they really need to step up to the plate this Sunday Night.

If they can't do that, then it'd be hard to be optimistic about them being road warriors in the playoffs.

[panthers55]

I'm not about to predict a huge win, and what sucks the most about it is that if they lose, depending on other results they may well need to win in the final week just to get in the playoffs, and that's a road game too (against a division rival). Knowing how this team's fortunes usually go (i.e. down to the wire) that scenario is my honest expectation.

With all that said, the good of it is that they can put themselves in the driver's seat to not have to leave home at all during the playoffs if they can win one, just one, game against a quality opponent on the road.

Ultimately, you're either good enough to win it all or you're not. But if they want to pave the road and enhance their chances of getting to the big game, they really need to step up to the plate this Sunday Night.

If they can't do that, then it'd be hard to be optimistic about them being road warriors in the playoffs.

And that really is it in a nutshell. If we are who we think we are and plan to go far in the playoffs we need to win Sunday night. Will all be lost if we don't? Of course not. But it won't get any easier the following week at New Orleans and likely assures we will play on the road if we get as far as the NFCCG perhaps against these same Giants.

If we can pull out a win we set the table for the rest of the playoffs. We should be hugely inspired to win and give it our all. New York will likely be healthier the second time we play them if we get that far. Now is the best time to steal one from them and not even have to worry about NO.

[CRA]

I, for one, think too much is made of the home/road argument. I think it is more a matter of simply Carolina getting better as the season has gone along. We have 3 road losses, not a lot to base anything on.....then you factor in only one team has beat us outside our division. Divsion opponents are always tougher games even if the competition is down (doesn't apply this year) b/c of how well teams know each other. So in my mind, those that put all this emphasis on road games only have 1 loss to really back that up w/ . We won at SD which imo is a good win, at GB which is a good win. We played two different halfs in Minnesota......I think this team is good enough at this point in the season to put together two good halfs.........however, the game will come down to weather and the how well our backup DTs play.

[Mr. Scot]

And that really is it in a nutshell. If we are who we think we are and plan to go far in the playoffs we need to win Sunday night. Will all be lost if we don't? Of course not. But it won't get any easier the following week at New Orleans and likely assures we will play on the road if we get as far as the NFCCG perhaps against these same Giants.

If we can pull out a win we set the table for the rest of the playoffs. We should be hugely inspired to win and give it our all. New York will likely be healthier the second time we play them if we get that far. Now is the best time to steal one from them and not even have to worry about NO.

Throw in that I would just like for the home fans to be able to see another home playoff game and, possibly, the first NFC Championship played here in Carolina.

That would be one electric atmosphere (and a great shot in the arm for the fanbase).

[Johnny Rockets]

Throw in that I would just like for the home fans to be able to see another home playoff game and, possibly, the first NFC Championship played here in Carolina.

That would be one electric atmosphere (and a great shot in the arm for the fanbase).

If by God's will that happens and the Egales somehow pull it off to be the one's coming here ,I would sell both my children and my kidney to get into that game. It would be a fun time in this city.

[peppersnut]

This team is playing GREAT, right now.....

At home.

They really haven't done anything playing AWAY that would indicate us having the ability to go to the #1 team in the league's house and knocking them off.

We pulled two of those away wins completely out of their asses, and they were against bottom feeders. Even the Raiders gave us problems in their house.

I hope this team can pull out a win tomorrow, but i'm not going to be in "FIRE FOX", "CUT PEPPERS" mode, if we get our faces kicked in. I only get like that when we play like garbage against lesser teams; just like 90% of this board does.

You guys should be proud of what this team has accomplished thus far, and I hope we can turn our road woes around when it really matters. Playoffs are like a brand new season.

I guess the point to this thread is to not get all pissy if we lose, and to stop being so overconfident. It's good to think we can win this, but quoting blowout scores isn't realistic. This is a great team, who's mettle will be tested when it really matters; playoffs. This game should be a test to what level we're really at, and a learning experience.

I honestly predict second seed, and we play Minnesota in the second round of the playoffs.

Damn...this game has been flexed to tomorrow now???? Dangit :eek:

[rayzor]

playing at home is an advantage....that cannot be denied.

an even bigger advantage, though, is that we are playing the best football we have played all year and, arguably, the best football of any team in the league at the moment.

bigger yet....WE HAVE NOT YET PEAKED!

not all of our success can be attributed to playing at home. we are winning games because we have an awesome team and i like our chances here or on the road.

if this team was playing at the level they now are when we played minny, in tampa, and in atlanta....we wouldn't have had those losses and those close wins wouldn't have been close.

we are just now clicking and we are going to continue to do so no matter where we are.

this isn't a fragile group of players we have on this team who can't handle the boos.

they strike hard and fast the way they have the past couple games and they take the crowd out of it quickly. 4th quarter comebacks will not be happening because most of the crowds will have left.

i am confident, but i have reason to be as do we all.

there is no one playing better ball or is more together right now than the panthers.

this is unlike any team we have ever had here. enjoy the moment and the ride.

[Mad Scientist]

This team is playing GREAT, right now.....

At home.

They really haven't done anything playing AWAY that would indicate us having the ability to go to the #1 team in the league's house and knocking them off.

We pulled two of those away wins completely out of their asses, and they were against bottom feeders. Even the Raiders gave us problems in their house.

I hope this team can pull out a win tomorrow, but i'm not going to be in "FIRE FOX", "CUT PEPPERS" mode, if we get our faces kicked in. I only get like that when we play like garbage against lesser teams; just like 90% of this board does.

You guys should be proud of what this team has accomplished thus far, and I hope we can turn our road woes around when it really matters. Playoffs are like a brand new season.

I guess the point to this thread is to not get all pissy if we lose, and to stop being so overconfident. It's good to think we can win this, but quoting blowout scores isn't realistic. This is a great team, who's mettle will be tested when it really matters; playoffs. This game should be a test to what level we're really at, and a learning experience.

I honestly predict second seed, and we play Minnesota in the second round of the playoffs.

Don't look at just the numbers... I could easily say the Panthers will win because the Giants haven't won a home game in December since '05 -- thus meaning Panthers will win because Giants (to date) are 0-6 at home in December games since their last win at home.

I get what you're saying and all, but it's just as easy to make a case in the other direction. It's football -- any given Sunday.

[Mr. Scot]

Bottom Line: If we can't win this kind of game, it may be that we don't deserve to win the Super Bowl.

You either are "that team" or you aren't.

[monstercat]

I, for one, think too much is made of the home/road argument. I think it is more a matter of simply Carolina getting better as the season has gone along. We have 3 road losses, not a lot to base anything on.....then you factor in only one team has beat us outside our division. Divsion opponents are always tougher games even if the competition is down (doesn't apply this year) b/c of how well teams know each other. So in my mind, those that put all this emphasis on road games only have 1 loss to really back that up w/ . We won at SD which imo is a good win, at GB which is a good win. We played two different halfs in Minnesota......I think this team is good enough at this point in the season to put together two good halfs.........however, the game will come down to weather and the how well our backup DTs play.

I agree with you. The Panthers lost those road games because they started slow and played bad football, not because they were on the road. Historically, Fox's teams have been pretty darn good on the road and right now, they are simply playing better football than they were in the middle of the season.

[Delhommey]

Bottom Line: If we can't win this kind of game, it may be that we don't deserve to win the Super Bowl.

You either are "that team" or you aren't.

Meh. Bad breaks play a larger role than people like to let on.

NY couldn't win that type of game last year in the regular season, but they could when it mattered.

[Snake]

We will have to play top notch to beat them cause both teams want it. Losing our starters at the wrong time want help ether.

[jonbig04]

IMO LUCK plays a larger roll in these games than people like to think.