2016 Panthers Schedule - Thoughts and Musings

[Jeremy Igo]

By now most, if not all, of Panthers nation has seen the 2016 season schedule. If not, here it be.... 

 

General Thoughts and Musings.... 

 

REVENGE

Obviously, the first game is huge. Not in terms of playoff potential as it is an AFC opponent,  but in terms of starting fresh after a Superbowl loss. Everyone is talking about this, and rightfully so. But what happens next is interesting...

 

HOME COOKING

Four... count them again, FOUR home games in a row. I know, I know, in Atlanta is technically an away game. But now in the Cam Newton era there is no friendlier place to be in terms of tone and proximity. Half of that place will be black and blue once again. 

Keep an eye on that Vikings game though... could be a surprise upset against the Panthers. That is the only one I am slightly concerned about in that stretch.

Bottom line... The Panthers really need to cushion their lead in the NFC South during this period. 

 

Halloween in the Big Easy

Last year Panthers weekend in New Orleans was pretty nuts. I met up with the Roaring Riot crew, had a few cocktails, and I couldn't tell you what happened after that if I wanted to. This year I envision the same thing, only with a Halloween theme as it is mid October. Things could get even crazier. 

Oh, and the Panthers play the Saints. That is a mark in the win column. 

 

At the Bye.... 

Week 7 brings the Panthers bye week. Not too shabby, almost in the middle of the season. Time for the Panthers to lick their wounds and refocus. 

Best case scenario the Panthers are 6-0... which would be great because there are some really rough waters ahead. 

 

Candy to Turkey

From Halloween to Thanksgiving things get more difficult, but still manageable. Three home games and one west coast game against the Rams who will be starting a rookie QB. Go ahead and mark that a win. 

Two of the home games could be problematic... Cardinals and Chiefs. Both playoff caliber teams. The good news is that these are home games and the Panthers should have the edge. It would not shock me to see the Panthers lose one of these games, the first home loss in quite some time. 

 

Efff you, Santa 

Next brings us the holiday season. This is the roughest patch of turf the Panthers have seen on a schedule in many seasons. 

Four away games. Two home games. 

The Panthers won't even be coming back to Charlotte for the entire week between the Raiders and Seahawks games. They will likely stay out west and practice at a college field.

On a personal note, Mr RoaringRiot himself and I have discussed just staying out west as well and making it a west coast micro brew road tour for the week as we make our way from Oakland to Seattle. That sounds amazing, not sure we would survive past Portland. 

The good news here is that the Panthers will have 10 days to prepare for that game in Oakland. I expect they will fly out a day or two earlier to adjust to the time change. That game should be a victory for the Panthers, but the next week in Seattle..... I don't think so. That is the closest thing to a sure fire loss I have seen on a schedule in a long time. Far too much travel and change to face a tough home team.

The last two road games are not awful, but at this point the Panthers could be worn down from the west coast barrage, making them much tougher. The Redskins and Buccaneers both could be playing for wild card spots at this point, neither are pushovers. 

All in all, if the Panthers can manage to go 3-3 in the final six games, they still should be in the lead in the division. 

I am not one for definitive record predictions as so much hinges on staying healthy. But looking at this schedule I would say 12-4 is a pretty fair prediction, give or take. Which brings me to my last point...

 

Pray for a first round bye! 

You can go ahead and consider a first round bye mandatory this year if the Panthers hope to reach the Superbowl again. I do not like their chances in the playoffs without one. The last portion of the schedule is extremely taxing. Not so much physically, but psychologically. Fans tend to forget these players have lives and families at home. Travelling and getting out of normal routines takes a toll. That said, if the Panthers can earn a first round bye this season, I like their chances. 

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[Saca312]

Panthers already as 3 point underdogs against the Broncos. Makes revenge ever so the more sweeter;

http://espn.go.com/chalk/story/_/id/15206861/denver-broncos-open-3-point-favorites-carolina-panthers-nfl-week-1

[Nate Dogg]

IMO if we get to the bye week 6-0 I'm thinking 14-2. 13-3 if we head into the bye week 5-1. 12-4 is the worst case scenario if the ball just really doesn't bounce our way in tight games. If the ball does bounce our way and we slip out of @ New Orleans, @ Oakland, and @ Seattle with Ws then 16-0 is a real possibility. Our boys will be motivated to finish it off this time.

Everybody keeps talking about the back-to-back west coast trips with fear similar to our 4 game October stretch last year. I'm really not worried about it. The Oakland game is coming off a long week after TNF. That's essentially a 2nd bye before our most crucial stretch and we should have extra preparation for them. And I don't see us having any difficulties at all getting hyped for a game against Seattle on prime time. We really don't like them.

 

[The_Rainmaker]

15 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

Efff you, Santa 

Next brings us the holiday season. This is the roughest patch of turf the Panthers have seen on a schedule in many seasons. 

Four away games. Two home games. 

The Panthers won't even be coming back to Charlotte for the entire week between the Raiders and Seahawks games. They will likely stay out west and practice at a college field.

On a personal note, Mr RoaringRiot himself and I have discussed just staying out west as well and making it a west coast micro brew road tour for the week as we make our way from Oakland to Seattle. That sounds amazing, not sure we would survive past Portland. 

The good news here is that the Panthers will have 10 days to prepare for that game in Oakland. I expect they will fly out a day or two earlier to adjust to the time change. That game should be a victory for the Panthers, but the next week in Seattle..... I don't think so. That is the closest thing to a sure fire loss I have seen on a schedule in a long time. Far too much travel and change to face a tough home team.

The last two road games are not awful, but at this point the Panthers could be worn down from the west coast barrage, making them much tougher. The Redskins and Buccaneers both could be playing for wild card spots at this point, neither are pushovers. 

All in all, if the Panthers can manage to go 3-3 in the final six games, they still should be in the lead in the division. 

I am not one for definitive record predictions as so much hinges on staying healthy. But looking at this schedule I would say 12-4 is a pretty fair prediction, give or take. Which brings me to my last point...

 

Seattle is a must win game especially if Panthers want to maintain a home field advantage against them in the playoffs. Nothing less than 13-3 minimum season.

[ctrcat]

I keep saying it but it's true, last year's schedule was tougher due to opponent QBs alone.  Doesn't mean we'll be 15-1, but we obviously are better on paper and most nationally have no clue how unstoppable KB will be this year.  We saw the improved KB in only a few plays last preseason but the vast majority don't know what's coming.

Again I don't love the back to back west coast games, but we could play Seattle in Timbuktu, the Moon, wherever, and whip the snot out of that OL they have.  The SNF environment won't be easy, but then again neither will Turner/Kalil/Norwell against their interior DL sans Mebane either.

Unfortunately attrition rears its ugly head to everyone so let's just hope we're healthy late.

Mission accomplished getting Denver off the bat.  Goggles/blood/guts apply.  

Edited April 15, 2016 by ctrcat

[ctrcat]

17 minutes ago, The_Rainmaker said:

 

Seattle is a must win game especially if Panthers want to maintain a home field advantage against them in the playoffs. Nothing less than 13-3 minimum season.

They have several games on their schedule tougher than any we have on ours.  @Arizona on SNF, @Patriots on SNF, @Green Bay in December.

[Montsta]

The weekend of the Oakland game I will show you guys a few of the great local breweries in the Bay Area.

But once you go past Santa Rosa, you're on your own. 

[OneBadCat]

Undefeated

[Servant of Cthululelei]

37 minutes ago, The_Rainmaker said:

 

Seattle is a must win game especially if Panthers want to maintain a home field advantage against them in the playoffs. Nothing less than 13-3 minimum season.

 

I don't know this is necessarily true, seeing as the Seachickens have an altogether much tougher division than we do.  They didn't win it last year and are likely not the favorites this year either.

[Dunn]

Honestly I like this schedule a whole lot more then last year with the 'murderers row' we had mid season.  

-Vikings I think we will beat without much issue.

-Chiefs...honestly depends on which team shows up...the one that went 3-5 first half of last season, or the one that 8-0 for the back half...seem a lot like we use to be...2nd half of the season type team.  

-Im ready to be done with Seattle games, honestly...once again will be a bruiser game.

-Oakland will be wildcard...if they have gel'd since last season even more, or if Carr has matured even more...could be trouble.

-Chargers/Redskins/Rams I believe will be good wins.  

-Cardinals will be tough because Carson isn't in the playoffs...regular season superstar QB but may still get nervous remember what happened in January.  

14-2

[the butch]

I know the Broncos are down this year, but coming out and stomping them could do wonder for this team's psyche.  We have been exorcising demons recently, if that trend continues for Week 1, it should give our guys LOADS of confidence in knowing they can get back to the big dance.  BELIEVE!

[PhillyB]

i'm glad we get two weeks to prep for the cardinals. that could actually be the toughest (and possibly most hyped in the media) game on our schedule.

[Arroz con Panther]

Four... count them again, FOUR home games in a row.

Damn, I stayed on this sentence for like a minute trying to figure it out....I should have read the next sentence first.

 

[manu4t]

I cant wait for the DEN game.  Von Miller has been such a punk since (and, well, before) the SB that I cannot wait for Remmers to get another shot at him and his 70's style Walgreen's glasses.  I hope Cam clowns him when he runs over him and goes in for his fourth rushing TD of the game.