Eric Davis on NFL Network makes sense "Carolina will have a tougher road back to the Super Bowl, because the NFC is tougher than the AFC"

[d-dave]

Eric Davis usually has a pretty well informed and intelligent opinion, which is somewhat rare on NFL network...

I agree, to a point.  Now, I'll admit, there is a fair amount of Homer-ism involved in how I see the NFC shaking down.  It's also the NFL where nearly anything can happen, where one inch can make the difference between a great play and a missed down or turnover.

Arizona - they do have a really good D.  Getting Honey Badger back should be a big boost for them.  I think that Palmer has the ability to bounce back given how things ended up in Cincy and Oakland.  But lets remember how another savvy, vet QB who'd been to a SB, had success was after he dropped six interceptions and basically imploded in the playoffs?  That's a BIG question mark for them.

Seattle - they have to play AZ x2, the Rams' DLine x2, and they still have, to say very generously, a bad offensive line.  As much as we dislike Wilson for his dad jeans and white new balances personality (if I never saw him without a football helmet again, it would be too soon); he is still a real playmaker at the QB position.  His ability to throw up a prayer which is answered is kind of ridiculous.  While I'm thinking the Legion of Boom might be past their prime, those guys are still very good professional football players.

Green Bay - I think maybe we're underrating their defense just a bit, but I don't see why not.  The big things is Aaron Rodgers getting Jordy Nelson back.  Now that the band is back together, will they be able to do the same thing they did several years ago?  Who knows!?  

So there are some major question marks for all of the top NFC teams.  For us, we are still a team driven by Cam and Luke/TD (Let's be honest, they are like one player with two bodies).  We get our big WR back (I'm thinking all of this talk of conditioning is a smoke screen), we added a young speedster (who might be inactive, but he's there), and we still have Olsen who has amazing magical chemistry with Cam.  Oh, and Luke is one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and we are a top 5 defense with he and TD leading the charge.  I think Rookie CBs are a much smaller question mark than many of the other teams.

The NFL has a long, tough season.  Lots of things will need to happen to reach SB 51.  But I think that we have the team who can do it.  I think Cam, TD, and everyone else has a special motivation to fix their mistakes from last season.  We could be the best team in the NFL.  Or we could be the worst if they allow the pressure to crush them.

[UpstatePanther]

15 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

But this is a comparison of conferences.  And imo, the NFC east makes the NFC worst overall.

Side note... is anyone else happy that the media love affair with the NFC east is over for now? The whole division is irrelevant and therefore the media can't get good ratings talking about them 24/7. It's a nice change of pace

[caatfan]

8 minutes ago, d-dave said:

Or we could be the worst if they allow the pressure to crush them.

Good post until you ended with that. I see zero chance we're even the worst in our division. It would have to be all time record for injuries as well as awful performance for the entire season. I'd say worst case is about 7-9.

It always takes a little luck to make to the SB, just from the injury standpoint. Here's hoping we pick up a horseshoe and a four leaf clover in that dept. Talent wise, no reason we can't get back and win it this time, even though the consensus seems to be that the NFC is the tougher conference.

[d-dave]

1 minute ago, caatfan said:

Good post until you ended with that. I see zero chance we're even the worst in our division. It would have to be all time record for injuries as well as awful performance for the entire season. I'd say worst case is about 7-9.

It always takes a little luck to make to the SB, just from the injury standpoint. Here's hoping we pick up a horseshoe and a four leaf clover in that dept. Talent wise, no reason we can't get back and win it this time, even though the consensus seems to be that the NFC is the tougher conference.

Maybe a bit of a downer ending, for sure.  But it's something that the team and Rivera have been trying to fight all summer. I hope we don't.  I don't think we will at all.  But my inner skeptic is such a jerk sometimes =)

[shaqattaq]

50 minutes ago, nctarheel0619 said:

poo, we don't know that.  As bad as Jimmy G looked in the Preseason, they could go 0-4 the first four weeks.  

And still easily win their division.

[caatfan]

Just now, d-dave said:

Maybe a bit of a downer ending, for sure.  But it's something that the team and Rivera have been trying to fight all summer. I hope we don't.  I don't think we will at all.  But my inner skeptic is such a jerk sometimes =)

The history for SB losers over the last 20 something years is scary, but I think we retained a strong team better than most have (can't get over the Hawks with 15 rookies and 24 undrafted players), and I think our players and coaches do a great job with the mental part of the game. Avoid the injury bug and I see no way we miss the playoffs.

[nctarheel0619]

1 hour ago, Davidson Deac II said:

And yet Green Bay was named as a Superbowl Contender, and their defense wasn't much better than Pittsburgh's.  And unlike Green Bay, the Steelers have a running game.  With their offense, the Steelers only need a slight improvement on the defensive side to get past the Pats and Broncos. 

 

But this is a comparison of conferences.  And imo, the NFC east makes the NFC worst overall. 

 

 

You could argue the AFC South is worse then the NFC East.  

[Snake]

1 hour ago, nctarheel0619 said:

He was talking more Playoffs.  He's got a point, we'll have to go through GB, Seattle, and Zona to get there.  Just because the AFC's best teams are the Pats (Brady is turning 40 soon, Father Time is calling)and Broncos.  Name another team in the AFC that's a Super Bowl contender?  Oh wait, nothing?  Fair enough.  

Oakland could win the AFC West this year easily. Steelers have always been consistent as well as the Ravens. Colts will be in contention and will be fighting with the Texans who have a good team. Honestly it's just as rough in the AFC. Seattle is declining, I'm not even sure why we talk about the Cards because they always choke, Green Bay didn't even win there division last year to a slightly above average team. The only dominate team in the NFC last year was us. 

[nctarheel0619]

Just now, Snake said:

Oakland could win the AFC West this year easily. Steelers have always been consistent as well as the Ravens. Colts will be in contention and will be fighting with the Texans who have a good team. Honestly it's just as rough in the AFC. Seattle is declining, I'm not even sure why we talk about the Cards because they always choke, Green Bay didn't even win there division last year to a slightly above average team. The only dominate team in the NFC last year was us. 

Besides the Steelers, you're reaching horribly.  The fuging Texans?  The Colts with four Rookies on their Offensive Line?  The Ravens which won a total of 5 games last year?  The Raiders that have proved nothing since they went to the Super Bowl?  Like I said, you're reaching.  The Steelers have a ton of questions marks too.  Can Ben stay healthy?  Can Bell stay healthy?  Can the defense finally progress?  Things like that.  

[Mvp2014]

You had me at 'the NFL Network makes sense'

[2jakefansinva]

2 hours ago, nctarheel0619 said:

poo, we don't know that.  As bad as Jimmy G looked in the Preseason, they could go 0-4 the first four weeks.  

Please football gods.........make this happen.

nothing would be more enjoyable than listening to Pats fans bitch, cry and moan

about how they were cheated on the radio talk shows.

little karma

[thefuzz]

He's right, but IMO not for the reasons he laid out.

 

We will have a tougher time to the SB because it's unlikely we stay as healthy, we keep the no. 1 seed in the NFC, and we overwhelm our playoff foes this year.

We had as good of a chance as any last season to bring a Lombardi to the Carolinas.  We failed.

[Davidson Deac II]

1 hour ago, nctarheel0619 said:

You could argue the AFC South is worse then the NFC East.  

Perhaps, but the Cowboys are in the NFC east, and its just fun saying they are the worst team in the worst division.  :)

[davos]

I don't get the perpetual Packers love.  I know they have Rodgers but a lot of people seem to ignore they annually go through stretches (on offense) where they turn rather pedestrian and play just straight up average whether they have injuries or not.  They're inconsistent at the next level.  

I also think Palmer is going to continue "Delhommming" this season.