Yahoo's Shutdown Corner thinks we're the weak link of the 2-0 teams

[brandon_87]

16 hours ago, top dawg said:

Even with our defense, Yahoo Sports' Shutdown Corner is not putting too much stock in the Panthers' postseason viability. A lot of it seems to hinge upon our lack of offense and being in the offense-heavy NFCS. 

 

 

Anthony Sulla-Heffinger:
"As our colleague Charles Robinson wrote earlier this week, Carolina needs to find a way to protect Cam Newton. Considering how porous the offensive line looked against the Bills, there should be legitimate concern that we won’t see a fully healthy Newton all season, which means we’re one hit away from Derek Anderson and all hope going down the drain. In addition to the Newton issue and despite giving up just six points in two games, I’m not entirely sold on the defense being able to carry this team while Christian McCaffrey has struggled early in his NFL career. Combine all of that with a strong NFC South and I’m not sure Carolina gets in come January."

 

Jay Busbee:
"...That leaves the Lions, Panthers, and Ravens...All have glaring weaknesses, but if I had to pick, and I guess I do, I’ll say that the Lions will still be in the playoff hunt and the Panthers and Ravens will fade."

 

Zach Pereles:
"The Panthers have given up just six points this year. That’s the good. But the 2015 NFC champs won’t be around come the postseason. Cam Newton just hasn’t looked like the guy he was two years ago, and his favorite target, tight end Greg Olsen, just broke his foot. This is a playoff-caliber defense, but in a division with the Falcons, Buccaneers and Saints, you have to have a playoff-caliber offense to hang around, and the Panthers don’t have that. We’ll learn a lot in the next three weeks with Carolina hosting New Orleans and then heading to New England and Detroit for back-to-back challenging road trips."

Blake Schuster:
This is still a league where you’re only as good as your quarterback, and your quarterback can’t be truly great without a strong offensive line. This should make Carolina Panthers fans a bit reserved even with a 2-0 start. Watching Cam Newton get beat up by the Bills last week was gruesome from every perspective. And if that’s what Buffalo can do to the Panthers’ line, imagine what’ll happen they face the Falcons. No one wants to think about Newton getting injured, but having Derek Anderson or Brad Kaaya playing in the former MVP’s place isn’t too comforting a thought, either. Add in the loss of Greg Olsen for the year and you get a decent uphill battle for a team only two years removed from the Super Bowl. Life comes at you fast in the NFL. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/2-0-team-wont-make-playoffs-plus-ezekiel-elliott-give-191000111.html?src=rss

 

 

Although I am skeptical of the way our offense has made an accounting of itself the first couple of weeks, I still have to believe that the light switch will turn on, and that these chumps are just selling us short. Beating the increasingly hapless Saints who are but ghosts still trying to exist upon the offensive excellence of a few years ago will go a long way in the minds of many to conclude that we are for real. Beating the Patriots would give the Shutdown Corner reason to shut this poo down for good.

Perhaps I am just being homerish and living within a delusion, but defense still wins championships, and the thought of the historically bungling Lions, the historically bad Saints defense that finds new ways to hit the clay---hell, the lava below the rock bottom, and the yearly cycle of promising Buccaneers that always fall short, outplaying us with Cam and company (even sans Olsen) is a stretch. And, to top it all off, we very well could end up with the best defense in the league for those pretenders, and the rest of the league to contend with, so I almost think that it's somewhat disrespectful. Almost!

Rivera better not let Shula drive us into a ditch. We are just too talented on the offensive side of the ball, even without 88. I just don't believe our offensive weapons are that bad, but I do believe our defense may be that good. Tr o not make the dance is pretty much inexcusable (even if we are compelled to try Silatolu or Moton at LT if Kalil can't cut the mustard). I'm not accepting excuses! Playoffs, or bust (some damned heads)!

The reason for all the mixed emotions between panther fans is that we feel like we were promised some "evolved" high power offense, when in reality, it's the same bullshit but with new people involved, and it's old, and has been seen by the league for so long, it doesn't fool anybody.  Outsiders notice it and comment on it, and the fans that bought into the bullshit we were fed from RR and DG refuse to believe what everybody else that dent have their head in their ass can see. We need new coaching and a whole new offensive staff if we are going to be competitive on offense, that's just being honest. 

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, brandon_87 said:

The reason for all the mixed emotions between panther fans is that we feel like we were promised some "evolved" high power offense, when in reality, it's the same bullshit but with new people involved, and it's old, and has been seen by the league for so long, it doesn't fool anybody.  Outsiders notice it and comment on it, and the fans that bought into the bullshit we were fed from RR and DG refuse to believe what everybody else that dent have their head in their ass can see. We need new coaching and a whole new offensive staff if we are going to be competitive on offense, that's just being honest. 

Well, I'm not saying that you are wrong, or at least won't be wrong, but I think that the jury is still out. At the end of the day, we're 2-0 against some good defenses. The offense may not have evolved as much as we had liked, if at all, but coming off injury Cam did leave some meat on the bone both games. I have seen Cam play better, so I choose to believe that his mistakes were more an aonomaly due to rust than the norm. So, I haven't given up all hope just yet. It's still early.

[UnluckyCharms]

15 hours ago, ecu88 said:

A victory is a victory no matter how you win and stats should be an after thought at that point. Stats are just added bragging points.

I agree 100%. I'd take a 2-0 win every single game. It'd be mind-numbingly boring but wins are wins

[pepaw]

I'm not sure if the national media realizes how good our defense is yet.  Everyone wants more from our "O" but historically I wonder how many national reporters watch our team until they actually have to. 

[Randolph Panther]

Lets just keep winning and build some momentum, similar to 2015.  Those first four weeks of 15 we improved a little bit each week and at 4-0 shocked the world at Seattle. 

[brandon_87]

17 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Well, I'm not saying that you are wrong, or at least won't be wrong, but I think that the jury is still out. At the end of the day, we're 2-0 against some good defenses. The offense may not have evolved as much as we had liked, if at all, but coming off injury Cam did leave some meat on the bone both games. I have seen Cam play better, so I choose to believe that his mistakes were more an aonomaly due to rust than the norm. So, I haven't given up all hope just yet. It's still early.

You're 100% correct. At the end of the day, we're still 2-0, just would have liked to see more out of this team on offense, it's like... as fans. .. we wait all off season to see what we can do with the new toys, and to be let down with this crap that we've seen so far this year... it's frustrating  haha

 

Hell, even the announcers were wondering why we have so many play calls that have 2 wr's in the same area, makes zero sense... the play calling has got to change if we are gonna be successful and  achieve anything this year. We have all the talent in the world, but it has yet to be unleashed.

[Millioso7]

Blind fools.. this narrative is oh so reminiscent

[top dawg]

This thread is ostensibly about the writers, but honestly I started it because regardless of what they think I still have hope. I still have skepticism also. But, the bottom line for me is that I'm not going to accept not making it to the playoffs this year. I'm not. 

If we don't, I'm calling for everyone's head. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not like that, but I'm calling for everyone's head if we fail to make the playoffs this year. It would have to take an injury to Cam, or multiple injuries at other positions for me to stand down. I'm frustrated with being frustrated.

[DeeJay]

lol yahoo I don't know how they are still around

[CPF4LIFE]

18 hours ago, SOJA said:

I can't wait till we're the worst Superbowl winner of all time. 

This. And i will happily take it. I can imagine cam getting trashed for not putting up mvp numbers while winning a superbowl. "He was just carried by our defense." LOL. I can see it now. 

[ickmule]

Those concerns are all legit. I’m not yet sold on this team. The offense is beyond bad and Cam ain’t close to 2015. 

[DaveThePanther2008]

I don't recall which program I was watching but they had a segment on undefeated teams and of course we were the lowest ranked.   39% change of making playoffs.

Same thing in 2015.  We would be the first 3-0 to lose, 4-0 to lose, 5-0 to lose....down the line.   Most every team has had an injury so to put the sole reason we won't go to the playoffs because of Greg is dumb.

Ed Dickson has been a 50+ reception receiver.   He can fill the role and he has GO to help him along.

[CRA]

that is the long standing formula for Panther success.   We only are good when doubted.  Never good when praised early on. 

[panthers_fan_in_tx]

Lol just like '15.  Every week we were the worst undefeated team in history.