Can Baker Mayfield lift Carolina Panthers into playoff contention? NFL sources believe so.

[rippadonn]

[PootieNunu]

Baker can take a team to the playoffs, I just dont think he is good enough to take a Matt Rhule led team to the playoffs. 

[kungfoodude]

1 hour ago, top dawg said:

2-4? 5-7 is our floor. Hell, all we have to do is split with Atlanta and New Orleans to get to 2. The Giants, Lions and Seahawks should provide another 3. And if Baker is worth a damn, he should be able to find 4 more wins somewhere. And, honestly, we should be able to beat the Falcons twice (and maybe the Saints).

It's all academic until we start playing games. I don't believe it's impossible to have a terrible season, especially had we been facing the spector of seeing Darnold for most of the year(you have to assume eventually Corral would get a shot in that scenario).

My argument for the low win total projection is that our season's house of cards largely revolves around a bunch of "if's" panning out. If our OL improves, if our QB play improves, if CMC stays healthy, if our DL improves, if our LB's improve, if our DB's improve, if our OC works out, etc, etc, etc.

I just don't see enough of those "if's" turning out our way in one offseason for us to make that next step up as a team. 

We will see. I am perfectly happy to be wrong and watch winning football again. I just don't view that as terribly likely.

[CRA]

4 hours ago, mrcompletely11 said:

"sources" vs Vegas (the guys that do it for money)

 

https://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/odds/win-totals/

 

6.5

 

We would have to blow their odds out of the water to make the playoffs. 

Vegas also has Rhule as the most likely to get fired. 

I’ll go with Vegas over some unnamed PFF source.

Plenty of scouts and and other unnamed NFL sources also call us a clusterfug, a college clownshow, etc too

[*FreeFua*]

Baker would have a much better chance if Matt Rhule wasn’t his head coach 

Edited August 6, 2022 by *FreeFua*

[Sgt Schultz]

The short answer is yes, it can happen.  The longer answer is that there are a lot of IFs that have to work out in our favor for it to have a chance.  Among them:

• IF we have “even year Mayfield” in 2022 and he has recovered from his injuries,
• IF CMC stays healthy, even if his workload is reduced,
• IF the OL is played in their positions of strength and gels to become average or better,
• IF the DL is able to not be a mere object to be pushed aside or run past,
• IF the offense takes care of the ball and does not put the defense in situations that can't help but result in points, especially often enough that they inevitably result in a lot of points,
• IF our third year talent recovers from the overall sophomore slump of last year (and is put into positions to succeed by the coaching staff),
• IF the front 7 can cause some sense of urgency in opposing QBs,
• IF the WRs put up decent numbers as a group (partially a function of the QB),
• IF the TEs become something more than decoration,
• IF the secondary and LBs create some turnover and avoids giving up huge plays in critical situations,
• IF Rhule either transforms into an NFL HC or stays out of the way of the NFL coaches,
• IF the NFL coaches can step up their game,
• IF the coaches collectively do not look like deer in the headlights when things get tough, taking the team with them,
• IF the defense, in general, can develop an identity,
• IF the offense can sustain a few drives and answer an opponents’ drives by staying on the field,
• IF the special teams can, at a minimum, avoid being a liability.

It is a list that can apply to any team, but some of those IFs are of higher concern for us given last year.  I think are margin for the number of those things that have to work out in our favor is higher than most.

It does not take a lot to make the playoffs anymore, especially in a division where two of our opponents are either in complete rebuild mode or melting down slowly, and the third rests on the continued good health of a 45-year-old QB.  But, we have our own demons to exorcise.

[Snake]

I think the defense is so leaky and the coaching is so subpar Mayfield will have a good year and we will still have a losing record. Playoffs don't just happen. Takes a bunch of hard work. 

[Jay Roosevelt]

20 hours ago, poundaway said:

I think the "NFL sources" and others outside the huddle are more optimistic than many huddlers in general. 

Most human beings alive are more optimistic than huddlers in general.

[panthers55]

Baker is a franchise qb who has experienced success. In our system with a smaller ego and ithe motivation of a contract year, there is every reason to expect he will play his best. But the reason for my optimism is our coaching. Not rah rah Rhule but experienced NFL coaches like Campen and Wilks even if you aren't sold on McAdoo. This is the first time in Rhules tenure that we have former NFL head coaches on both sides of the ball. Such a change from proclamations like they didn't do that before so we didn't prepare for that from Snow or Brady. Or we didn't practice redzone plays. From what I have read we did lots of situational work already.  

I agree coaching will be important but it won't be Rhule that will make the difference.

 

 

[kungfoodude]

15 hours ago, Snake said:

I think the defense is so leaky and the coaching is so subpar Mayfield will have a good year and we will still have a losing record. Playoffs don't just happen. Takes a bunch of hard work. 

Well, do remember that each Conference got an extra playoff spot now, it is actually a little easier to back into the playoffs.

[pantherclaw]

On 8/6/2022 at 5:39 AM, BIGH2001 said:

It’s not a big stretch. A few things have to go right. One of those things includes Rhule being just a figurehead and not talking or coaching. On paper the talent is there to grab a spot l, especially in a 7 team field. 

The sheer stupidity of this post.  

 

[Mother Grabber]

baker mayfield + a significantly improved OL + a strong receiver corps

[Jon Snow]

He will have to play a lot better than he has so far to make a serious playoff run.

[top dawg]

3 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

He will have to play a lot better than he has so far to make a serious playoff run.

You don't think he has it in him? Just asking. I know you wouldn't bet the house on it.