The Worst Stretch in Panthers History is Finally Behind Us

[3838]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

The Rhule era feels like a bad dream.

It wasn't just a bad dreamy my friend. It was a freaking nightmare.

[Tomcatn]

1 hour ago, Sean Payton's Vicodin said:

Great post, I went to a grand total of 1 game in the Rhule era just because I couldn't be bothered to make the drive just to see Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater suck ass. I am looking forward to many trips to the Queen city to watch CJ Stroud rip the Saints a new one.

I want the Cats to rip the whole NFCS a new bung hole!

[MVPccaffrey]

the number one QB could be a total bust and we wouldn't be any worse off than we were when Tepper hired Rhule, that's why I'm on board with the trade

[GRWatcher]

I purchased my PSLs before we played game #1, before we even drafted. The feel of 'newness' was awesome no matter what we did. I sold them when Tepper bought the team not because I expected us to be so terrible but because I retired and couldn't afford the season tickets any longer. 

That feeling of newness is back. And it feels so good.

[NanuqoftheNorth]

1 hour ago, Seltzer said:

David Tepper has made some missteps, but anyone who questions his desire to win and his willingness to do whatever that takes (whether misguided or not), is wildly mistaken. 

Agreed.

Tepper put his foot on the accelerator a few months ago and hasn't let up yet.

Buckle in Panthers fans!

We're in store for a wild ride!

[DavidEng]

On 3/11/2023 at 1:58 PM, Seltzer said:

Look, from the start, there is undoubtedly risk involved in trading away assets for an unproven QB who has never taken an NFL snap.  NFL history is full of examples of college prospects who never fulfill their imagined potential.

But after the past 5 years of unmitigated disaster (and yes, this has been the worst stretch in Panthers history), why in the world would fans not be onboard with a new approach?  I know the stretch from '97-'03 was bad too, but the franchise was still young, and we didn't have 3 years in a row where the season was over before Thanksgiving.  It's also almost impossible to go 5 years in the current NFL with 7 playoff spots and be as bad as we have been.  The lack of success combined with the Rhule clown show destroyed every ounce of goodwill built up by the Cam/Luke squads from 2013-2017.

I've been a PSL owner for 17 years now.  I wasn't at the stadium in 2001, but I know the past 2 seasons especially have been rock-bottom in terms of fan apathy for at least the past 20 years.  Something/everything had to change.  If you just watched on TV, it's hard to convey how bad and apathetic things had become.

Wilks did make things better when he took over, but overall attending games became almost chore-like.  No offensive innovation, no energy, and most importantly, not enough results.  The Panthers have been a bottom feeder, even with elite offensive players like CMC & DJ.  It's been 5 years of a hamster wheel turning, and it was time to get off of it.

David Tepper has made some missteps, but anyone who questions his desire to win and his willingness to do whatever that takes (whether misguided or not), is wildy mistaken.  You don't become a self-made multi-billionaire without having an overwhelming drive to be successful.

Firing Rivera and keeping Hurney was a mistake, and the entire Rhule era was overall a fiasco.

But here's the thing, Tepper learned from that experience, and everything that has taken place post- Rhule validates this.

Frank Reich was a homerun hire, but moreso than that, the extensive interview process really helped the team identify coaching talent, which Tepper allowed Reich the resources to go get.

Everything has been put in place for a rookie QB to be our next franchise guy.  Can you imagine a better set of mentors than Frank Reich, Jim Caldwell, and Josh McCowen?  And a top 10 offensive line is a luxury most rookie QBs drafted high can't dream of.  The Panthers defense is also far better than what many rookie QB's have to support them.

Yes, our receiving threats that remain are not impressive.  But with a lot of money to spend in FA and 7 draft picks, we will be alright.

I'd rather have Cam Newton with Ted Ginn & Philly Brown than Sam Darnold with DJ and TMJ any day of the week.  You should too.

I feel like Panthers fans have become so accustomed to failure and disaster that many of us just assume bad things have to happen to the Panthers.  It's almost like fans want to believe the team has no agency at all.  We have to get beyond that, b/c that truly is a poverty franchise mindset.

Tepper has finally enacted the right plan for the Panthers to take back agency, and to be positioned to dominate the NFC South for years to come.

It's ok to be excited, seriously!!  One of my best friends is from Buffalo, and my old college roommate lives in KC now.  You think for a moment they regret taking a chance on a QB?  Hell no, b/c there is no way else to be consistently good in the modern NFL.  You don't think Bills fans had come to believe for years that nothing good could ever happen to their franchise?  Bills Mafia was born out of the bond Buffalo fans shared through the 20+ years of misery.  The Chiefs have been intermittently good, but they historically played 2nd fiddle in that division to the success the Broncos & Raiders franchises had until Mahomes showed up.

The only way to become a coveted franchise is to have a franchise QB, and you have to be willing to take a chance to make that happen.

The Panthers have created as good of an environment for a rookie QB to flourish in that a team can provide.  Let's be excited and confident that the worst stretch in franchise history is behind us.  

We have actual professionals running the team now, and an owner who is willing to spend to be successful.  This is a good day to be a Panthers fan!

Seriously? Cam was an absolute disaster the last time he played for us. As for Sam Darnold, read this:

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2023/01/05/panthers-passing-offense-dvoa-sam-darnold/

I hope they keep Sam to help bring along the new draft pick QB.

The real disaster was of course Matt Rhule.

DJ Moore will be missed.

[Mr. Scot]

On 3/11/2023 at 3:19 PM, 3838 said:

It wasn't just a bad dreamy my friend. It was a freaking nightmare.

Doesn't even feel real...

[Seltzer]

On 3/11/2023 at 3:22 PM, MVPccaffrey said:

the number one QB could be a total bust and we wouldn't be any worse off than we were when Tepper hired Rhule, that's why I'm on board with the trade

100%.