Will the Panthers or won't they contend for a playoff spot

[ickmule]

This is .500 football team. If the rest of the division sucks worse I guess this club could back in. 

[KatsAzz]

If the Panthers were in any division other than the NFC South I would have to say they would not make the playoffs but since they are in this weak division, I give them at least a  50% chance of making the playoffs.

[Gerry Green]

I for one am not about to let the past dictate how I feel about the future. This team is set up to compete. And man, it's going to be glorious. 

 

If Bryce even comes close to ROY, we will be one dangerous team. 

 

The time of year where fans are allowed to be a little crazy. And we have a bunch of Huddlers who just can't seem to let go of the past. And isn't that just a little sad?

[PootieNunu]

1 hour ago, ickmule said:

This is .500 football team. If the rest of the division sucks worse I guess this club could back in. 

I hate to bust your bubble, but there arent any .500 NFL teams anymore. 

[Camp Fodder]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:34 AM, t96 said:

lol what, even with Dalton we'll be significantly better than 2010, what a ridiculous take. Probably even better than 2011 with Dalton too. We were better than 2011 last year despite trash at QB and coach much of the year. 

 

Panthers will easily make the playoffs this year if Bryce stays healthy, and possibly still make it even if he doesn't.

The reason the 2011 team lost so many games is that defense was horrible. The offense was good 

[t96]

14 minutes ago, Camp Fodder said:

The reason the 2011 team lost so many games is that defense was horrible. The offense was good 

Ok not sure what that has to do with my post or the post I quoted

[OneBadCat]

It really just depends on Bryce. This was a playoff team last year if they canned Rhule a game or two sooner. 

[Ricky Prickles]

I hope they do but also am trying to be rational in realizing we have a new head coach, new staff, new rookie QB and have new players all around. Just a great season of growth and development for the younger players setting us up for the future would make me happy but if we can contend then to me that is just an awesome bonus.

[ladypanther]

[Basbear]

8-8-1

I need to see game action, faaaar too much unknown.

[WhoKnows]

17 hours ago, Gerry Green said:

I for one am not about to let the past dictate how I feel about the future. This team is set up to compete. And man, it's going to be glorious. 

 

If Bryce even comes close to ROY, we will be one dangerous team. 

 

The time of year where fans are allowed to be a little crazy. And we have a bunch of Huddlers who just can't seem to let go of the past. And isn't that just a little sad?

Damn the irony, you really can’t let things go. That’s really sad. No one is in this thread saying bad things  just that we’ve got a shot because the division’s bad. Oh no, the horror!

@LinvilleGorge Is this guy who’s not around anymore and had a mental break when people weren’t super optimistic?

[poundaway]

We won seven games last year.

I will be very disappointed if we don't do better than last year. 

At 8-9 games you're knocking on the door.  If Bryce truly is who some of us think he is, yeah, we're playoff bound.

[Sgt Schultz]

NFL rules require the NFC South to supply a team in the post season.  We were a team with definite limitations last year, we got off to a horrible start, and still almost won a disaster of a division. 

I will be the first to admit that being a dogmeat division one year does not transfer over to the next, but the only two teams that were on any sort of upswing last year were the Panthers and Falcons.  Even with the Saints signing an NFL-caliber QB, I don't think the trajectories change.  I also don't think the Falcons made any huge moves to accelerate their upswing.  Last year was the Bucs last hurrah.

All that translates into the division being maybe marginally better than last year.  Maybe.  That also means the Panthers are a contender for the playoffs, by default.  That would be true if Darnold were still the QB and Wilkes still the HC.  It's certainly no less true with Young at QB and Reich as HC.

[OneBadCat]

We will contend and we will win the division.

This team was playoff caliber last year when it was handcuffed by dumb dumb HC Rhule. 
 

Fringe starter Sam Darnold was looking like a badass when we finally started playing to our strengths under Wilks. 
 

If Bryce Young is remotely close as advertised then we will be whooping a lot of ass next season. This is the best line and most effective weaponry we’ve supplied a QB since 2013.

Yall gotta start having some nuts . The Saints only win when the refs want to play storymode. The Buccaneers aren’t doing anything unless Mayfield goes dark knight rises on our ass. 
 

The Falcons are our biggest threat.