Cosell: Cats a mirage

[Tinkerdog]

We are VERY predictable, only a fool would argue otherwise.

Predictable.... but VERY, VERY hard to defeat!!!

[grateflday]

This article is not entirely off the mark. I can see how he makes the statement about the run game being inconsistent. In some ways, at times it can be and not produce enough that is needed. I do not agree about the Jake thing. Sure maybe the Panthers could have used a first round or second rd pick for a QB but then who dont we have - no Beason, no D'Angelo, no Utah, etc??

As far as the Defense - he is right on with getting of the field on 3rd down, that has been an achiles heal of this team for years. I also do not think the defense is aggressive enought, and Peppers is more of a great athlete than great football player.

I also think the Panthers are easy to game plan for. On NFL radio they talk alot about how the Panthers dont care you know what your gonna do - they are just gonna come at you and dare you to stop them. In ways, I like that - but the problem is in some cased when the other team does thats it game over.

Overall the article was not that off - just not all what you want to hear as a fan - But I will take 9-3 any day of the week not matter what!!!!!

[SCpanther]

But he is not in the DeMarcus Ware or Dwight Freeney class as a dominant pass rusher who must be specifically accounted for in offensive game plans.

What a load of crap. Peppers has one fewer sack than Freeney (67 vs. 68). He doesn't have to be game planned for? I guess all of the offensive coaches we face are wrong when they game plan for Peppers then. This guy is a hack that doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

[blackandgold10]

The reality is the rest of the world (outside of Charlotte) sees it this way:The Panthers schedule has been less than impressive and whey they have played good teams they have laid eggs. For example, the Panthers have not beaten a team with a winning record on the road. As a matter of fact the 3 losses have been pretty much one sided.

In the 9 wins only 2 have been against teams with winning records and those winning records were also very unimpressive. The first one was against a Falcons team that has only beaten one team with a winning record (and that is the Panthers) second was against an Arizona team that has only beaten one team with a winning record and is very over rated. Less than impressive wins against the hapless Lions and Raiders don't help matters. I think a lot of people feel that even if the Panthers beat the Bucs they will most likely still finish with 5 and possibly 6 losses which would force them on the road against a decent team and they will be one and done. Not saying it will happen I am just saying that this is the perception with other fan bases.

[SCpanther]

Yeah, and a divisional rival fan is really a good representative for what other teams' fans think of the Panthers...not that people's opinion matters anyway as long as the Cats keep winning.

Oh, and the Panthers do have fans outside of Charlotte you know (all across both Carolinas).

[Peppers90 NC]

I think his evaluation of our run game is makes some sense. The hardest part of this article is having an outsider make these statements. I feel the same way sometimes during games. But what he calls inconsistency is really imperfection. We are not going to execute our gameplan every week. What we do know about Fox, is that he brings it in the playoffs. Jake is not great, but we know you don't need a great QB to win the Superbowl. I guess if he watched all our games consecutively, depending on the views he gets to see them in, I buy the inconsistency. But there are only two teams this year that have played better in more weeks than the Panthers. We will never have a 16-0 team under Fox, winning 11 or hopefully 12 this year, is good. Winning in the playoffs is more impressive than being in the top 10 for statistical and situational categories. Yes I would like to see us be more consistent in all aspects of the game. I just know that if and when we get there, the Panthers step it up in the playoffs.

[Delhommey]

The reality is the rest of the world (outside of Charlotte) sees it this way:The Panthers schedule has been less than impressive and whey they have played good teams they have laid eggs. For example, the Panthers have not beaten a team with a winning record on the road. As a matter of fact the 3 losses have been pretty much one sided.

In the 9 wins only 2 have been against teams with winning records and those winning records were also very unimpressive. The first one was against a Falcons team that has only beaten one team with a winning record (and that is the Panthers) second was against an Arizona team that has only beaten one team with a winning record and is very over rated. Less than impressive wins against the hapless Lions and Raiders don't help matters. I think a lot of people feel that even if the Panthers beat the Bucs they will most likely still finish with 5 and possibly 6 losses which would force them on the road against a decent team and they will be one and done. Not saying it will happen I am just saying that this is the perception with other fan bases.

I love your predictions.

[Woodie]

He is 100% right. I did not see one thing in that article that wasn’t accurate…nor do I see it as any kind of pot shot against that Panthers. Just a fair and realistic review of the reasons he thinks this team is not totally for real. I’ve read a lot of blind homeristic whining in this thread because someone in the media wrote an article that did not paint the Panthers as one of the glowing franchises in the league, but I have yet to see any legitimate argument against the article.

This was not some general blanket story saying the Panthers are not for real, it was a fact driven informed report on the current Panther deficiencies garnered from actually watching coaches tape of EVERY game this year. I’d be willing to bet that probably less than 1% of the people bitching about the article actually do more than watch the game once, let alone watch the coaches tape after each game to break down each player and position…and for those that do not know what coaches tape is, that is the tape that shows the entire field and play, not the limited view you get watching the game on TV.

For the record, what this article talks about is not the whole story (and he doesn’t claim it is), but he does an excellent job of identifying the main flaws on the team, and the biggest factors that may keep them from getting to the big game. Does it mean that things can’t change? No. But if we don’t make some changes, the likelihood that the Panthers will make the SB is very small. The bottom line is that I don’t think there are very many Panther fans that are completely content with how the team is playing…getting wins, yes, but not the way they go about getting them.

[bryn10]

loosing records beceuse of us

[ChucktownK]

Oh, and the Panthers do have fans outside of Charlotte you know (all across both Carolinas).

Nuh uh.

[Jangler]

I couldn't disagree with any of it. Why get mad about the truth?

All I could think of while reading it, was, this guy must be...

[ChucktownK]

SPOOOOOOOONNNN!!!!!! hahahaha

[Jangler]

he does look like The Tick, but it's actually Captain Obvious.

[MadHatter]

The reality is the rest of the world (outside of Charlotte) sees it this way:The Panthers schedule has been less than impressive and whey they have played good teams they have laid eggs. For example, the Panthers have not beaten a team with a winning record on the road. As a matter of fact the 3 losses have been pretty much one sided.

In the 9 wins only 2 have been against teams with winning records and those winning records were also very unimpressive. The first one was against a Falcons team that has only beaten one team with a winning record (and that is the Panthers) second was against an Arizona team that has only beaten one team with a winning record and is very over rated. Less than impressive wins against the hapless Lions and Raiders don't help matters. I think a lot of people feel that even if the Panthers beat the Bucs they will most likely still finish with 5 and possibly 6 losses which would force them on the road against a decent team and they will be one and done. Not saying it will happen I am just saying that this is the perception with other fan bases.

And the Saints have played an equally unimpressive record and have 6 losses.

If we are over-rated......the Saints flat out f*cking suck.