The Panther Advantage

[N1kkadeemuz]

Strength of schedule is like predicting the weather, the news says this, the paper says that, all you see is sunny skies and then bam!! the kool aid guy busts your wall down..haha you didn't see that one coming did ya.

[Happy Panther]

We all know this is the slowest time of the year for NFL. Hockey just crown their Champion and barring a miracle the NBA will crown theirs sometime this week. The college world series is in full swing. NFL news stories are slim and none. So I read what I can from NFL.com and other sites I wonder into.

One thing got me thinking was what our advantage was going into 09. Reading Clevelands woos about their OL and DL. Hearing how this O-linemen is gonna fit here and this one is gonna fit there. It made me believe our advantage is our chemisty is already set. Our summer school is shaking off the rust, lubricating our machine and fine tuning it.

This is going to provide a huge dividend in the 1/2 of the season. While other teams are getting their chemisty just right. We are already cruising along. Barring injury our OLine is going to be well ahead of other teams. I would think this would equate to one or two extra wins before mid season.

Agreed?

As critical as I have been of the Cats, I think this is a great point. The biggest question marks we have (assuming peppers is back and Delhommes last game was a fluke) is the secondary...which has some nice potential. Ok and maybe the #2 WR.

But many teams have some glaring holes.

[bleys]

The steelers have the number one defense in the league, a top 10 QB, and a very good recieving core and running back tandem. Our defense and is no where close to where they are and our QB is an aging has been. We arent equipped to handle a schedule like this they way the steelers were. If the defense can make a huge turn around from the last 2 years then maybe I like our chances. But as long as Fox has control over it and continues to over rule everything Ron Meeks does the way he does with every coordinator then we can expect the same bend but dont break philsophy that we are used to.

Thank god there is a thing called reality... Your world would be hell to live in...

[Gman was right]

Thank god there is a thing called reality... Your world would be hell to live in...

I agree, thank god there is a thing called reality. I choose to live in that world instead of in denial.

[BlindSite]

Chemistry we have will be a huge advantage. We can always expect to see teams with a high turnover rate on either side of the ball having some struggles. It also means that the transition to a new defense will be much easier.

The thing I do worry about is, our defensive line wasn't that amazing last year for a long stretch and we don't have a whole lot of depth on the line. I'm praying for health.

[mantal]

What??? Did you run out of troll pictures to post?

Strength of schedule is factor wether you want to accept it or not. It just is. This is the first time in 7 years that I am predicting a losing record for the panthers. This schedule is just too brutal and our schemes are way too predictable and way too conservative to be able to handle it. I hope like hell that I am wrong but I have to go with my gut feeling. Im not going to overlook these issues just because alll these insecure little homers like yourself want me to.

But you have no idea, no idea at all. Sure, you've predicted it, but that doesn't make it reality. Training camp has not even opened. I'll go for the optimist side at this point...

[Gman was right]

But you have no idea, no idea at all. Sure, you've predicted it, but that doesn't make it reality. Training camp has not even opened. I'll go for the optimist side at this point...

And just because you predict otherwise doesnt make it reality either. Im going based on what the facts are! Not on being a homer! Fact is this schedule will be brutal! The fact is this team always underacheives after a winning season. Fact is, we had one of the easiest schedules in the league last year. Fact is, you are living in denial.

[panthers55]

And just because you predict otherwise doesnt make it reality either. Im going based on what the facts are! Not on being a homer! Fact is this schedule will be brutal! The fact is this team always underacheives after a winning season. Fact is, we had one of the easiest schedules in the league last year. Fact is, you are living in denial.

The facts are that our schedule based on how we have traditionally done against the NFC East in particular should be tough. The division was tough last year and should be tougher this year. The AFC East will be tough as well.

It doesn't mean that we will do poorly or that what has happened in the past is destined to continue. Seems to me that we actually play up to the level of our competition. We seem to play the tough teams pretty well and often play poorly against traditionally weak teams. Look at Detroit and the Raiders last year. We played some of our poorest football in those games, Meanwhile except for some D line injuries we were tough at the end last year against some tough teams. I think we will give every team a tough test this year and win at least 10. I believe we will be consistent and Jake will be fully recovered.

I can make a case that my reality is every bit as factual as yours and that my outcome is as likely as your prediction of a 7-9 season. Given that we have only had 2 winning seasons which have been followed by non winning seasons (and they barely qualify at 7-9 and 8-8) in Fox's era, that is hardly overwhelming evidence. If we fall down this year then it may mean more, but I think we will turn it around. Might be the homer in me but for the life of me I can't see how that is so bad a thing. You say it as if it is a bad thing when for me if you are a Panther's fan then you are a homer to a certain extent.

[Gman was right]

The facts are that our schedule based on how we have traditionally done against the NFC East in particular should be tough. The division was tough last year and should be tougher this year. The AFC East will be tough as well.

It doesn't mean that we will do poorly or that what has happened in the past is destined to continue. Seems to me that we actually play up to the level of our competition. We seem to play the tough teams pretty well and often play poorly against traditionally weak teams. Look at Detroit and the Raiders last year. We played some of our poorest football in those games, Meanwhile except for some D line injuries we were tough at the end last year against some tough teams. I think we will give every team a tough test this year and win at least 10. I believe we will be consistent and Jake will be fully recovered.

I can make a case that my reality is every bit as factual as yours and that my outcome is as likely as your prediction of a 7-9 season. Given that we have only had 2 winning seasons which have been followed by non winning seasons (and they barely qualify at 7-9 and 8-8) in Fox's era, that is hardly overwhelming evidence. If we fall down this year then it may mean more, but I think we will turn it around. Might be the homer in me but for the life of me I can't see how that is so bad a thing. You say it as if it is a bad thing when for me if you are a Panther's fan then you are a homer to a certain extent.

Your reasons are exactly my reasons though. The team is a pathetic 2-11 vs the NFC east over the last 7 years and 5-10 overall vs the AFC east. No matter how hard you try you cannot over look those stats and you simply cannot over look how tough this schedule will be next year.

How does 7-9 and 8-8 not qualify? They're not winning records correct? The fact is this team always under achieves after a winning season. That is another fact that cannot be ignored. They do not handle prosperity well. The team played well against playoff teams last year but they still had a losing record vs them.

There is nothing wrong with being optimistic or being slightly biased. Never said that there was.But there is nothing wrong with being objective either. I have every right to my opinion as well as you do. You guys have said numerous times that I was trolling for predicting a losing season when all I was doing was stating my honest opinion based on what I know about this team and its tendencies. So its only clear to me that its YOU who has a problem with me for having an objective opinion instead of a homer one. Not the other way around.

[mr beauxjangles]

quit equating the fact that we don't put much stock in preseason strength of schedule with being a homer.

[DaveThePanther2008]

chemistry is important but it wont make a difference. Not with this brutal schedule that we have. The only way we can get a couple of extra wins is if had a few cup cakes on our schedule this year. Unfortunately that wont be the case. We dont have any of them like we did last year.

You are dead wrong. Our entire Offense is intact. They don't have to incorporate a new player. While other teams are adjusting to the addition of new players our Offense is fine tuning a machine that racked up almost 32 points per game coming down the stretch. Have you have every played against a team that has played together before. If you have you would know what I am referring to.

It may not last but 4 or 5 games but it is there. If figure at least 4 games into the season we will benefit from this.

[panthers55]

Your reasons are exactly my reasons though. The team is a pathetic 2-11 vs the NFC east over the last 7 years and 5-10 overall vs the AFC east. No matter how hard you try you cannot over look those stats and you simply cannot over look how tough this schedule will be next year.

How does 7-9 and 8-8 not qualify? They're not winning records correct? The fact is this team always under achieves after a winning season. That is another fact that cannot be ignored. They do not handle prosperity well. The team played well against playoff teams last year but they still had a losing record vs them.

There is nothing wrong with being optimistic or being slightly biased. Never said that there was.But there is nothing wrong with being objective either. I have every right to my opinion as well as you do. You guys have said numerous times that I was trolling for predicting a losing season when all I was doing was stating my honest opinion based on what I know about this team and its tendencies. So its only clear to me that its YOU who has a problem with me for having an objective opinion instead of a homer one. Not the other way around.

Opinions by their nature are not objective. They may be accurate, informed or uninformed but not objective. The issue of you being a troll is not based on your opinion or that you take a negative or positive bend but that you feel compelled to post your opinion and then argue ad nauseum about it You berate everyone who disagrees with you all while protesting when people berate you.

That back and forth argumentative negative interaction is troll behavior not the fact that you predict negative outcomes.

[bleys]

Opinions by their nature are not objective. They may be accurate, informed or uninformed but not objective. The issue of you being a troll is not based on your opinion or that you take a negative or positive bend but that you feel compelled to post your opinion and then argue ad nauseum about it You berate everyone who disagrees with you all while protesting when people berate you.

That back and forth argumentative negative interaction is troll behavior not the fact that you predict negative outcomes.

what he said.. on top of that, you swear the defense is the same, blah blah blah and yet article after article another defensive player states it's totally changed. That my friend, is the troll behavior. And just an example. That isn't being "objective", that is trying to start arguments, because only someone "biased in negativity" is going to sit there and stubbornly say, "the defense won't be different at all"...

Sure, may be a similar scheme, as most defenses are. But that isn't your point. Your point is that Fox runs the team and that the players are all liars.

[mantal]

And just because you predict otherwise doesnt make it reality either. Im going based on what the facts are! Not on being a homer! Fact is this schedule will be brutal! The fact is this team always underacheives after a winning season. Fact is, we had one of the easiest schedules in the league last year. Fact is, you are living in denial.

I haven't predicted poo. You sure have, but I haven't. I am optimistic, you're not. I feel sorry for you that your outlook on life is to be "realistic" i.e. negative in every facet...