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Bill Barnwell (Grantland) article on which teams should have more W's next season

Cary Kollins

By Cary Kollins,
in Carolina Panthers

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panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

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A big elephant in the room is not about whether we were unlucky in our close losses which should even up over time to closer to 50% but whether we lost for a reason which could plague us again. Did we lose because we choked or as a result of poor execution by players and coaches? If so then all the stats in the worlds are meaningless. What will win close games is good preparation and execution on the field by players and coaches. I hope that all the hard work over the off season has been designed to get off to fast starts and a killer instinct to finish off teams once we get ahead instead of prevent defenses and bend until we break crap. I think the first 4 games willntell us which direction we are headed.

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iamhubby1 Veteran

iamhubby1

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I've said it before, but I truly belive the future has already started. If we continue to build upon the momentum we started last year. This team is ready, and able, to take the next step.

 

With Rivera, and now Gettlemen, I believe the culture is changing. This team is good, and is getting better. And I can live with that.

 

It takes time for teams to learn how to win. We started figuring it out last year. I see no reason not to think they can continue that trend this year. This team has confidence and believes in itself. That is huge.

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iamhubby1 Veteran

iamhubby1

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A big elephant in the room is not about whether we were unlucky in our close losses which should even up over time to closer to 50% but whether we lost for a reason which could plague us again. Did we lose because we choked or as a result of poor execution by players and coaches? If so then all the stats in the worlds are meaningless. What will win close games is good preparation and execution on the field by players and coaches. I hope that all the hard work over the off season has been designed to get off to fast starts and a killer instinct to finish off teams once we get ahead instead of prevent defenses and bend until we break crap. I think the first 4 games willntell us which direction we are headed.

I've been a Lions fan for longer than I would care to admit. And I thought I had seen it all. But last years Pantherz rewrote the book. You cannot prepare for that kind of weird stuff.

We cut those weird azz, cost us a game, plays in half. We can be in playoff contention. To me that says more about our chances than anything else. We can compete with anyone. As long as the voodoo chile stays on the sidelines and leaves us alone.

Let the players decide the game. Not some fluke of nature. And we have a shot at being pretty damm good.

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panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

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I've been a Lions fan for longer than I would care to admit. And I thought I had seen it all. But last years Pantherz rewrote the book. You cannot prepare for that kind of weird stuff.

We cut those weird azz, cost us a game, plays in half. We can be in playoff contention. To me that says more about our chances than anything else. We can compete with anyone. As long as the voodoo chile stays on the sidelines and leaves us alone.

Let the players decide the game. Not some fluke of nature. And we have a shot at being pretty damm good.

I would agree we had some kind of bad luck last year esppecially in situations like in the Dallas game where we don't get the call on the mugging and then have get screwed on the next play which gave them the game. You cant script it let alone prepare for it. But in cases like the Seattle and the Atlanta loss there were clearly execution lapses by the offense and the defense that if we had prevented any one of them we should have won the game. In a number of instances our players did not rise to the occasion and make enough plays.

That is something I hope carries over from minicamp. Guys making plays on both side of the ball. I hope we have as much success when the pads go on. It seems players were saying that they haven't seen the defense making so many plays as they were this offseason. Hopefully is a tribute to the defense rather than an indictment of the offense. I want both sides of the ball to be aggressive and dictate the pace of the game. Something we have been promised for the last 2 years. Hopefully this year we fulfill the potential.

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Cyberjag Newbie

Cyberjag

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A big elephant in the room is not about whether we were unlucky in our close losses which should even up over time to closer to 50% but whether we lost for a reason which could plague us again. Did we lose because we choked or as a result of poor execution by players and coaches? If so then all the stats in the worlds are meaningless. What will win close games is good preparation and execution on the field by players and coaches. I hope that all the hard work over the off season has been designed to get off to fast starts and a killer instinct to finish off teams once we get ahead instead of prevent defenses and bend until we break crap. I think the first 4 games willntell us which direction we are headed.

 

That's the big point here.  Last summer Barnwell wrote an article similar to this one, but he didn't call out the Panthers explicitly.  Still, they were listed as both underachievers and unlucky, which suggested they would get a lot better in 2012, just as he's suggesting that they'll get a lot better in 2013.  He thinks that because they went 1-7 in close games last year, we'll get better.  We were 1-5 in close games in 2011.

 

I have all the hope in the world, but I think this has a lot more to do with the coaching staff and on-the-field leadership than stats. Or rather, stats reflect what we get there, they don't define them. 

 

On the other hand, maybe it could be luck.  In which case, we're sorely due for a change.

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panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

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It's a fancy way of saying that we're due for some good luck to come our way... if we even split the games we lost by one score or less we're talking about a playoff team right now. 

Luck is where preparation meets opportunity- Vince Lombardi

 

Luck, Sure.  But only after long practice and only with the ability to think under pressure,- Babe Didrikson Zaharias  (Golfer,Basketball, and Track and Field Athlete)

 

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ladypanther Grand Master

ladypanther

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It's all on Shula. If he can produce we are looking at a winning season.

 

 

its not all on shula, but ya he will be a part of it.

 

Shula has patiently waited a long time on this 2nd chance.  I expect he will make the most of it.  He is saying the right things and the players seems to be buying in.

 

I guess people have just totally forgotten about Rivera's game management the past 2 seasons. We need big improvements from him if we are going to win those close games that have continually eluded us in the past.

 

I am counting on Gettlemen's guidance to help with that.

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