Mike and Mike have us 8-8 & 9-7

[CRA]

Who took a 2 win team to the Super Bowl in 2 years? Not sure if you mean Harbaugh but...

The 49ers were a 2 win team in 2005 and have slowly and methodically rebuilt it and the roster over 6 seasons before Harbaugh took over.

That was not a quick turnaround.

edit: Maybe you mean Foxy? Yeah that was a two year turnaround. We were actually a 1 win team and went to the Super Bowl two years later.

Yes, I was talking about us....Richardson knows it doesn't take years to turn a team around

[MHS831]

I think the schedule has a lot to do with this, but 9-7 vs. our brutal schedule shows more respect than expected.

 

However, last year, the Panthers lost games they had no business losing.  Atlanta there, Chicago there, and Tampa Bay, here.  Forget Dallas and Seattle, etc. 

 

2-12 in games decided by 7 points or less--that suggests our defense broke down.  Many of those games were blown 4th quarter leads.  I think the D just got tired. Yes, there was Nakamura's horrible technique, Norman's soft coverage, etc.  But the point is, this team was close.

 

We are better now at FS. (Godfrey>Nakamura)

We are better now at CB. (Munnerlyn, Florence, Thomas, Norman, Moore > Thomas, Dockery, Munnerlyn, Norman)

We are better now at SS. (Mitchell > Godfrey)

We are better at LB (Kuechly, Beason, Davis, Blackburn, Klein > Kuechly, Davis, Anderson, Senn, Williams)

We are better at DT (Lotulelei, Short, Edwards, Cole > Kearse, Fua, Edwards, Chandler etc)

We are better at DE (Simply because the DTs will attract double teams and our DEs are young, entering their primes)

 

We are better at QB (Cam is more mature and the system is simpler--give him more time to read)

We are better at RB (Williams, Tolbert, Stewart, Barner > Williams, Tolbert, Stewart)

We are better at WR (Smith, Lafell, Hixon, Ginn, A. Edwards, Adams > Smith, Lafell, Murphy, Pilares)

We are better at OL (Gross, Silatolu, Kalil, Williams, Bell > Gross,  Rookie Silatolu, Hangarter at center because Kalil out 11 games, Byers, Bell)

We are about the same at TE, maybe worse, unless BW continues to impress.

 

Special Teams (Gano, Ginn, Nortman > Gano, Pilares/Adams, rookie Nortman)

 

Last year's team literally gave away 3 games.  It should have been 10-6. 

 

I think we win 10 games--even with this schedule.

[Chaos]

I will agree with the 9-7.  It's the minimum water mark for a winning season and this team is capable of a winning season.

[CRA]

I would argue some of this we are better.

OL for example....2012 Gross likely was better than the 13 Gross. You can apply that logic to someone like Smith at WR as well. Hitting on WR....we are better at the positions that involve guys sitting on the sideline most of the games but are our every down starters actually better?

[AceBoogie]

I dont know if I would fire him strictly based on an 8-8 record. It would have a lot to do with HOW we lost the 8 games.

[therealmjl]

I think the schedule has a lot to do with this, but 9-7 vs. our brutal schedule shows more respect than expected.

However, last year, the Panthers lost games they had no business losing. Atlanta there, Chicago there, and Tampa Bay, here. Forget Dallas and Seattle, etc.

2-12 in games decided by 7 points or less--that suggests our defense broke down. Many of those games were blown 4th quarter leads. I think the D just got tired. Yes, there was Nakamura's horrible technique, Norman's soft coverage, etc. But the point is, this team was close.

We are better now at FS. (Godfrey>Nakamura)

We are better now at CB. (Munnerlyn, Florence, Thomas, Norman, Moore > Thomas, Dockery, Munnerlyn, Norman)

We are better now at SS. (Mitchell > Godfrey)

We are better at LB (Kuechly, Beason, Davis, Blackburn, Klein > Kuechly, Davis, Anderson, Senn, Williams)

We are better at DT (Lotulelei, Short, Edwards, Cole > Kearse, Fua, Edwards, Chandler etc)

We are better at DE (Simply because the DTs will attract double teams and our DEs are young, entering their primes)

We are better at QB (Cam is more mature and the system is simpler--give him more time to read)

We are better at RB (Williams, Tolbert, Stewart, Barner > Williams, Tolbert, Stewart)

We are better at WR (Smith, Lafell, Hixon, Ginn, A. Edwards, Adams > Smith, Lafell, Murphy, Pilares)

We are better at OL (Gross, Silatolu, Kalil, Williams, Bell > Gross, Rookie Silatolu, Hangarter at center because Kalil out 11 games, Byers, Bell)

We are about the same at TE, maybe worse, unless BW continues to impress.

Special Teams (Gano, Ginn, Nortman > Gano, Pilares/Adams, rookie Nortman)

Last year's team literally gave away 3 games. It should have been 10-6.

I think we win 10 games--even with this schedule.

This is in line with my train of thought regarding this season.

[MHS831]

This is in line with my train of thought regarding this season.

Thanks.  All you can do is improve,and conisdering that we were $16 million over the cap and only had 5 draft picks, you have to admire the position Gettlemen has us in. 

[Jackofalltrades]

Meow hooked me up, thanks man!

[MadHatter]

I think the schedule has a lot to do with this, but 9-7 vs. our brutal schedule shows more respect than expected.

 

However, last year, the Panthers lost games they had no business losing.  Atlanta there, Chicago there, and Tampa Bay, here.  Forget Dallas and Seattle, etc. 

 

2-12 in games decided by 7 points or less--that suggests our defense broke down.  Many of those games were blown 4th quarter leads.  I think the D just got tired. Yes, there was Nakamura's horrible technique, Norman's soft coverage, etc.  But the point is, this team was close.

 

We are better now at FS. (Godfrey>Nakamura)

We are better now at CB. (Munnerlyn, Florence, Thomas, Norman, Moore > Thomas, Dockery, Munnerlyn, Norman)

We are better now at SS. (Mitchell > Godfrey)

We are better at LB (Kuechly, Beason, Davis, Blackburn, Klein > Kuechly, Davis, Anderson, Senn, Williams)

We are better at DT (Lotulelei, Short, Edwards, Cole > Kearse, Fua, Edwards, Chandler etc)

We are better at DE (Simply because the DTs will attract double teams and our DEs are young, entering their primes)

 

We are better at QB (Cam is more mature and the system is simpler--give him more time to read)

We are better at RB (Williams, Tolbert, Stewart, Barner > Williams, Tolbert, Stewart)

We are better at WR (Smith, Lafell, Hixon, Ginn, A. Edwards, Adams > Smith, Lafell, Murphy, Pilares)

We are better at OL (Gross, Silatolu, Kalil, Williams, Bell > Gross,  Rookie Silatolu, Hangarter at center because Kalil out 11 games, Byers, Bell)

We are about the same at TE, maybe worse, unless BW continues to impress.

 

Special Teams (Gano, Ginn, Nortman > Gano, Pilares/Adams, rookie Nortman)

 

Last year's team literally gave away 3 games.  It should have been 10-6. 

 

I think we win 10 games--even with this schedule.

 

Spot on.

 

If we had been able to pull out three of the 5 games that we  absolutely gave away last year (Atlanta, 2nd TB, Dallas, Seattle, Chicago)....we would have been 10-6 and everyone talking about us as a contender this season. 

 

That is how close we were...and we improved in many areas. 

 

This team is going to make a lot of the "experts" look stupid this season.....even though making many of them look stupid is not really that big of a task.

[PantherPhann89]

We were better last year than a 7 win team and I think we're better this year than a 8 win team. We should come away with at least 10 wins this year. We'll have 2 or 3 wins just from playing through and not giving up on plays, like we did last year. There's a different atmosphere in Charlotte...win now!

[CardiacCats]

thats about what i'm thinking

[CardiacCats]

tbh i say if we beat seattle we'll make the playoffs, if not it'll be another bland 8-8 year or so

[CPcavedweller]

My fiancé and I have the panthers at 10-6 and 9-7. We haven't started our radio show yet but you'll hear it soon enough.

[CPcavedweller]

tbh i say if we beat seattle we'll make the playoffs, if not it'll be another bland 8-8 year or so

I would agree with you if Seattle was later in the season but the first few games are obviously not indicative of who we are as a team. I'd say by week 6 we will know if we will continue to struggle in close games or not.