Expectations

[Rooster]

OK everyone, here's where we start making wacky predictions about how the upcoming season can/will unfold.

It's an interesting situations the Panthers are facing: after a NFC title game run two years ago and then an injury-marred collapse last season, much like what happened in the late '90s, the team's in a sort of limbo. There's clearly the talent present to compete with anyone - the Panthers still have a solid offensive balance combined with a few ferocious defensive Pro-Bowlers - but health, off-field issues and chemistry have always been problems no matter who's in the locker room. Can the Panthers shake what's become something of a curse for them and put together a couple consecutive successful campaigns?

The competition in the NFC has dwindled since the great days of Dallas, San Francisco and Green Bay. Chicago was strong last season but their inconsistencies have been even more glaring than ours. Seattle's become something of a contender but might've already peaked. Most of the other teams are complete question marks.

Let's look at the Panthers' divisional opponents.

Atlanta Falcons: With Vick indicted on dogfighting charges, that's sure to send ripples throughout that team. They're decent otherwise but have failed to make a deep playoff run since 1998. With no huge additions and a potential interruption to Vick's season if he has to appear in court, I just don't see this as their breakout year.

New Orleans Saints: Reggie Bush is their future and he's a bright one but the Saints are far from a sure thing. Their receivers are getting older and their defence has never really been tough enoguh to sweat much in the way of playoffs so they'll likely have to ride the running game hard. Look for the Kitty-Cats to clamp down on them - again, a potentially tough team but not one that's exceptionally scary.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Somehow, it seems that every single team in the NFC South has one glaring similarity; they all depend on their running games at least somewhat. Carnell Williams, Tampa's answer to this, has become one of the league's brightest young stars but as with NO's Bush, who's surrounding him? The Superbowl winners of old are either aging or elsewhere, and the Bucs' defence has taken numerous hits over the years (see: Sapp, Lynch).

The NFC South is a wide-open division that the Panthers can definitely win. the Saints took it last year but aren't truly capable of being that intimidating factor and the others didn't do a whole lot.

What does everyone else think? Did I make some horrific omissions? (Likely.) Anyone else really excited about the Panthers' ability to do some damage?

[boogiesdad]

I put us at 10-6. Second to NO.

Said to say, I have lived long enough to see the day, that I would predict the Saints to win anything.

[Hola]

i agree i see good things for us this year 11-5 should be the record. second to the Saints i dont think we will be to far behind them though i see them as maybe 12-4. the Bucs defence will be ready along with Jeff Garcia and the offence Cadillac had a sophmore slump but i think he will get out of it and they will do goo enough to help keep Grudens job. i think vick will get suspended and the team will be to innconsistent and fall on there face this year.
this is how i think it will be:
1-Saints- 12-4 (Playofffs)
2-Panthers-11-5 (Playoffs)
3-Buccaneers-7-9
4-Falcons-4-12

[Rooster]

You think the Saints'll be 12-4? I saw them winning 9-10 games...

Actually, what I was thinking was maybe both the Panthers and the Saints finishing 10-6 and the Panthers winning on a tiebreaker or something. Maybe Bucs at 8-8 or 7-9 as you said... I'll be interested to see how the Falcons cope.

[boogiesdad]

The Saints are just sick on offense. We are throwing a new #2 next to Steve. D Will needs more PT.

It will be an exciting race.

[SlicedBread]

I think we win 10 or 11 games and win the division. I don't think NO will fair well with a more difficult schedule.

[JoeyH]

campaigns?


New Orleans Saints: Reggie Bush is their future and he's a bright one but the Saints are far from a sure thing. Their receivers are getting older and their defence has never really been tough enoguh to sweat much in the way of playoffs so they'll likely have to ride the running game hard. Look for the Kitty-Cats to clamp down on them - again, a potentially tough team but not one that's exceptionally scary.

Not to nitpick but this is way off. We have some of the youngest recievers in the league and our only old one is David Patten(who won't even be starting.) Colston is 24, Meachem is 22, Devery Henderson(had the highest YPC average since 1989 last year). And why would the #1 ranked passing offense have to ride the running game hard? And the series likely would have been 1-1 last year between us. We played the last game of the season with our 3rd stringers against your starters.

[Rooster]

Oh ****, good points there, JoeyH. I was thinking more of Joe Horn, who's old as the hills and apparently now a Falcon to boot. I don't know much about Meachem or Henderson... do you see them as being good #2 and #3 WRs right away? There's obviously Colston but if the others aren't ready and he starts getting doubled, it could get tough.

My main point about your team was about the defence anyway, which is inferior to ours.

[JoeyH]

I think we will definetely get more production out of the #2 than last year since Joe Horn struggeled and was in and out of the line-up. Henderson most likely will be the #2 and he had like 700 something yards and 6 or 7 TDs last year.

No doubt you guys are in another league on D. However, look out for #41 Roman Harper this year. He will suprise some people.

[Hola]

You think the Saints'll be 12-4? I saw them winning 9-10 games...

Actually, what I was thinking was maybe both the Panthers and the Saints finishing 10-6 and the Panthers winning on a tiebreaker or something. Maybe Bucs at 8-8 or 7-9 as you said... I'll be interested to see how the Falcons cope.

i origanally thought they would be around 10-6 or 11-5 but now that vick is going to be suspended that gives them 2 more automatic wins lol.

[freakon0mics]

We win the division. Our only competition comes from NO, but I can tell the passing game is going to suffer now that teams are going to lock on Colston and that Joe Horn is gone. The league needs to watch out for DeAngelo Williams.

[JoeyH]

We win the division. Our only competition comes from NO, but I can tell the passing game is going to suffer now that teams are going to lock on Colston and that Joe Horn is gone. The league needs to watch out for DeAngelo Williams.

Joe Horn barely played last year and when he did, he sucked. Our passing game did not suffer when he didn't play.

[Rooster]

Your username's JoeyH and you're downplaying Joe Horn? Am I sensing a connection here?

JoeyH, how do you feel about the Saints' D? Think it can stop the Panthers' O?

[JoeyH]

Your username's JoeyH and you're downplaying Joe Horn? Am I sensing a connection here?

JoeyH, how do you feel about the Saints' D? Think it can stop the Panthers' O?

Steve Smith will eat us alive, like most dominant recievers do to us. Our D-Line is pretty good though, so our best hope is to get good pressure on Delhommie.

[NO-KG-AI]

Carolina is the only team I worry about, but it feels like the Saint's are being downplayed here.

We will be significantly better on both sides of the ball this year, and our schedule is far easier than last year.