Carolina Panthers in playoff conversation for a change

http://espn.go.com/blog/carolina-pa...panthers-in-playoff-conversation-for-a-change

Monday, October 28, 2013
Panthers in playoff conversation for a change

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By David Newton

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Seventy-one percent of those that participated in a Charlotte Observer poll late last week said the Carolina Panthers will be a playoff team this season.

Funny, 83 percent of those that participated in a poll for the newspaper after the team's 0-2 start said coach Ron Rivera should be fired.

The players didn't get caught up in the fire Rivera talk.

And they're not getting caught up in the playoff talk.

"I can look ahead to the Atlanta Falcons," running back DeAngelo Williams said of Carolina's next opponent after Thursday night's 31-13 victory at Tampa Bay. "Anything after that, I can't see."

Smart. It's way too early to talk playoffs, particularly for a team that hasn't seen them since 2008.

But with three straight wins and four in the last five games the Panthers (4-3) definitely deserve to be in the conversation as a playoff possibility.

If the NFC playoffs started today, the divisions winners would be New Orleans in the South, Seattle (6-1) in the West, Green Bay (5-2) in the North and Dallas (4-4) in the East.

The two wild cards would be San Francisco (6-2) and Detroit (5-3).

Carolina would be a half game out behind Detroit in the No. 7 spot, owning the tie-breaker over the Chicago Bears (4-3). Arizona (4-4) and St. Louis (3-4) are next in line.

The good news for the Panthers is they control their playoff chances, something they couldn't say the past three seasons after playing seven games. They were 1-6 a year ago, 2-5 in 2011 and 1-6 in 2010.

At 1-0 in the South after beating the Buccaneers, they still have a chance to win the division with five games remaining, including two against leader New Orleans.

First up is Atlanta, 2-5, after losing for the fourth time in the last five games on Sunday at Arizona. If the Panthers can get past the Falcons the playoff talk will increase.

Go panthers!!!!

panthers have had the easiest schedule in the league so far and are only 4-3. that's a very bad sign.

the combined records of the teams they've beat: 6-24.

here's their remaining schedule:

Atlanta - W
at SF - L
New England - L
at Miami - ?
Tampa - W
at New Orleans - L
Jets - W
New Orleans - L
at Atlanta - ?

that makes them 7-7 at best with 2 questionable games: at Miami and at Atlanta. they would need to win both of those road games to have any chance at the playoffs at 9-7.

the panthers have a much better chance at losing both of those road games than they do winning them both.

motowner said:

panthers have had the easiest schedule in the league so far and are only 4-3. that's a very bad sign.

the combined records of the teams they've beat: 6-24.

here's their remaining schedule:

Atlanta - W
at SF - L
New England - L
at Miami - ?
Tampa - W
at New Orleans - L
Jets - W
New Orleans - L
at Atlanta - ?

that makes them 7-7 at best with 2 questionable games: at Miami and at Atlanta. they would need to win both of those road games to have any chance at the playoffs at 9-7.

the panthers have a much better chance at losing both of those road games than they do winning them both.

Click to expand...

:smoking:

5-3

Love it.... Hate how they will be a dog for the next 2 week!!!!!

one game back of the niners, who is their competition?
cards, lions, and bears?

niners off the bye???

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=newssearch&cd=12&ved=0CDAQqQIoADABOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffansided.com%2F2013%2F11%2F04%2Fron-rivera-confident-panthers-can-make-playoffs%2F&ei=tUh4UoaLFZXI4APO74G4Aw&usg=AFQjCNGTeZ6CQw1QeTzrhsHYKoC3jxat5A&bvm=bv.55819444,d.dmg

[h=1]Ron Rivera confident the Panthers can make the playoffs[/h]

By Andrew Melnick - <time datetime="2013-11-04">Nov 4th, 2013 at 6:04 pm</time>
<nav id="nav-below" class="navigation-post" role="navigation">Previous
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</nav><!-- #nav-below --><article itemtype="http://nik.io/v1/schema/Article" itemscope=""> Oct 24, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera reacts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Carolina Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers‘ head coach Ron Rivera is very happy with his team right now.
And why shouldn’t he be?
His Panthers are coming off of a 34-10 beat down of the division rival Atlanta Falcons and have won four straight games to improve their record to 5-3.
“I’m confident in who our guys are. And I’m an optimist,” Rivera told Joe Person and Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “But the thing I want to stress is this is the next most important game we play because it’s the one we’re about, and that’s the 49ers.”
Many have questioned just how legitimate the Panthers’ win streak is – they’ve defeated Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Falcons during this span. None of those teams have a winning record.
However, as Rivera notes, you can only play who you are supposed to play.
Either way, the Panthers, who are just one game behind the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South, are clearly in the mix.
The Panthers will get a big test Sunday when they travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.
</article>

My man Chop should be very concerned that his team doesn't drop to a 5 or 6 seed...

Is there any good teams in the nfl what a mediocre league

Willye said:

Is there any good teams in the nfl what a mediocre league

Click to expand...

Seahawks look like the frontrunner to me...

Akillies said:

one game back of the niners, who is their competition?
cards, lions, and bears?

Click to expand...

niners and bear lose, panthers lions cards all win

Go Panthers!!! I will there for MNF!!!!!

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/s...xtend-franchise-record-winning-streak-2234371

9-3

Panthers extend franchise-record winning streak


By STEVE REED
Associated Press
Sunday, December 1, 2013




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<!-- end story pub share -->CHARLOTTE – Cam Newton walked into the press conference Sunday afternoon, flashed that familiar smile and gave a tip of the hat to his former college team.
“War Eagle. War Eagle. War. Damn. Eagle,” Newton said.
Less than 24 hours after the Auburn Tigers pulled off an incredible victory against No. 1 Alabama, Newton had another reason to smile.
Carolina’s third-year quarterback capped a memorable weekend by throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns, and “Superman” leaping over the pile for another score as the Panthers defeated Tampa Bay, 27-6, on Sunday for a franchise-record eighth straight regular season victory.
“It wasn’t prototypical, or the way we wanted to win, but we found a way to win and that’s the most encouraging part about it,” said Newton, who rebounded from two interceptions earlier in the game.
The victory set up a huge game next Sunday night in New Orleans against the Saints with first place in the NFC South on the line.
“We’re ready,” said fullback Mike Tolbert, who had 48 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving in the win. “Around here, we pride ourselves on being able to follow up one game with another.”
The Panthers outgained the Buccaneers (3-9) 426-206.
Newton ran for 68 yards, 53 on a first quarter run to set up Carolina’s first touchdown.
Newton, who led Auburn to a national championship and won a Heisman Trophy with the Tigers, is enjoying the best stretch of this professional career with 13 touchdown passes and five touchdown rushing during the win streak.
Carolina’s defense came in allowing an NFL-low 13.7 points per game and forced two turnovers and sacked rookie Mike Glennon, who played at N.C. State, five times to snap Tampa Bay’s three-game winning streak.
Glennon had thrown a touchdown pass in an NFL record eight straight games to start his career, but the Panthers (9-3) kept the Bucs out of the end zone.
The Panthers have not lost since a 22-6 defeat on the road to Arizona on Oct. 6 and confidence is at an all-time high in the locker room.
“There is no roof, no sky,” defensive end Greg Hardy said. “We’re going up. Every person on this team, every coach on this team has the same mentality right now. I feel like it’s contagious. Fans are getting it.
“They feel like they can’t be beat.”
The turning point came in the second quarter with the Panthers holding a 7-6 lead.
Glennon rolled left on third-and-goal at the Carolina four-yard line and had the ball inexplicably slip out of his throwing hand without being touched, and Panthers defensive tackle Dwan Edwards pounced on the loose ball at the 17.
“It just slipped out of my hand, and it really hurt us because we would have gotten at least three points,” Glennon said.
The Panthers cashed in with a 23-yard field goal by Graham Gano.
Newton made it 17-6 with 25 seconds remaining in the half when coach Ron Rivera went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1. With fans holding signs that read “Riverboat Ron” in the stands, Newton dove headfirst over the pile, extending the ball over the goal line.
The Panthers are now 8-of-9 when going for it on fourth-and-1 since his team’s Week 2 loss to Buffalo, a big reason for Carolina’s turnaround.
It was all Panthers in the second half.
Safety Mike Mitchell intercepted Glennon on the opening drive and Newton quickly took advantage.
He moved the Panthers 78 yards in four plays, connecting on a 36-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr., who beat Darrelle Revis on a double move.
Glennon was 14-of-21 for 80 yards with an interception.
“I don’t know if it was a step back, but maybe he looked a little more like a rookie than he’s looked in the past,” Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. “The ball slips out of his hand going to his left. That’s an awkward deal, and unfortunate, but it happened. The throw to Vincent (Jackson) that gets intercepted and the flag gets picked up, it just didn’t look like it came off his hand cleanly. I’m not sure if there’s any reason.”
It’s hard to imagine the Panthers now have a shot at a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs after starting the season 1-3, when talk was rampant about Rivera’s future with the team.
“It’s unbelievable,” said defensive end Wes Horton, who had two of Carolina’s sacks. “When we were 1-3 it was tense, we were trying to find ourselves as a team. And now we’re rolling and everyone is one the same page.”

keep pounding baby