definitely

2 the playoffs

12/16/2008 2:04:27 AM

If the Giants beat the Panthers then everyone will have to root for them to beat the Vikings the following week so they Panthers can still get a bye.

12/16/2008 2:25:51 AM

Quote :

"actually who holds the tb/car tiebreaker?"

I don't think we'd know until the outcome of the NO game, due to the division record (we're 3-2, the Bucs are 3-3). If the NFC South continues to win at home, it'll get pushed into other things. We have the same record against common teams (since the Panthers won against Denver, but lost against Minnesota). Then it would come down to record in the conference: if this happened, since the Vikings are an NFC team and the Broncos are not, TB would win the tiebreaker.

I hope I didn't miss any games while looking at the schedules... but yeah, I think that's it. This assumes that the Panthers lose their next two games while Tampa beats SD and Oakland. I haven't factored in what the Falcons or Cowboys could do with regards to all this, though, I'm sure that would be really important too.

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 2:47 AM. Reason : .]

12/16/2008 2:41:00 AM

Overall
Panthers: 11-3
Buccs: 9-5

Division
Panthers: 3-2 (awaiting game at Saints)
Buccs: 3-3

Conference
Panthers: 7-3 (awaiting games at Giants and Saints)
Buccs: 8-4

This means that if the Panthers lose out (against NYG and New Orleans) and the Buccs win out (against San Diego and Oakland) then the Buccs will win the division based on better conference record, 8 NFC wins to 7.

12/16/2008 2:54:20 AM

Now that I think about it, the Vikings might not matter. The only way Carolina and Minnesota can tie is if the Panthers lose out and they win out. So if that happens, Carolina will lose the bye, and if the Buccs win out as I said above (with the ridiculously easy schedule) then the Panthers will have to settle for a WC spot, all depending on what happens to the Cowboys and Falcons which could leave the Panthers out of the playoffs all together.

12/16/2008 2:59:32 AM

my analysis wasn't good enough, B?

12/16/2008 3:06:13 AM

I was just complimenting it with numbers.

12/16/2008 3:18:09 AM

while I do worry about losing out and others teams winning out... i also cant help but think that if the panthers really are playing playoff caliber football, we will win one of two down the stretch...

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 10:45 AM. Reason : prolly gonna beat NYG and lose to NO]

12/16/2008 10:44:08 AM

If the Panthers finish the season 1-1, we get a bye, simple as that. If we beat NYG, we lock up the 1st seed regardless of what happens in the New Orleans game. If we lose to the Giants but beat the Saints, we finish 12-4 and still have the 2nd best record in the conference

1-1 gets us a bye, though 1-1 with a win over the Giants gets us the #1 seed

if we beat the Giants, I think we should approach the Saints game kind of like a preseason game...play the starters for maybe the 1st half so they don't get rusty, and then put in some subs to keep the starters healthy for the playoffs

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 11:00 AM. Reason : .]

12/16/2008 10:59:37 AM

Quote :

"you guys do realize the #1 seed in the nfc hasn't won the super bowl since 1999."

Incorrect, the Rams were #1 seed in 2000.

Besides, the NFC has only won the SB 3 times in that span.

12/16/2008 11:02:48 AM

aside from the Cowboys last year, the #1 seed in the NFC has at least made the NFC title game the last 5-6 years

also Beason should definitely be a pro bowler...2nd in the NFL in tackles...has a few picks as well

12/16/2008 11:04:34 AM

I'm sure he meant the '99 season, even though the Superbowl was in 2000

Don't get all high and mighty

12/16/2008 11:05:07 AM

maake is going to be a huge loss if he can't go...especially if jacobs is back.

maake basically eats up 2 blockers on run plays.

12/16/2008 11:16:43 AM

Neither (Panthers vs. TB) or (Steelers v. Ravens) can be seen as the biggest game of the NFL season anymore....

Panthers @ NYG certainly stands out in that crowd.
I hope the doubting NY media (ESPN) fuels our underdog fire

12/16/2008 12:31:24 PM

this is the most excited I've been for a Panthers game since the '03 Superbowl they played in.

12/16/2008 12:47:47 PM

OhBoyeee is back on the bandwagon

12/16/2008 12:56:11 PM

^^^don't forget about the Steelers Titans matchup

the NFL must be licking their chops to have the top 2 teams in the AFC playing on Sunday afternoon, and the top 2 teams in the NFC playing on Sunday night

12/16/2008 12:56:45 PM

Man I'm getting nervous already. BIGGEST GAME EVAR

12/16/2008 1:05:20 PM

Gonna be a great football day. My ass will stay planted in it's couch groove.

12/16/2008 1:06:18 PM

Quote :

"prolly gonna beat NYG and lose to NO"

I wouldn't be surprised if we did the reverse with Jacobs back

12/16/2008 1:21:27 PM

Kemo to play, woot woot, dont know about Vincent though

12/16/2008 1:22:50 PM

^link?

12/16/2008 1:26:45 PM

Charlotte Observer says they won't update about Kemoeatu until tomorrow

12/16/2008 1:33:52 PM

what precedents have there been where an 11-5 team have missed the playoffs? im just curious

12/16/2008 1:38:06 PM

i think only once ever has an 11 win team missed the playoffs

even if we lose out, a lot of crazy shit would have to happen for us to miss the playoffs

specifically the falcons going into minnesota and winning this weekend, which i dont see happening

12/16/2008 1:39:50 PM

it was just mentioned on local charlotte radio

12/16/2008 2:22:45 PM

12/16/2008 2:24:58 PM

this team is playing for the Big Cat, Jerry Richardson. he's always dreamt of a NFC Championship game in Charlotte, and I think this Panthers team will deliver. not that they need any extra motivation, but i think they're playing inspired football for him.

12/16/2008 2:42:41 PM

^^ awesome gif

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 2:43 PM. Reason : <3]

12/16/2008 2:42:57 PM

^ awesome gif

12/16/2008 2:47:02 PM

Quote :

"Neither (Panthers vs. TB) or (Steelers v. Ravens) can be seen as the biggest game of the NFL season anymore...."

Actually this game isn't worth that much. All it does is select which team would get homefield advantage if they play each other again in the playoffs.

But homefield advantage means nothing to the Giants who the past few years have played better on the road anyway.

And besides, the Panthers will most likely have to play TB again and the Giants will have to play Dallas again before they even see each other in the playoffs. So we don't even know if either of them will make it to the championship game.

12/16/2008 4:40:50 PM

Quote :

"Actually this game isn't worth that much."

it single-handedly dictates who gets the #1 seed in the conference and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs...given how important homefield has been this year, how can you say it "isn't worth that much"??

12/16/2008 4:43:58 PM

to me the biggest game of the year was the TB game, this game is only for home field advantage, we've already passed the big test, but this is a must win if we are thinking of going to the superbowl

12/16/2008 4:47:27 PM

this will be one hell of a game

12/16/2008 4:48:34 PM

I think at the TIME, the Tampa game was the biggest, but now the Giants game is bigger

just like at the time, the Baltimore Pitt game was probably the biggest in the AFC (Jets/Titans was probably too early in the year for that)...now the biggest AFC game is the Pitt Tenn game

12/16/2008 4:53:35 PM

Quote :

"we've already passed the big test"

we havent passed anything yet, we havent even clinched a playoff spot yet....

12/16/2008 4:54:06 PM

^according to sports illustrated we have

12/16/2008 5:07:49 PM

they're wrong

12/16/2008 5:08:20 PM

Quote :

"we havent passed anything yet, we havent even clinched a playoff spot yet"

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 5:16 PM. Reason : seriously]

12/16/2008 5:16:03 PM

Quote :

"it single-handedly dictates who gets the #1 seed in the conference and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs...given how important homefield has been this year, how can you say it "isn't worth that much"??"

If the Panthers end up #2, then the only road game they will have to play is at the Giants again.

Quote :

"But homefield advantage means nothing to the Giants who the past few years have played better on the road anyway."

12/16/2008 6:43:03 PM

fuck the last few years. there arent any trends in the nfl that truly span a few years anymore, for the last few years the panthers havent played well at home.

BUT

the panthers are 8-0 in charlotte THIS YEAR, that is a trend, i want to see the panthers play all their playoff games here.
I want to see the panthers at the 1 spot bc no one thought they would be there earlier this year, and i want them to beat the giants and the saints.

of course at the same time i dont want any media to take notice or if they do i want them all to say that they dont think the panthers are for real.

12/16/2008 9:29:31 PM

Quote :

"we havent passed anything yet, we havent even clinched a playoff spot yet...."

12/16/2008 10:01:34 PM

^^Too late. Jaworski said yesterday that the Panthers are the best team in the NFC right now.

12/17/2008 2:35:12 AM

AndyMac
All American
14695 Posts
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edit post

Quote :
"you guys do realize the #1 seed in the nfc hasn't won the super bowl since 1999."


Incorrect, the Rams were #1 seed in 2000.

Besides, the NFC has only won the SB 3 times in that span.

I was talking about 1999 which plays the super bowl in 2000, just like this year the super bowl is in 2009. Anyways if we lose out and finish 11-5 and out of the playoffs man will I be disappointed. Especially after going to 7 of the 8 home games, traveling there that much, watching every game and just keeping up with them. I guess that's why we are fans because we are fanatics. GO PANTHERS!

12/17/2008 2:57:11 AM

Quote :

"If the Panthers end up #2, then the only road game they will have to play is at the Giants again."

The Panthers are 8-0 at home, 3-3 on the road. Homefield is a big deal.

But it's kind of a funny situation, if the Panthers prove they have the ability to beat the Giants on the road, they won't have to beat the giants on the road again anyway.

If they show that they are unable to beat the Giants on the road, they will have to play them on the road again.

12/17/2008 4:39:26 AM

Also remember how the Giants responded in the playoffs last year after losing to the Patriots at home at the end of the season...

12/17/2008 9:21:58 AM

yeah, I was going to say

if we lose to the Giants

the second time around, it would be a super revenge game

12/17/2008 12:56:50 PM

The Giants are apparently on the verge of signing 36 year old Joe Horn. He has had some big games against the Panthers so that might be cause for concern......

12/17/2008 1:30:09 PM

i dont think anyone on any team who signs on thursday should be a concern the following sunday

now the next time we play them in the playoffs...

12/17/2008 1:40:33 PM

lol

Quote :

"True to his word, Tennessee running back LenDale White sent a pair of the "Smash & Dash" t-shirts bearing cartoon illustrations of himself and Chris Johnson to Panthers' running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams was talking with reporters this afternoon when a member of the Panthers' public relations staff delivered them. Williams immediately burst into laughter and admiringly looked over the t-shirts. "I cannot believe this," he said. "But I love it, though. I absolutely love it." White jokingly spoke out last week about the fact that Williams and Stewart were being referred to as "Smash & Dash," saying he'd staked claim to the nickname for himself and Johnson weeks ago and suggesting that the Carolina duo be re-named "Identity & Theft." White also said he would send Williams & Stewart a pair of the t-shirts that were printed up in Nashville and are being sold for charitable purposes. Williams, a friend of White, said of his t-shirt as he held it Wednesday: "It does say `Tennessee's Smash & Dash.' Does that mean we're `Charlotte's Smash & Dash,' or 'Carolina's Smash & Dash?' " Asked for his response back to White, Williams chuckled and said, "To be continued.""

12/17/2008 4:51:39 PM