My column today was on Julius Peppers and the Bear hug he's been given in Chicago so far, where he's had a dominant preseason. Here's that column.
Now, onto the Panthers. You may have caught the dueling columns Tom Sorensen and I wrote in Thursday's Observer, where I picked Carolina to go 7-9 in 2010 and Tom went with a more optimistic 9-7. As I told Tom in the column, they'll be fitting him for a Catman-style cape soon, he has become so incredibly optimistic about the Panthers the past couple of years.
As for Sunday's game at the New York Giants, here are a few thoughts:
-- You’ve got to think the New York Giants are still smarting from that 41-9 whipping Carolina laid upon them last December behind Jonathan Stewart’s 206 yards rushing. Did you remember that Stewart also had a 53-yard run called back during that game due to a holding penalty on Jeff King?
-- The Panthers’ touchdown drought will end Sunday, but I’m very interested to see if Matt Moore can recapture the mojo he had last December when he threw three TD passes against New York. It’s a little different now – the pressure is far greater. What the Panthers will really ask Moore to do most, of course, is hand off to DeAngelo Williams and Stewart. But can he convert on third-and-7?
-- I don’t see this game as being a blowout, and in fact I think the Panthers’ new crop of defensive ends will harass Eli Manning a good bit. John Fox always seems to have a good game plan against his former employer, too. Ultimately, though, I think the Giants will prevail. My prediction: New York Giants 19, Carolina 17.
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9 years ago
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20 comments:
Scott, I agree that the game is going to be close, but I think its going to be more like 21 Panthers 17 Giants.
Great article Scooter! You should hold out and stop writing articles until they restructure your contract.
Scott the game should be close.If the panthers can stay out of 2nd and long and 3rd and long.Then they should be just fine if not then the panthers will lose.So my Prediction 28-24 Panthers
im extremely worried about our offense this season. there is no leader out there whatsoever. DW can carry most of the load but he doesnt strike me as the guy who can hold players accountable for their performance. no one has any faith in matt moore (not even himself) and #89 has been as much an individual this preseason then he has ever been. someone needs to jerk a knot in these boys heads asap. we all scored as many TD's as they have during those 4 preseason games and unless they shock the nation sunday were looking at more of the same. sorry to be so negative but this team has lacks one thing every successful pro team has to have, HEART!
maybe Charles Chandler could have a sit-down with Jesus - Panthers 16 Giants 14
I'm not saying it doesn't matter at all, but the whole "we beat them so bad last time they will want to win more than we will" just sort of seems stupid. You don't think the Panthers will have the same amount of passion to go out and win after all the crap thats been said about them or the 14 out of 15 ESPN analysts picking NYG to win? Again, it matters a little bit, but not really that much to make me want to sway it either direction. By that logic Minnesota should have won because they had plenty of reason to feel revenge against New Orleans.
Really this team is hardly even the team that played NYG last season, particularly on defense.
QB is the huge question mark but I think we win 20-16.
Scott, along with every other pundit around the NFL, is parroting the company line that the NY teams will be great. The NFL desperately wants the NY teams, Dallas, and whoever T.O. and Favre play for to be great. So everyone hypes those teams regardless of their talent level.
Speaking of talent, the Giants have none of it on offense. I suspect Hunter Cantwell would be able to pick it apart.
Panthers 24, NYG 17.
No way is this going to be a high scoring game. Panthers D is too good and Eli is on the slide. Panthers 10-6
Scott we will be throwing a lot more than anyone thinks because the NYG will be focused on the run. Hopefully LaFell will get a shot at showing why he should be a starter and Jarrett should have been cut. Goodson runs a kick back to the house, DW gets one in and Moore hits Smitty in the endzone on a sweet screw and plate rattling laser throw.
CAR 24, NYG 14
Nice article on Pep....
Back to Carolina....lets go Panthers!!!
I think Matt's going to surprise a lot of the talking heads out there. It still amazes me that you guys give him absolutely no credit for doing what he has done in regular season games. The kid is 6-2, with most of his games coming in the month of December. Last yr he started against 5 playoff bound teams. Yes the Giants didn't make the playoffs, but keep in mind they were only 1 game back of GB at the time the game kicked off between Car & NYG. Matt is going to do just fine. I could care a less what he did in the preseason. There's a reason those games don't count.
Plus getting Jonathon & Smitty back will be a huge boost to our offense. I have no idea what the score will be, but I do think the Panthers win. I simply don't see how the NYG have gotten any better then they were last yr when the Panthers went up there and shut their building down for good with a complete tail whipping.
And I agree with Jennifer, let's go Panthers!!! (Who doesn't agree with pretty women who like football??) lol
i like the panthers in this one. a good, hard fought game. i was telling some of my buddies at work that i'll be expecting some type of trick play at the beginning of the game because the giants cannot shut up about how they will "out phyiscal" the panthers this time and that "the panthers cannot run on us like that again". toss in a little trick play for big yardage to give those talking heads something to thing about. panthers 23, giants 20.
Finally, a realistic prediction. Only I beleive the Giants will win by double digits. You can never rule out the revenge factor.
I remember the days when I lived in Charlotte and everything looked great through those rose colored glasses. Yes I am still a PSL owner, but this team has done NOTHING to improve itself from last year. They have added no options to help Steve Smith avoid double coverage. Their lines are banged up. The QB position is going to be challenged by every D coordinator they play. This team will struggle to a 6-10 season and start with a double digit loss to the Giants.
GO GET'EM MATTY!!!
Scott,
I hope you get a job in Dallas soon, so you will be happy. You are a good man.
Try "on to the Panthers" instead of "onto the Panthers." Basic grammar Scott. You write for a newspaper.
Well as has been said if Pep was dominant I guess we had several dominant DEs in preseason since their numbers and his are pretty much the same, but whatever, keep pushing the meme.
As for this game I see it looks like they will be a starting CB down. Anyone taking that into consideration while they are discounting Moore?
They only faced one half of our RB tandem last year what happens when they get both of them, healthy, running over them? Where is this vast improvement in defense that is going to stop them? Haven't seen it so far. Heck they are giving up almost 100 yds a game when starters are barely playing.
I don't think it will be a blowout but I think we have a very good chance of walking out with a win.
Scott, if the Panthers win this game does your prediction of 7-9 go to 8-8? Or do you stick with the 7-9?
I noticed that you deleted my last comment about how you dislike the Panthers. But we are on to you, dude.
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