The Observer's Joseph Person wrote an excellent, comprehensive story in Sunday's newspaper about the rehab work of Panther linebackers Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, who were both lost in an eight-day span last season due to injury.
You had to read all the way to the end to see the quote that really jumped out at me, though, when Beason said of the Panthers: "The pieces are in place to win the whole thing."
Now Beason and Davis are both incurable optimists -- a good trait in athletics, where believing is often half the battle. Davis thinks he's going to come back from a third ACL surgery on the very same knee -- something no football player has apparently done before.
And Beason? He thinks the Panthers would have a "weak year" if they don't make the Super Bowl a year from now. Check out the whole quote, reprinted below:
Said Beason: "It just feels good to know that I'm off the shelf. I'm back a part of the team and I'm in the equation of getting to the top. That's what it's geared for. No more playing for winning seasons or playing to make the playoffs or to go deep in the playoffs. The pieces are in place to win the whole thing, and that's really how I feel about it. Anything less than at least an appearance (in the Super Bowl) is a weak year."
Whoa. Really?? A 6-10 team one year, a Super Bowl team the next?
Of course, the Panthers of 2002 were 7-9 and they went to the Super Bowl in 2003. But the defense will have to get a whole lot better for the Panthers to make a serious run -- without Beason and Davis, the team allowed franchise highs in points and yards in 2011.
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9 years ago
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26 comments:
It's not that farfetched of a prediction-and as a team leader, I'm glad Beason's mindset is that way. If they can stay healthy, shore up the secondary and beef up the D-line, there's really no reason to think they shouldn't be in the mix. The Giants were mediocre at best during the regular season, squeaked into the playoffs and won the whole thing. No reason to think Carolina can't do the same thing.
I seem to remember a St. Louis Rams team that went 4-12 the year before they won the Super Bowl. No, it's not far fetched - especially when you consider that had the right pieces been in place this year, the Panthers could have easily been 10-6 or 11-5 because they were in almost all of those games.
Glad one of the leaders of this team feels that way! Gotta have that mentality, then hopefully the team will play that way. Hopefully we won't have another 18 dudes on the IR.
Dont you suit up every year to make it to the big game Scott? You are clearly not an athlete maybe a competitive journalist and a pessimistic one at best
Impossible, they as a orgnaization and a team have along way to go.
Talk is cheap, and as always actions speak louder than words.
I think he has had one to many hits to the head or has been spending too much time at the local strip club. What an idiotic statement. If anything, we take a step backwards. My guess will be 8-8, if we get an easy schedule.
This prediction should never be made by an NFL player. There are too many examples of this prediction "fail" in the history of the NFL and not one example of a team winning the Super Bowl after a player on the winning team made the pre-season prediction of them winning it. Sorry to rant but man, how stupid could you be.
Yes, every player should say they will suck next year.
Realist...you obviously pay not attention to the Panthers and have no idea what you are talking about. The schedule was released already.
In addition to the Rams, there is another example of a 1-year turnaround. The 1980 Bengals were 6-10 in Forrest Gregg's first year as coach. Next year, they went 12-4 and went to the Super Bowl.
In order for it to happen, Beason has to be injury-free, we need to find an elite DT and an elite DB, and Cam has to improve by adjusting to the defensive adjustments made by defenses. That's a lot of ifs, but I expect a playoff team next year.
9:53 AM - the schedule hasn't been released, just who the opponents are. Exactly when we play the opponents makes a difference. Do we play at Tampa Bay in December, or in September when it's still 95 degrees? Do we get a Thursday night game? If so, is it at New Orleans 4 days after a game vs Atlanta?
The week-by-week schedule comes out a week or so before the draft. Then we'll know how hard or easy our schedule is.
In today's NFL, most any team can win the championship. The players are paid so much that they have no incentive to really put it all on the line. "Parity" really means mediocrity (sp?). I think GB, Dallas, Pittsburg, Pats, 49ers, Saints, etc will all be in the running. The one who decides to get their "head out of their a**" will most likely win it. Steelers are prob the only consistently good team in the league.
Beason played for the big contract, nothing more nothing less. He gets the big contract and goes down with injury. See it way too often in sports.
Why would you not strive for a Super Bowl and believe anything else is a disappointment. With the growing young talent and winning mentality the leaders of the team Beason and Cam have a playoff run isn't by any means a long shot.
Still trying to find the prediction in his quote...
To the person that said he only played for a big contract: Really? I'm sure he planned to tear his leg up..... get real.
Once again, the comment section proves just how ridiculously horrible Panther fans are at supporting their team. And if you aren't a Panthers fan and are posting here...why?
Agree with the comment above. Panther fan are by far the worst bunch of cry baby, bandwagon, fair weather fans I ever saw. Support your team!!!!!!
These statements SHOULD get fans fired up...not posting that Beason only played for the money and got hurt on purpose. Get Real.
hoWhat else would you expect them to say. They're both damaged goods and they have to appear optomistic for either jerry & marty or their next potential employer. Slobber elsewhere Scott.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and predictions. But to say a guy got a big contract and then blew his knee out on purpose is preposterous. A guy like Julius Peppers who takes 70% of plays off and half of the games in a season off is a reality. But none of them would ever purposely get injured. Contracts aren't guaranteed in the NFL.
Mike: proof positive that Kitty Kat fans are almost as delusional as Cowboy fans. Beason could not hold Peppers jock strap. Peppers is regarded as one of the most feared players in the NFL and is a solid HOF caliber player. Beason played well one year,and has been a liability since. Much like Dan Morgan, he has been living off the team for far too long. He will never play again, and anybody with common sense knows this.
Pussy...Look up Beason's stats please.
2007 2nd in DROY award.
2008 Pro Bowl / 1st team all pro.
2009 Pro Bow / All Pro
2010 CHANGED POSITIONS - Pro Bowl.
Yeah hes terrible....
The nfl and the ny/northeast coast media will NEVER allow it.
Sounds like he has been hanging around Pro Bowler All Slop too long with those delirious delusions of grandeur and besides in 2010 his defense ranked #32. Cant blame the suckazz Clausen offense for that BS. Beason is a joke like the entire loser team and loser fans.
Beason needs to go back to his strip clubs and break a few more mouthy punks faces. That was the only thing he ever did halfway decent. He gets a A+ for that.
@ 6:53 AM
Greg Frye is that you?
What's funny about all the people getting on the guy that mentioned Beason only playing for the big contract...they think he blew his knee out. If you are going to bash someone's opinion and counter it at least know what you are talking about and what he hurt. Idiots.
Until Beason proves otherwise, all he's proven to me is he took the money and ran. The comparison to Dan Morgan someone made was spot on.
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