Panthers Win The One They Needed

The Panthers were 15-1 during the regular season. The one thing they did not need to happen was for Seattle to come into the Panthers house and win a low scoring game and everyone say "see we told  you they were not that good".  What the Panthers did is scared the day lights out of the Cardinals, Patriots and Broncos.  They played the first half of that game showing the world that they are the best team in football.

I went 2-2 for the weekend missing the Patriots  and Denver.   I wish I had of known before I wrote my picks last week that Brown would not play for Pittsburgh.  I have been thinking for five weeks now that the Cardinals were the best team in NFC.  I think both the Panthers and Cardinals are better than both of the AFC teams

If I were a coach whenever a team had to win a game with a 'Hail Mary' I would rush seven and keep four back at the goal line.  The one thing any defense needs to do  is keep the quarterback from having time to rare back and throw to the end zone.  Make him throw out of desperation or throw short of the goal line and you have four guys there to come up to tackle short of the goal line. Who cares how close they get just keep'em out of the end zone.

How do you stop Tom Brady with his five yard passing game.  I would only rush three and keep two linebackers in the slant lanes to cut off the angles.   I cannot see at this point and Peyton Manning said in pregame interviews he was as healthy as he has been in three years that Manning plays next year.  It's time to retire.

The Championship games on Sunday.  Denver struggled to beat Pittsburgh in a game the Steelers left most of their best players out of the game with injuries.  I just can not see Denver and Peyton Manning scoring enough points to stay in this game.  I compare the Denver offense to the Tim Tebo teams when the defense had to hold the other team scoreless and Tebo score once in the game to win. That won't work against the Patriots. NE will score at least 27 points due to the fact the Denver offense will put the Denver D in quite a few bad spots.

I relate the Tom Brady  era to John Wooten time at UCLA when the Bruins were the only team west of the Mississippi that knew what a basketball was.  The AFC East  has been awful for all  but one year in the last 15.  All the Patriots   have had to do is win for the most part two playoff games to make it to the Super Bowl.  It is set up for them again.  They faced KC who thought they were ahead the hold game and tried to run the clock out.  Now they get a Denver team that can't score.  Pats 27-Bronco's 20.

I think the whole world saw for one half that the Panthers when they are focused are the best team in football.  What they need is to be  tied at the half so they will have to come out and stay with concentration.  Unless the team is awful it is hard for any team to keep their foot on the gas petal.  In fact the play calling played a big part in putting the Panthers to sleep.

The Game at hand. The Cardinals let the Packers stay close but if you remember I predicted the game would be closer than the last times they met.  The Panther must pressure the quarterback.  The Cards have top notch receivers.  I think if the Panthers pound the football and use Cam as the lets open up the eight  man front the Panthers win.  Cam is at his best throwing under 25 times a games which allows the Panthers to run the football.

It is hard to believe that this will be the fourth time the Panthers have played in the NFC Championship  game since they joined the NFL in 1995.  This is the first time they have ever hosted the game. They cannot let home field get away with a lost.    Panthers 27 Cards 24