Regular Season Opener - Carolina at San Diego

[Dead_Real]

Kick off is September 07, 2008 at 4:15 pm on FOX

I know it's a few days early to post this but I know there are a few Panthers fans on here pumped up for this season so just use this thread to post some predictions on the outcome of this battle.

Chargers have a well balanced team but a few core players far from 100% in Phillip Rivers, Shawn Merriman and LT so the only player that I really fear on the Chargers is Gates especially since our secondary have trouble stopping playmaking tight ends. If Moose, Hackett, Dante Rasario and Dwayne Jarrett can make up for Smitty not being on the field by making some plays it will keep there defense honest and avoid them from targeting our running backs by stacking the box. Which will result in our backs picking up where they left out in preseason against the Redskins the other week I could see. On defense I hope to see constant pressure on Rivers (I see Pep having a huge day), obviously containing Tomlinson and like I said earlier someone in our secondary hopefully stepping up big we're going to need it facing Gates I hope we put Thomas Davis or Chris Harris on him. My prediction is that we win a close trap game 23-20 by field goal alot of Chargers fans think they are going to just blow us out hopefully we surprise them.

PS - Praying for no injuries and for Jonathan Stewart to run over Shawn Merriman.

[Muttley]

Kick off is September 07, 2008 at 4:15 pm on FOX

I know it's a few days early to post this but I know there are a few Panthers fans on here pumped up for this season so just use this thread to post some predictions on the outcome of this battle.

Chargers have a well balanced team but a few core players far from 100% in Phillip Rivers, Shawn Merriman and LT so the only player that I really fear on the Chargers is Gates especially since our secondary have trouble stopping playmaking tight ends. If Moose, Hackett, Dante Rasario and Dwayne Jarrett can make up for Smitty not being on the field by making some plays it will keep there defense honest and avoid them from targeting our running backs by stacking the box. Which will result in our backs picking up where they left out in preseason against the Redskins the other week I could see. On defense I hope to see constant pressure on Rivers (I see Pep having a huge day), obviously containing Tomlinson and like I said earlier someone in our secondary hopefully stepping up big we're going to need it facing Gates I hope we put Thomas Davis or Chris Harris on him. My prediction is that we win a close trap game 23-20 by field goal alot of Chargers fans think they are going to just blow us out hopefully we surprise them.

PS - Praying for no injuries and for Jonathan Stewart to run over Shawn Merriman.

I will definitely be watching this from my season ticket seats (the couch). The Chargers are a very good team, but as you said, not everyone's healthy.

I also don't really like Merriman (as a person... he's very good at what he does on the field). First of all: he's a Terp. Second: has everyone forgot about him using steriods? Does anyone care, or is that just baseball's problem? Last: He's now gambling a possibly long and stellar career for a season where he's not entirely healthy. I realize NFL players have to play hurt all the time if they want any chance of seeing the field, but with the extent of his injuries this just seems like a dumb idea on his part. I don't wish pain or harm on him at all, but if Stewart were to blow through him early in the game in a way that his injury comes to a point where he has no choice but sit out the year, then I'd feel pretty okay with that (as would every offense in the AFC).

It will be good to see Peppers return to form. (I feel very confident in that.)

[ammofan]

were gonna win...

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

Agree with the point about Merriman. Steroids wreck tendons and ligaments, and what kind of injury does he have again...?

As far as the game vs the chargers, they got off to a terrible start last year at 1-3, so why not this year? I think we have a good chance to steal one from them, especially if the chargers start to believe their own hype. I think the biggest question mark for this game will be how our new D-Line can contain LT (if it can). I like our chances a lot better with rivers and his bum knee beating us thru the air than LT on the ground.

[davcbow]

Panthers are gonna win this game, our first sting is looking good although they didn't play in PS game 4. The defense is looking great this year and the offense looked really great against the redskins, so I think if SD does have some injury problems we will win this game....

[Dead_Real]

Looks like DJ Hackett is going to play today hopefully he'll be able to be productive without much rust in his game after missing so much time.

Man today is going to go by slow as hell 4:00 can't get here fast enough

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

We are looking great so far. It's halftime and we are up 9-7. Should be more, but we tried to get fancy on 4th and goal and pass. I am VERY excited about D-Will and our O-Line. If we can run like this and play D like we have so far then it might be a repeat of 2003?(not getting ahead of myself or anything) I like what I see so far...

[Muttley]

Rosarioooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit: Fox just reported that the "UPS Leaderboard" for the Panthers is as follows:

Jake Delhomme
DeAngelo Williams,

AND

Rosario Dawson

They better learn his name if he's gonna play like he did today. Anyone else catch him hurdle that guy?

[Dead_Real]

JAKE IS BACK! that last drive was fucking amazing he looked in 2003 Cardiac Cats form I love it.

[davcbow]

Im so proud of the Panthers today, Jake and the boys looked great coming back. The defense sort of let up in the 4th quarter but I think that was due to being tired. That should be better next week as we play the bears in Charlotte.... Great win guys, I about had a heart attack watching the last drive.....