They’re done.
4-4 at the half-way mark and trips to Atlanta, New Orleans, and Philadelphia still to come. Any more than six losses will almost certainly cost you a playoff spot and 11-5 is virtually required to have any hope of securing a home playoff game and avoid the three-game road playoff game death march that claimed the Panthers last season.
This season was supposed to be Super Bowl or bust. It is coming up bust.
I still say Julius Peppers is being used incorrectly — I saw exactly one edge speed rush, late in the 3rd quarter, and far too much floating along the line of scrimmage for such an explosive talent. But this team has other bigger problems.
Old, slow safeties and no running game come to mind. Then there are the WRs drops, which have become a regular feature of Panther games. Toss in the special teams breakdowns vs. the Cowpokes and you have the makings of disaster, which is exactly what last night’s game was.
