Philadelphia Eagles come to Charlotte for the home opener.  Yes, Michael Vick is apart of the Eagles team however, he will not be able to play until Week 3.  So, Vick will not be a factor in this game.  Donovan McNabb will have a solid game just like he usually does the first game of the year, but it will not be enough to stop the legs of DeAngelo Williams.  The Panther defense will be a little slow getting into rhythm, but by the second half all defensive woes will be eased.  The Panthers had a solid home game showing last year and this first game will be no different.

Final Score:  Eagles  20,  Panthers  24 (Panthers 1-0)  Win

The second game of the season the Panthers go down to “Hotlanta” to visit the Falcons.  Matt Ryan has a strong on-field presence along with a phenomenal running back Michael Turner.  Turner will have a fantastic home showing.  Falcons quarterback Ryan and wide receiver Roddy White will hook-up for a couple scores and we will see the same on the Panther side with Delhomme and Smith.  Overall this game will be close and fun to watch.  Unfortunately, we don’t think that the Panthers will have enough for the Falcons at home.

Final Score:  Panthers  17,  Falcons  27 (Panthers 1-1)  Loss

 The Panthers will be going down to the big “D” for game three against the Dallas Cowboys.  A fantastic new scoreboard will probably get more attention than the game itself.  By the third game, Dallas will be ready to win at home again but it will not happen on our watch.  Carolina and Dallas will be in the national spotlight on Monday Night Football.  Smash and Dash (Williams and Stewart) will turn up the volume for the big show.  If the Panthers do lose to the Falcons they will be hungry and wanting to avoid embarrassment in primetime.

Final Score:  Cowboys  24,  Panthers  28  (Panthers 2-1)  Win

In game four the Panthers come home to take on the Washington Redskins.  This matchup is always interesting and close.  You can probably go ahead and flip a coin to determine the winner for this game.  If Smith and Williams have a big game the Panthers probably take this one home; however, considering that this game will be the Panthers third game playing teams out of the NFC East we think the game will go to the Redskins.

Final Score:  Redskins  21, Panthers  17  (Panthers 2-2)  Loss

Game five the Tampa Bay Buccaneers open the front door for the Panthers.  Even though they are hosting with backs Graham and Williams they will need more than lemonade and cookies to take down the Panthers.  The Bucs will be fighting the quarterback woes all year.  The Panther defense will be cranking by the time they arrive in the Bay.  Panthers win this one easily.

Final Score:  Panthers  35,  Bucs  17  (Panthers 3-2)  Win

After smashing the Bucs the Panthers will head back home to the T.O. Show.  The Buffalo Bills come calling but they better bring more than Mr. Owens.  The Bills receiving will try to challenge the Panthers secondary but to no avail.  Carolina’s running game will prove to be too much for the BB’s.

Final Score:  Bills  17,  Panthers  27  (Panthers 4-2)  Win

Game seven the Panthers seek revenge and fly to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.  All of Panther nation will be seeking redemption from the playoff loss of last year.  If Warner stays healthy the Cardinals will be tough to beat at home with Fitz and Bold.  If the Giants are nice enough to let Warner walk off the field the week before then the Cards will win.  Panther fans will not get the satisfaction they have been needing.

Final Score:  Panthers  21,  Cardinals  31  (Panthers 4-3)  Loss

After visiting the desert the Panthers will go down to the Big Easy for game eight.  The New Orleans Saints will be popping the champagne and roasting the crawdads.  The Panthers defense will see the top rated QB Drew Brees.  The spread offense of the Saints will definitely challenge the new defense of Ron Meeks.  The Panthers will have their moments of glory but the passing precision of Brees will be to much for the “D”-fence.

Final Score:  Panthers  17,  Saints  28  (Panthers 4-4)  Loss

Halftime:  Through eight games the Panthers will be even in wins and losses.  The Panthers schedule is one of the toughest this year and will prove to be just that.  We hope that some of these losses will be close games and the Panthers will come through in the clutch.

In game nine the Panthers turn around and host the Atlanta Falcons.  The loss to the Falcons will be on the minds of all Panthers and the “Dirty Birds” will get plucked in Charlotte.

Final Score:  Falcons  20,  Panthers 28  (Panthers 5-4)  Win

Game ten will welcome the “Wildcat” offense to the ole North State.  The Miami Dolphins will step off the plane and head to Mint Street to face our cats.  The Panthers will scratch out the eyes of the hip-hop accelerated Dolphin offense.  Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington will be ineffective and Steve Smith will have his biggest game of the year.

Final Score:  Dolphins  14,  Panthers  30  (Panthers 6-4)  Win

The Panthers will jet-set up to New York and face off with the Jets in game eleven.  Mark Sanchez will be hitting his stride by the time the Panthers visit.  The Jets will be showing improvement on the offense with their new quarterback but the Panthers experienced veteran Jake Delhomme will throw a wrench in the engines of the Jets defense.

Final Score:  Panthers 34,  Jets  20  (Panthers 7-4)  Win

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sail into Panther stadium with a bottle of rum and a huge hangover for game twelve.  The Bucs season continues to fall apart and will be in need of a return by the ole’ pirate Vinny Testaverde.

Final Score:  Bucs  14,  Panthers  27  (Panthers 8-4)  Win

By the time we get to game thirteen the Panthers are on a roll; however, the wheel falls off in Cambridge.  The New England Patriots break out the snow plows and below zero temps for this December outing.  The Patriots take advantage of being at home and the elements will hamper the Panthers running game.

Final Score:  Panthers  17,  Patriots  27  (Panthers  8-5)  Loss

In game fourteen the Minnesota Vikings come to Panther country with a beat-up Brett Favre.  We think that Favre will be lucky to make it to Charlotte.  If Brett does play in this game he will be tired and ineffective.  The running game on both sides of the ball will keep this game interesting.

Final Score:  Vikings 20,  Panthers  24  (Panthers  9-5)  Win

The Carolina Panthers get back on the jet to take on the “not-so-small” New York Giants in game fifteen.  By the time we get to the end of the season all the talk will be about this game because the Giants will also have a winning record.  This game will be a preview of the playoffs.  The Giants will be strong, but the Panthers will dance in their end zone to bring home the win.

Final Score:  Panthers  21,  Giants  17  (Panthers  10-5)  Win

The last game of the season will be in our house against the New Orleans Saints.  The previous loss against the Saints will be burning in our minds, but there is nothing the Panthers will be able to do.  The Panthers will have to wait until 2010 to win a game against the Saints.

Final Score:  Saints  30,  Panthers  24  (Panthers  10-6)  Loss

Season Wrap-Up

The Panthers will have another great season and make it to the playoffs.  The deciding factor for the Panthers will be their defensive effort and avoiding injuries since they are handcuffed by salary cap restraints and rewarding “bigger-than-normal” contracts.

Some Negative Comments

Most Carolina fans think of the horrendous playoff game Delhomme last played more often than the season opener he won for Carolina in San Diego. Some call Delhomme’s extension a blessing in disguise, for salary cap room, if nothing else. In time we will sort it out and see if a contract extension for Delhomme was right or wrong. Some worry about Julius Peppers. He will have a solid season in 2009 if he wants to move elsewhere that bad in 2010.

Some Positive Comments

Carolina has become a force as a team, and is one of the best run organizations in football. Even in a bad season Carolina is more dangerous than most teams. John Fox is a fixture in the NFL, and Carolina is always a possible contender. With defenders such as Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Chris Harris and Julius Peppers on the roster, and playmakers like Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart on the offensive side of the ball, Carolina is never a team that can be taken lightly.

Key Losses: Ken Lucas, Nick Goings, D.J. Hackett, Geoff Hangartner, Frank Omiyale, Jeremy Bridges.

Key Additions: Rookies Drafted: DE Everette Brown, CB Sherrod Martin, DT Corvey Irvin, RB Mike Goodson, FB Tony Fiammetta, OG Duke Robinson, and CB Captain Munnerlyn. Undrafted Rookie Free Agents who have already signed contracts: OT Gerald Cadogan, DT Marlon Favorite, RB Jamall Lee.

Returning from Injuries: LB Dan Connor, WR/RS Ryne Robinson, and WR/RS Jason Carter…All three of these players will likely compete to start at their respective positions as well as to acquire a role on Special Teams.

Depth Issues

Offensive Line: Carolina may have the best starting offensive line in football…The backups appear to be a question mark, but I think all is fine unless they get an injury bug. Gerald Cadogan and Duke Robinson are rookies that can step in as back-ups to get the job done if called upon.

The Backfield: Double Trouble should again be the most formidable RB duo in the NFL and FB Tony Fiammetta will be ready to step in for Brad Hoover if needed. Jake Delhomme is a solid starter at QB; however, Carolina’s back-up quarterbacks are questionable. Carolina did nothing in the off-season to stabilize the back-up QB position or provide Delhomme with legitimate competition at the starting position. The drop-off in the quarterback ability behind Jake Delhomme is disconcerting.

Wide Receivers: Behind Steve Smith, Mushin Muhammad, and Dwayne Jarrett as the number 3 receiver (by default), Jason Carter and Ryne Robinson will return from injuries in 2009. Add rookies Mike Goodson and Larry Beavers into the mix, and Carolina is pretty deep at WR for a team that typically has only three on the 53 man roster each Sunday.

The Defensive Line: Carolina’s Defensive line is solid, however it still lacks the run-stuffing ability Carolina hasn’t had since trading Kris Jenkins to the Jets. They have acquired some back-ups at DT with Corvey Irvin and Marlon Favorite, and have a nice rotation of young speed rushers in Charles Johnson, Hilee Taylor and Everette Brown.

Line Backers: The Panthers are solid at linebacker and it is likely one of Carolina’s deepest positions. Dan Connor should compete with 9-year veteran Na’il Diggs for a starter position.

The Secondary: Going into the off-season, this was one of Carolina’s most glaring weaknesses. With the addition of two draft picks, Carolina’s secondary went from thin to abundant rather quickly. If the starting order moves in linear fashion, then Richard Marshall will be the number two Corner opposite Chris Gamble, C.J. Wilson will be the Nickel, and Sherrod Martin and Captain Munnerlyn will be their back-ups. The Safety position could have benefited with a Patrick Chung kind of guy out of the draft, but Chris Harris is a beast and Charles Godfrey is reliable.

Possible Fallers in 2009: Dwayne Jarrett, Na’il Diggs, Brad Hoover

Potential Risers in 2009: Jason Carter, Mike Goodson, Dan Connor, Tony Fiammetta,

The biggest Wild Card for Carolina for 2009: Special Teams. Carolina will be able to stay close in many of their games in 2009. The difference maker for the Panthers will be Special Teams play. If one of Carolina’s Return Specialists breaks out as a game-changer the way Steve Smith emerged, points scored on Special Teams could turn a potential 6 and 10 season into a 10 and 6 season.

2009 Season Record Prediction: 9 and 7.

While we coast into 2009 it seemed like a good time to look back at some bold predictions for our Carolina Panthers and check their validity.  Back in August we predicted a few events during the final four months of the year (aka the NFL season).  We also have one major prediction from Brian Miller from this past summer.

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