Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

With all the terrible stuff that has happened to the Panthers this year, this news just makes me want to hurl my laptop at the wall screaming “Why does this always happen to us?!”. I mean, it’s just the most ridiculous amount of bad luck, and this is just a blindsided hit that I never saw coming. Who knew that Kalil’s foot injury would end up being this bad?

If he’s done for the season, the running game is going to be even more disappointing and the pass protection is really going to suffer on the interior. Cam Newton isn’t going to have it any easier, and another injury to Jonathan Stewart would mean a one-dimensional offense for Carolina. Newton is the best quarterback on deep throws in the league, but you can’t make a living off of deep throws and stretching the field vertically like that only works if you have a good running game to set that up.

I know that at some point I’m overreacting, but the run blocking has largely been inconsistent this year. Heck, the blocking as a whole has been poor. Football Outsiders statistics rank the Panthers as 26th in pass protection and 28th in run blocking. Without Kalil, this team may very well drop two spots lower below the 30th-placed Oakland Raiders in run blocking.

Geoff Hangartner is a solid player, so hopefully he can make the transition to center even if it won’t be seamless. However, he isn’t as stellar of a player as Kalil and the fact that the star center could be placed on the injured reserve with his injury is shocking news. It’s the final dagger for a team with a middling group in pass pro and a line that has been inconsistent and below-average run blocking wise. Jordan Gross and Kalil are two of the brightest spots, and one of them is likely down for the entire year.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be watching highlights of our win against the New Orleans Saints. It’s been three letdowns in a row since that win. Four if you count this injury.

Update: He has been placed on the injured reserve. This sucks. It’s a Lisfranc injury, and he’ll need surgery and a season’s worth of rest to heal up. Best wishes, and I can’t wait to see him until the start of training camp. Now, to find a way to pave the way for the running backs. Lisfranc injuries are arguably the worst foot injuries out there, so let’s wish him a full recovery for next year.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

July 29, 2012; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill (84) makes a catch during training camp at SUNY Cortland. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE

Jets @ Bengals, 7:30 pm – How will the Sanchez/Tebow drama unfold and is there a controversy? Their respective play tonight should begin to quell the “Tebow for starter” crowd unless Sanchez performs horribly and Tebow shows things he has yet to show. Ever. Also of interest is Jets’ rookie Stephen Hill. He’s a Megatron-like physical specimen, from the same college (Georgia Tech) as Calvin Johnson, but comes into the NFL very raw. Look for Jets OC Tony Sparano to try at least one deep ball to him, probably on a second-and-short or something in order to gain as favorable a matchup in the defensive play calling as possible. On the Bengals’ side, the “punk’d” WR Mohammed Sanu starts his attempt at becoming QB Andy Dalton’s #2 option at WR…after A.J. Green.

Browns @ Lions, 7:30 pm – Probably this is Brandon Weeden’s weakest opponent of the preseason…at least as far as their secondary goes. Louis Delmas is out indefinitely and the Lions have very little talent at corner. With the injury to Trent Richardson, look for the Browns to check out their “other new toy” more in the passing game while Richardson’s fellow RBs get a good look as coaches scramble in worry over Richardson’s return timeline. The Lions’ concerns lie more with their aforementioned pass coverage so look for ANYONE that might stand out there. They are in dire need now of playmakers.

Giants @ Jaguars, 7:30 pm – All eyes should be on 2nd-yr QB Blaine Gabbert of the Jags. He was dead last in just about every NFL passing category last season and looked completely lost most of the time. The result? The Jags signed Miami Dolphin cast-off QB Chad Henne. I think if Henne outplays Gabbert in the preseason, it’ll be very, very difficult for Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Mike Mularkey to start Gabbert. This is by far the biggest issue of any position battle on their squad and Gabbert really needs to start showing some street magic that he has yet to offer in his short career. We need to watch how the Giants’ run defense holds up the middle as they’ve done some retooling of their surprisingly soft, gushy middle from last season. Now, we start seeing if it holds. We know they can bring the heat on the QB as well as anyone.

August 3, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) catches the ball as defensive back Anthony Gaitor (26) attempts to defend during training camp at One Buc Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Cardinals @ Chiefs, 8:00 pm – John Skelton is going to wind up being the starter in Arizona whether it’s due to better play than Kevin Kolb or because Kolb stubs his toe, falls down and breaks his collarbone walking through the tunnel before the game. Kolb needs to wear the red practice jersey every time he steps on the field, but I’m sure there are rules about that…(wink). The biggest thing will be how far along is rookie WR Michael Floyd, and will he deliver enough to help take some double-teams off of All-World WR Larry Fitzgerald? The Chiefs’ questions at this point are more sober…with a number of skill position players coming off IR from last season, this should help evaluate their recovery progress. If I had one player to watch with the Chiefs, it would be how Dontari Poe plays. He was the talk of the Combine earlier this year, but underachieved at a small college. He is probably going to wind up the poster child in the “tape vs. upside” discussion for his 2012 performance, fairly or unfairly.

May 24, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe (92) and offensive lineman Rodney Hudson (61) scrimmage during organized team activities at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Vikings @ 49ers, 9:00 pm – Boy, if there ever was a game of the “haves” vs. the “have-nots,” this matchup is the one. The Vikings are entering the second season of their rebuilding phase and currently do so without their big star, Adrian Peterson. Even if Peterson were unquestionably 100% recovered from his ACL tear from week 17 last season, he wouldn’t be playing much in any of the preseason games in the first place, so that’s not the issue some think it is. The Vikings need to evaluate the progress of second-year QB Christian Ponder and how well #4 overall pick and Carolina Panthers’ center Ryan Kalil’s brother Mike is picking up the nuances of playing the left tackle. They also have similar issues that the Lions do in the secondary, so someone needs to step up and this is the time to start. The Niners’ main concern is evaluating all the new bodies they picked up at WR after having a massive 3 yards passing to the WR corps in their NFC Championship Game loss to the Giants last season. However, keep in mind the quality of the Vikings’ secondary while you do. RB Frank Gore may have peaked his career by now and they’re looking to see who can take a share of carries and the load off the guy.

December 4, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers middle linebacker Mason Foster (59) rushes as Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil (67) blocks during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Carolina Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-19. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

By now, most of you have heard about Ryan Kalil’s Super Bowl winning “guarantee” as he took out a full-page ad in the paper to proclaim such. While refreshingly old-school since he did so in the newspaper and not via Twitter or Facebook, it’s certainly not a new phenomenon.

Before Super Bowl III, Joe Namath made his, most famous, guarantee. A reporter was talking with him about how good the Colts were, and his guarantee wasn’t a planned thing. He just said something like “The Colts are a great team, but so are we, and we’re gonna BEAT those guys. In fact, I guarantee it.”

His Head Coach at the time, Weeb Ewbank, said “Well, I coulda shot him!” – Namath – for giving the Colts something to light a fire under them. Namath replied, “Coach, if those guys are in the Super Bowl and need something EXTRA to get them going, then they ARE in trouble.”

That’s a Brief History of Time here. Many, many copycat “guarantees” have come up, all across the sporting arenas in all sports.

The one thing I’ve noticed about them is that they ALWAYS ALWAYS FAIL.

This is true. I’ve yet to see a chest-thumping “guarantee” work out. EVER.

Remember Vince Young’s “Dream Team” that went 8-8? I thought so.

What was Ryan Kalil thinking? Supposedly, he had been thinking for some time as he prepared a written statement that went to the Charlotte Observer. What about, we may never truly know.

I saw a tweet where Packers’ guard T.J. Lang said something on the order of “It’s foolish to guarantee something you simply cannot guarantee.” That puts it in the proper perspective, considering the team he’s on. Before the 2011 season, everyone had the Packers winning it all. Ask Mike McCarthy or Tom Coughlin how that went.

I can understand Kalil’s confidence in a young, talented squad. I can understand his excitement at the upcoming season with Cam Newton having a year under his belt.

What I can’t understand is a veteran player drawing such scrutiny to a talented but highly unaccomplished young team.

The playoffs? (insert Jim Mora rant video)

Going from 6-10 to Super Bowl champs is not just a tall order. It’s a massive one.

The Panthers arguably will be playing in the toughest division in football. Sure, the Saints have offseason troubles but Drew Brees is signed and they’ve done everything possible to stabilize things. The Saints won’t be a pushover. There are none of those in the NFC South.

Tampa Bay spent the most money of any organization in the offseason and apparently had a great draft. With new Head Coach Greg Schiano, they’ve changed the culture on Florida’s west coast and gotten a lot faster on both sides of the ball and particularly at outside linebacker.

Atlanta will be Atlanta, and Carolina hasn’t even shown an ability to stop the run yet. Certainly, with Beason and some young DTs coming off injury, plus adding Luke Kuechly, they should improve but they’ve done nothing on the field yet. The secondary badly needs playmakers and it’s a pass-happy league.

No, the Panthers might possibly make the playoffs but that’s not going to be easy considering their division. Even so, they’ll have to contend with the Giants, who can pressure Cam all day long, and with Green Bay, who can throw on anyone all day long. Chicago has improved. I already discussed the division. Then, there’s always San Francisco, who added bushel-baskets full of skill players to a team that was only a play or two from the Super Bowl LAST year.

Add in to the mix whatever “surprise” team the NFC may have – Tampa Bay is my pick – and the road to the Super Bowl is marked with tire-shredders, potholes deep enough to bottom out in, and 18-wheelers that can and will run you flat if you get in the way.

Ryan, it’s nice to know you’re confident, but, ah… *insert Dr. Evil*

All right, ZIP IT! When a problem comes along…you must ZIP IT! *whip crack* ZIP IT GOOD!

I’m sure your teammates will enjoy your quieter side for a while.