| Panthers once again flying under the national radar -- just the way they like it |
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| Written by Steve Reed |
| Thursday, July 29, 2010 2:52 pm |
 Chris Gamble picks off a Matt Moore pass during practice. (Photo by John Clark) In 2005, Sports Illustrated picked the Panthers to beat the Indianapolis Colts in the big game. The following year SI picked the Panthers to beat the Miami Dolphins. Of course neither season panned out. The Panthers lost to Seattle in the NFC Championship game in 2005 and failed to make the playoffs the following year, finishing 8-8. Few have picked them to win it all since and this preseason the bandwagon is particularly thin with few who really think the young and rebuilding Panthers will be a factor in their own division, let alone the league. “Anything is possible, but I don’t think our odds in Vegas are probably very good to win the Super Bowl,” offensive tackle Jordan Gross admitted. He’s right. A quick Internet search of some Las Vegas-based sports betting websites reveal Carolina’s odds of winning the Super Bowl generally range from 35-to-1 to 40-to-1. The over-under for their season win total is generally right around seven -- as in 7-9. That probably surprises nobody, especially given the major turnover in the roster during the offseason and the fact the Panthers need to find 10 new starters to start the season, including six on defense. You want respect? Try New Orleans or Indianapolis. Try Dallas. Even try Atlanta. But Carolina? No, they’re once again viewed as an afterthought when it comes to the postseason, a team that should worry about getting their young players some experience before setting their sights on the Super Bowl. And that’s just fine with Gross, one of just five players on the 80-man roster who has celebrated his 30th birthday. “I’ve been on teams here where we have been picked on the cover of Sports Illustrated to win it all and it didn’t go that way, and we’ve had years with great success where we weren’t favored,” Gross said. “I like where we’re at, personally. There aren’t a lot of eyes on us nationally and I think that’s good with the young team we have. There’s not a lot of extra attention and I think we can use that to our advantage.” Panthers coach John Fox addressed the team prior to the start of training camp about their underdog status. He talked about how nobody is coming to save the Panthers and the need to be accountable to one another as they head out to work each day. “Coach Fox made a lot of points that hit home with a lot of young guys,” said quarterback Matt Moore, whose eight starts represent the only playing experience in Carolina’s quarterbacks room. “I think you saw evidence today of it early in practice. If we continue to work on those things and build as a team and a family the outside world doesn’t matter. There are ball players on the team that will step up. There’s a lot of excitement. We’re fine with where we’re at.” Despite the offseason purge of veteran players, Fox actually seems to be looking forward to playing with a roster that is young, but energetic. “With every season comes change,” Fox said. “You have a new personality. We feel comfortable with the guys we have. Obviously, we all liked and miss Jake (Delhomme), but there are other guys - Muhsin Muhammad, Brad Hoover, a lot of guys - that have been a big part of this organization for some time. Now we've just got a younger bunch.” Added Gross: “It is a different feel. Even in the stretching line (before practice), you look down and there are some familiar faces gone. But it’s good in a way. There’s more energy. Practice was pretty up-tempo today.” The reality is the Panthers normally play better when expectations are low. And expectations probably haven’t been this low for the Panthers since Fox took over a 1-15 football team in 2002. But that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm in Carolina. “I see nothing but big things,” Moore said. “Yeah we’re young and we have a lot of guys people don’t know -- and that’s fine. But national publicity is not why we play.” Super Bowls are. And while the odds are stacked against them, the Panthers hope to fly under the NFL radar as long as possible. |