Five years from now

[VegasPanther]

I'm not on here to trash talk, as I don't like to brag about something that has not happened yet, and does not directly involve me, but all I will say is it should be quite a game on Sunday. I am going to be completely honest and I say I wanted to Carolina avoid you like the plague, and was hoping Walsh would do the expected and take out the big dog (crazy to say that about a 6 seed!) in the WC round. Also, I don't know if my fellow Panther fans have picked up on this yet, but this will be our sixth straight playoff game against the NFC West, going all the way back to you beating us in the NFC Championship game before you lost to the referees....er, I mean Steelers, in that debacle of a Super Bowl.

My comment/question is not about the upcoming game though, but about where you see yourselves in five years. The reason this is an interesting question to me, is that I see a bit of a potential "QB vacuum" in the NFC right now. What I mean is, you have some older dudes that will be retired or in their late thirties in five years (Brees, Palmer, Rodgers, Eli Manning, Romo), a couple of young guns that MAY have figured it out (Winston? Bridgewater?), and then you have Russell Wilson and Cam Newton, who should both be smack dab in their primes. So for me, though prognosticating in the NFL is shaky ground, I really can see a scenario where we have a legitimate New England-Indianapolis type rivalry, owing to Wilson and Newton being potentially the only two elite QBs in the NFC who are truly in their primes. There are many things that could make this theory fall down, or other QB situations that could end up throwing another team in the rivalry mix - if Kirk Cousins ends up elite, for example - but considering how our teams are constructed, how good our owner-GM-coach situations are, and how we already have the makings of a good (albeit one-sided, so far) rivalry, it is enough to make me really look forward to the future for both our clubs.

To me, Seattle have already made it. The way you are built, and Wilson's level of talent, makes you the potential New England of the NFC for years to come, with two SB appearances already under your belt. After the crap of that Pittsburgh SB and your superb fan base, you certainly deserve it, and I just hope Carolina can join you in making the NFC a titanic struggle at the top year after year.

Anyway, may the best team win come Sunday, and may both of our fan bases enjoy the ride that is unlikely to end on Sunday even for the loser, in the long run!

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

I think you might well be correct though as you mentioned Winston has a shot to be in the club too, Plus, 5 years ago Russell was in college and no one would've seen what was coming in terms of the winning he's done as an NFL QB so there may be another guy out there no one's thinking of at this point.

I will say because the QB position is so very important and teams with good QBs win consistently, your scenario of a Manning/Brady type rivalry seems quite possible.



Here's to no injuries Sunday (and for me a Hawks win of course).

 

[JSeahawks]

Agreed that this could be the rivalry for the next 5 years.

I still think Rodgers has 5 good seasons left in him too so they'd be the 3rd team. I personally don't think bridgewater or cousins have any "it" qualities, I don't see them being anything special. Maybe winston, but it's to early to tell.

 

[Gametime]

Hard to see it any other way honestly.

I think they are very similar in style and will be a great match up for the next several years. The 49er's rivalry died a knock out style death as they couldn't get it done and finally fell apart.

This weekend's game may just be the start of something extremely fun to watch as a fan.

 

[chris98251]

Great post by the OP, I think he is on to something, both teams very similar in how they are built, now how they manage success such as players maturing and getting paid and being able to stay on the upper crust, the second aspect is the problem with success, as we here in Seattle have seen your coaching staff becomes the must interview and hire targets as well as front office people. Being able to replace them with another person to keep the wheels moving is another challenge. Third is the patience of the owner and in our case the age of our coach and how long they will either coach or let the current coach make their runs if not successful ala Harbaugh.

I know Rivera keeps popping up on the hot seat by the mediots for some reason.

 

[Fade]

Great OP.

Yes.

Wilson, Rodgers, & Cam will be perennial contenders in the NFC for the next 5 seasons. The division dynamics is what is interesting to me. Tough division competition can cost you the playoffs altogether, or playoff seeding at the very least.

So projecting the divisions going forward, The NFC West can actually become the easiest of the 3, when Carson gets hurt/too old.

NFC WEST
Niners - No QB.
Rams - No QB.
Cards - Carson is old & Injury prone.
Seahawks - Wilson

NFC NORTH
Detroit - Stafford
Chicago - Cutler
Minn - Teddy
GB - Rodgers

NFC SOUTH
Saints - Drew Brees Is old
TB - Winston
ATL - Matt Ryan
Carolina - Cam

Every team in the NORTH & SOUTH are pretty settled at QB. It's just a question of can they add more talent. Meanwhile the WEST is Russell Wilson & however long Palmer can hold up.

 

[Scottemojo]

Talking ball? so weird.

How Tampa will be at team building is to be seen, but I think in 5 years Winston will be in the mix too.

But 5 years is a long time, and while Wilson or Cam may be in their prime in 5, coaching staffs change, injuries happen, teams succumb to the cap erosions, etc. I am not a knock on wood kind of guy, it just feels impractical to pat my team on the back for being the new Patriots for the next 5 years.

But I'm also not a big player rivalry guy, so measuring Russ vs Cam holds little appeal.

 

[kearly]

Classy post OP. The OP is a clinic on how visiting fans should behave with their first post (having sympathy for SB XL was a smart move).

Records and even advanced stats aside, Seattle and Carolina are the two best teams in the NFL by the eyeball test. Both are built for playoff success. It seems likely to me that the winner of this game will win the Super Bowl, especially if the winner is Carolina (if Seattle can't beat Carolina in Charlotte, I doubt AZ or GB could). The AFC is full of flawed teams- we very well might see KC in the Super Bowl. The four best teams in the playoffs right now might all be in the NFC.

Seattle plays Carolina next year despite falling out of 1st place as luck would have it. If Seattle meets Carolina in the playoffs next season it will be the 8th meeting in 5 seasons. That's nuts.

As far as the elite QB discussion, you absolutely have to include Rodgers in there. He just turned 32 in an era when QBs play well into their late 30s. And as far as Newton goes, I say this as someone who was a huge fan of Newton's NFL prospects from day 1, but I think he has to prove next season that 2015 was the new normal for him and not just a byproduct of the NFL's easiest schedule. Unlike Wilson's turnaround which occurred due to schematic changes, I don't really see anything different about Newton now versus before, he's just playing hot football against mostly bad teams. I think Newton's 2016 season will probably land somewhere between his 2014 and 2015 seasons.

As far as this game goes, I think Seattle has to play their best game of the season to win. Seattle played a pretty good game and lost at home to Carolina earlier this year.

 

[kearly]

Funny thing is that Carolina doesn't feel like a rival even though Seattle plays them so much. Pete Carroll gushes about the Panthers every chance he gets, and it permeates down to his players. Every time the Seahawks talk about the Panthers it is with the highest level of heartfelt respect. I can't think of any other team that got more unprompted praise from Seahawks players and coaches before. Maybe it is because the Seahawks feel that their team model is further validated by Carolina's success.

 

[Optimus25]

I like your post because it was both well written/ interesting, and in it you admit you did not want to see the Seahawks if you could have played green bay( or anyone) instead.

The false bravado of some of your friends is nauseating given the series history of these teams lately.

I can understand optimism, confidence, and hope, but the fact is you guys were walking to the nfccg if Walsh didn't Finkle himself. Now, it's going to be a fistfight.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Kiss the ring.

 

[Sac]

Classy first post. Welcome to .NET, OP.

In five years, I'd love it if we were the Patriots West, minus all the cheating. Is it likely? Well...we'll just have to see.

 

[HawkFan72]

Great first post. I look forward to talking more football with you on here. I agree that Wilson and Newton have a chance at a Manning/Brady type of rivalry, so this game could prove to be a big one in that respect.

This game is going to be a rough fight, and I could see it going either way.

 

[VegasPanther]

Thank you for the kind words and warm welcome all. You are clearly classy yourselves.

I do think the potential QB vacuum is interesting, and I would love to have a proper, respectful rivalry with you guys - if anything, it would mean we have arrived too. Though you are now "the enemy" for all NFC teams owing your success, Seattle is simply a fantastic franchise, and though I am jealous we have not had the same level of success, I can tip the cap to a club getting over the hump and becoming the gold standard for the conference.

I am loving the season Cam has had, but we have indeed had a pretty easy schedule, and I do think he needs to carry on showing it and growing in seasons to come. Losing Benjamin for the year may have helped in a strange way, as he learns to progress through his reads and get the ball to receivers who aren't as good at getting open potentially.

I am a big believer in Wilson. All I can say about the man is this: as an opposing fan, Seattle in third and long never feels safe against him. That play against Minnesota the other day demonstrates why (though it was second down), but he also is deadly accurate, throws a beautiful, rainbow ball right into the laps of his receivers, and is so darn elusive it is frustrating. If you judge a QB by opposing fans' level of dread when he steps back to throw, he is definitely elite in my mind.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

Who knows. If todays vote goes a certain way we may be in the AFC...

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Agreed that this could be the rivalry for the next 5 years.

I still think Rodgers has 5 good seasons left in him too so they'd be the 3rd team. I personally don't think bridgewater or cousins have any "it" qualities, I don't see them being anything special. Maybe winston, but it's to early to tell.

Yeah I'd throw GB in the mix for sustained rivalry for the Hawks.........there's enough history and bad blood to make a case for both the Panthers and Packers being the top NFC rivals for the forseeable future.

 

[Bigpumpkin]

But 5 years is a long time, and while Wilson or Cam may be in their prime in 5, coaching staffs change, injuries happen, teams succumb to the cap erosions, etc. I am not a knock on wood kind of guy, it just feels impractical to pat my team on the back for being the new Patriots for the next 5 years.

But I'm also not a big player rivalry guy, so measuring Russ vs Cam holds little appeal.

I figure that Russell has about 12 years left in the NFL. That ought to equal about four more SB rings. I'd be very surprised if Cam has another 12 years left in his body.

 

[VegasPanther]

But 5 years is a long time, and while Wilson or Cam may be in their prime in 5, coaching staffs change, injuries happen, teams succumb to the cap erosions, etc. I am not a knock on wood kind of guy, it just feels impractical to pat my team on the back for being the new Patriots for the next 5 years.

But I'm also not a big player rivalry guy, so measuring Russ vs Cam holds little appeal.

I figure that Russell has about 12 years left in the NFL. That ought to equal about four more SB rings. I'd be very surprised if Cam has another 12 years left in his body.

Yes, I think that is the fear of many Panther fans. Wilson can run, but he is perhaps the best QB in the league at getting the maximum yards while avoiding much contact (even down to his habit of stretching his arm out as he goes out of bounds to get those last couple of yards). Cam, on the other hand, could be shell shocked with too many more years of taking such a beating, despite being such an athletic giant.

As a Panther fan, I am enjoying the ride as it happens, and hoping Cam develops in the pocket enough to scale back on the running as he approaches 30.