Sunday Football – it’s the game that could divide my home. Panthers vs. Bears. I root for the Panthers, have since they came into existence. The owner is a former player, and to be honest, the logo is just that cool.
A look at the schedules of the two:
Carolina: (12-5)
9/11: New Orleans L 23-20
9/18: New England W 27-17
9/25: at Miami L 27-24
10/3: Green Bay W 32-29
10/9: at Arizona W 24-20
10/16: at Detroit W 21-20
10/30: Minnesota W 38-13
11/6: at Tampa Bay W 34-14
11/13: NY Jets W 30-3
11/20: at Chicago L 13-3
11/27: at Buffalo W 13-9
12/4: Atlanta W 24-6
12/11: Tampa Bay L 20-10
12/18: at New Orleans W 27-10
12/24: Dallas L 24-20
1/1: at Atlanta W 44-11
Playoffs:
1/8: at NY Giants W 23-0
Chicago: (11-5)
9/11: at Washington L 9-7
9/18: Detroit W 38-6
9/25: Cincinnati L 24-7
10/9: at Cleveland L 20-10
10/16: Minnesota W 28-3
10/23: Baltimore W 10-6
10/30: at Detroit W 19-13
11/6: at New Orleans W 20-17
11/13: San Francisco W 17-9
11/20: Carolina W 13-3
11/27: at Tampa Bay W 13-10
12/4: Green Bay W 19-7
12/11: at Pittsburgh L 21-9
12/18: Atlanta W 16-3
12/25: at Green Bay W 24-17
1/1: at Minnesota L 34-10
Well, here’s my thought on it, logically (and not that sports strictly follows logic…). Chicago has a record of 2-3 against playoff teams this year and they average only 16 points per game and give up more yards than they themselves gain per game. Margin of victory for them is 4 points. The Panthers, however, have a record of 3-2 against the teams who made the playoffs, had a harder schedule than the Bears, and posted a shutout in the playoffs. Average margin of victory for the Panthers is 8 points and score close to 25 points per game while giving up only 16, a little more than the Bears 12… of the five Panther loses, none were more than 10 points. The Bears have three over 10, one at 14, one at 17, and the last game of the regular season which was 24 points (arguments can be made about resting players, blah, blah, blah). I can now start spouting of clichés of “the game can most likely be decided by who wants it more…” and garbage like that, but really it boils down to 11/20. The two played each other then and Chicago won and by 10 points, actually. It wasn’t really a true blowout in my mind. But it is going to be in Chicago, a bye off and they have beat Carolina earlier this year. A lot of intangibles pointing to Chicago… and that is why I am really starting to think Carolina in all this. I mean, they handed a shutout to a playoff team, on the road, and (let’s be honest) in New York. I mean, who likes to play in New York, in any sport, for that matter. Now they head to Ditka land and even though Mike isn’t there, he’s always there. I think this is going to be a really fun game to watch, especially since I may be having friends and family all around cheering for the “other” team, but my honest to truth gut says Carolina over the Bears with a score of 20 to 13.
A look at the schedules of the two:
Carolina: (12-5)
9/11: New Orleans L 23-20
9/18: New England W 27-17
9/25: at Miami L 27-24
10/3: Green Bay W 32-29
10/9: at Arizona W 24-20
10/16: at Detroit W 21-20
10/30: Minnesota W 38-13
11/6: at Tampa Bay W 34-14
11/13: NY Jets W 30-3
11/20: at Chicago L 13-3
11/27: at Buffalo W 13-9
12/4: Atlanta W 24-6
12/11: Tampa Bay L 20-10
12/18: at New Orleans W 27-10
12/24: Dallas L 24-20
1/1: at Atlanta W 44-11
Playoffs:
1/8: at NY Giants W 23-0
Chicago: (11-5)
9/11: at Washington L 9-7
9/18: Detroit W 38-6
9/25: Cincinnati L 24-7
10/9: at Cleveland L 20-10
10/16: Minnesota W 28-3
10/23: Baltimore W 10-6
10/30: at Detroit W 19-13
11/6: at New Orleans W 20-17
11/13: San Francisco W 17-9
11/20: Carolina W 13-3
11/27: at Tampa Bay W 13-10
12/4: Green Bay W 19-7
12/11: at Pittsburgh L 21-9
12/18: Atlanta W 16-3
12/25: at Green Bay W 24-17
1/1: at Minnesota L 34-10
Well, here’s my thought on it, logically (and not that sports strictly follows logic…). Chicago has a record of 2-3 against playoff teams this year and they average only 16 points per game and give up more yards than they themselves gain per game. Margin of victory for them is 4 points. The Panthers, however, have a record of 3-2 against the teams who made the playoffs, had a harder schedule than the Bears, and posted a shutout in the playoffs. Average margin of victory for the Panthers is 8 points and score close to 25 points per game while giving up only 16, a little more than the Bears 12… of the five Panther loses, none were more than 10 points. The Bears have three over 10, one at 14, one at 17, and the last game of the regular season which was 24 points (arguments can be made about resting players, blah, blah, blah). I can now start spouting of clichés of “the game can most likely be decided by who wants it more…” and garbage like that, but really it boils down to 11/20. The two played each other then and Chicago won and by 10 points, actually. It wasn’t really a true blowout in my mind. But it is going to be in Chicago, a bye off and they have beat Carolina earlier this year. A lot of intangibles pointing to Chicago… and that is why I am really starting to think Carolina in all this. I mean, they handed a shutout to a playoff team, on the road, and (let’s be honest) in New York. I mean, who likes to play in New York, in any sport, for that matter. Now they head to Ditka land and even though Mike isn’t there, he’s always there. I think this is going to be a really fun game to watch, especially since I may be having friends and family all around cheering for the “other” team, but my honest to truth gut says Carolina over the Bears with a score of 20 to 13.
2 Random Thoughts:
Dream on. Your little shits can't play in outdoor weather under a temperature of 65.
Welcome to football in January in Chicago.
Predicted temperatures at start of game day: 30 degrees. Forecast, snow and horizontal rain.
You're doomed! Doomed I tellz ya!
Doomed? I didn't think so... the cats were too much for them...
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