Hello. My name is Erik Sommers Dontari Poe Color Rush Jersey , and I am a realist. I’m not one to irrationally believe or disbelieve in anything at all. In matters of real concern, I won’t commit one way or another without an abundance of data proving or disproving my statements, and I think for any one person’s words to be taken seriously, they shouldn’t either.The Carolina Panthers have long been an exception to this.Since drafting Cam Newton, I have believed that the Panthers are capable of beating any given team on any given day of the week. I’ll hear nothing of your historical data analysis, and your home vs. away splits, or all the reasons you think we are deficient in one area that is especially crippling against our next opponent. In my head, the Panthers are going to win the football game. It may not be pretty, it may be unconventional, and it almost certainly will be maddeningly closer than it ought to be... but dammit, they are going to win.This may come as a surprise to some of you that only know me as an editor on this blog, where I tend to keep most of my writing in check and as objective as possible. I do this, because I feel that all of you deserve an honest analysis of everything Jarius Wright Jersey , whether that be our team’s offensive line situation from week to week, or how I feel about our pass rush, present and future. When I present you information, I think it is important to state the situation how it is as best as I can in a realm so steeply opinion-based as professional football journalism. I want you to be able to take that information and apply it to your own fandom as you see fit.But on gameday, I am just as big a Panthers fanatic as anyone. I yell at players on TV about what they should have done. I scream at officials that can’t hear me. I suddenly become religious and ask for divine intervention in moments that any deity couldn’t give two nickels about. I am completely unruly at games, both home and away. I cuss on Twitter, in both jubilation and humiliation, with a regularity that would probably make my mother blush if she knew how to operate social media. The Panthers losing used to affect my entire day negatively, something I’ve learned to get better about for the sake of my friends and family, but it is still a heavy emotion I have to deal with. I care a lot about this team’s success, without a doubt.I do this, and throw my entire life philosophy to the wind, because the Carolina Panthers and their NFL brethren have proven time and time again that rationality and reason have no place here. This is a league where anyone can beat anyone on any given matchup https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Da_Norris-Searcy-Jersey , and I have certainly seen much more far fetched winning scenarios come to pass than the Panthers beating the Steelers at Pittsburgh in primetime. This one isn’t far flung for me at all, really. I think we match up with them quite well given what I have seen over the past few weeks. Believe, because this was a thing that happened on an actual NFL football field.espn.comRemember, in the past three weeks, we have proved the following true:This team can make massive comebacks and win in hostile environments.This team can score lots of points on even the league’s best defense.This team can score just as readily as the league’s best offense and win a shootout.Why then, could they not topple any team in the league? Is it because we’re playing the Steelers and people just assume they will win any given game? Why do you think that is?Because their fans believe they will win every game. They honestly believe that, and that attitude affects all coverage of that team. They’ve had a lot of success over the years and have earned that attitude, but the Panthers have not been without their victories as well. We may still not have a Super Bowl ring, but really our franchise is young and right now is experiencing some of its best years. It’s high time that this entire fan base stop preparing itself for losing, and start believe they will win ever game they play, like they nearly did in 2015. It is time to change the culture.The players sure as hell believe that. If their “drip” levels were any higher, we’d have to shut down the entire locker room due to water damage. It’s time to follow their leads as fans, because that is what being a fan is all about. Believe we will win. Every time. Throw caution to the wind Greg Van Roten Color Rush Jersey , and enjoy the ride.KEEP POUNDING. Welcome back to the 2018 edition of Step UP or Step OUT, a series on CSR that is intended to look at players who are playing well and highlight a few that need to step their game up. Think of it as a heat index for the Carolina Panthers; guys who are playing well are stepping up and those who aren’t need to improve their game or. . . step out.This week we’ll look at some guys that really jumped off the screen during week one and need to maintain that intensity heading into our first division game against the Atlanta Falcons. The others mentioned, well. . . they need to play better or maybe just step out of the way and let someone else take over.Steppin’ UPMario AddisonHeat Rating: The tires on a Coca Cola 600 race car during the final lap.In general it was a great day for the Panthers defensive line. Dak Prescott was sacked six times, and could never truly operate comfortably in the pocket. A lot of this harassment came from Kawann Short, who we’ve come to expect excellent play from, but the clutch play of the day belongs to Addison for sealing the game with a late fourth quarter strip-sack to ice things for the Panthers.Wes HortonHeat Rating: A “Cup O Noodles” straight outta the microwaveKeeping with the theme of guys playing at an elevated level, Wes Horton is continuing last seasons upward trend with excellent rotational play. He contributed one and a half sacks on the day, but more importantly showed that he could gain consistent pressure and be disciplined against the run. Horton is following that same general career arc as Mario Addison has, and in my opinion is our most underrated defensive lineman right now.Jarius WrightHeat Rating: The bug zapper on the porch during a humid summer eveningOn a day when the entire wide receiver core looked pretty sluggish and disorganized for most of the game, Jarius Wright stepped forward and made things happen. Not that he made a massive statistical impact, because no pass catcher did, but he provided that reliable third down weapon that he had proven to be in Minnesota when Cam looked his way.Steppin’ OUTDevin FunchessCold Rating: Ice cream that has been in the freezer since JanuaryWhile he came through a bit more consistently late in the game, for a guy who is supposed to be the WR1 in this offense https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com , it’s not a good look when you run too shallow a hitch route on third down causing Cam to miss you long, and also run the wrong route on a deep post almost running into Torrey Smith. Couple that with a couple passes that “you’d like to see him catch” and it becomes a disappointing effort.Amini SilatoluCold Rating: Think of the coldest thing you’ve ever experienced. Then throw that thing in a vat of liquid nitrogen, and send it to Pluto.Really bro? You stepped in front of an extra point snap deflecting it wide of the holder and causing the Panthers to be ahead by only two scores instead of three? God knows how many points you have single-handedly taken off the board in your time with the team. This is a new low, even for you. I really really hope you don’t even sniff the field on Sunday.Ron “River Turtle” RiveraCold Rating: More like a northern river turtle. Like, central Canadian northern.It’s really wearing me thin to see conservative playcalling nearly sink this team at the end of games week in and week out. Why can’t I just watch my team dominate the opponent and get an earlier jump on the rest of my day in the fourth quarter, without having to watch down to the final second? Jonathan DeLong captured this perfectly in his Tuesday turtle spotlight, so I won’t re-hash all the reasons here, but I just don’t get why any coach in the NFL stops doing what is working in order to try what OBVIOUSLY WON’T.