Well, I hope I don't jinx it...

...but I've felt for quite some time that this is the Panthers' year.

With the Bears out of the way, it should be smooth sailing to the SB if Carolina continues to play the game they've recently been playing.

Seattle should be a cakewalk...despite the loss, even the Titans looked decent against the Seahawks (an arguable point, I know). Carolina should put them away handily.

Denver? No problem.
Pittsburgh? A tougher call, mainly for the Bettis and Ward factor.

Again, Jake Delhomme is playing to his greatest strength: motivating his teammates. As a QB, one could easily charge him with being 50/50: either really great, or completely boneheaded....delightfully inconsistent. But he has a great team around him that wants to play for him, which is far more than Baurlein, Weinke or Peete could ever have hoped for.
Delhomme stood on the sidelines after the team went to the locker room to watch the Pats hoist the Lombardi. He doesn't want to have to do that again. I expect we will see the Good Jake next week in Seattle, and again in Detroit.

With the Titans out of the picture, and having a modicum of regional pride, I can honestly say:
GO PANTHERS!!

DeShaun is done for the playoffs. Broken Ankle. Peppers with his ankle as well.

I think Nick Goings will fill in well.
Peppers with an ankle? I thought it was a shoulder...

Peppers is a big loss. Goings is fine, but literally has no backup if he has a problem. That being said, I think they can still handle the seahawks, but the Superbowl might be more of a problem...

Oh really? They beat one of the best defenses in the league without Shaun Alexander. The Hawks are going to the Super Bowl. The football gods have decreed it.

I'll remember all you haters on here come Feb 6. You will all bow down to the mighty Seahawks!!!

This is jinx enough, isn't it?