My Knee-Jerk Reaction of Optimism
My knee-jerk reaction to the tie in Cincinnati is one of hope and pride. Here's why: I picked us to actually lose this game today as I did not feel optimistic about playing a ticked-off and talented Bengal team. Yes, they did not have AJ Green but they are still very talented and to me Giovanni Bernard is the most important player on that offense. When he has a big game, they are real tough to beat. He had a big game and set us back on our heels. So I felt like I was playing with house-money in this one. But when we went down the field in that opening drive and looked dominant doing so, my internal optimist came out. But I still knew that we would have to play a pretty flawless game to win this one. Which we did not do.
This game had so many changes in momentum. At one point when we were up by seven in 4th Quarter and had the ball, I felt good. But missing that field goal after having previously making one then getting a first down on a penalty was a killer. Then Superman made an appearance for the first time this season only to see Pacman Jones break our hearts. If you could take away the big plays that we gave up, we could have stole this one.
So in short, having Cam Newton rushing for over 100 yards and passing for just shy of 300 yards gives me great optimism for the rest of the year. Now, if we can just find our Monsters and teach them some discipline we will go a long way this season. Keep Pounding Panther Nation! ~Mel Mayock
So leave your comments. What are your thoughts?