The Carolina Panthers’ Games’ schedule of 2018 promises to be filled with a flurry of challenging activities. This Sunday-to-Sunday, opening-to-closing schedule of Games, starting with the Panthers playing against the Dallas Boys, away, (despite being the defending champions), confirms everyone’s speculations that the NFC might have something ulterior against the Panthers starting the season in their home-zone.
In 2016, Ron Rivera, the Head Coach of the Carolina Panthers, expressed his utmost dissatisfaction as regards the NFC’s fixtures. He believed this decision caused the 24-10 loss of his team to the Broncos. It was a critical moment for the team then, as they were forced to eat the humble pie. That is what seems to play-out again, come September 9, 2018
It is no doubt that the NFC has hurriedly forgotten Rivera’s reservation in 2016, as their fixture for the coming season pitches the Carolina Panthers against the Dallas Boys, away, on their very first season opening. Everyone is tempted to believe that this is a deliberate act.
In the wake of these disturbing realities, predictions about these yet-to-be-played matches have started making the rounds. Most of these predictions stem from the Histories the Panthers share with their to-be contenders. While more of these predictions border around these teams’ present forms and their prospects, most come from their antecedents and their competitive tendencies anytime they are pitched against each other, in respective order.
The Much-anticipated and Predicted Matches:
Week 1: Sunday September 9, vs. Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Cowboys will definitely give this face-off their all as trashing the Panthers will make history. That the match, being the first of the season, will be broadcast live will make watching it more electrifying. Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, September 16, at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET. The two teams are sworn-enemies, professionally, and at any given opportunity, they try to outdo each other. 2015 was a remarkable season for both teams. Record: 1-1
Week 3: Sunday September 23, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1p.m. ET. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Sunday October 7, vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 3-1
Week 6: Sunday, October 14, at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 4-1
Week 7: Sunday, October 21, at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 4-2
Week 8: Sunday, October 28, vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 5-2
Week 9: Sunday, November 4, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 6-2
Week 10: Thursday, November 8, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:30 p.m. ET. Record: 6-3
Week 11: Sunday, November 18, at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 7-3
Week 12: Sunday, November 25, vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 7-4
Week 13: Sunday, December 2, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 8-4
Week 14: Sunday, December 9, at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 9-4
Week 15: Monday, December 17, vs. New Orleans Saints, 8:30 p.m. ET. Record: 10-4
Week 16: Sunday, December 23, vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 10-5
Week 17: Sunday, December 30, at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET. Record: 10-6
Regardless of these daunting fixtures and the overwhelming effect of the NFC’s insensitive decision, could the Carolina Panthers make history yet again? If they did, the back-to-back winning streak will be more pronounced, as the Panthers would be said to have outmaneuvered their way out of adversity. Or how else could the action of the NFC be termed, despite Rivera’s growing concerns about the fixtures and the way his team is always at the receiving end of the actions of the decision-making cabal?