Yeah, I'd have to admit I'd be very disturbed by a loss in Carolina.
Mainly, because we really don't 'know' what this Seahawks team is. We definitely made huge leaps last year. We think it's good. But this is a team that even hitting it's stride, struggled to beat a broken Chicago team and also struggled in a loss at Miami and at home against St. Louis. We struggled to beat the Redskins in the playoffs and were afforded a huge lift by a crippled Griffin. Then our inconsistency eventually caught up to us in Atlanta.
This is a team that to me is still searching for how to put teams away. And I think our defense, while good, leaves us uncomfortable if it's required to sit on leads.
We are a better team than the one that beat Carolina. Carolina is too -- that game was one of their worst. And truthfully, if Newton doesn't just throw a ball in the dirt at the feet of an open TE in the end zone, how would that have affected our outlook on this year.
This team to me still has a strong element of prove it to me. I saw the glimpse of what's possible. And we played good teams tough. Winning some and losing some. They're in a good spot. I can see the realistic potential of taking that next leap and seizing the division. A loss to Carolina would be difficult to accept given the expectations based purely on potential.
This team hasn't won anything yet. But it looks like it should now. A loss at Carolina would be equally as tough as a loss at Arizona. It means the team isn't quite there yet. Carolina is a good team. But they aren't a playoff caliber team. This is a team we *SHOULD* beat. And if we are considering this team as a team on the verge of winning division titles and competing for the SB, then these are contests you have to put away. A loss at Carolina is like 3 putting a hole. You can't have too many of those and expect to compete.
Beating Carolina is making par for a team that considers itself a conference title contender. A loss is a bogey.
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