Overconfident? Not these Panthers

Five straight wins over the Bucs offer no guarantees today.

By JOANNE KORTH
Published December 11, 2005

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Panthers said all the right things.

They were humble and respectful, not the least bit boastful in insisting they will not take the Bucs lightly in today's NFC South showdown despite having beaten them five straight times.

But did they believe it?

While the Bucs' must erase the negativity of a five-game losing streak, the Panthers must fight the impulse to put this one in the win column before kickoff.

"There's never going to be a letdown because we know how competitive the NFC South is and we know the last time they saw us we beat them on their home turf," defensive tackle Brentson Buckner said. "And what better way for them to get revenge than to come in here and beat us."

Not unlike Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, Carolina coach John Fox will use a variety of motivational tools to inspire his team. But will his efforts trump the facts?

The Bucs have not beaten the Panthers since 2002.

"My job is to get the team ready," Fox said. "The mind is the most powerful muscle in the body. I halfway consider myself a sports psychologist without the title."

Patrick Cohn has such a title, and he sees potential danger in a five-game win streak.

"It gives a team confidence believing they know how to get the job done, believing maybe luck is on their side," said Cohn, president and founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando.

"The downside to that would be not having complete and total focus on preparation. Sometimes when you go into a scenario overconfident or believing the game is in the bag, there can be a letdown in terms of preparation."

A week ago Carolina was on the other end of all this psychological stuff. Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was 5-0 as a starter against the Panthers, including several games in which he seemed to beat them single-handed with dynamic runs. Carolina snapped the streak by sacking Vick five times and intercepting him twice in a 24-6 victory.

Curse removed.

Now the Panthers try to extend a five-game win streak.

"It's very difficult to beat anybody twice," Panthers safety Mike Minter said. "You have to stay focused and in the moment. You can't worry about what happened the five times before. We've been able to put that aside because we have so much respect for these guys."

Carolina has won in every way against the Bucs the past three seasons. In 2003 in Tampa the Panthers blocked a potential winning extra-point attempt with no time on the clock and won 12-9 in overtime. Last season in Charlotte, Jake Delhomme threw a 40-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left for a 21-14 win.

The past two games have been lopsided, 37-20 and 34-14. Why not assume they'll win again?

"See, that's the thing," Minter said. "Who in the world blocks an extra point? Who in the world wins games the way we've been winning them? For us to think for one moment that we've got these guys' number is crazy. That's what keeps us humble and keeps us focused on the matter at hand."

So they say.

[Last modified December 11, 2005, 02:15:36]