NFL Playoffs: Powerless in Seattle

If only the Panthers had The King.

What is there to say? I wish I could say it was heartbreaking, but it's not like the Panthers ever had a chance. The running game never got going and Jake Delhomme couldn't get comfortable in the pocket. Carolina got spanked in every which way possible and I could only marvel at the dominance of the Seahawks.

The Seattle OL created vente-sized holes for Alexander and the DL got through way too easily. The supposedly clutch Delhomme played like a Manning Brother - at one point late in the telecast, Fox showed each quarterback's stats and Delhomme's QB rating was something like 1.6. And this is the guy who had the highest playoff QB rating coming into the game (also, I should credit Scott or Whitney for the "if only the Panthers had The King" comment, but I think they should be considered a single entity at this point, and I mean that in the best way possible). And not having a healthy running back meant Steve Smith was triple- and quadruple-covered all day (where were the other options?). Julius Peppers had the speed but not the power, and the linebackers were invisible.

Carolina has been a Jekyll & Hyde team throughout the season, and after 3 straight weeks of Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde was bound to show up, especially with all the injuries and playing against a veteran QB. It's been fun the past few weeks following the Panthers (national TV!), but the only way Super Bowl XL is going to hold any interest for me is if the commercials are any good (doubtful) or Mick Jagger shows his tits (possible).

And my picks? 0-2 for the weekend and now a dismal 5-5 straight up/4-6 against the spread, reinforcing why I should never gamble for a living.

tags: NFL playoffs Carolina Panthers