Denver Broncos at the Carolina Panthers (UPDATE: PANTHERS WIN 30-10)

The game doesn’t start until 4:15 ET this afternoon, but I wanted to go ahead and get this thread started in case there were some 1pm games that you wanted to talk about. The Cats are coming off a huge win against division rival Tampa in last week’s Monday night game. That put the Cats at 10-3, and hoping to clinch a playoff spot if they win today against the Broncos who, at 8-5, sit atop the AFC West division with no real competition.

Under what scenario could the Panthers clinch today? The AP reports:

A win in this game, along with a loss by Dallas or Atlanta, would wrap up the Panthers’ spot in the postseason. A loss, however, could knock Carolina out of sole possession of the NFC South lead and potentially ruin its chances of gaining home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Carolina is one game behind the New York Giants for the NFC’s best record and will visit the defending Super Bowl champions next week before closing the regular season in New Orleans, which is 6-1 at home.

I heard a couple of interviews with Coach Fox and Panthers GM Marty Hurney – respectively, in the days after Carolina’s win last week, and they said they were telling the players to not let the media/peer/fan praise from the victory over Tampa go to their heads. They’ve been told to keep their feet on the ground and to play every game as if it’s the game of a lifetime. It’s advice I hope the Cats heed this afternoon when they take the field.

The temperature here in Charlotte today is 44 degrees. The game will be brodcast on CBS.

Update – 7:08 PM: The Panthers played some solid football today, and defeated the Broncs 30-10 to go to 11-3. Next up: NC Cop’s Giants – game to be played on Giants turf. NC, who did you say you were rooting for again? After the Giants, it’s an away game at New Orleans.