Far from being upset with Ryan Kalil’s public promise of a Super Bowl victory this season, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he hopes all of his players are focused on that same goal.
Kalil, the Panthers’ Pro Bowl center, took out a full-page ad in Wednesday’s Observer telling fans their loyalty would be rewarded with a championship.
Rivera didn’t flinch when asked about it after the team’s final rookie camp practice.
“If we don’t have 53 guys with that same attitude walking in that building, we’ve got to find 53 guys that do,” Rivera said. “And what he did, he put how he feels out there. I think that’s great.”
Kalil’s teammates felt the same way.
Linebacker Jon Beason, a defensive captain, reminded reporters that he’s been talking about the Super Bowl as a goal for this team since February.
“That’s the first part of it – confidence. You’ve got to believe in the goal,” Beason said. “First you set the goal, and then what you do day to day to work for it is what makes it come true.”
Beason tweeted a picture of Kalil’s 178-word message to his followers Wednesday morning.
Defensive end Charles Johnson hadn’t seen or heard of the ad until a reporter mentioned it to him after practice.
“He put that in an ad?” Johnson asked. “I can’t disagree with him. I agree with him. People don’t say it publicly, but I agree with him. I don’t have any disbelief. It’s all good with me.”
Kalil called his gesture a “war cry for the fans” for their support through the franchise’s first 17 seasons. The idea came to him two weeks ago in California, and he wrote and paid for the ad without consulting the Panthers.
Rivera said Kalil put in writing what every team is thinking as training camps open.
“Everybody else believes the same thing. He just said it,” Rivera said.
Rivera, who played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, said former Bears coach Mike Ditka greeted players at Rivera’s first minicamp by telling them he had good news and bad news.
“The good news is we’re going to the Super Bowl,” Rivera recalled Ditka saying. “The bad news is some of you aren’t going.”
Rivera said he wants his players to aim high.
“If you don’t ... then what are we playing for?” Rivera said. “I don’t want to hear anybody say, ‘Heck, are you kidding, I’ll be happy (with) 8-8.’ No. As (former NFL coach) Herm Edwards says, ‘You play to win the game.’ ”
Other NFL coaches and players who have made bold predictions recently have not fared so well. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said he regrets guaranteeing his team would win the Super Bowl last season.
And when Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick said last week the Eagles had a chance to become a dynasty like the 49ers in the 1980s and the Cowboys in the 1990s, critics pointed to the comments of one of Vick’s teammates last season.
After backup quarterback Vince Young called the Eagles a “Dream Team,” they lost four of their first five games and missed the playoffs.
But Johnson is not concerned about Kalil’s prediction putting a target on the Panthers.
“We already have a target on our back. It’s not like we’ve not been out there. People are going to be out to get us, just like we’re out to get everybody else,” Johnson said. “We’re hungry just like everybody else. We haven’t won nothing, really. So we’re trying to get everything we can.”
Added Beason: “Pressure’s great. I love pressure. A lot of times, you’re doing what you’re doing, you kind of get comfortable because you get into a routine. As soon as I get challenged with something or it’s time to do something new, I like that. So pressure is an opportunity to do something great.”
The Panthers finished 6-10 in Rivera’s first season, with a top-10 offense led by Rookie-of-the-Year quarterback Cam Newton and an injury-plagued defense that was among the league’s worst.
Johnson said the Panthers have the potential to end the season in New Orleans, site of Super Bowl XLVII.
“We’ve got everything we need I think to win it. It’s all about us,” Johnson said.
“A lot of things have to come together for us to win a Super Bowl. A lot of stuff has to happen. Everything has to be on point. Defense has to be on point, offense has to be on point. We need a big boost from special teams. Other than that, I’m all with it.”
