Tom Talks: ‘Mediocre’ best describes Carolina Panthers

If you didn’t care about the outcome, or you cheer for the New Orleans Saints, Sunday’s game was a thrill. The Carolina Panthers looked like a good team, and Kyle Allen looked like a good quarterback.

I feel terrible for Carolina kicker Joey Slye, who missed two extra points and a 28-yard field goal attempt. The guy is 23, was inconsistent at Virginia Tech, and was very good for the Panthers early this season before bottoming out in the Superdome.

Let’s step back and assess the season. Where are the Panthers? At 5-6, they’re where they should be. Some fans like to talk about the close losses, losses by 3, 3, 6 and 8 points. Win those three-point games against the Los Angeles Rams (opening day) and New Orleans (Sunday) and the Panthers are 7-4, and contenders.

Close losses are not a coincidence. The Panthers lose those games because somebody or something breaks down, and not always Slye. They lose because of an absence of talent and an absence of poise. They lose because they collect mistakes. They lose because they aren’t particularly good.

Somebody decided that the Panthers were designed to win now, last Sunday, this Sunday and this season. I don’t know who it was. The idea that they’re loaded with veteran talent is untrue. I’ve been a fan of defense end Mario Addison (32) since he stepped onto the field and compelled the Panthers to hire him. Greg Olsen, at 34 the oldest player on Carolina’s roster, has been a great tight end, and still is a good one.

Eight players on Carolina’s roster are 30 or older. Make it 12 if you count players out for the season with injuries– Graham Gano (32), Chris Hogan (32), Cam Newton (30) and Kawann Short (30).

Before the season, I picked the Panthers to go 8-8. I didn’t see the burgeoning talent so many of you did. I still don’t.

I expect a major shakeup after the season – I’m talking players, coaches and management.

The decision about coaching and management will be tougher for owner David Tepper to make if the Panthers finish by winning games they aren’t favored to.

I’d like to see it. But I don’t expect it.

Those crazy Falcons

Happy Thanksgiving. I give thanks for many things, among them my NFL picks. Some of you might, too. The last two weeks I’ve gone 23-5. But after picking four straight Locks correctly, I missed last week.

I picked the Atlanta Falcons (-4½) to cover against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons, you’ll recall, didn’t give up a touchdown in consecutive road victories against the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay scored five touchdowns against Atlanta, one on defense.

They’re a tough team to pick, these Falcons.

Last Week: 12-2

Season: 115-53-1

Lock of the Week: Lost it.

Season: 7-5

This week’s picks, with the home team in CAPS

Thursday

Chicago 3 over DETROIT

DALLAS 2 over Buffalo

New Orleans 4 over ATLANTA

Sunday

BALTIMORE 3 over San Francisco

JACKSONVILLE 3 over Tampa Bay

CAROLINA 7 over Washington

Philadelphia 4 over MIAMI

New York Jets 1 over CINCINNATI

Green Bay 6 over NEW YORK GIANTS

Cleveland 2 over PITTSBURGH

Los Angeles Rams 4 over ARIZONA

Los Angeles Chargers 2 over DENVER

KANSAS CITY 6 over Oakland

HOUSTON 2 over New England

Monday

SEATTLE 4 over Minnesota

Lock of the Week: INDIANAPOLIS (-2½) 7 over Tennessee

Another great New Orleans visit

New Orleans is my favorite city in the country, and I spent five days there late last week and early this one. Every night ended the same way – with hide and seek in the Marriott lobby and Old Maid.

If I hung out with adults only, those games probably would be grounds for a visit from the police, even in New Orleans on the cusp of the French Quarter. But we brought the four-year-old.

We saw alligators in the swamps, heard music in the air and at the airport, saw incredible street acrobats and comedians, heard a masterfully soulful version of “House of the Rising Sun” by a woman standing on Royal Street, heard blues that made us want to drop to one knee and empty our wallets or purses, and saw a gold colored mime on the street with a dog mime. I’ve been part of three dog rescues and I love dogs, so I watched the dog. The dog seemed to enjoy not moving, and periodically the mime subtly rubbed the dog’s stomach.

I saw my four-year-old granddaughter jump like the Charlotte Hornets’ Malik Monk when the flames beneath the Bananas Foster 5 feet away kicked in.

I ate great food with great people, went into St. Louis Cathedral (I grew up Catholic, have the knuckles to prove it and had not stepped into a Catholic church for decades).

I woke up smiling, and went to bed the same way. Yes, New Orleans is old and it’s often dirty and it can be dangerous. If you go looking for faults you’ll find them. When I go, I look for possibilities.

An hour after I returned to Charlotte, I ran into two people I know and like. Both are fans of the Panthers, but field goals never came up.

The guy said, “You’re beaming.”

The woman asked about the trip. When I finished, she said, “Magic happens there.”

That was the perfect sentence.

Happy Thanksgiving

Just want to pause for a moment to say happy Thanksgiving. Most holidays are jammed. You scurry and scramble, shop and drop. When you get a break, you sit back and say, “Ahhh.”

When Thanksgiving arrives, I say “Ahhh.” The holiday offers time to think, thank and appreciate. The older you get, the more you appreciate those opportunities. I do, anyway.

Hope you all have qualities for which you’re thankful. And if you don’t, I hope you find them.