National Football League

Panthers not focusing on postseason odds after 2-0 start

Published Sep. 15, 2014 8:51 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHARLOTTE -- If you're a believer in statistics and a Carolina Panthers fan, then you have to be extremely happy where they stand after just two games into the 2014 NFL season.

Following Sunday's 24-7 win against Detroit, Carolina is one of six teams to have a perfect 2-0 record. Philadelphia could join that group with a win against Indianapolis Monday night. The statistical variances between making the playoffs at 2-0 versus 1-1 after two games is rather large. For instance, since 1990, teams that won their first two games made the playoffs 63.2 percent of the time. Teams that start 1-1 make the playoffs less than 50 percent of the time.

However, even with all the numbers sitting squarely in their favor, Panther players aren't resting on their laurels.

"That means there's still that 37 percent chance (of not making the playoffs)," Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil said. "We've done a good job of going that one game at a time thing, and I think that's been key for us."

Even though Carolina is perfect after two games, which is a first for the franchise since 2008, many in the media still aren't buying that the Panthers are good enough to be a playoff team.

But one might want to consider that over their last 16 games, the Panthers are 14-2.

"At the end of the day, if the 53 guys that are ready to go, there's no telling what our team can do and that's what we're showing," quarterback Cam Newton said. "Guys believe in each other, believing in ourselves and not playing for ourselves, playing for the persons that are next to us and with that attitude we'll go a long way."

Since the invention of the Super Bowl, 70.8 percent of the teams have started 2-0, which Carolina also did in 2003.

While nobody on the team is predicting the Panthers will make it to the Super Bowl just yet, there is a confidence among the players and an attitude of, "We told you so."

"We lost a lot of guys, but I felt comfortable with all the guys we brought in," linebacker Thomas Davis said. "I'm excited about this team. ... We're very confident. We're just trying to earn the respect we feel like we deserve. We don't need anybody on our bandwagon or to start picking us."

With Pittsburgh coming to Charlotte this Sunday, the Panthers are a three-point favorite. If they win there, Carolina's odds of making the playoffs jump to 75.2 percent. But, again, Carolina's not getting ahead of itself.

The team knows stranger things have happened.

"We are going to approach this as one game at a time," head coach Ron Rivera said. "We have a very important game next week because it's going to be Pittsburgh. They are a good football team that's going to come in. They are a very physical football team and we know it. They are coming off a tough loss so we have to make sure we are focusing and getting ready to play. But it is good to be 2-0."