The pairing of a driver who twice finished runner-up in the championship with one of NASCAR's best organizations created heightened expectations when Carl Edwards joined JGR during the offseason. But wanting to make a good impression, he pressed during the early portion of the schedule, often turning promising runs into unfilled results. Gradually, Edwards became accustomed to his new surroundings, which became reflected positively on the track -- including victories Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte and Labor Day weekend at Darlington.
Peaking at the right time -- he has seven top-10 finishes in the past nine races, including a win at Darlington -- Edwards grabs a third win and justifies the hype accompanying his move to JGR by earning a spot in the championship round.
Feeling the pressure to perform, Edwards reverts back to overdriving and crashes out in the Chase opener at Chicagoland. Unable to dig out of the points hole, he's eliminated two races later.
The sense is Edwards' Chase is going to go one of two extremes: 1) a deep playoff run featuring multiple wins or, 2) he underwhelms. A case can be made for either option with no middle ground.