Carolina Panthers: 1st Quarter Season Report
The Carolina Panthers have played their first four games. In no single game have they been overwhelmingly impressive. In no game have they been outright terrible. So they sit at 4-0 overall. They have two victories against NFC South Division opponents. How did we get to this point in the season?
1. Cam Newton is Doing Everything
Right now Newton is the Panthers offense. So far it has been enough, but it is fair to point out that the Panthers have not played anybody tough so far. Newton runs and Newton throws. He is giving a world class effort, but the team would do better with a running game of significance. Where is Jonathan Stewart? No offense to the Panthers, but I am starting to get flashbacks of the 2000s Eagles where Donovan McNabb labored the team into the playoffs year after year but came out empty. I am hoping that Kelvin Benjamin will fix that, but that is next year’s problem.
2. Josh Norman wants to get paid
Norman is the star of defense right now, granted this is with Luke Kuechly hurt. Norman scored big touchdowns against both Jaguars and Buccaneers. He also had an interception to seal the Panthers’ win over the New Orleans Saints. He is becoming a shutdown corner, something the Panthers have flirted with but never really had (Eric Davis, anyone?).
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3. We are not talking about the offensive line
This is for the best. The patchwork line has played well as a unit. And the more attention they do not get, the better off the Panthers will be.
4. Panthers survived Murderer’s Row
In their first four games the Panthers have seen Blake Bortles, Ryan Mallett (benched just this week by Houston), Luke McCown (Not Drew Brees), and Jameis Winston. Not a lot of NFL wins among that bunch and it showed. The Panthers get Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and maybe Andrew Luck coming out the bye week so it will get real fast.
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5. The defense played well in Kuechly’s absence (and Charles Johnson’s)
Kuechly’s concussion has not yet become the season killing event that it could have. AJ Klein has done his part and Thomas Davis can still leap out of the stadium to grab picks. New Panther Jared Allen is a welcome addition. If Kuechly and Johnson both come back, the defense should only get better.
Things are going to get tougher for the Panthers. So far they have just followed the script. With Atlanta hovering at 4-0, they will need to do more than that. Remember the Panthers play the same teams the Falcons do, except the Panthers play Seattle and Green Bay while the Falcons play San Francisco and Minnesota. Also the Falcons played Dallas without Greg Hardy, Dez Bryant, and Tony Romo while the Panthers will most likely see all those guys on Thanksgiving.