NFC South Carolina Panthers
Finished 2004 season 7-9, 3rd place behind New Orleans and Atlanta
Key returning starters:
Jake Delhomme – QB
Steve Smith – WR
Julius Peppers – DE
Dan Morgan – LB
John Kasey - K
The Panthers have had a rough off-season, losing All-Pro receiver Muhsin Muhammad and their league-leading punter Todd Sauerbrun. They have a long list of RBs but their primary RB Stephen Davis isn’t looking healthy to start the season. Can the Panthers get past their injury plagued season a year ago and make some noise in the NFC South?
2004 Stats:
Ranked 13th overall in offense, #6 ranked in NFC
Ranked 20th overall in defense, #9 ranked in NFC
Your thoughts on the Carolina Panthers this upcoming 2005 season...strengths/weaknesses and your prediction on where they will finish in the division.
posted by Steve at 7:35 AM
3 Comments:
Ahhhh, now for some interesting Carolina Panther chatter...
Here's my only reason for saying the Panthers do have a shot as a wild card team, Steve Smith. Obviously the loss of him last season hurt this team, but he'll be back this season - it will give this offense some explosiveness. Though last season they still had the same explosiveness and ended up 7-9. Their running game is the main cause for concern.
Goings finished the second half of last season strong, starting in all 16 games, but really turning it on in the final 7 games where he had 5 of those games for over a 100 yards. Here's a key stat though...6 TD, with 3 of those TD coming in 1 game.
Here's the bottom line for Carolina - they are a passing offense and need to be so in order to be successful. They need a balanced rushing attack in order for that team to be be considered a contender. They need Stephen Davis to be absolutely healthy, but he hasn't had a season in a long time where that happened, and the dude is now over 30, 10 years in the league...time is running out for this guy.
I can seriously see a HEALTHY Panthers team finish 2nd in this division and make the playoffs as a Wild Card. I can even see them making it to the Divisional Playoff round.
If Muhammed was still around and Davis was 100% - THEN I could see this team taking the division and probably make another strong run at the Super Bowl.
I just can't see this team taking the division over a Falcons team that was 1 win from the Super Bowl and who has their starters back. That loss of Muhammed for the Panthers is going to prove to be too great.
The Panthers and Atlanta should stage quite a battle for the division. thelooss of Muhammed will be offset by the return of Steve Smith, D. Foster is capable of a 1,500 yard season if healthy and Delhomme is a very good QB. The D is the stength of the team and is capable of dominating and carrying the offense as the Ravens did in 2000. I would not be surpised of the Falcons and Panthers both end up with 10-11 wins, they both play the tough AFC east this season and how they fare in those games could be the deciding factor.
Overrated just watch much improved but nfc to tough for a team who got hot a few years ago. Not enough actual talent......
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