Are the Panthers Good Again?

I’m not a Cam Newton fan. I never have been and I don’t plan on it anytime soon. But I do respect him on the football field. Well sometimes I do. But this question has been burning in me for the last couple weeks. Are the Panthers good again? I don’t think so. I didn’t think they were good after they beat New England. I think they played well in that game. But this isn’t about one game. It’s about the Carolina organization as a whole. And they resemble last year’s team. This team is better. Not by a lot but they are better. But I don’t believe they are good enough to get back to where they were a couple of years ago. I see them the same way I see Atlanta. They peaked. One great season with a Super Bowl run ending in a painful defeat. And an eternity to try to get back while knowing deep down they never will. Wow that’s somber. But that’s the NFC South for you. The best team in the division right now is New Orleans. The Saints are the best team. The Saints. Sure they’re actually playing defense now but come on. New Orleans hasn’t been good since they won the Super Bowl a few years ago and that was because of Katrina. It’s something about natural disasters and pro sports that make everyone’s heart melt. But that’s irrelevant, much like Carolina.

Cam Newton is very interesting. He can walk onto the field and run for 100 yards while passing for 300. Or he’s gonna throw five picks. The last couple seasons he’s been performing as the latter. We’re at the midseason mark and he’s thrown 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Smokin’ Jay Cutler and the Red Rifle Andy Dalton have better TD/Int ratios. Carson Palmer has more yards than him so far. He’s on Injured Reserve….Long story short Cam isn’t good right now. And when he isn’t good Carolina isn’t good. They’ve invested so much in him that their success is crucially based on his play. And now without his best offensive weapon (Kelvin Benjamin) some guys will need to step up. Jonathan Stewart is awful. Ed Dickson looks like a walking ED on the football field. Funchess is good but those routes. It doesn’t help that their run game is 20th in the league averaging just under 100 yards per game. If McCaffery can start rolling sooner rather than later it could help take some of the heat off Cam. But looking at how things are going that seems about as realistic as Andy Reid managing a game clock. Luckily for Carolina their schedule is easy. But it’s not easy enough for them to crank out five more wins and lock up a playoff spot.

Currently the Panthers are sitting at 5-3. They face divisional rival Atlanta this weekend. This can be a consolation for those Super Bowls they both choked in. If Carolina can win they have a chance to jump to first in the division but New Orleans will be playing Tampa Bay so they shouldn’t be worrying all that much. But here’s what sucks for Carolina. But the good news is that it only sucks for them. When they end up going either 8-8 or 9-7 and just missing the playoffs the entire season will have been in a way wasted. To start the season they were not in a spot to contend for a title. But midseason they have a glimmer of hope. But by the time the season wraps up and we get ready for draft day Carolina won’t have a great pick. If I were them when I recognized Cam’s early struggles I wouldn’t have tried for another Super Bowl campaign. I would’ve tried for a good draft pick and waited a year. Good things come to those who wait. Look at the Astros. They just won the World Series. A few years ago Sports Illustrated wrote a piece on them saying they would develop into a World Series winner by 2017. That’s insane. They called it. Maybe they can write one about Tiger winning five more majors.

Carolina fans are excited right now. They currently hold a wildcard spot. But it’s midseason so that means almost next to nothing. What Carolina fans should really think about is bubbles. They’re on one right now. I just have one thing to say to all of them. Don’t be surprised when it pops. But I would recommend going out and buying a Cam Newton action figure while you still can. Just be careful. They come with a choking hazard.