After defeating the Green Bay Packers 37-29 last Sunday, the Carolina Panthers are now 8-0. Believe it or not, this team is a contender and the best team in the NFC. Now, there are some fans, who believe this Panthers team is a fake 8-0, despite them defeating the Seattle Seahawks on the road 27-23.
Last season, this same Panthers team was 7-8-1, lost to Seattle at home 13-9 and lost to Green Bay at Lambeau Field 38-17. Then, they went to the playoffs and defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the wildcard round 27-16, but fell to the Seahawks 31-17 in the divisionals. The Panthers came into this season with no Steve Smith Sr., who moved on to the Baltimore Ravens and lost Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL during training camp.
Without Benjamin, who had 73 receptions for 1,008 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season, the Panthers’ offense has still been able to move the ball, thanks to their quarterback Cam Newton. Over his five-year career, Newton has been criticized for his play but this season, he has played outstanding and made the correct reads.
This season, Newton has thrown for 14 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 1,820 yards. Now for fans saying that Newton isn’t playing well, he has only thrown multiple interceptions in two games. Against, the Seahawks in Week 6, he threw two interceptions and then the next week against the Philadelphia Eagles, he threw three. Newton is projected to finish the season with 3,640 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Another reason why some fans think Newton isn’t playing well is because he is only completing 53.7 percent of his passes, which is the lowest of his career. However, he has 343 rushing yards on 73 carries with five touchdowns.
Newton isn’t the only reason why the Carolina Panthers have been successful on the offense. Players such as running back Jonathan Stewart and tight end Greg Olsen have been primetime players. Wide receivers Corey Brown and Ted Ginn Jr. have played admirably as the second and third receiving options for Newton while Benjamin recovers.
Stewart has helped Newton in the running game with 571 yards on 147 carries to go along with three touchdowns. He is on pace to surpass last year’s total of 809 rushing yards. In the receiving game, Olsen is having another fantastic year with 37 receptions for 584 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Just like Stewart, Olsen is on pace surpass last season’s totals in receiving yards (1,008) and touchdowns (8).
Olsen has become Newton’s number one target with Benjamin out for the season, but Brown and Ginn Jr. have stepped up and made plays when given the opportunity. So far this season, Brown has 16 receptions for 225 receiving yards and three touchdowns while Ginn Jr. has pitched in with 21 receptions for 363 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
If those stats do not show the work that the Panthers’ offense is putting in, they are fourth in the league in scoring offense (28.5 ppg). The three teams ahead of them are the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and New England Patriots. That is not bad company to be a part of.
When you take a look at their defense, it is loaded with great players on the front seven and in the secondary — most notably in the secondary. The Panthers have one of the game’s elite cornerbacks in Josh Norman. This season, Norman already has four interceptions and taken two of them back for a touchdown, which is double the amount from last season.
The Panthers’ pass defense has been good this season as they have 13 interceptions — second in the NFL behind only the Arizona Cardinals. Opposing quarterbacks are only completing 56.6 percent of their passes against Carolina’s defense, and the Panthers’ run defense is only giving up 108.4 yards on the ground (15th in the NFL). Their run defense is led by their two stud linebackers in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis. Kuechly, who missed a few games this season due to a concussion, still has collected 55 total tackles, five pass deflections and an interception. Finally, his teammate, Thomas Davis has been as equally important to this defense.
This season, Davis has 65 total tackles, four pass deflections, three interceptions, three sacks, and a forced fumble. He has been a force for a Carolina Panthers defense that is playing well enough to win another division title and possibly more.
The stats and the play on the field backup why this team is undefeated and a contender. Now you may not believe it but continue to watch as this team navigates through the rest of their schedule and into the playoffs. If they make a deep playoff run, then you cannot say the Carolina Panthers are a fake contender.
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