The Carolina Panthers suffered a devastating Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos this February by a score of 24-10. Carolina boasted the top scoring offense in the NFL heading into the Super Bowl, but the formidable Broncos defense shut down the Panthers.
Coming off a Super Bowl run means high expectations for next season.
This marks the first time that a Super Bowl rematch was featured as the kickoff game since 1970. The Panthers had seven months to prepare for the matchup, this time with a chip on their shoulder. Cam Newton looked like the MVP we all saw last year, leading Carolina to a 17-7 lead at halftime. Having Kelvin Benjamin back after missing all of last season seemed to be the missing piece to this team. The third-year pro out of Florida State hauled in six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Broncos’ quarterback Trevor Siemian seemed poised in the pocket despite it being his first career NFL start. The real threat to the Panthers’ success was Broncos’ running back C.J. Anderson. Anderson ran for 92 yards and one touchdown. He also caught four passes for 47 yards and another touchdown.
Down 21-20, Graham Gano missed a 50-yard field-goal as time expired leading to another heartbreak ending for the Panthers.
In Week 2, the Panthers bounced back against the San Francisco 49ers, prevailing 46-27. Don’t let the score fool you, this was a sloppy game for Carolina. Newton’s first pass of the game was tipped and intercepted by the 49er defense. The Panthers overcame four turnovers, three fumbles and one interception, in the second half to score 29 points in 30 minutes. The 49ers gave Carolina a scare late however. Up 31-10, the Panthers allowed the 49ers to climb back to within seven with less than eight minutes left in the fourth. Newton’s offensive display ended up being too much to handle as he finished with 353 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Week 3 was a completely different story. The Minnesota Vikings rolled into Bank of America Stadium without all-star running back Adrian Peterson. The Panthers were also missing starting running back Jonathan Stewart, a big piece to the offense.
Injuries didn’t stop the Vikings’ defense though as it sacked Newton eight times and forced three interceptions. Special teams was a factor as well. Marcus Sherels of Minnesota returned a punt 54 yards for a score. Kelvin Benjamin also went without a catch and only one target. Second-year pro Devin Funchess also went without a catch
This past Sunday against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers set all the wrong records. Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards and four touchdowns, torching the Panther defense for the most passing yards the team has allowed in its’ existence.
The young and inexperienced secondary was exposed further by wide receiver Julio Jones, catching 12 passes for a career-best 300 yards, the most a receiver has ever had against Carolina and the sixth most in a game in NFL history. At halftime, Jones already had 170 receiving yards. Before Sunday, there had never been a 500 yard passer and 300 yard receiver in the same game in NFL history.
After the poor defensive display this Sunday, it is time for the Panthers to begin some major changes. The loss of Josh Norman and other key veterans in the secondary is a wound that is obvious to opposing offenses, and teams will continue to exploit those weaknesses if Carolina doesn’t make adjustments. However, the defense is not completely to blame. Turnovers have become an issue. Newton has thrown five interceptions this year, already half as many as he through in 2015. Newton has been rattled during these first four games, suffering a concussion against the Falcons nearing the end of the fourth quarter.
The likelihood of backup quarterback Derek Anderson starting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night football next week is high. The good thing is that in the two starts Anderson has filled in for an injured Newton, the Panthers are 2-0. The team that Anderson defeated in those two contests? The Bucs.
Anderson won’t be able to lead the offense by himself though, Jonathan Stewart is questionable to return next week from his nagging hamstring injury. Look for the Panthers to bounce back in the next two weeks against the Bucs and New Orleans Saints to get back to .500 before their bye week.
