2018-19 Carolina Panthers Preview
By:Tyrone Montgomery Jr.
(Headline Photo Credit:Matt Stone-Boston Harold)
RICHMOND, VA—Three years removed from the Superbowl, the only question that’s in the mind of The Carolina Panthers is “How do we get back?” Failure can either make or break you, the choice is completely up to the individual. Let’s just face it, the NFL is a QB league. With that being said, this team will go as far as the former MVP Cam Newton will take them. Of course, some chips are going to have to fall their way, but it all starts and ends with “Killa Cam!” Ever since that Superbowl year, the team has struggled. They finally did something that was much needed this offseason. They did a little bit of revamping, and ditched Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula. He was replaced by former LA Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner. Turner seems to be “The Right Piece”, he has been one of the best offensive minds in the league since 1984. This will be Turner’s 10th stop in the NFL during that time span with 2 Super Bowls on his resume. The Panthers also hired a new QB Coach, Scott Turner, who wants Newton to make quicker decisions with the Football, so look for Cam to make a huge turnaround this year. If this team wants another crack at The Superbowl. Panthers new owner in David Tepper must be excited to see what his team can do. Well, here are 5 other keys for them to focus on for the new season.
1. Win The Division Games
This division can easily have 3 teams make the postseason. The Saints are getting better and The Falcons are always scary. They all could easily win 10+ games this season. Carolina has a chance to hit them where it hurts the worst, the divisional meetings. They must take advantage and win these matchups if they want to get back to glory. These division games are extremely significant in this division.
2. Protect Home Field
One of the worst things to do in the league is lose games in your own building. Hearts are heavy, the locker room is quiet, and then some weeks you have to try to get on a plane or a bus and quickly regroup only to be in hostile territory on the road in another team’s stadium. You have to take care of business at home! That will ease A TON of pressure off of you.
3. Get Defense Back To Being Elite
When this team went to the Superbowl in 2016, it wasn’t easy to pass on them. They were Top 10 in total defense. Last season, they gave up a ton of passing yards finishing 15th in the league and average of 229 yards a game . This means teams were scoring on them fast. To make matters worse, they had an offense that struggled at times to find an identity. Despite finishing 12th in scoring, they had difficulty with keeping a consistent rhythm. The Panthers need to get back to who they are. Shutting teams down on the defensive side of the ball.
4. Protect Cam Newton
Have you ever seen a superhero movie where the hero is taking alot of hits and literally getting beat up early on. Let’s take Superman for example. It’s maybe one of the hardest part of the movie to sit through and watch. We’re all rooting for the hero to win as he’s enduring through all kinds of pain. Well, that was Cam Newton last season. He was tied for 9th with most sacks taken last year with 35. That number has to go down for a player as valuable as he is, I mean he did lead the team in passing and rushing yards. Protecting him will open up alot of opportunities for this offense.
5. Sign Dez Bryant
I know Cam Newton can be a bit needy at times, but the question you have to ask yourself is will it be worth it. Donavan McNabb & Terrell Owens. Shaq and Kobe. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson (Ocho-Cinco). Tom Brady & Randy Moss. Eli Manning & Plaxico Burress. The list goes on. In the end, those duos all proved to be worth it. Dez Bryant fills a team need. The Panthers were 28th in the league last season in Passing Yards/ Game. Cam and Dez would be a force to reckon with if they decided to team up.
With the new season on the horizon,we should find out soon if the Carolina Panthers moves this offseason helped them get back to the promise land.
