Underdog Status In The NFC North

Many are looking at the Carolina Panthers struggles last year as an indication of how they will fair this season. That should be avoided when looking at this Panthers team as they are a very different squad now. With so much noise surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and the Atlanta Falcons adding Todd Gurley, there is very little focus on Carolina.

The NFC South has been one of the toughest divisions in the NFL for years now. This season will be no different. If the Panthers can split their division games between all the rivals their schedule is easy enough that they can make the playoffs.

It seems like the Panthers have a history of being a contender in years that they are supposed to struggle. The season Carolina went 15-1 their record the previous year was 7-8-1. A drastic improvement is unlikely, but it isn’t unrealistic that Carolina wins 10 games this year.

Much of the Panthers struggles could be blamed on players losing faith in the system as well. Often when teams go on massive losing streak, like the one the panthers went through last year, it is because players no longer believe in the system. That should be corrected with a young head coach who will implement a new system.

The Panthers aren’t a flashy team, they will win games because they are playing smart football. Most of their games will probably be hard fought victories. However, often the teams that win these close matchups are the most successful. With a new coach, a new quarterback, and some talented new players, the Panthers could be one of those sneaky good teams that make it into the playoffs.