Panthers fail to gain any playoff momentum
Carolina Panthers fans are happy for a return to the playoffs but they could’ve had so much more…
The Carolina Panthers entered play on Sunday with an opportunity to finish anywhere from the third overall seed to their current standing at number five. After the Minnesota Vikings won an early game against Chicago, any hope at the second seed and a first-round bye went away but an opportunity to win the division remained with a victory and Saints loss.
Thought to be an unlikely scenario, New Orleans stumbled in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers won only their fifth game of the year against the division winning Saints. A Carolina victory over Atlanta, coupled with the other results would have led to a sixth title, third overall seed and rematch with the Falcons at home. Instead, the Panthers will travel to New Orleans for a third game against the Saints this season after losing to the Falcons.
Finishing the year at 11-5, Carolina is much improved from a season ago but their inconsistent play has led to mixed results throughout the year. Even in victory, the Panthers have failed to provide any sense of sustained consistency over a period of time. While anomalies like the win at New England and Monday night victory over Miami exist, so too do poor performances similar to the games at Chicago and Atlanta.
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For the Panthers to have any success in the playoffs, they must find a way to put together good performances with everyone on the same page. Dodging injuries throughout the year, the Panthers are arguably as healthy as they have been at any point in the season. Despite the absence of a legitimate deep threat with both rookie Curtis Samuel and Damiere Byrd injured, Carolina does have their veteran center Ryan Kalil and tight end Greg Olsen back and healthy.
Coach Ron Rivera discussed keeping the momentum going for his team entering the playoffs but a dismal performance in Week 17 left much to be desired. Learning the Saints also lost, only added insult to injury as Carolina now travels instead of being gifted a home playoff game. The Saints haven’t lost back to back games since the opening two weeks of the season.
The Panthers are faced with a tall task visiting the divisional champions but benefit from having played the Saints twice already this season. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost both but have gained an understanding of their opponent and should provide an entertaining matchup next weekend.
Next: Playoff Positives and Negatives
Rebounding from a poor outing will be pivotal for quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers. If they pull off the upset, it could spark Carolina in a playoff run to their third Super Bowl.