Panthers defense/special teams: Regular season report card
Special Teams: 84, B
B- at 49ers, A vs. Bills, B- vs. Saints, B- at Patriots
C- at Lions, B+ vs. Eagles, B at Bears, A at Bucs
A- vs. Falcons, B vs. Dolphins, A- at Jets, F at Saints
A vs. Vikings, C vs. Packers, A- vs. Buccaneers, B at Falcons
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Both kicker Graham Gano and punter Michael Palardy concluded extremely impressive regular seasons. Each entered training camp without the assurance of a job and both capitalized on the opportunity.
Carolina also recorded their first punt and kickoff return for touchdowns in a few seasons. Wide receiver Kaelin Clay provided a spark in New York before Damiere Byrd set a franchise record with a 103-yard kickoff return, scored in Week 16 versus Tampa Bay.
These two occurrences were unfortunately anomalies as both return units struggled for a majority of the season. Rotating between rookie running back Christian McCaffrey, Kaelin Clay, Fozzy Whittaker, Damiere Byrd and Curtis Samuel it appears Clay and Whittaker earned their positions by process of elimination as opposed to performance.
Next: Final Regular Season Grades - Offense
Defensively, Carolina enjoyed a far more consistent year than their offensive counterparts as the Panthers unit has proven capable of carrying the team more often than not.