Carolina Panthers: Arguments against the ‘sky is falling’ mentality

Three reasons why the Carolina Panthers sky is NOT falling.

The Carolina Panthers have a special quarterback in Cam Newton and for nearly a decade he has led this team through their greatest stretch ever – period. A relatively young franchise, Carolina has enjoyed more success with coach Ron Rivera and Newton than during any other coach/quarterback combination in team history.

Yes, there was a playoff appearance without a winning record and a nearly perfect season as well but compared to other teams this past decade, the Panthers rank near the top in terms of overall success. The Panthers are 72-58-1 in regular season play under Rivera, won the division three and went to the playoffs four times, including a Super Bowl appearance – things could be much worse.

There’s no denying Newton has battled injuries over the past few years but he’s also not missed too many games – until now. The fear of not having Newton on the field has led to a barrage of reactions, many of which include writing off the entire season.

At least for the next few weeks, everyone will get a taste of what life is like without No. 1 under center. Last week it didn’t matter, this week it might. The point is there’s still plenty of opportunities remaining to win – now – and here’s why those who believe the ‘sky is falling’ are wrong.