2003=2019? Why Allen and Delhomme are similar for Panthers
By Matt Stone
There are some similarities between the two Carolina Panthers seasons.
When I think of Jake Delhomme, I think of the most fun I’ve ever had being a Panthers fan. I think of Steve Smith torching the St. Louis rams for a game winning slant route in overtime. I think of how it felt in Wilmington, where I was living at the time, to experience people in the city draped in black and blue whenever I left the house.
The magic of sports is why we watch and continue to spend hour after hour every weekend with our eyes glued to our TV’s. That feeling is elusive, very elusive if you’re a Panthers fan. With Allen and McCaffrey, I’m reminded of Delhomme and Stephen Davis, and the magic is back.
Rewind to week 6 of 2003, the Panthers lost their first game of the season to a Texans team. The ’03 Panthers started out hot, and then had a reality check. The current Panthers started out very poorly, and did a course correct with putting Allen under center. It’s an opposite start from the 2003 team but as of Week 6 the results are almost the same. This is not a fluke.
The Panthers now are playing with as much confidence that I remember seeing in my lifetime. (yes more confidence than the ’15 season). These Panthers are playing as an entire team, not just a team whose offense solely rests on Newtons shoulders. In 2015, we played very few playoff teams.
So far in 2019, Allen has proven himself as accurate and efficient against very strong defensive teams. As I said in my previous post, 9 touchdowns and 0 interceptions is a pretty damn good way to start your career. He spreads the ball around, and the Panthers can beat teams in multiple ways.
Both Delhomme and Allen started their careers as undrafted free agents. Both have been doubted heavily. Delhomme brought Carolina back from a 1-15 season to lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003. Allen has stepped in as the Franchise was at a tipping point with Newton’s health. The defense had 6 sacks in the first half against Tampa Bay.
Next. MVP's for first half of season. dark
The Panthers front four remind me of the 2003 lineup of Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers, and Brentson Buckner. McCaffrey is in the MVP race. The receiving lineup of DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, Greg Olsen, and Jairus Wright is arguably the best receiving corp we’ve had since Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl, and Steve Smith. Will the 2019 season end with a Super Bowl Championship in Charlotte? Anything can happen the Panthers are playing.