Another Carolina Panthers setback provides better team picture

The Team Isn’t Having A Lot of Fun

Notwithstanding the meeting against Atlanta, the recent losses have been undermining the effort that the Panthers have been putting forth. Obviously it’s not fun to lose, but the Panthers don’t look like they’re having any fun at all.

There was hardly any defensive hustle against the Saints coming out of the gate. Old man Breezy let his aerial and ground forces march down the field time and time again, making it look like another one of those games. They quickly let the Saints put fourteen points on the board (no thanks to a certain someone who fudged a special teams play).

Then on the offensive side of the ball it seemed like the whole line was getting blown past again and again (especially on third downs). The lack of speed and physicality to match opponents is really starting to show and it’s starting to eat away at the team’s morale. The first touchdown provided a good boost for both the offense and defense, but the celebration was over quickly after Slye missed his first kick of the day.

The team eventually found its footing and was able to gain some momentum in hostile territory. There were the sacks by rookie Brian Burns and Bruce Irvin, an interception by Tre Boston and a crucial momentum-changing fourth down stop by the team’s tackle leader, Eric Reid. And, of course, Moore, Curtis Samuel, Jarius Wright, McCaffrey, Greg Olsen and Ian Thomas all got in on the action, but it was in vain. The effort fell just short with the blame being put on the same guy who saved them from being completely shut out last week.

Sacks, interceptions, and touchdowns can provide a “spark” to ignite more effort, but when it’s all said and done a team obviously has more fun when they win games. Unless they make a serious point to beat the Redskins this week they’ll be in for a bitter stretch through the last quarter of 2019.