The Carolina Panthers are currently on a three-game winning streak, but could they secure a surprise playoff spot?
Things are looking up for the Carolina Panthers, who are in the midst of a three-game winning run that now sees them at 3-2 heading into their Week 6 game against the Chicago Bears at Bank of America Stadium. Nobody outside the organization expected them to be in this sort of position through five weeks of the 2020 season, especially considering their poor start.
New head coach Matt Rhule was always eager to play down the term “rebuilding” regarding the Carolina Panthers this season. The former Baylor man was confident that his talented young roster could surprise those who wrote off their chances prior to competitive action getting underway. And if things continue to trend on an upward curve in the coming weeks, then this is now a distinct possibility.
Nobody saw this coming, but the Panthers won’t be a surprise for much longer if things continue as they are.
Carolina finds itself in a tie for first place in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, who also got to 3-2 with a come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Both teams harboring far loftier expectations than the Panthers going into the campaign, which is a testament to how well Rhule has turned things around in a short space of time.
There is still a long way to go. But the Panthers might just find themselves in with a chance of making the postseason if they can continue to progress with every passing game and pick up positive results from some stiff challenges that lie ahead.
Here are four reasons why Carolina can make the playoff in Rhule’s first full season at the helm.
There is an extra playoff place this year
The new NFL playoff system this year means that there will be an extra spot up for grabs in both conferences. This is something that clearly benefits teams like the Carolina Panthers, who could be right on the fringes if this positive form continues for the remainder of the season.
Having three teams coming out from the same division might have seemed impossible in years gone by. But this extra place has altered everything.
Carolina does have plenty of hard work still to do in order to reach this lofty goal. They have rolled off three straight triumphs, but they will be coming up against some realistic Super Bowl contenders between now and the end of the campaign.
Someone with a 9-7 record might make the playoff this year. Given the Panthers are currently sitting at 3-2, the thought of them going 6-5 or even 7-4 over the next 11 games is not out of the realms of possibility.
It’s clear that just one will be coming out of the dismal NFC East, which also increases their chances of making that extra playoff spot their own. The Panthers were expected to get better as the season wore on, so this encouraging start has plenty dreaming of things that simply didn’t seem possible during an offseason of unprecedented disruption.
Matt Rhule is keen to keep everyone’s feet on the ground, which he is right to do. But this incentive is now there for all to see and it is hard not to start looking at the prospect of postseason football once again.
The Carolina Panthers have a high-octane offense
The term defense wins championships is true to a certain extent. But the Carolina Panthers might have to rely on their supreme offensive weapons to ensure they’re in playoff contention at the business end of the campaign.
Their defense has come on a significant amount since Carolina’s opening game defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. However, it’s hard not to like the way things are developing on the offensive side of the ball which has been a shining light in their recent progression.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is fast becoming one of the NFL’s most heartwarming stories. Things were not easy for the signal-caller before he stepped onto the field after the departure of Cam Newton, but the way he has settled into his new home has been incredibly positive.
It helps that Bridgewater has some outstanding options in the passing game. D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are arguably the NFL’s best and most surprising wide receiver tandem through five weeks, with Curtis Samuel’s influence also growing.
Mike Davis has been a revelation in the absence of running back Christian McCaffrey, who hasn’t played a down through this winning stretch. There is just no telling how much the Panthers can kick-on when the All-Pro returns, but it will be important for them to maintain balance and not lean too much on the former first-round pick when he is fit to return.
The Carolina Panthers have a talented coaching staff
Another reason why the Carolina Panthers are in with a serious shout of making the playoffs is their coaching staff. They didn’t get off to the best start, which was to be expected considering they hadn’t called an NFL game before and no preseason fixtures to acclimatize. But everything now seems to be heading in the right direction.
The Panthers bet big on Matt Rhule, who was given a seven-year, $60 million deal to tempt him away from Baylor. He is a very driven individual who has got everybody pulling for each other, which is always half the battle for a new head coach who doesn’t have the benefit of previous experience at the next level.
Rhule has got the Panthers believing again, which is something that is perhaps moving at a quicker pace than anyone outside the organization realized was possible. He already looks to be bucking the concerning recent trend of college coaches who have failed in a professional environment and hopefully this is a trend that can continue long into the future.
Offensive coordinator Joe Brady is also gaining plenty of attention following a strong start. He has installed a fluidity and confidence that is clearly coming across in a balanced way that is fun to watch. And this is sure to make those looking for head coaches in the offseason sit up and take notice.
Defensive coordinator Phil Snow had his work cut out with a group that underwent wholesale changes and also lost the services of Luke Kuechly. But their steady progress during this unbeaten run is something that has made a real difference.
The NFC is not that good
It doesn’t appear that there is much in the way of quality in the NFC. The Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks looked primed for a deep playoff run, and ignore the Los Angeles Rams at your peril.
Outside of that, it seems pretty open. The Buccaneers and Saints haven’t been at their best with two aging quarterbacks who are prone to more errors than in years gone by. So whether this situation changes or not when push comes to shove down the stretch is up for debate.
The NFC East is a mess right now and it might only take six or seven wins from the Cowboys or Eagles to claim the divisional crown, it is just that bad.
The 49ers are a shell of the team that made the Super Bowl last season in the NFC West after some devastating injuries and the Cardinals have not lived up to high expectations so far despite getting some outstanding production from quarterback Kyler Murray.
In the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings are tailing off with a 1-4 record and have it all to do, the Packers are the cream of the crop and the Chicago Bears can get themselves to 5-1 with victory at the Carolina Panthers on Sunday despite benching quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in favor of Nick Foles.
There is nothing to suggest that the Panthers cannot be one of the top-seven teams when it’s all said and done. Confidence is high within the group, but how they emerge from their divisional matchups is going to be crucial.