4 Panthers players who will be key to a potential turnaround
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players will be key to a potential turnaround?
Things need to start trending in a different direction for the Carolina Panthers – and quickly – if they want to salvage anything from the 2020 season. A once-promising campaign is in real danger of going the way many expected it to before competitive action got underway and it needs to be a collective effort from players and coaching staff to get themselves out of this current slump.
This season was always going to be one of transition. Parting ways with so many established figures all at one was bound to come with its share of complications along the way, but in head coach Matt Rhule the Carolina Panthers have a leader that is easy to get behind and has a prolific record of building struggling programs back to prominence at the college level.
Not having a bye until Week 13 is clearly taking its toll on a roster that isn’t blessed with anything much in the way of quality depth. The Panthers know much more is needed going forward in their pursuit of being among the Super Bowl contenders down the line, but there is nothing to suggest they cannot gain some semblance of respectability from the campaign with the talent at their disposal.
What happens over the next fortnight against the Lions and at the red-hot Vikings will tell us plenty about the character within this group, who are clearly becoming increasingly frustrated by their recent fortunes on the field.
Let’s take a look at four Panthers players who will be key to any turnaround in their fortunes between now and the end of the season.
Player No. 1
Rasul Douglas – Carolina Panthers CB
There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding whether Donte Jackson will be able to make a lasting contribution due to a toe injury that seems to be developing into a bigger problem with every passing week. The time to discuss possibly taking the former second-round pick out of the firing line to preserve his long-term chances is probably upon Carolina’s coaching staff and if they come to this decision, then Rasul Douglas‘ importance to the team will only increase.
Douglas has done a fantastic job after arriving shortly prior to the season. His performance against the Buccaneers last time out was his worst of the campaign by a considerable margin, but this might just be a blip given his outstanding level of consistency so far.