4 best moments of 2020 for the Carolina Panthers
By Dean Jones
Shutout success against the Lions
The Carolina Panthers have shown some real improvements on the defensive side of the ball this season. Things took some time to settle in Phil Snow’s new scheme, and the coach also suffered his fair share of growing pains during his first full season as a prominent play-caller at the next level.
However, what we’ve seen over the second half of the campaign has been eye-catching, to say the least.
It all started with a sensational showing at home to the Detroit Lions, which culminated in a 20-0 shutout victory for Carolina in Week 11. It was as dominant a performance as we’ve seen from the group all season and their level of production played a leading role in their eventual success.
Carolina held the Lions to 3-14 on third-down conversions, 185 total yards on offense, and managed to deny Detroit a trip to the red zone throughout the one-sided affair.
Couple this with 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, six passes defended, and 11 quarterback hits, and it’s not hard to see why the Panthers were so dominant.
The likes of stud edge rusher Brian Burns, Shaq Thompson, and defensive lineman Efe Obada were all at the top of their game to further aid their team’s cause. And once the dust settles on the 2020 season, this will be one of the real success stories from a campaign that won’t come with a winning record.