4 big factors behind a possible playoff place for the Panthers in 2021

Learning from the 2020 season

Last year the Carolina Panthers were in a place the franchise hasn’t seen since the 2011 season. A new head coach, a new quarterback, and a subpar team that previously failed to exceed or even maintain expectations.

Matt Rhule, a known team builder, was brought in to do exactly that.

The team drafted Derrick Brown, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jeremy Chinn, and Bravvion Roy, who all eventually contributed to a defense that began to gel and show improvement throughout the season.

Chinn shined in his running for Defensive Rookie of the Year while Brown proved that he could be a terror on a defensive front void of a quality running mate. And honestly, the defense did more to keep the Panthers in most of the games than the offense did.

Defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who was also in his first year, also had a rocky start to his NFL coordinator career. But after showing multiple times during the season that he could adjust at half-time while having his defense improve throughout the year, the coach proved that with time and quality players that he could enhance the development of what was an impressive young core of players.

Offensively, the team had four different players who went over 1,000 all-purpose yards in 2020. But disappointed the majority of the season.

Credit must go to offensive coordinator Joe Brady for his creativity and newer ideas, but the order was too tall for a young mind with needed improvements.

The tight end position was basically nonexistent, but receivers Robby Anderson and DJ Moore both surpassed the 1,000 yards mark. Curtis Samuel reached 851 yards along with 200 on the ground and Mike Davis would catch for 373 yards to go along with his 642 yards rushing.

Quite impressive for a team who lost its featured player in Christian McCaffrey due to injury early in the year.

Yet, with all the yards attained by its top players, the team finished tied 28th in the league with only 16 touchdowns. Only three teams finished with more interceptions while four all tied for fourth in the league with 16 interceptions.

However, the Panthers finished 18th in passing yards (3,888), 21st in rushing yards (1,704), and 21st in total yards (5,592).