Carolina Panthers: Game by game predictions for second half of 2021 season

What can the Carolina Panthers expect from their remaining fixtures over the second half of the 2021 season?

We are now at the midseason point and the Carolina Panthers are firmly at a crossroads. A strong opening to the campaign saw them 3-0 and with plenty of reasons to be encouraged, only for a distinct drop-off in production ever since that’s seen them lose no fewer than five of their last six games.

With quarterback Sam Darnold now set for a spell on the sidelines, the Panthers took the initiative and made a huge splash with the return of Cam Newton on a one-year deal.

This completely changes the whole mindset within the organization and the team’s loyal fanbase.

Carolina’s defense is clearly playoff-ready. But not prioritizing the offensive line and gambling on Darnold being the guy under center has cost this team in a big way.

The Panthers‘ schedule to date hasn’t been that tough in the grand scheme of things. So having a 4-5 record at the midway stage can be seen as a major underachievement.

There’s a growing sense of trepidation with the current regime and its decision-making process. And looking at their run of games before the season comes to a conclusion, things might not get better anytime soon.

Although having Newton from Week 11 onwards is going to be electrifying if the former NFL MVP has some magic left.

With this in mind, here are our game-by-game predictions for Carolina’s remaining contests over the second half of 2021.