4 keys to salvaging the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 season

Carolina Panthers must play with freedom

This season is all but over for the Carolina Panthers and there isn’t much left to fight for other than a job and a bit of pride. It’s a hard thing to say but it’s true despite the team still within touching distance of a playoff spot.

While that isn’t a very fun place to be, it can provide the roster with a sense of freedom on the field.

Think about it like a cornered animal mentality, there is nothing more dangerous than something that has nothing left to lose. The Panthers are in this category now, the spoilsport of the NFL, the team that will thrive on shattering the dreams of playoff hopeful teams, and that will make them fight even harder to win.

A problem with a lot of teams, either throughout the season or late in games with the plague of the prevent defense, is that they play not to lose instead of to win.

This team should have a reignited fire that has the potential to take the league by storm. I’ve mentioned the Alabama vs. LSU game before but it is the perfect example of what this Panthers squad needs to do.

Take the risk, go for that fourth down, fake that field goal, try a surprise onside kick. Just go wild and have some fun again because it doesn’t matter if you win or lose anymore in the grand scheme of things.

If Carolina manages to pull off an upset, it will be all the sweeter.

A team having fun is hard to beat. Just look at the 2015 Panthers and how the team collapsed once they lost that joy after the Super Bowl, ultimately leading to where we are now.

This will go such a long way to bringing a bit of life back to an organization that has been tough to watch of late. Even if the Panthers don’t win another game, using that mentality will make it a lot of fun to watch and maybe even build a bit of comradery along the way.