5 best moments from the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 season
By Dean Jones
What were the best moments from a season of underachievement where the Carolina Panthers are concerned in 2021?
Things did not go according to plan for the Carolina Panthers in 2021. A history-making collapse resulted in a third-straight five-win campaign and plenty of concerns surrounding just how head coach Matt Rhule is going to turn this struggling team into a playoff contender.
The natives are getting restless regarding Rhule, who remained defiant in his exit presser after clearly getting a reprieve from team owner David Tepper. Most fans have seen enough of the former Temple coach to determine he cannot turn things around, which only raises the stakes this offseason for a man that has the final say on personnel decisions.
Although it was mostly doom and gloom – especially down the stretch – there were times of joy for Carolina’s loyal support to enjoy. Even those these were obviously few and far between.
With this in mind, here are the five best moments from the Panthers‘ disappointing 2021 season.
Moment No. 1
Carolina Panthers won their first three games
Expectations went through the roof after the Carolina Panthers managed to win their first three games of the season. Analysts across the country tipped them to become one of the league’s surprise packages after a superb opening to the campaign, which ended up being delusions of grandeur considering what transpired after.
Victories against the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans had some within the organization believing their own hype. Something which came back to haunt them in a big way and saw the Panthers win just two of the team’s remaining 14 games to finish 5-12.
It seems like a long time ago, but the three-game winning streak was an undoubted highlight.