5 best moments from the Carolina Panthers’ 2021 season
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers win at the Cardinals
There wasn’t much to shout about for the Carolina Panthers over the second half of 2021. It was a torrid end to the campaign that saw the team move from surprise wildcard contenders to another top-end NFL Draft pick in a hurry, which was a major disappointment whichever way one looks at it.
However, there was one game, in particular, that really stood out as a landmark triumph.
Carolina’s trip to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 looked like a daunting one even with quarterback Kyler Murray missing the game through injury. This was a team that had the league’s best record at the time, boasting a wealth of playmakers on both sides of the football that could take over a game at will.
As it turned it, this ended up being the Panthers’ signature win of the campaign, with Cam Newton opening his second stint in Carolina by contributing two touchdowns on consecutive plays to get Matt Rhule’s men off on the right foot.
This was all the defense needed to stamp their authority on proceedings, making things extremely difficult for backup Colt McCoy to get anything going en route to a convincing 34-10 victory.
As it turned out, this would be the last time Carolina won a game in 2021. But fans who were there won’t forget this moment in a hurry.