Carolina Panthers have the chance to finish strong
As Bill Belichick says, the season does not start until after Thanksgiving.
The Carolina Panthers simply have to head into the run-in with something to play for. They can ill-afford the same capitulation that the team went through in 2021, which saw them lose 12 of their final 14 games to end the campaign with a 5-12 record and the No. 6 overall selection.
Upon looking at Carolina’s final five contests, there does appear some hope they can finish strong despite some tricky road fixtures to overcome.
- Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 18: at New Orleans Saints
Just who will be under center by this point is also up for debate. The likelihood of Sam Darnold starting the season appears high, but any further failings will see extremely large calls for Matt Corral whether the third-round selection is ready or not.
Throwing him in at the deep end unless the coaching staff has 100 percent confidence in the Ole Miss product is a major risk. But they might not have a choice if Darnold continues to hold this team back from genuine progress.
Corral would provide instant energy and belief that hasn’t really been seen aside from when Cam Newton came back into the fold. However, this all depends on how the Panthers get on over the first half of the season and whether or not they end up trading for another veteran in the meantime.
Buckle up, it’s going to be another bumpy ride.