4 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of Week 16

No home advantage for the Carolina Panthers

Why do fans continually allow the opposing team to have a home game at the bank essentially? – Bradley

It’s simple, Bradley. The Carolina Panthers are not a winning franchise with a player or quarterback that fans are wanting to see every Sunday.

For the last few years, filling out Bank of America Stadium with a sea of blue and black has been difficult. The Panthers have only won 27 games since David Tepper took over as owner. This stretch is the worst the organization has been through in its young existence.

The only time I remember seeing ‘The Bank’ almost completely filled with Panthers fans was when Cam Newton made his return to Charlotte last season. Other than that, opposing fans have either been split 50/50 or 75/25.

How does that change? You bring hope, excitement, and optimism to the fans. That starts with finding a new head coach, offensive coordinator, and a young future franchise quarterback that the fanbase can rally behind and believe in.

This is why the offseason is so incredibly important for Tepper and Scott Fitterer. The owner needs to get the head coach and offensive coordinator hiring right – whether that’s Steve Wilks, DeMeco Ryans, or someone else. That’s objective No. 1.

Fitterer needs to show he can operate without a micromanaging head coach, and finally address the biggest need the organization has had since Newton’s first tenure.

Another big thing that will bring Panthers fans back to ‘The Bank’ is winning football games. Imagine if Carolina had won on Sunday. I would expect in freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve that home-field advantage will finally come true for the Panthers after three straight victories and a chance of a home postseason game.

Unfortunately, I don’t know when the Panthers will actually be able to fill their entire stadium with black and blue. Again, this will be a very important offseason for the franchise and arguably one of the most crucial in its history.