The Carolina Panthers are about to embark on their biggest four-game stretch in years. Three wins will probably get them to an NFC South title and into the playoffs. It won't be easy, but this upstart postseason hopeful is healthier than ever.
Aside from Pro Bowl right guard Robert Hunt, all the major players were back at practice as preparations for Week 15 at the New Orleans Saints gathered pace. And there was one encouraging sign above all else that left fans enthused about the team's chances.
The fact that Carolina beat the Los Angeles Rams without stud cornerback Jaycee Horn showed how far this squad has come in a relatively short timeframe. He missed the contest after sustaining a concussion. He remains in the NFL's protocol, but the former South Carolina standout is readying himself to pass the markers needed to feature this weekend.
Carolina Panthers are taking things slowly with Jaycee Horn, but the signs are positive
Carolina officially listed Horn as a limited participant on their first injury report of the week. They are clearly taking every possible precaution to ensure he clears the concussion protocol in time for their trip to the Caesars Superdome, but this represents a positive step forward.
Horn is one of the league's best shutdown presences. He currently leads all cornerbacks league-wide in Pro Bowl voting, for what it's worth. That would be his second selection, and the contract given to him by general manager Dan Morgan earlier this year already looks like a shrewd investment.
The Panthers did exceptionally well to keep the high-octane Rams offense, to a degree, in check without Horn. But make no mistake, if they want to achieve their raised goals and book a playoff spot against all odds, they'll need the 2021 first-round pick on the field.
He sets the tone. He makes everything tick. He's the guy that everyone in the secondary is looking to for inspiration. Derrick Brown leads the charge in the trenches, and Horn spearheads the backend. There are still kinks to work out, but this phenomenal duo represents the defensive cornerstones they desperately needed after the departures of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis Sr.
It's still a wait-and-see scenario with Horn. He needs to go through a process before getting the green light to resume his place as the alpha dog in Carolina's cornerback room. But if he can make it, that'll give everyone a monumental boost at the best possible time.
Nothing has been confirmed one way or another. Even so, it could look a lot worse.