Panthers News: Chris Tabor, Cam Newton, elevations and Week 17
By Dean Jones
Doug Pederson expecting tough Carolina Panthers test
Even though the Carolina Panthers are a two-win team, their performances have been much better in recent weeks. They displayed tremendous resolve to overcome the Atlanta Falcons in torrential weather. This was followed by a narrow loss at home to the Green Bay Packers - negating their best offensive display of the campaign.
This is something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, who praised interim Chris Tabor for keeping his team engaged and committed amid the turmoil via Sports Illustrated. The Super Bowl winner is also expecting a tough test despite Carolina's lowly record.
"This team plays hard. This team plays fast. It's a physical group. It's a four quarter game, quite honestly. Coach Tabor has done a nice job of keeping everybody together, keeping everybody on the same page and just kind of locked in week to week. Who cares about the win-loss record right now. These guys are…they played obviously much better last week against Green Bay. It's a physical, fast group."
- Doug Pederson via Sports Illustrated
With no Trevor Lawrence, it improves the Panthers' chances. Nothing is guaranteed, but it would be disappointing if Tabor couldn't rally the troops in pursuit of giving another good account of themselves against a team that might be playing postseason football in the coming weeks.
Of course, this is the Panthers we're talking about. So it could easily go the other way if they aren't up for the challenge.