Panthers Playing Like House Cats

Can the Panthers salvage the season?

By Bryce Kerr

The Carolina Panthers started off the season 1-1, hoping to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Now that Week 7 is over, that hope is beginning to dwindle and frustration is starting to set in.

The Panthers are sitting in last place in the division at 1-5 after losing to the Dallas Cowboys 19 to 14 on Sunday. That game was Carolina’s fourth loss in a row and its third straight defeat by five points or less.

AP Photo/ Chuck Burton

Carolina’s main problem has been its inability to close out games. The Panthers have put themselves in a position to win late in the fourth quarter in each of their last three games but yet to capitalize.

Carolina does not look like the high-powered offense that finished fifth in points-per-game last year. In fact, Cam Newton and the Panthers attack have scored more than fourteen points just twice this season.

In a CBSSports.com article on Sunday, Newton said "Instead of keeping the game close, I'm looking forward to a game where I ... we put up 35 points. Everybody does."

On a team with a running back trio of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Mike Tolbert, plus a dynamic quarterback like Cam Newton, one would think that there would have been more than 21 rushes between the trio on Sunday. Instead, Newton led the Panthers running game with 6 rushes for 64 yards.

The defense has done enough to keep the Panthers in games. However, play calling has been suspect and the offense has just not been in sync.

The Panthers organization is frustrated about the terrible start. With the Panthers trying to salvage the season, general manager Marty Hurney was relieved of his duties.

Hurney has been the general manager since 2002, but was let go due to poor draft and free agent signings that didn’t pan out, on top of the subpar play we’ve seen this season.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if new head coach Ron Rivera can last the entire year. If the Panthers continue to play this badly, then they may have to try something new or rebuild…again.

So, this is the turning point. Are the Panthers going to step up and fight their way back to respectability? Or are they going to helplessly bat at a ball of yarn like a declawed house cat while the rest of the NFL laughs and thanks them for the win? It looks like we’ll have to wait and see.