Carolina Panthers exceed preseason expectations
By Collin Giuliani// Staff Writer
In 2015, the Carolina Panthers exceeded expectations, winning the NFC South for the third straight season and becoming just the seventh team in the history of the National Football League to finish the regular season with at least 15 wins. The Panthers finished the season by making their second ever appearance in the Super Bowl, but could not win their first ever championship, losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 by a final score of 24-10. After a strong 2015 season, according to Vegas Insider, the Panthers are one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LI, and are listed as 10-1 odds to win it all. Here are three key questions that must be answered if the Panthers are going to win their first ever Super Bowl.
How will Kelvin Benjamin perform?
In 2014, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin “exceeded expectations as a rookie,” recording 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. During a practice at the start of the 2015 offseason, Benjamin tore his ACL and missed the entire season. While the Panthers were able to make the Super Bowl despite the loss of arguably their best offensive player, the team still suffered throwing the football. The Panthers finished the 2015 season twenty fourth out of 32 teams in passing yards, which was below every other team in their division, the NFC South. Ted Ginn Jr., who was the top receiver on the team last season due to Benjamin’s absence, dropped 10 passes, and was second in the NFL in dropped passes, dropping more than 10 percent of passes thrown his way. Benjamin is now healthy for the 2016 season, and in an interview with the New York Times towards the start of minicamp said, “We had a tremendous season last year, and having me back will only be good. We have to keep building and keep pushing from here.” If Benjamin returns to form and plays like he did in 2014, then the Panthers should continue to thrive on offense, much like they did last year.
Will the secondary recover?
The position group where the Panthers took the biggest blow this offseason came in the secondary. After a 13 year career with two Pro Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl appearances (last season with the Panthers and the 2006 season with the Chicago Bears), cornerback Charles Tillman, who finished last season with two interceptions, retired. Additionally, the Panthers lost cornerback Josh Norman, a First Team All-Pro last season who signed in free agency with Washington after Carolina rescinded their franchise tag offer. Kurt Coleman, who recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers, is the leader of a secondary that experienced a lot of turnover this offseason, and stated “it’s a lot of responsibility [to lead], and I’m excited about it.” Carolina drafted three cornerbacks in the 2016 NFL Draft, selecting James Bradberry out of Samford in the second round, Daryl Worley out of West Virginia in the third round, and Zack Sanchez out of Oklahoma in the fifth round, in the hopes that they will be able to fill the shoes of Charles Tillman and Josh Norman. With all the turnover in the secondary, Carolina’s pass defense is a question mark heading into the 2016 season.
Can Cam Newton put up similar numbers?
Last season, Cam Newton had the best year of his career and was arguably the biggest reason as to why the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl. Newton finished the 2015 season with a career-high 35 passing touchdowns (the second most in the NFL), a career-low 10 interceptions, and a career-high passer rating of 99.4. His play led him to receive not only his first ever First Team All-Pro selection, but the awards for Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player as well. His passing numbers, as well as his rushing numbers, led Joe Redemann of numberfire.com to ask whether or not Cam Newton’s 2015 season was “one of the best ever.” Fortunately for Newton, every offensive player that started for the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 returns for the 2016 season. Not only did the Panthers not lose a single offensive starter, but wide receiver Benjamin, who had over 1,000 receiving yards in 2014, returns after missing the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL. With a similar supporting cast beside him, Newton has a chance to put up similar numbers to last season, when he put together the greatest season by a quarterback in franchise history.