by Tyler Thompson
The Panthers are currently 3-0 and are looking to continue their dominance. They are in the position to start out their first 8 games undefeated.
Before the season started, many thought that the Panthers were at least another year out and still caught amidst a rebuild. In fact, 75% of NFL fans at Greenfield expected a 7-9 record at best. Now, 62.5% of fans expect a hot start. I share this sentiment.
The Panthers currently have a dominant defense and have shut down both the Jets’ and Texans’ offenses and completely paralyzed a previously explosive Saints offense. Currently, the Panthers have only allowed 10 points per game along with only 191 yards per game.
Although two out of three of their games so far have been against offenses that are nothing to call home about, the Panther’s defensive performance against the Saints is enough proof that they are a dominant defense more than capable of single-handedly winning the Panthers games. The Panthers held the Saints to only 7 points after the Saints had previously put up 38 points against the Packers.
With that being said, the Panthers will start out their season 8-0. Their next five games are against the Cowboys, Eagles, Vikings, Giants, and Falcons. The only team that will prove to be a challenge to this team are the Cowboys. The Cowboys have an explosive offense but a lackluster defense.
This game will be a test to see if their defense is legitimate and if their offense will be able to keep up enough to win games, especially with all the key injuries sustained by the Panthers. Last week, standout-rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn went down with a foot injury. This injury is pretty substantial and Horn will miss significant time.
Currently, the Panthers are finalizing a deal to acquire Jaguars’ cornerback CJ Henderson. CJ Henderson will not be able to fill the void left by Horn, but if the game is planned correctly, the Panthers will be able to endure this loss with minimal damage. Also, superstar running back Christian McCaffrey went down with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a few weeks. This means that newly acquired quarterback Sam Darnold will need to step up his game and deliver for the next few weeks.
If the Panthers’ defense can put a roof on the Cowboy’s offense and the Panther’s offense performs up to expectations, they have nothing but easy opponents in front of them. Right now, many fans speak highly of this offense. Polled NFL fans think DJ Moore and Sam Darnold have been contributing factors to this team.
After Dallas, the Panthers will take on the Eagles. The Eagles game should be an easy win as long as the Panthers’ defense remains dominant. I expect the Panthers’ offense to put up a massive number of points versus the Eagles, and I expect that the Panthers will be able to limit Jalen Hurts and the Eagles to under 25 points. The Vikings are a formidable opponent, but I do not think they will be able to stop the Panthers momentum. The Giants and the Falcons have proven that they are not capable of winning games, and the Panthers will be able to expose their weak spots and completely dominate them.
The following week they will play the Patriots. Bill Belichick will be able to scheme up a game plan to finally stop the Panthers’ rampage. Once the Patriots finally kill the Panthers’ momentum, the Panthers will not be able to regain it. I predict that the Panthers will finish the last 9 games of the season 2-7. The teams they play in the second half of the season are good teams who will be able to beat the Panthers. This means the Panthers will be 10-7 with a wild card playoff spot.
This will most definitely disappoint Panthers fans, who year after year have had their hearts crushed in the latter half of the season. The Panthers are pretenders, not contenders.
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