Carolina Panthers historic punt highlights season of struggles
By Kareem Gantt
The Carolina Panthers historic punt on a 20-play drive this past Sunday is a perfect example of a team that’s struggling to find itself.
The Carolina Panthers were chugging along down the field against the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday, going on a 20-play drive that, normally, would have ended in a score, further demoralizing an opponent that was down most of the game.
You know what happened at the end of that drive, the longest in team history? They punted.
It was a scene for the record books, literally. According to Pro Football Focus, no team in the past 18 seasons has ended a 20-play drive with a punt.
The Panthers did something no NFL team has done in at least 18 seasons: A 20-play drive that ended in a punt. @pfref's db goes back to '98 pic.twitter.com/rKUzi3sjSe
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) November 13, 2016
But the Panther’s meltdown at Kansas City’s 20-yard line — which saw the KC front line sacked Cam Newton for a 12-yard loss on third-and-18 at the KC 28 late in the third-quarter — is a perfect illustration of a team that for most of this season has struggled to find itself after a fairy tale 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJrhtOtrde0
Following their collapse against the Chiefs, the Panthers are now 3-6 and have a daunting road ahead just to get to a Wild Card spot. Sure, Newton being hurt early in the season played a huge role in Carolina’s wobbly start, but the Panther’s struggles are about more than Newton’s health.
Carolina has been unable to put together a complete game all season, something that was hardly an issue a year ago. At times, they’ve looked downright lethargic. Their mind-numbing loss to the Chiefs, a game in which they were up 17-0 before KC woke up on defense, is just the sour cherry on top of a nasty sundae the Panther’s have created for themselves.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: the Panthers are one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments this season. They were supposed to be the team that all others in the NFC had to beat. an up-and-coming power that few could reckon with.
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It seems like all of that has been flushed down the drain, and if Carolina has dreams of getting back to the Super Bowl, it’s going to have to figure what’s ailing it. Otherwise, we could be seeing some changes in Charlotte in the offseason.