2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams
By John Buhler
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have to be one of those teams with great intrigue heading into the 2017 NFL season. After going 15-1 en route to Super Bowl 50 in 2015, the Panthers cratered to a miserable 6-10 in 2016. Will this year’s Panthers team get back to good or continue to stumble?
It all depends on one thing: can the Panthers pound the rock? If they can run the football effectively, this should be a playoff team in the NFC. Keep in mind that Carolina will be playing a last-place schedule this year. Outside of the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots, who can’t the Panthers beat in the NFC North or AFC East in the conference rotation?
Expect Carolina to be stout up front defensively. Then again, defensive linemen Kawann Short may fizzle out after signing a massive contract extension. Obviously, that can’t happen and inside linebacker Luke Kuechly has to play at an All-Pro level. His troubled past with head injuries is frightening to say the least. Losing defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to the Buffalo Bills head coaching job isn’t great, but head coach Ron Rivera knows what he’s doing defensively.
Of course, the Panthers will need quarterback Cam Newton to play at a Pro Bowl level. Frankly, his MVP season was an anomaly. He’ll never be a precision passer in this league, as he throws the ball too high for his receivers to catch them. Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin is quickly eating himself out of the league, but tight end Greg Olsen is elite at what he does.
It’s a lot of pressure on the offensive line and two rookie offensive weapons in Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel, but Carolina should have the vaunted running attack to get back in the NFC Playoffs. This roster isn’t as deep as the Atlanta Falcons’ or as explosive as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it should work out just fine for Carolina. However, they have to win at him in Charlotte with great regularly for any of this good fortune to happen.
Projected Record: 10-6, NFC Wild Card (No. 6 seed)