Here’s what every NFL team’s grade is at midseason
Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera’s team ends Week 8 with an impressive 5-2 record. That might not be good enough to win the NFC South, but it puts the Panthers in great shape to earn one of the NFC’s Wild Card berths.
Lots of experts rolled their eyes when Carolina brought in Norv Turner to mentor Cam Newton in the offseason, but the partnership has looked great through seven games. Newton isn’t creating the same number of big plays he’s produced in years past, but he’s been a much more efficient quarterback. He’s completing just under 66% of his passes on the year. That’s a significant uptick over his career average of just 58.9%.
Christian McCaffrey has also been a bright spot for the Panthers offense. He’s averaged 4.8 yards per rush this season as the team’s No. 1 running back. More importantly, he continues to be a dynamic weapon in the passing game.
If there are any concerns about this group, it comes on the defensive side of the football. This roster is full of big names, but they haven’t played up to their potential yet. Keep a close eye on just how Luke Kuechly’s group performs down the stretch. That could be the difference between a long playoff run and an early exit.