Why Bryce Young & Co. Could Surprise Folks
The Carolina Panthers have the reputation of a cursed franchise ever since they released Cam Newton in 2020. While they have had a carousels of quarterbacks which ultimately led them back to Newton in 2022... Clearly the Panthers had a big problem at quarterback, one in which Baker Mayfield or PJ Walker could not solve.
The 2022 season was an interesting one for the Panthers as they started Sam Darnold 6 games, PJ Walker 5 games, and Baker Mayfield 5 games. While Walker and Darnold had their moments, for the most part they were awful.
However, their record does not reflect this as they won 7 games. Everything outside of quarterback was pretty damn good for the Panthers. After trading McCaffrey, their running back duo of Dont'e Foreman and Chuba Hubbard statistically outperformed CMC. After the firing of Matt Rhule, under Steve Wilks the team went 6-6. The Panthers defense did what they could, and were elite when the offense did not keep them on the field for 75% of the game. The Panthers defense actually outscored their offense for a 4 week span under Mayfield.
| Home | Away |
|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons |
| New Orleans Saints | New Orleans Saints |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Green Bay Packers | Chicago Bears |
| Minnesota Vikings | Detroit Lions |
| Houston Texans | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee Titans |
| Dallas Cowboys | Seattle Seahawks |
| Miami Dolphins |
With the Panthers 2023 off-season near complete and opponents for 2023 released, their should be optimism within the fan base. They are in the worst division in football which means they will play Tampa (Mayfield), Atlanta (Ridder), and Saints (Carr) six times next season.
The Panthers free agency, also shows Carolina is in a win now mode opposed to a continuous rebuild path. They've added more offensive weapons in one year than they did during Newton's entire tenure. Miles Sanders (Eagles RB), Adam Theilan (Vikings WR), DJ Chark (Lions WR), and Hayden Hurst (Bengals TE) all signed with the Panthers this off season.
With the Panthers winning 7 games last year and adding a plethora of great new players as well as a new coach in Frank Reich. It is hard to imagine the Panthers not reaching last years milestone, which most people do not even realize was 7 wins. With the recent lousy out the gate rookie QB play, Bryce winning 7 games would be great for the hobby.