It was a drastic fall for the Carolina Panthers last season. In 2015, the Panthers were the toast of the NFL, having finished the season 15-1 and looked destined to win its first Super Bowl ever. They were 4.5-point favorites against Denver, but ended up not being able to move the ball on offense the whole game and lost by two scores. Carolina couldn’t shake off the effects of that Super Bowl loss and were a completely different team in 2016. The Panthers dropped five of their first six and finished 6-10 on the year. Which Carolina will we see in 2017?
NFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Seattle Seahawks +444
Green Bay Packers +460
Atlanta Falcons +472
Dallas Cowboys +670
New York Giants +840
Carolina Panthers +1350
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1650
Philadelphia Eagles +1700
Minnesota Vikings +1800
Arizona Cardinals +1853
New Orleans Saints +2405
Detroit Lions +2900
Washington Redskins +3000
Chicago Bears +7500
Los Angeles Rams +8000
San Francisco 49ers +8500
Key Players for Winning the NFC
Cam Newton – This one is obvious. Newton has his detractors, but he is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. He had a banner year in 2015 only to see his numbers fall back down to his averages through his first four seasons in 2016. This offseason, Newton had shoulder surgery and has been very limited during training camp. He is not expected to play during the preseason and the team is being very cautious with Newton as he recovers. For Carolina to get back to the Super Bowl, Newton will need to recover and become the playmaker he was in 2015.
Christian McCaffrey – Carolina is extremely excited to put the No. 8 overall pick to work. McCaffrey was the do-it-all running back at Stanford who contributed in every way he could. He set the NCAA record for all-purpose yards in a season and the Panthers have spent this preseason scheming ways to get him open. McCaffrey is going to be used as a wide receiver quite often. Carolina has had him out wide and in the slot during training camp and teammates say that McCaffrey is uncoverable 1-on-1. The Panthers are also designing a Wildcat set around him too. Whether or not the team utilizes him as a returner remains to be seen, but McCaffrey will make an impact in 2017.
Kelvin Benjamin – The Panthers best receiver needs to play like it this year. Benjamin has been criticized for coming into camp out of shape, but he has showed off the skillset that reminds us just how talented he is. With his frame, he is able to overpower defensive backs trying to arm tackle him and can leap over defenders to secure a jump ball. He was a solid receiver last year, but has the talent to dominate. The team didn’t re-sign Ted Ginn this offseason, leaving Benjamin to hold the line as youngster Curtis Samuel develops.
Kawann Short – Short is one of the best defensive tackles in the game today and was rewarded as such in the offseason. The Panthers gave him a five-year $80.5 million dollar contract and he hasn’t shown that the money has led to him becoming complacent. Short wins a large percentage of his battles in the trenches and is solid in every aspect of the game. He is often underappreciated; like last year when he didn’t make the Pro Bowl because of a dip in his sack totals, but is one of the two main cogs of this defense.
Luke Kuechly – Kuechly has been a First-Team All-Pro selection three times already in his five-year career and seems destined for Canton provided injuries don’t stop him. He has suffered two concussions and a torn labrum over the last two seasons and there are concerns over whether or not he can stay on the field now. When he is on the field, Kuechly is a terror and seemingly everywhere at once. If he can stay healthy, this linebacking corps should be one of the best in the NFL.
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