For the past seven seasons, the Carolina Panthers have alternated between winning at least 11 games and finishing below .500. The Panthers finished with six or seven wins in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018, and they finished with 12 wins in 2013, 15 wins in 2015, and 11 wins in 2017. Carolina is hoping that this trend can hold for at least one more year so they can return to the postseason in 2019.
2019 NFL Season Win Totals
Carolina Panthers
Over 7.5 Wins -130
Under 7.5 Wins +108
The Panthers are in what is arguably the toughest division in the league. The NFC South has two fantastic offenses in New Orleans and Atlanta, and Tampa Bay’s offense could be a lot better with the arrival of Bruce Arians this offseason. Regardless, the early action has been on the over.
Carolina Panthers 2019 Schedule
|
Week
|
Date
|
Opponent
|
|
1
|
September 8, 2019
|
Los Angeles Rams
|
|
2
|
September 12, 2019
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
|
3
|
September 22, 2019
|
@ Arizona Cardinals
|
|
4
|
September 29, 2019
|
@ Houston Texans
|
|
5
|
October 6, 2019
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
|
6
|
October 13, 2019
|
@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
|
7
|
BYE
|
|
|
8
|
October 27, 2019
|
@ San Francisco 49ers
|
|
9
|
November 3, 2019
|
Tennessee Titans
|
|
10
|
November 10, 2019
|
@ Green Bay Packers
|
|
11
|
November 17, 2019
|
Atlanta Falcons
|
|
12
|
November 24, 2019
|
@ New Orleans Saints
|
|
13
|
December 1, 2019
|
Washington Redskins
|
|
14
|
December 8, 2019
|
@ Atlanta Falcons
|
|
15
|
December 15, 2019
|
Seattle Seahawks
|
|
16
|
December 22, 2019
|
@ Indianapolis Colts
|
|
17
|
December 29, 2019
|
New Orleans Saints
|
Carolina will have to face teams from the NFC West and AFC South in inter-divisional play. That will make the Panthers task of returning to the playoffs even tougher, especially given how this schedule shakes out. The Panthers don’t look to have an easy game over the second half of the season, and they must go into the bye week with a winning record to like their chances of making it back to the playoffs.
Carolina Panthers 2019 NFL Draft Picks
|
Round
|
Pick
|
Player
|
Position
|
College
|
|
1
|
16
|
Brian Burns
|
LB
|
Florida State
|
|
2
|
37
|
Greg Little
|
T
|
Ole Miss
|
|
3
|
100
|
Will Grier
|
QB
|
West Virginia
|
|
4
|
115
|
Christian Miller
|
LB
|
Alabama
|
|
5
|
154
|
Jordan Scarlett
|
RB
|
Florida
|
|
6
|
212
|
Dennis Daley
|
T
|
South Carolina
|
|
7
|
237
|
Terry Godwin
|
WR
|
Georgia
|
The Panthers have not had good luck with Florida State prospects in the NFL Draft, and I’m not a big fan of the Brian Burns pick. Burns may have been available in the second round, so taking him midway through the first seems like a bit of a stretch. Will Grier was the best mid-round quarterback available though, and I love that selection.
Interestingly enough, Panthers scouts didn’t have to travel far to see any of their selections. Every player they picked went to school east of the Mississippi River.
Carolina Panthers 2019 Prediction
The offense will be led by Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey established himself as one of the best dual-threat running backs in the game last season. He racked up nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage, and he averaged over six yards per touch. He proved that he was very difficult to stop as a receiver out of the backfield or in the slot, fulfilling the promise we heard during his rookie season.
Newton did not look right over the second half of the 2018 campaign. Carolina started the year 6-2, and although he denied it at first, Newton eventually admitted that he was being hampered by a shoulder injury. They lost seven straight after the 6-2 start as Newton’s struggles through the air couldn’t be schemed around.
He is looking to bounce back in 2019, but the Panthers have one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL. There isn’t a No. 1 receiver on the roster, and either DJ Moore or Torrey Smith will have to overachieve to lighten the burden on Cam. Greg Olsen is back to give Newton a reliable target, but the tight end is now 34.
This defense has some interesting pieces. Luke Kuechly is one of the best linebackers in the game, and the defensive tackles could be one of the top duos too. Kawann Short and Dontari Poe are both known as run stuffers, but they have struggled with injuries. Eric Reid is a good safety, yet the cornerback position is a bit dicey so the Panthers could give up a lot of yards.
If the Panthers had just one proven option at wide receiver, I would like the over here. However, the lack of a quality wideout in this day and age is particularly painful, and the lingering questions about Newton’s shoulder still loom. I’ll take the under at positive odds.
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