Will the Carolina Panthers be able to muster a measly six wins in 2020? I’m not seeing it! There are some good players here: Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and um… Give me a second. OK, that’s it.

The defense is where this team was lacking in 2019 and it won’t get any easier after the retirement of stud LB Luke Kuechly. They allowed the second-most TDs (56) and were way down at the bottom of the rankings in rushing TDs allowed (31), eight more than the next worst team. A bunch of rookies will be forced into starting roles. You can read about which ones have the best chance of starting right away from AllPanthers reporter Schuyler Callihan.

William Hill lists Carolina’s over/under at 5.5 wins with even -110 juice on both sides.

If a team’s solution to the QB position is Teddy Bridgewater, they should be laughed out of the league. It’s inexcusable. Look up the word “marginal” in the dictionary and there’s a picture of Bridgewater throwing his third-straight six-yard dump pass. McCaffrey’s a beast, but he can’t carry the team single-handedly.

In a challenging division, the Panthers will have a terrible time keeping up with Tampa Bay and New Orleans. Add in road contests against Green Bay, Kansas City and Minnesota and my expectations couldn't be much lower. It’s a no from me, dog. I’m taking the under.

Stats to Know

• Christian McCaffrey gained over 1,000 yards rushing (1,387) and receiving (1,005) last year to become the third player in NFL history to achieve that feat. McCaffrey also set the league record for catches (117) by the running back position.
• The Panthers finished third in the league in running back rushing touchdowns (19).
• D.J. Moore had a breakthrough season (87/1175/4) in 2019, pushing him to sixth all-time in WR catches for Carolina. The only two players with more success were Steve Smith (103 and 88) and Mushin Muhammed (102, 96, and 93).
• The Panthers’ defense allowed an insanely high number of rushing TDs (31) while ranking last as well in yards per rush (5.16).
• Surprisingly, Carolina’s defense did pick up the second-most sacks (53) in the league, but they were outdone by the Panthers’ offensive line (58 sacks allowed – most in the league).