Initial Reactions Following Panthers Week 17 Loss vs Saints
The Carolina Panthers entered the final game of the regular season at home against the New Orleans Saints. It figured to be an interesting matchup as neither team had healthy starting running backs. Carolina proved to be outmatched against the far superior division winners. This was a tough game for the Panthers to go out on as they lost by a final score of 33-7. It's obvious that Carolina has a long way to go in its' rebuild to compete for an NFC South title. Hopefully, this team can continue to develop as we look ahead to year two in the Matt Rhule era.
Here are our initial reactions following the Panthers' Week 17 loss:
The QB position needs to be addressed
It is incredibly hard to win in the NFL without a quality starting quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater has had his moments but has been wildly inconsistent. Bridgewater made two huge mistakes in this game throwing bad interceptions in the endzone. The problem is that Teddy has failed to push the ball down the field in a significant way all season long. Turning the ball over is a little bit more acceptable from quarterbacks that can stretch the field. The coaching staff will need to take a long look at what they truly have at the game's most important position this offseason. PJ.. Walker came in the second half just to turn the ball over three times himself. Will Grier was inactive and seems to already be an afterthought in his young NFL career.
The defense still needs some work
The Panthers' defense was a work in progress all season long. Despite entering the year with low expectations the unit actually had a few dominant performances. It is made up of a young group of guys that are extremely talented. Carolina has built a decent defensive line. However, the further back you go from the line of scrimmage the more question marks you've got. The linebacker group has been a liability all year. The secondary has struggled to stay healthy and even when they have been they are average at best. The Panthers will probably need to take a long look at available free agents this offseason if they hope to improve in time for next season.
The Joe Brady offense is effective
I always like to try to end on a positive note. Wide receivers' DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, and Curtis Samuel all surpassed 1,000 total yards for the season. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady came into the year with the goal of getting his best players the ball in space. He definitely succeeded in doing so. Brady's offense works in the NFL and should be fun to watch for years to come in Carolina. Hopefully, the Panthers will add a healthy Christian McCaffrey to the mix next season.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Josh Altorfer at @jaltorfer1
