Black and Blue Review
On the last day of November, the season appeared over for the Panthers. They hadn’t won in two months, and they were blown out by the below-average Vikings.
28 days and four straight wins later, Carolina left Atlanta as champions of the NFC South.
How?
This isn’t a complete list, and it’s in no particular order, but here are 10 factors that resurrected a lost season.
- The Saints: If there was a ‘turning point’ for the Panthers, it was the first quarter of Week 14. They scored a touchdown on their opening drive for just the second time this season, and a 17-point first quarter against the sputtering Saints gave Carolina confidence it badly needed.
- The Quarterbacks: Two days after Cam Newton accounted for four touchdowns in New Orleans, he crawled out of his wrecked truck about two blocks from Bank of America Stadium. Backup Derek Anderson was solid in another spot start against the Bucs, and when Newton returned, it was almost like he didn’t have two broken bones in his back. He threw two touchdowns, ran in for two more, and made just one really bad mistake in must-win games against the Browns and Falcons.
- The Run Game: The resurgence of the run game started in Minnesota, but that was overshadowed by the sixth-straight loss. In their four wins since, the Panthers averaged 199.3 rushing yards per game, 96.0 more than what they averaged in their first 12 games. Jonathan Stewart was held to 49 yards against the Falcons, but he revitalized his career over the last month. And offensive coordinator Mike Shula deserves credit for effectively using Newton to keep defenses guessing. Also, the transformation of guards Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner from rookies to beasts has helped open up running lanes in the middle of the line.
- Mike Tolbert: It’s not a coincidence that the run game improved after the Pro Bowl fullback returned in Week 13. Brandon Williams and Ed Dickson did their best as hybrid fullbacks when he was out, but Tolbert is hugely important for what the Panthers want to do on offense.
- Mike Remmers: Stories are bring written about him week after week, but people are still asking, “Who is this guy?!” Well, he’s the guy who you still may not know if he walked into the room wearing a shirt that says, ‘I’m Mike Remmers,’ but he’s also the guy who came out of nowhere to help solidify the right side of the offensive line.
- The Tight Ends: Greg Olsen had a career-best 10 receptions against the Saints. He caught 10 again a week later. A week after that, Ed Dickson had his two biggest catches of the season. And a week later, when the Panthers couldn’t settle for another field goal, Dickson scored his first touchdown of the year.
- Philly Brown: His numbers over the last four weeks aren’t eye-popping: Eight receptions, 115 yards; three rushes, 45 yards. But when the Panthers cut Jason Avant, it truly wasn’t because of anything he said. Brown gives the Panthers something they were desperately missing – a guy who can pose a threat of stretching the field, which opens up things underneath.
- The Secondary: Ron Rivera doesn’t like the term, and Sean McDermott said he’s not there yet, but Josh Norman has been playing like a shutdown corner. Over the last month, he helped contain some of the best receivers in the league, allowing Mike Evans, Josh Gordon and Julio Jones to a combined 10 receptions for 116 yards. While Norman’s play and talking attract attention, the quieter Bené Benwikere has been vital after taking over for Antoine Cason. Rookie safety Tre Boston has added speed to the secondary while veteran safety Roman Harper has been surprisingly solid.
- The NFC South: Even the Panthers readily admit they got a good amount of help. While the Saints and Falcons continued to trip over themselves, Carolina had enough time to slip past them to become the first ever back-to-back NFC South champions.
- Ron Rivera: If he’s going to take criticism for how his teams start the season, and how they play after bye weeks, he deserves major kudos for how they finish years. His 15-3 record in December is remarkable, and it proves how much his players believe in him. It’s not always pretty, but as Rivera’s predecessor said a time or two, ‘It is what it is.’ Just like John Fox, Rivera has taken his team to the playoffs in two of his first four seasons. Unlike Fox, Rivera’s gotten it done in consecutive seasons.