The Panthers finish up 2017 with a disappointing 8-8 record. This team definitely underperformed this year. This roster is much better than an 8-8 record indicates. There's definitely some rumblings and rumors about Ron Rivera being able to keep his job this offseason. The Panthers lost some games this year that should have been wins. Another win or 2 and this team would be in the playoffs next week. But instead, they are watching from home. There were some good things this team did this season though and some bright spots to look at.
Offensively this team wasn't terrible this year. With the addition of Leonard Fournette and a few other rookies that saw the field, the Panthers put up some good numbers. Cam finished the year with a respectable 96.9 QB rating. He finished with 3,762 yards and 24 TDS. He threw 15 INTs, which he will need to cut down next year if this team wants to make the playoffs. Some of those INTs can probably be attributed to the fact that Cam was sacked 53 times and under constant pressure all season. The Panthers will definitely look to change that number next year.
Rookie RB, Leonard Fournette led the team on the ground. He had 13 TDS on the year and finished with 1,191 yards. He was definitely one of the top rookies in the league this season. The top receivers were once again Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. Both caught over 60 balls and both had 7 TDS this year. This team definitely needs more speed at the WR position. It was evident all year. The receivers were not very good at getting separation or getting past the coverage. I'm sure that's one spot this team will look at this offseason.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team was pretty terrible. They gave up huge yardage and points this year. The defense will be addressed this offseason as well. All but a few positions will probably be up for grabs. One thing the team did do well was cause turnovers. They had 40 takeaways this year. But if they couldn't cause turnovers this unit couldn't get off the field. Their 3rd down defense was awful all season.
Luke Kuechly was once again the top tackler on the team, with a league best 64 solo tackles. He finished with 126 total tackles, 16 went for a loss. He also had 2 INTs. The 2 DEs combined for 19.5 sacks. Kony Ealy led the team with 10 and Charles Johnson had 9.5. But other than those 2, this team had no pass rush from anyone else on the defense. The team only managed 33 sacks. The Panthers almost had more INTs than sacks (31). The top 3 were James Bradberry (8), Bene Benwikere (6), and Tre Boston (5).
So after this disappointing season, the Panthers front office has some big decisions to make. They have some big name free agents that have yet to be signed. They will also have to make a decision on Rivera. Is he the best man to lead this team? All these issues will shake out in the coming weeks. But one thing is for sure, this owner was not pleased with the season. Expect some new faces in Carolina next year!
Offensively this team wasn't terrible this year. With the addition of Leonard Fournette and a few other rookies that saw the field, the Panthers put up some good numbers. Cam finished the year with a respectable 96.9 QB rating. He finished with 3,762 yards and 24 TDS. He threw 15 INTs, which he will need to cut down next year if this team wants to make the playoffs. Some of those INTs can probably be attributed to the fact that Cam was sacked 53 times and under constant pressure all season. The Panthers will definitely look to change that number next year.
Rookie RB, Leonard Fournette led the team on the ground. He had 13 TDS on the year and finished with 1,191 yards. He was definitely one of the top rookies in the league this season. The top receivers were once again Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. Both caught over 60 balls and both had 7 TDS this year. This team definitely needs more speed at the WR position. It was evident all year. The receivers were not very good at getting separation or getting past the coverage. I'm sure that's one spot this team will look at this offseason.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team was pretty terrible. They gave up huge yardage and points this year. The defense will be addressed this offseason as well. All but a few positions will probably be up for grabs. One thing the team did do well was cause turnovers. They had 40 takeaways this year. But if they couldn't cause turnovers this unit couldn't get off the field. Their 3rd down defense was awful all season.
Luke Kuechly was once again the top tackler on the team, with a league best 64 solo tackles. He finished with 126 total tackles, 16 went for a loss. He also had 2 INTs. The 2 DEs combined for 19.5 sacks. Kony Ealy led the team with 10 and Charles Johnson had 9.5. But other than those 2, this team had no pass rush from anyone else on the defense. The team only managed 33 sacks. The Panthers almost had more INTs than sacks (31). The top 3 were James Bradberry (8), Bene Benwikere (6), and Tre Boston (5).
So after this disappointing season, the Panthers front office has some big decisions to make. They have some big name free agents that have yet to be signed. They will also have to make a decision on Rivera. Is he the best man to lead this team? All these issues will shake out in the coming weeks. But one thing is for sure, this owner was not pleased with the season. Expect some new faces in Carolina next year!