Are Panthers done, even with Cam Newton back? If you think so, you're probably right
Faint statistical optimism. That’s what the Carolina Panthers have left in 2016 after Monday night’s surprising 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s what a dreadfully disappointing 1-4 start has come to. Tied for last place in the NFC after five weeks; returning a beat-up starting quarterback; injuries across the board; and a future schedule that is looking less forgiving by the week.
In hindsight, those sideline victory photos from last season will be useful – in a Thanks For The Memories kind of way.
The snapshot moments of last season’s Super Bowl run? They’re fading like the Dead Sea Scrolls. And this is where it starts to get ugly. The second-guessing over a lethargic offseason of personnel upgrades will only intensify. The offensive play-calling will be dissected. Even a helmetless Cam Newton riding around on a scooter in Charlotte traffic – which isn’t a big deal – becomes a sideshow.
That’s what happens when a team starts 1-4 and there’s no obvious upswing ahead. The seams of a season start to show stress. Drama ensues. Pressure mounts. Everyone becomes fair game for criticism.
And it will be no different in Carolina. A team that appeared to be steaming into a multiyear Super Bowl voyage has stalled with a faulty engine. Now there’s only shallow optimism to cling to, namely in the fact that 12 NFL teams have started 1-4 or worse and made the postseason. Two actually did it last season: the 1-4 Houston Texans and the 1-5 Kansas City Chiefs. That’s basically what the Panthers have to keep them afloat.
Hopes, dreams and an ugly remaining slate.
Before anyone gets too enthusiastic about the rebounds of the Chiefs and Texans in 2015, look closely at how those schedules played out. Kansas City’s final 10 wins last season came against seven teams that finished the season with a losing record. An eighth win came against the 8-8 Buffalo Bills. They were blessed with a buffet of mediocrity as the season closed. And the Texans? The 8-3 run in the final 11 bloated by a wheezing AFC South schedule.
The Panthers essentially have to hope that there are a lot of pretenders left on the schedule. But looking forward, does any game seem like a lock? The New Orleans Saints (who are on the docket twice) and San Diego Chargers are terrible defensively, but they ring up points like a pinball machine against teams with an inconsistent pass rush. The Arizona Cardinals appear to be on the verge of getting themselves righted. The Los Angeles Rams are beating quarterbacks silly. The Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks all appear to be tough enough to make the playoffs. Even the Washington Redskins are showing some grit. And of course, there’s still the Atlanta Falcons and Buccaneers, who have both defeated Carolina already.
That schedule? It’s a significant problem. And none of that takes into account all the injuries the Panthers have suffered to this point. Nor the punishment Newton has sustained. Or the inconsistency of the defense, which has been a roller coaster on the front and back end. And there’s still a pressing question out there about whether Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips solved Newton. League personnel evaluators suggest that teams are using that Super Bowl blueprint and the Panthers have yet to adjust.
Add all that up and the frustration is as palpable as it gets. Some of that was evident in Ron Rivera’s postgame conference on Monday night. Particularly when he seemed almost nonsensical on a late-game personal foul against defensive end Kony Ealy, who grabbed and pulled back on the facemask of running back Jacquizz Rodgers during Tampa’s game-winning drive. The penalty advanced beleaguered kicker Roberto Aguyao into more makeable range (from a 53-yard field goal to a 38-yarder). The penalty was so obvious – with no doubt Ealy grabbed and pulled the facemask – yet Rivera seemed perplexed by it.
“[Ealy] hit the guy’s facemask, OK, but he didn’t grab it,” Rivera said. “I don’t get it. Again, it’s the referee’s call. That was a costly one right there. It moved that ball a little bit closer and the kicker was a little bit shaky. He hit one that was kind of shaky and if he hadn’t gotten the 15 yards I don’t know if that ball would have made it. That’s unfortunate. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
That’s pretty close to blaming an official for a loss. Rivera didn’t go all the way, but the implication was there. But the reality is Carolina hasn’t been good enough with Newton in the lineup, and it’s surely not going to survive playing backup Derek Anderson at this stage. While Monday night was at least close, it’s worth noting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense has also been a mess over the past month. This was still a winnable game, even without Newton.
Now Carolina has to figure out a way to plow ahead. That was a theme for Rivera on Monday night, who punctuated a portion of his news conference with the shared mantra of all losing teams.
“The truth of the matter,” Rivera said, “is it’s time to go forward.”
Keep pounding. Or keep getting physically pounded. At 1-4, it’s been more of the latter for the Panthers. And that might end up being the only memorable snapshot of this fading season.
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