Can the Carolina Panthers carry some positive momentum into the 2025 season? Some NFL analysts, including Andrew Whitworth, think they can. Even though their 2024 season was dreadful, it did end on a positive note.
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Some of the biggest takeaways were the development of Bryce Young and the impact of new head coach Dave Canales. Whitworth, for one, believes, the Panthers’ strong finish can change the way the team starts the next season.
After starting 1-7, the Panthers went a respectable 4-5 down the stretch. This included three overtime victories against the Giants, the Cardinals, and the Falcons. It was a welcome sight from a team that had struggled mightily up to that point, even benching their former first overall pick, Bryce Young, for a stretch.
But when Young returned, the Panthers found their footing. It seemed he just needed a mental reset. Now, with that strong finish in the rearview, former lineman Andrew Whitworth believes they could be a surprise team heading into the season.
“You look at Carolina, how they finished the year last year. Just the energy, those things carry over,” Whitworth said on The Rich Eisen Show.
One has to dig deep to find examples, but it’s somewhat true, as the lineman suggested. In 1997, the Atlanta Falcons started the season 1-7. They then finished that year 7-9 and carried that momentum into 1998, where they went 14-2 and reached the Super Bowl.
A more recent example would be the 2021 Detroit Lions. They finished with a record of 3-13-1, but a Week 18 win over the rival Green Bay Packers gave them life. Detroit carried that energy into 2022, finishing 9-8. They’ve continued to improve their record every season since.
So, Whitworth isn’t far off in his perception of the Panthers. After all, he’s had experience going through a similar situation.
“I can remember being in Cincinnati, some of the years that we kind of turned things over, and,. it’s like, man, maybe that year didn’t end great. But those last five, six, seven weeks, we really found an identity of who we were, and then it would play into that next year,” Whitworth remembered.
Panthers have some defense issues
Carolina had a host of issues last season. For a while, it was the offense that couldn’t get things going. But they eventually found some momentum and hope to carry that into ‘25.
However, the defense is still a massive question mark. It’s a bit ironic, considering that for years it was the Panthers’ defense that kept them afloat while the offense struggled. Oh, how the tables have turned.
Insiders in attendance at minicamp in Carolina have reported that about “70%” of the issues are with the defense. They only have about 3 notable names in Jaycee Horn, Derrick Brown, and Tre’Von Moehrig. Other than that, it’s still the same names that ranked dead last in most major defensive categories.
Moehrig was a free agency addition, and Brown is coming back from injury. So, the additions could make a big difference for Carolina’s defense. But at the same time, the lack of recognizable names is quite glaring.
It’s hard to be down on the Panthers with the way they finished last year. Yet, you also don’t want to be too optimistic about a team that finished 5-12. Expectations should remain average. Even 1-2 wins of improvement should be viewed as a success if it were to happen.
Maybe Whitworth will be correct, and we look back on this take in months as a good one. But for now, most NFL experts are remaining level-headed about Carolina. With Tet McMillan in the building, he and Young could create fireworks. Defensively, though, it might be an entirely different story.
