3 Things That Need to Happen for the Panthers to Make the Playoffs

[Seltzer]

https://clutchpoints.com/3-things-that-need-to-happen-for-the-panthers-to-make-the-playoffs/

Good article- Here are the points which the article goes into greater detail about:

1. There must be a breakout pass catcher offensively (specifically Moore and/or Samuel)

2. Complementary defense must improve (both pass rush and coverage)

3. Cam Newton must return to full health and stay there with help from the offensive line (hopefully already moving in this direction)

Not a whole lot of new ground to cover this time of year.  And while I think everyone would agree with these points, I would add the following:

4. Rivera must be better with clock management, especially at the end of halves (hired coach for this purpose)

I have noticed a lot national media is much more bullish on the Panthers after our free agency (especially McCoy) and the draft, and also because Cam is already throwing  and seems to be on his way to being fully healthy for the season.

What other points do you think the Panthers need to address?

 

• Good article- Her. Complementary defense must improve

 

[Ivan The Awesome]

The injury bug staying away from this team. 

[nosuchthingasapanther]

the only thing that needs to happen is for them to win enough games.

[Snake]

We would have made the playoffs last year if not for Newton falling off. I'm not saying it's guaranteed but we are a better team this year with a soft schedule.

[JARROD]

Win

win

win

3 things made simple

[JawnyBlaze]

If cam stays healthy, we’re going deep into the playoffs. It’s pretty much that simple. 

[Hoenheim]

Main thing is oline needs to stay healthy. Last time that happened was 2015 and we went to the Super Bowl that year. 

[BrianS]

Honestly, I'm happy if we continue to fly under the radar.  The article in the OP is correct, if those things happen, we're going to be a dangerous team, both in the regular season and playoffs.  We've gotten markedly better in places where we needed it, and from all appearances we're getting healthy.  I'm as optimistic as possible for this stage of the season.

[rhyslloyd]

1.  Keep Cam healthy

2.  Get to the QB

3.  Rivera keeps his filthy hands off the offense entirely

[thennek]

it is all about a healthy Cam.....

[Dunn]

Cam Newton stays healthy...that's it.  Even with a suspect defense we'd have been in the playoffs no doubt with a healthy Newton.  This Defense will be even better then last year. 

[trueblade]

10 hours ago, Ivan The Awesome said:

The injury bug staying away from this team. 

Especially on the OLine. It seems like our best seasons come when we have minimal changes up front.

[MountaineerChemist10]

I would change the first one to 1) Receivers must make plays. We don't necessarily need a breakout pass catcher, just need for our receiving corps to catch & score. Our "breakout pass catcher" in '15 was gone by training camp (Benji) & everyone thought we were done...NOPE.

Our receivers simply stepped up, caught & scored. Ted Ginn Jr. (traitor) & Philly Brown had speed, Jerricho CLUTCHery had hands, Funchess began to shine at the end & of course there's always ol' reliable Greg Olsen.

But the rest sound accurate. Gotta protect Cam, O-line & Cam must stay healthy, Defense must get better.

[Khyber53]

Hate to say it, but it really all rests on Cam's recovery. I'm not going to say that Cam must put the entire team on his back and carry them through the season. I know that's a common refrain for some folks here, but that's not the real picture.

The real picture is that every other phase of our game is good enough to be competitive in every game against just about every opponent. 

We have:

1) a transcendent running game based around CMC and Cam, that can also provide immense pass game assistance.

2) one of the best linebacker groups in the league, and one of the best middle LBs to ever play the game.

3) A potential HoF TE and decent guys behind him.

4) A mystery men bag of WRs who are poised for a break out season (and two guys who are YAC generators on the level of Steve Smith, Sr.)

5) One of our sounder O-lines in recent memory.

6) A d-line that is literally chock full of Pro-Bowlers. 

7) Both experienced and rookie top end edge rushers who have tons of motivation and flexibility as we shuffle back and forth between 4-3 and 3-4 defenses.

8) Solid special teams.

What we have beyond that is Cam Newton. If uninjured, you have the most game changing QB of this era, an honest-to-God dual run/pass threat that can turn an entire game around in a single play. However, Superman references aside, he is human after all. His shoulder killed our season last year, plain and simple. Good teams are strewn all across the NFL, and even the worst of them feature the best football players in the world. An injury to such a pivotal player put us behind the eight ball and out of contention... the margin for error is just that slim. 

That's not a slight on Cam in the least. Teams, with the recent exceptions of the Patriots and Eagles, don't win with an injured QB or a back-up QB. The league's parity is too fine to  make up for that kind of loss.

In the end, this whole season, realistically, rides on the recovery of Cam's shoulder and little, if anything, else.