Are The Panthers For Real?

Just a month and a half ago all of us Carolina Panther fans had relegated ourselves to another season lost.  In five short weeks the Panthers have won five games in a row and most of those five have been the butt kicking kind like 38-0 over the Giants.  Here is the good news about this win streak.  It has been lead by the defense.  With the exception of the Broncos just about every division leader has a good defense first.

Cam Newton has shown improvement but this winning streak is not totally  Cam.  Yes, the offense has a running game which helps Newton.  There is however a major change in the Panther approach with Newton.  They have cut down on the length  of Newton's passes.  They have gone to the ten yards down field instead of show us how far you can throw it and those passes were incomplete.

Earlier in the lost to Buffalo where the Bills drove 90 yards in less than two minutes the Panthers were a simple play zone and hope they don't throw one over our heads.  That is called a prevent defense and all that prevents is you winning the game.

Somewhere along the way the Panthers changed the direction the offense was going and the way the defense attacked the other teams offense.  More pressure instead of laying back and when you look what both sides of the ball have done in improving this team looks like a real contender.

If the playoffs started your Carolina Panthers would be the number five seed and travel to Dallas. As you know every week who's in and who's out changes.  There is one thing that should give all Panther fans hope as with seven weeks to go the Panthers are a healthy team.

The hope of every NFL team is win enough games to make the playoffs and if we get hot we just might win the Super Bowl.  Most of the time the hot team is the healthiest team left in the playoffs. Let's all hope the Panthers stay healthy.  If they do they might just surprise us all and make the playoffs.