The Taste of Redemption: The Story of the 2015 Carolina Panthers

Another NFC playoff hearbreaker ended another run at a championship for the Carolina Panthers. Since losing to the New England Patriots 32-29, in Super Bowl 38, Carolina has failed to return to the big stage. After squeezing into the playoffs with a 7-8-1 recod and despatching the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina fell flat on their face against Seattle, in the divisional round. The Panthers came into the 2015 off-season with lots of redemption, and were fueled by Head Coach Ron Rivera's enthusiasm. However, after wide reciever Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in preseason, a treacherous incident with defensive end Greg Hardy, and the depature of veteran running back DeAngalo Williams, Carolina seemed like it was in panic mode. Despite off-season obstacles, quarterback Cam Newton progressed well through training camp, and Carolina's ferocious defense looked impenetrable. In their opening day clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina smothered quarterback Blake Bortles, forcing three key turnovers. Cornerback Josh Norman took one to the house, as the Panthers earned a 20-9 victory at EverBank Field. Following a week one victory, the Cardiac Cats remained unstoppable for fourteen consecutive weeks. In their only game where they failed to amount at least twenty points, Carolina lost their lone game against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite that, Carolina finished with the league's best record (15-1). They steamrolled past the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to advance to the big stage. Carolina's breakout year on offense, put less pressure on their defense. With the emergence of entertaining quarterback Cam Newton, Carolina feasted off opponents defenses. The league's highest scoring offense (31.3 points per game) demonstrated a combination of speed and power. While Newton led the NFL with 45 total touchdowns and utilized a flashy playing style, running back Jonathan Stewart's trucking attack made him a great compliment in the backfield. The re-construction of the offensive line elevated Carolina's offense, as they provided gaping holes for the league's second best rushing attack. Carolina's phenominal interior offensive line helped Newton improve as a pocket passer and show his impressive arm strength.  Newton's cannon arm helped Carolina's receiving core average 12.9 yards per catch and create favorable matchups against vulnerable defenses. While Pro Bowl Tight End Greg Olson (77 REC/1,104 Yards/7TD) was Newton's security blanket, speedsters Corey Brown, Ted Ginn Jr., and the lengthy Devin Funchess gave Newton plenty of options.

Despite the enchacement in offensive passing attacks, Carolina's defense would not let up. Anchored by middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, Carolina yielded the sixth fewest yards (322.9 per game) and the fifth fewest points (19.3 per game). Having expierence with Jim Johnson (former Eagles defensive coordinator), defensive coordinator Sean McDermott enjoyed dialing up blitzes. Putting pressure on the quarterback was consistent with Carolina, as they took down the opposition 44 times (6th in the NFL). Despite losing a disruptive pass rusher in Hardy, Carolina utilized every defensive player to pressure the quarterback. McDermott enjoyed using the bread and butter defense, while utilizing his fast and athletic linebackers in coverage. Linebacker Luke Kuechly played near perfect and set Pro Football Focus rating record for linebackers. Kuechly's recovery speed and coverage skills complemented his great tackling techniques. Outside linebacker Thomas Davis continues to be the x-factor on Carolina's defense, who allowed the fourth fewest rushing yards in the NFL. A key to Carolina's success was the presence of third year pro Kawann Short. Short was ranked as the eighth best defensive tackle by Pro Football Focus, and registered a career high 11 sacks. A dominating pass rush forced unfortunate passers to heave the ball towards cornerback Josh Norman. In his true breakout season, Norman allowed a mere 54.7 passer rating when quarterbacks dared to throw his way. His physical bump and run style helped him play bigger than his 6'0 stature. Opposite of Norman is veteran Charles Tillman. Prior to tearing his ACL, Tillman showed that age wasn't just a number, as he held quarterbacks to a 72.7 quarterback rating. When trying to avoid Carolina's corners, Free agent saftey Kurt Coleman and saftey Tre Boston swoop in for the interception. Coleman was another Carolina defender who enjoyed a breakout season (7 interceptions).