OK, Panthers fans, here's the bad news. You finished the 2014 season with a losing record (7-8-1). The good news? The NFC South was a dumpster fire of a division. Carolina was able to beat Atlanta in the final game of the season and went on to beat the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round. Ultimately, you lost to the Seahawks, but who hasn't lately? You know, besides the Patriots.
So, that might sound a little like Carolina stumbled into the playoffs. That's because they did, but that doesn't mean they didn't earn their way. Here are some reasons why Carolina deserved to win their division, and why they should be the favorite next season in the NFC South.
Defense came on late
The Panthers' D turned extremely stingy late in season. Before the loss to Seattle, the Panthers were allowing an average of 11.8 points over their previous five games. That includes stints against talented offenses like New Orleans and Atlanta. (Giving credit to the offense as well, the Panthers also averaged 27.6 points over that same stretch.)
Their D showed flashes of brilliance early on, including holding the Detroit Lions to just seven points in Week 2, but they were inconsistent throughout the year. It wasn't until late in the season that they really began to click.
The biggest threat is linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. He leads their front seven and seems to cover all ends of the field. Effective against the run and the pass, Kuechly led the NFL in tackles for the second time in his three-year career.
Solid signal-caller
The Panthers also have a franchise quarterback in Cam Newton. That sounds like an obvious one to point out, but several other teams have huge holes under center and dream about having a QB like Cam. It frees up the offseason, draft or free agency, to fill other gaps. Not to mention, a player of Newton's caliber adds a dimension other quarterbacks can't provide. He's a dynamic playmaker on the ground and through the air. He might have ended up with the fewest passing and rushing totals of his career, but he missed a couple of games due to injury and wasn't 100 percent for at least a few other outings. This includes missing a game because of a car accident.
Multiple scoring threats
With Steve Smith Sr. gone, the Panthers were left hoping for a new deep threat to emerge. They got one when rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin came into the fold, and he started his NFL tenure with a solid outing, racking up 1,008 yards with nine touchdowns. He isn't the fastest receiver among the 2014 rookie class, but Benjamin uses his size to his advantage. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Benjamin exposes frequent mismatches and has already shown a natural ability to come down with a jump ball. He's an excellent target for an offense with a history of relying on Newton's legs for scoring in the red zone.
Oh yeah, the Panthers also have a guy by the name of Greg Olsen. I think he plays tight end. He did OK. Seriously though, Olsen's always been a reliable option for Newton, but set career highs in 2014 in receptions (84) and yards (1,008). It was the first 1,000-yard season of his career and he also had six touchdowns. In terms of his yardage, he was second only to Rob Gronkowski among tight ends.
Jonathan Stewart also found his legs later in the year with DeAngelo Williams hurt. Stewart got the starts at that point and began to show glimpses of his old self, rushing for the most yards he's tallied since 2009.
The Panthers might have benefitted from a terrible season for the NFC South, but with this balanced attack and stout defense, look for them to maintain control of their division from the outset of 2015.
Daniel Williams is a Digital Features Editor at NFL.com. You can follow him on Twitter _@danielwilliams_.
