The Carolina Panthers are a more competitive team than anybody thought they would be this season. Even though they are now below .500, they have had a chance to win every game they have played and all four teams they’ve lost to are respectable opponents.
It’s easy to exceed expectations when they are extremely low, though. Their record and a lot of advanced stats suggest this team is about as average as they come in the NFL. The latest Touchdown Wire power rankings reflect that, too. Carolina dipped to No. 17 following their latest loss. Here’s what Mark Schofield had to say about the Panthers’ situation.
“Now, Carolina sits at 3-4, behind both the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the division. They have been better than expected this season, especially with the injury to Christian McCaffrey, but time is running short in the NFC South.”
It is and if the Panthers are going to close the gap between them and the Saints and the Bucs, they’ll need some upgrades at key positions. With the trade deadline coming up, Carolina should be looking to deal for red zone weapons and playmakers for the back-seven of their defense.
