The Carolina Panthers had a season for the ages and flirted with going undefeated until the Atlanta Falcons gave them their only loss in Week 16. They are considered by many to be favorites to reach Super Bowl 50, but many others are not so quick to crown them yet and with good reason. The Panthers are a very good football team but they will not win the Super Bowl this year and these are five reasons why.
5. Charles Tillman
Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY SportsTillman is not what he once was with the Chicago Bears, but he was still a force on this defense and he will be out until next season after suffering an ACL injury. That will hurt the Panthers’ defense. He is adept at creating turnovers, especially forcing fumbles. With him out, the Panthers will be missing a force in the defensive backfield. He was also a leader on the field to a young Panthers team. It will be interesting to see what kind of an effect a Tillman-less backfield will have on the defense.
4. Tedd Ginn, Jr.
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Nothing against Ginn, and he did have a fantastic season, but he is hardly the most reliable receiver in the playoffs. This team will miss Kelvin Benjamin when it matter most. Ginn can be outstanding at times but he can also drop an important pass and can also be taken out of a game. While Cam Newton is worlds better than Jake Delhomme the combination of Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad are worlds better than Ginn and Devin Funchess or Greg Olsen.
3. Jonathan Stewart
Getty ImagesHe is expected to play in the divisional round, but his injury is to his foot and if it lingers there could be a serious problem. The Panthers need Stewart to be at the top of his game to take pressure off of the passing game. If he isn’t, the Panthers might not get to the Super Bowl.
2. Devin Funchess
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY SportsThe Panthers have managed to shock a lot of people through the air. Most of that is a credit to Cam Newton and Greg Olsen. However, the wide receiver corps that features Tedd Ginn and Devin Funchess is incredibly streaky. Which Funchess will show up? The one who can put up 100+ yards or the one that fails to become part of the pass game? The Panthers will need consistency from this group, especially Funchess.
1. Emotions
Getty ImagesWe saw in the Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants that the Panthers can get very emotional. They tried to get into the head of Odell Beckham, Jr. and ended up with Josh Norman getting a bit unhinged as well. A potentially fatal flaw was revealed. This team will need to play under control and that might not be the easiest thing to do given the raw emotion that comes with playoff games.
