The Carolina Panthers continued reshaping their roster this offseason as Matt Rhule enters his second season at the helm of the franchise. The team went 5-11 in his first season as head coach, but things are looking up in Carolina.
The Panthers have a lot of building blocks on their defense as a majority of their draft capital in two years has been spent on that side of the ball. They also acquired quarterback Sam Darnold from the New York Jets and are hoping he can be their quarterback of the future going forward.
What can we expect from the Panthers this year? Here are five bold predictions for Carolina in the 2021 season.
5. Robby Anderson Sets Career-Highs Across Board
When a new quarterback is acquired, it usually takes some time for players to build chemistry and cohesion together. For Robby Anderson, he already knows what to expect from Sam Darnold, as he spent two seasons as Sam Darnold’s No. 1 option with the New York Jets.
Anderson will hit the ground running in 2021 with his old quarterback throwing him passes again. After surpassing the 1,000 yard mark for the first time last season, Anderson will do it once again with a career season.
Anderson will have 1,100 yards, at least 100 receptions and eight touchdowns in 2021, setting career-highs across the board.
4. Four Players Have At Least 800 Receiving Yards
The Carolina Panthers have some talent on the offensive side of the ball. With defenses unable to key in on one specific player, they will all have a chance to shine throughout the season.
Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore both surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau last season. Christian McCaffrey surpassed that total in 2019 when he was healthy for the entirety of the season. With a second-round pick, Terrace Marshall Jr. was selected to further bolster the team’s weaponry.
All four of those players will finish the 2021 season with at least 800 yards receiving. All of them are talented and will have opportunities to showcase their talents throughout the season
3. Brian Burns Sets Career-High In Sacks
Brian Burns has been a great player for the Carolina Panthers since being selected 16th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has been a difference-maker as a pass rusher since stepping on the field.
He had 7.5 sacks as a rookie and 9.0 sacks in his sophomore season. He stepped into a starting role in 2020 and improved across the board, doubling his tackle numbers and improving against the run.
Heading into his third season, he will take another leap. He will have double-digit sacks for the first time in his career, along with newly acquired pass rusher, Hassan Riddick. They will play off of each other, constantly getting into the opponent’s backfield to make plays in 2021.
2. Sam Darnold Makes Pro Bowl
The Carolina Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick, 2022 second-round pick and 2022 fourth-round pick. Carolina is betting on Darnold’s talent finally shining through in a new situation and they will come ahead on that gamble.
Darnold was never set up for success in New York. Bad coaching, a porous offensive line and the lack of skill position players all contributed to Darnold’s struggles. Some of the blame has to be on Darnold himself, but in Carolina, he will be given all the tools he needs to succeed.
He has an excellent supporting cast with a strong running game and a strong trio of wide receivers to throw to. It will result in Darnold having a career season and making his first Pro Bowl team.
1. Panthers Will Win Nine Games
The Carolina Panthers went 5-11 in 2020, but they had chances to win plenty more games. Eight of their 11 losses were by eight or fewer points and five of them were by less than a touchdown.
Being in the second season under Matt Rhule will have better results as the team gets used to all of the schemes he has put in place. Having better injury luck will also help the team on the field.
All of that, combined with some question marks with other teams in the division, will result in the Panthers winning nine games this season. They will go 4-2 in the division, sweeping the Atlanta Falcons while splitting with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That will put them in a good place to find five more victories on their schedule for their first winning season since 2017.
