In today's pass happy NFL, you have to be able to? Anybody? Bueller? Pass the ball, duh. The Panthers' defense is really good, but they're not exactly the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Basically, if they get down by 14-17 points, that could be all she wrote.
Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith missed last week's game against the Atlanta Falcons with a sprained PCL. Coach Rivera believes Smith will be ready to play in the Panthers' upcoming Divisional Round playoff game, but clearly he won't be 100 percent. When you have a struggling passing game to begin with, the last thing you need is for the No. 1 guy to be ineffective.
DeAngelo Williams is an okay running back, but okay is about it. Jonathan Stewart is a very effective big bruiser type back when healthy, but he hasn't been healthy pretty much all season. The Panthers do have the 11th ranked rushing attack, but a lot of that has to do with Cam Newton. When your most effective way of moving the ball is having your QB run, then you have problems.
Should the Panthers survive their home tilt in the second round, they would likely have to travel to Seattle for the NFC Championship. The Panthers played the Seattle Seahawks tough in Week 1, and with their defense, they would have a puncher's chance of going in there and winning, but could you imagine if the Panthers even got down by 10 points in that game? Forget about it, game over.
Ultimately, I get the feeling that maybe the Panthers are just glad to be at the dance after not being there for a few years. In a way, the Panthers need to pay their dues and suffer a little heartbreak before going further. If it comes down to the wire against a Green Bay Packers or San Francisco 49ers, I would go with either of them over the Panthers because of them being more experienced playoff teams. Sorry, Panthers fans, it's just not meant to be.
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