The Carolina Panthers are one of 12 NFL teams that have yet to hoist the Lombardi trophy and win a Super Bowl. Although they haven’t made it to the top of the NFL world, that does not mean they haven’t had outstanding teams, and unlike some of the other NFL teams on the list (Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions), the Panthers are a relatively newer franchise. Their first season in the league was in 1995, and they joined as an expansion franchise along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, another team that has not won a Super Bowl.
In the NFL, things are more complicated for smaller market teams like Carolina, which often get beaten up by better franchises with better resources. However, their 2015 team was named as one of the best teams of this century.
2015 Panthers Land at No. 19 on the List of Best Teams This Century
The 2015 Carolina Panthers took the league by storm and were backed by an MVP season by Cam Newton. He is still the only player in franchise history to win the illustrious award, leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and their second Super Bowl appearance. However, they did lose to the Denver Broncos, who surprisingly did not make the list by ESPN writer Bill Barnwell.
Newton had an outstanding MVP campaign, and it was a no-brainer when he won the award. He threw for 3,387 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also had 636 yards on the ground and another 10 touchdowns. His rushing production may not seem like that much, but it came 10 years ago when rushing quarterbacks were way less prominent.
Here is a little bit of what Barnwell wrote about the 2015 Panthers:
“The Panthers were also excellent during their run to the Super Bowl. They dominated the Seahawks, going up 31-0 at halftime before Seattle racked up 24 unanswered points of its own. Newton & Co. then shellacked a very good Cardinals team in the NFC Championship game, eventually forcing six Carson Palmer turnovers in a 49-15 victory. With a clearly limited Peyton Manning waiting in the Super Bowl, the Panthers were five-point favorites. They laid an egg, looked overawed by the moment and never got their run game going, which is why they’re not higher in the top 25.”
The Players, Coaches, and an Unlikely Super Bowl Run
Want to feel old? Ron Rivera, recently retired, was notably the head coach of the Carolina Panthers that season. The defensive coordinator? Sean McDermott, who is now the head coach of the Bills. Carolina came into 2015 as +6000 odds to win the Super Bowl, and while they didn’t ultimately win it, teams at that high of odds usually don’t even come close.
Defensive tackle Kawann Short led the team in sacks with 11, and then the defense was led by two extremely fierce linebackers, Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, both of whom were named as All-Pros. And Josh Norman had the best season of his career at cornerback.
Newton put the offense on his back, as the receiver room was nothing to fear, and the starting running back, Jonathan Stewart, did not even rush for 1,000 yards.
It may be another 10-15 years before the Panthers reach the Super Bowl again, as noted, it’s much harder for smaller market teams in the NFL, but the 2015 Panthers are certainly one of the best teams not to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
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