The Super Bowl seems a bit anticlimactic this year following the epic New England Patriots versus Denver Broncos AFC Championship game.
We expected Tom Brady to pursue his fifth ring, but instead we’re left with Peyton Manning on his last leg against MVP frontrunner Cam Newton. This battle between the aging legend and the young up-and-comer has been the accepted narrative thus far.
But there’s much more to it.
The Carolina Panthers may not get much hype, but they’ve put together one of the greatest NFL seasons of all-time. The Panthers head into the 2016 Super Bowl (I’m not a big Roman numerals guy) at 17-1, fresh off demolishing two NFC powerhouses.
Yet they get no respect.
To remind you of the Panthers’ dominance, let’s review how they got here, because it’s a journey that should be celebrated.
Pre-Season: Kelvin Benjamin tears ACL
Carolina finished the 2014 season 4-0 after starting 3-8-1. They then beat the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs before going out quietly against the Seattle Seahawks.
Coming into this season, people were high on Carolina, that is, until star receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL. As a rookie in 2014, Benjamin tied veteran tight end Greg Olsen for the team lead with 1,008 receiving yards. Without Benjamin, critics wondered who, besides Olsen, would be a reliable target for Cam Newton.
After the Benjamin injury, the consensus on Carolina was that they would be around .500 with a chance to win a weak NFC South. Just like last year.
Weeks 1 through 4: Asserting Dominance
The Panthers rolled off four straight wins to start the season against two AFC South teams (the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans) and two divisional opponents (the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Carolina was deemed unproven, like a rookie blackjack player falling into a couple 21s, as the Panthers’ four opponents combine for a 4-12 record through four weeks.
It was easy to call the hot start a fluke. Cam struggled to find targets downfield and the run game with Jonathan Stewart struggled.
(The Panthers had a bye in week five and would then surely struggle against superior competition, or so the experts said.)
Week 6: Statement Win at Seattle
Ah, the class of the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks had made the Super Bowl the past two seasons but started off shaky in 2015 and were coming off an overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Seahawks were 2-3, but like Carolina’s hot start, people believed Seattle’s slow start was an anomaly.
But the Panthers pulled off the improbable with a come-from-behind win at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Down nine with just under four minutes left, Jonathan Stewart rushed in for a touchdown and the defense forced a quick four-and-out.
Newton then found Olsen in the back of the end zone off a seam route for the win.
This win was supposed to silence the Carolina critics. Instead, the media wondered if Seattle was overvalued (they went on to finish 10-6 and secure a playoff spot).
Weeks 7 through 9: Can We Get Some Recognition Now?
Carolina swept their homestand of the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers. In overtime against Indianapolis, Tedd Ginn dropped an easy touchdown pass for the win, but Carolina regrouped to secure the W (remember, Andrew Luck was healthy for this).
Against Green Bay, the Panthers jumped out to a 27-7 first half lead. They held on to win after a late Packer surge, but all anyone talks about is the banner incident.
Before the game, Newton ripped down a Green Bay banner in the first row. He said he was protecting his house. But now the discussion turns to Newton as a person, and not the undefeated Panthers.
Weeks 10 through 12: We Beat Up On Bad Teams
The Panthers blew out a trio of the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. Now at 11-0, we finally knew who the Panthers are. They crush inferior teams. But there’s no way they could beat up on good teams, right?
It should be noted that Washington went 5-1 the rest of the way and won their division. Not so bad after all.
But in the midst of this run, there was more controversy.
After the Titans win, a Nashville woman wrote a letter to the Charlotte Observer condemning Newton for his “poor sportsmanship.”
A ridiculous debate ensued. Is Newton’s dancing hurting the game? I’m in the camp that he’s having fun and celebrating with his team. But some now find Newton and his patented Dab celebration offensive.
Week 14: Bi Bi Atlanta
In between two tight contests was a 38-0 shellacking of the rival Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta fell to 6-7 and its playoff chances looked grim. But even this win leads to distraction, as some Falcon players call the Panthers out for showboating (of course).
Week 15: Odell
Who can forget the Odell Beckham Jr. versus Josh Norman showdown at MetLife Stadium? Odell’s personal fouls overshadowed Newton’s game-winning drive. 14-0. But it’s about to end (I never said there weren’t any spoilers).
Week 16: Oh Wait, Atlanta’s Back
With revenge on their mind, Atlanta ended the Panthers’ undefeated season. Some of the Falcons call the Panthers sore losers.
Well, they didn’t go undefeated, so maybe Carolina really wasn’t that good?
The Playoffs
Home against Seattle, Carolina went up 31-0 at halftime. Although they let Seattle back into the game, the first half dominance was impressive.
In the NFC Championship, Carolina routed two-seed Arizona, as their secondary feasted on NFL Total QBR leader Carson Palmer. He threw four interceptions and posted a QBR of five.
This Carolina team is special. Guys like Cam Newton and Greg Olsen are tremendous talents who don’t conform to the rules of “saying the right things” like, “We’re on to the next game.” Instead, they shut out the critics and enjoy the moment.
And that’s exactly what you’ll see come Super Bowl Sunday.
after sunday it wont be the opponents fans judging Carolina; it will be history.