Panthers hanging on by a claw
The Carolina Panthers are in danger of doing a reverse 2014 of sorts. They ’d prefer, instead, to mimic it. That is, to avoid ending the season on a crushing losing streak and out of the playoffs, rather than finishing it on a winning note to squeak into the post-season, as they did in 2014. Four years ago the Panthers entered their final four games with a 3-8-1 record, and nobody gave them much of a chance to make the playoffs. But they won all four games to finish 7-8-1 and actually win the NFC South division. There’s no chance of winning the division this season, as the New Orleans Saints (11-2) already have that clinched. But when the two teams meet Monday night in Charlotte (8:15 p.m. EST, TSN via ESPN) the Panthers (6-7) aim to halt a dispiriting five-game losing streak, which followed an impressive 6-2 start. “We’ve been here before,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters last week. “There are shadows of 2014.” To reach the post-season this time, the Panthers will need help. Seattle has all but locked up the first NFC wild-card berth. Heading into the weekend Minnesota led a group of eight teams still in contention for the second wild-card spot. The Vikings helped their cause with a 41-17 win over Miami on Sunday, improving to 7-6-1.
Even if the Panthers can manage to knock off the Saints with the aid of a prime-time, home-field setting, 13 days later — on the last day of the regular season — the Panthers pay a return visit to New Orleans, never an easy place to win. In between, Carolina plays host to another divisional rival, the Atlanta Falcons, 40-14 winners over Arizona on Monday. So the schedule hardly helps. Applying heavy, steady interior pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees would help most, in the tall task of defeating the Saints twice in 14 days. Unfortunately for the Panthers, their best interior defensive lineman at applying such pressure, tackle Kawann Short, is doubtful Monday with a calf injury. Rivera said the Panthers won’t know if he can play until game day. “We’ll have to wait and see on this one,” Rivera said.
Also, the Panthers for the second straight game won’t have kicker Graham Gano, who’s out with a knee injury. Chandler Catanzaro will fill in.
At least Panthers QB Cam Newton was not listed Saturday on Carolina’s final injury report of the week. He has been bothered for weeks by a sore shoulder, but practised fully on Saturday.