2008 Carolina Panthers

Written August 14, 2008 by Jason Lowry

With only a few weeks remaining till the start of another exciting NFL season, Jason Lowry is ready to bring you his 2008 Carolina Panthers season predictions. The Panthers really struggled last season going just 7-9, but it was good enough to finish tied for 2nd in the NFC South with the Saints. The Panthers really struggled when quarterback Jake Delhomme was out, and the thing is he only played 3 games. The Panthers seem to be past the little mishap between star wide receiver Steve Smith and corner Ken Lucas. Smith will be suspended till week 3, so it could be a tough start without him. To see just what the Panthers will look like this season, lets take a closer look at who they will be sending to all sides of the field in 2008.

Offense:
If Delhomme can come back healthy from Tommy John surgery, than this team could easily be back in the hunt for the division title this season. The guy who really wants to see him back under center is Smith at receiver, as he had more touchdowns and 100-yard games in Delhomme’s 3 starts than he did the entire rest of the season. The Panthers added some depth at receiver in Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett. It looks like DeAngelo Williams will get his chance to be the go to guy at running back, after DeShaun Foster is now playing elsewhere, but don’t be surprised to see rookie Jonathan Stewart see plenty of touches. The offensive line really wasn’t much to talk about last season, and the Panthers had to make some changes. Rookie Jeff Otah will likely start at right tackle, while Jordan Gross goes back to left tackle. That means Travelle Wharton moves one spot in and becomes the left tackle, while Ryan Kalil takes over at center.
Panthers +1800 odds to win NFC Championship at Sportsbook.com

Defense:
The defense seemed to be really hurt by the offenses struggles, as they rarely kept teams under 20 points last season. The Panthers could really turn things around this season, and it really needs defensive Julius Peppers to get back to his old form , after just 2.5 sacks last season. The team is also hoping that former first round pick Tyler Brayton can emerge into a starter at the other end spot. At linebacker the team remains strong with Jon Beason in middle after a 160 tackles in his rookie season. On the outside they are set on one side with Thomas Davis, but there is a battle for the other spot between Na’il Diggs, Landon Johnson, and rookie Dan Connor. It looks like Johnson has the edge, but he should feel the pressure to play well from the backups all season long. In the secondary the Panthers don’t really have a bunch of big names, but they should be able to get the job done. Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas should hold down the corner spots, while rookie Charles Godfrey and the very hard hitting Chris Harris man the safety spots.
Panthers +4000 odds to win Super Bowl at Sportsbook.com

Special Teams:
This unit is pretty solid as it still has the 18 year vet in kicker John Kasay, who is known for making the big kick. At punter the team is counting on Jason Baker to just continue doing what he has been doing over the years. In the return game the Panthers are hoping that they will get the Ryne Robinson of the latter part of the season, and not the one that looked lost at the beginning of the season.
Panthers Over/Under 7.5 wins in 2008 at Sportsbook.com

Prediction: 2nd in NFC South
Seeing that we have the Saints picked to win the division, some might wonder about us putting the defending champs Bucs near the bottom of this division, but we really feel the Bucs just took advantage of the Panthers and Saints having a bad year. If Delhomme can stay healthy and Smith stays out of trouble, we are thinking this team could easily put together a 10 win season in 2008.

If you are looking to get a bet in on the Panthers season odds or any of the upcoming games this season, head over to Sportsbook.com and get an account started today. Also if you are looking for a little more on the Panthers, check out these great Panther predictions.

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