2009 Carolina Panthers NFL Season Predictions

Written June 23, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Carolina Panthers 2009 Predictions The Carolina Panthers 2008 season came to a screeching stop, as they got beat up in the playoffs by the Arizona Cardinals 33-13 after going 12-4 in the regular season and earning the No.2 spot out of the NFC. It was an all around bad game for the Panthers, as they got torched by the passing attack of the Cardinals, and quarterback Jake Delhomme had the worst game of his NFL career turning the ball over 6 times. Even with the disappointing finish the Panthers have enough talent coming back to not only make another run at the NFC South, but should be good enough to make a run at the Super Bowl as well.

The Panthers return pretty much the exact same starting unit on both sides of the ball in 2009, as the only starter not with the team this year is cornerback Ken Lucas. The Panthers traded away their first round pick in this year’s draft last year to acquire offensive tackle Jeff Otah, The Panthers won’t have one next year as well, as they traded their 2010 first rounder to San Francisco for the right to take Florida State defensive end Everette Brown with the 43rd pick. The Panthers also added some help to the secondary with their other 2nd round pick, as they took Troy free safety Sherrod Martin, who the team hopes can come in an play the corner position in the nickel formation. Overall the Panthers really didn’t need a lot of help this offseason, but this team should just fine if they can keep their star players from getting injured.

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The Panthers showed fans and Delhomme that they have trust in their quarterback, as they signed him to a contract extension through 2014. It will be important for Delhomme to put the horrific game against the Cardinals behind him, as the Panthers really don’t have much behind Delhomme. Good thing for Delhomme is he has one of the best rushing attacks in all of football, as the Panthers have two outstanding running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Williams in just his 3rd year in the NFL and the first as a full time starter, had the best rushing performance in franchise history, as he ran for 1,515 yards and had an amazing 20 touchdowns and no fumbles. Stewart wasn’t so bad himself, as he ran for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie season. If this duo stays healthy and the offensive line stays intact, the Panthers should run all over defenses this season. The guys that don’t get near enough credit for the success of this offense is the offensive linemen, who paved enormous holes for Williams and Stewart and allowed Delhomme to get sacked just 20 times all season. The Panthers also have one of the best playmakers at the wide receiver position in Steve Smith, who had 1,421 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2009. Playing along side Smith is the veteran Muhsin Muhammad, who showed little signs of slowing down with 65 catches for 923 yards and 5 scores in his 13th season in the league, but the Panters are really hoping that they can get a little more out of Dwayne Jarrett, who steps in as the front runner for the No.3 spot. I think the only weakness this team has is playing catch up, as they really struggled against the Cardinals after they fell behind early. If they get the running game going and don’t turn the ball over, this unit will have a lot of success in 2009. Bet the Panthers + 225 to win the NFC South at Sportsbook.com.

The Panthers are very strong up front on the defensive side of things, as they have one of the best pass rushers in the game in defensive end Julius Peppers, but Peppers is not happy about being given the franchise tag this offseason and has said he wants out of Carolina. It’s still unclear if Peppers will go ahead and play the season out, hold out, or the Panthers will trade him before the season gets underway, but there is no question this unit needs him on the field in 2009. There is no question that rookie Everette Brown will be on the field in 2009, but could end up splitting time with Charles Johnson, who had 6 sacks a year ago. At linebacker the Panthers have a stud in the middle in Jon Beason, and the scary thing is he is only heading into his 3rd season. On the outside the Panthers are strong with the fierce blitzing of Thomas Davis, and the veteran presence of Na’ll Diggs. Where the Panthers are most vulnerable is in the secondary, as they got burnt deep a number of times late in the season. Cornerback Chris Gamble is going to need to put together an outstanding season, as he will likely chase around the other team’s biggest threat in the passing game. A big reason for that is the unknown ability of corner Richard Marshall who gets his first shot at starting. At safety the Panthers look pretty solid with Chris Harris and Charles Godfrey. After playing corner in college Godfrey stepped right in to start at free safety, and should really improve with a full season under his belt. A lot still rides on whether or not this team gets Peppers back, as they can’t afford to lose the pressure he puts on opposing quarterbacks. Bet the Panthers +2000 to win the NFL Super Bowl at Sportsbook.com.

My Prediction: 1st NFC South (11-5) The schedule is definitely not in the favor of the Panthers this season, as the only team they face in 2009 that didn’t finish above .500 is Buffalo. I still think with a solid a defense and an outstanding rushing attack, the Panthers will repeat in the NFC South, but l think they slip up on the road in the 2nd round or even the NFC Championship game. See who I have winning it all this season in my 2009 NFL predictions article.

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