Carolina Crux

Cam Newton has had plenty of ups and downs this season.

The Carolina Panthers are missing something.

They have a star quarterback.  They have a solid running attack.  They have an elite wide receiver, and another who continues to improve.  They have a reliable tight end.  They have a less than average offensive line, a dominant up-and-coming front seven, and one of the top secondaries in the NFL.

They are also 3-9.

So what is missing?
While their season-ending injuries have piled up (most notably C Ryan Kalil, LB Jon Beason, and CB Chris Gamble), teams have in the past overcome this adversity with a solid roster and even won championships, such as the 2010 Green Bay Packers.  So does that mean the primary factor the Carolina Panthers are missing is depth?  Doubtful.  The defense, which has taken most of the hits from injuries, continues to be stout with the physical, aggressive play of rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly, whom many consider the heir to Beason, and fellow rookie back-up cornerback Josh Norman, who has the second most solo tackles on the team and has shown many signs of success.

So what is missing?
Could an x factor be the answer?  Excluding week three against the Giants and week ten against the Broncos, all of Carolina's losses have been by six points or less.  Could it simply be that the Panthers cannot pull off a clutch game-winning drive?  Possibly.  Points-based however, it is inconsistent.  In four of the Panthers losses, they scored more or the same amount of points in the fourth quarter as their opponents.  Perhaps they aren't starting games off on the right foot.  This could be.  In all nine losses, they have been outscored a whopping 110 to 72 in the first half.  Of those three wins they have, the Panthers have outscored their opponents in the first half 31 to 49.  These statistics prove that beginning games poorly is a definite issue for the Carolina Panthers.

Ron Rivera's job is in jeopardy.

The final piece that could be a cause for the Panthers' woes is the front office and coaching staff.  The mid-season firing of long-time GM Marty Hurney and the recent firing of Special Teams Coordinator Brian Murphy show that the rebuilding process of this team is still in motion.  Many fans have said Ron Rivera is the problem.  Looking at what he did as a Defensive Coordinator in San Diego however makes you remember why he was hired in the first place, and as a young Head Coach, he too is in the learning process.


When a team uses that dreaded 'r' word(rebuilding), the timeline varies immensely.  The Indianapolis Colts have done it in less than a year.  The Detroit Lions have taken nearly a lustrum, and some say they are still in the process.  With one of the most enigmatic seasons in recent memory, the Carolina Panthers have gone from what was supposed to be a playoff contender to a team struggling to answer this question:

So what is missing?