Could the Panthers Win the Super Bowl?

Many of you may well think I am crazy for the article that I am about to write, but that's probably because I am a little crazy. Here it comes, get ready ... I believe that the Carolina Panthers will be competing in the Super Bowl on February 1, 2009. And not only will they compete, they will lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

As the dust settled on the 2003 NFL season, the Panthers were beginning to harbor dreams of returning to the Super Bowl and going one step further than they had when they came up against the formidable New England Patriots. However, for one reason or another, Carolina couldn't get the job done and sadly for the Charlotte-based team, they have only appeared in the playoffs once in the last four seasons since that Super Bowl defeat.

After a disappointing 7-9 season last time out, head coach John Fox will be keen to come out and have his team show improvement. And that is something that they should well do as the one key man healthy who was barely featured last season is veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme. If the 33-year-old stays healthy after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow, then I firmly believe he will be one of the standout players this season, despite is advancing age.

Aside from the return of a quarterback who has guided the Panthers to the Super Bowl in the past and claims that his arm is better than ever, another player returning to the Carolina receiving core is Muhsin Muhammad. Muhsin is somewhat of a legend in Carolina and with good reason as he spent nine seasons at Bank of America Stadium. In the that time, he and Delhomme were a deadly combination as they linked up on numerous occasions. In fact, en route to the NFC Championship in 2003, Delhomme threw the ball successfully to Muhammad no less than 54 times for 837 yards. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't quite expect figures of that nature because of not only Delhomme's age, but also the age of Muhammad, as well, who is 35 and hasn't been as productive in recent years in Chicago.

Even though it is good news that Muhammad is back in town for the Panthers faithful, surely Steve Smith will be their number one receiver. It's little surprise as the man is incredible, posting 1,000+ yards in each of the last three seasons. However, Smith will not be playing in the first two games of the season thanks to a suspension after attacking his own teammate, cornerback Ken Lucas, thus opening the door for new arrival D.J. Hackett to step in and show what he is worth.

Hackett is a player who had a solid career in Seattle, though it was littered by injuries. Nevertheless, he will be keen to impress at the start of the season because he may well be playing for his place on the team. He as the potential to be a very good receiver, but only if he can stay fit and recapture the kind of form that he showed in his senior year at the University of Colorado when he managed 78 receptions for an impressive 1,013 yards.

At running back, the Panthers took former Pac-10 star Jonathan Stewart from the University of Oregon in the first round of this year's draft at 13th overall. In his first year at Oregon, he rushed for 981 yards, but last year, he showed obvious improvement as he utilized his power running in order to gain his team 1,722 yards over a total of 280 carries. I fully expect him to make the transition to the NFL with little trouble and with DeAngelo Williams in the backfield as company, the two of them could develop into one of the best 1-2 punches in the NFL today. They are nothing spectacular, but they are effective.

In addition, Brad Hoover at full back is more than capable of running, but his talents are best seen when blocking. Hoover will help in giving rookie Stewart more protection, especially considering that the Panthers' offensive line is a little frail. That is with the exception of Jordan Gross at left tackle and Travelle Wharton at left guard. However, the right side of the offensive line could leave could leave Delhomme and their backs very vulnerable, which is no doubt why they acquired right tackle Jeff Otah in the draft, though he will have a lot to prove.

I have few doubts that the offense for the Panthers will be very impressive in the coming season, but it's not all smelling roses for Carolina, as they appear to have some obvious weaknesses on defense. Nowhere is this clearer than on the defensive line, a line that is normally bolstered by defensive end Julius Peppers, who he had a very mediocre season last year, managing only 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks. These stats were down considerably from the year before, when he posted 57 tackles and 13 sacks. If Peppers can come close to earning the $14.5 million that Carolina are paying him, then that will go a long way to repairing a seemingly shaky defensive line. They have captured Tyler Brayton from Oakland at defensive end and that is questionable at best, as he's been a poor player for four seasons out on the West Coast and in those four seasons, he only managed 6 sacks. Looks like Peppers will have his work cut out.

The secondary for the Panthers is a lot better with the likes of Richard Marshall, who intercepted 3 passes last season and broke up 11 more. And yet he was a bench player for most of the season, but I fully expect him to break into the starting lineup this time around. Ken Lucas is a decent cornerback, but there is talk that he will be moved to nickel in order to allow Marshall to play a more prominent role in the team; this would be a wise move as they can both make key plays. Elsewhere in the secondary, Charles Godfrey should be a good acquisition from this year's draft in the third round as he has a very good understanding of the game, reading what is going on with outstanding accuracy. Meanwhile, Chris Harris at strong safety is an average player who is a strong physical presence, but at times is let down by his coverage skills.

So, there it is. Yes, the Panthers have weaknesses, but they also have some major strengths. You also have to remember that they are in a weak division and the weaker of the two conferences. I don't actually expect a season such as 13-3 or 12-4, more like 11-5 or 10-6, maybe even a tad worse. They will not set the NFL on fire, but they should sneak into the playoffs and once they are there, anything can happen. The Panthers have proven in the past that they are a pretty good playoff team.

Just remember these words: "You don't have to be good, you just have to be good enough."

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