Will the Carolina Panthers Rebound in 2007?

After a disappointing season in 2006, Jake Delhomme looks to lead the Carolina Panthers back to the playoffs in the NFL this year after a mediocre year last season. A team thought to be ready to contend for a Super Bowl birth, the Carolina Panthers took a step back last year finishing a disappointing 8-8 after poor play and injuries derailed their season. But with a strong defense and a young, but talented core on offense, the Panthers look ready to improve and challenge the New Orleans Saints for supremacy in the NFC South. If that challenge is to materialize, John Fox is going to need Jake Delhomme to play like the pro bowl player he can be and for DeAngelo Williams to burst out and lead this team in rushing after a good but not great rookie season.

When 2006 began the talk was of championship for the Carolina Panthers. With Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson on the outside and a strong running game shared by rookie first round pick DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster on the inside, the Panthers offense was not a concern for Panthers coach John Fox. But something happened between training camp and the first few games of the season, namely the absence of Pro Bowler, Steve Smith. With Smith out, the Panthers offense struggled to make plays and put points on the board.

That should change in 2007 with a change in blocking schemes that favors the style of DeAngelo Williams, look for the second year player to breakout for a 1,000 yard season this year while continuing to share the workload with veteran tailback DeShaun Foster. With Delhomme, the Panthers will need consistency and stability. Delhomme was unspectacular last year and oftentimes, erratic with his passes and decision-making causing Panthers fans to scratch their heads and wonder if this was the same guy who led this team to a Super Bowl birth in 2003.

Sharing the load with Steve Smith this year will not be Mr. Reliable, Keyshawn Johnson. The Carolina Panthers management felt that not only had they drafted Keyshawn Johnson's heir apparent in USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, but the time to let Keyshawn go had arrived after only one season in Carolina. In Jarrett, the Panthers get a younger, mildly quicker version of Johnson. What they do not know is if Jarrett will be equally the man and player that Keyshawn became over the course of his time in the NFL.

Whereas the offense will have to show improvement in 2007, the defense will need to continue to hold the standard for defenses in the NFC as it did last year. Headlines by Julius Peppers the most gifted defensive end in the game, the Carolina Panthers defense was a statistical leader in many defensive categories last year. Ranked seventh in total defense and eighth in points allowed, the Panthers defense needs to continue to do what it has done the last few seasons. Alongside Julius Peppers, cornerback Chris Gamble and safety Mike Minter will need to have quality seasons and make big plays for Carolina to make the playoffs.

After a season that looked a lot worse than 8-8 the Panthers used the summer work on more than just football skills. Feeling like they had lost their team cohesiveness, Coach John Fox took the team to the Lowe's Motor Speedway after an optional workout in June for the players to take turns riding a stockcar over 180 miles an hour. With teammates ribbing each other and jostling for who was the fastest, the time away from the field may mean more than any workout could this summer.

Carolina is a team with tremendous potential and a coaching staff as committed to winning as is in the NFL. What they have yet to learn to do is to take their game to the next level just like Indianapolis had to learn and the New England Patriots learn a few years before. If they seriously want to compete for a title, the team will turn in peak performances and it will not look like the Steve Smith show like it did so often last season as Smith was overused trying to make big plays for an offense that labored to score.

This season Carolina has the schedule to get off to a strong start. With early games against a distracted Falcons team to open up, Carolina could be 4-0 when the New Orleans Saints come to Bank of America Ballpark on October 7. This showdown of division foes will be the first test of a season that should see the Panthers win at least ten games. If the Carolina Panthers struggle early do not be surprised if John Fox turns to newly acquired backup David Carr to bring some life into the offense and try and galvanize a team whose psyche is still fractured from the disappointments of 2006. If either quarterback is able to manage the game and put at least twenty-one points a game up watch out. The defense is good enough and the running game strong enough to win a ball control game. And for this year, that may be the one real chance the Panthers have of winning a championship.