2007-08 Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are definitely a championship caliber team, for two of the past four season. But last season was a bit disappointing for fans. Yeah, most of the Panther downhill was due to injury - but the defense needs work, surrendering the second fewest points in the division in '06. However, this season they have a comparatively light schedule, so an upswing may be likely - if depth happens at WR and RB.
Previous Seasons
2005-2006 Carolina Panthers tickets brought another trip to the playoffs in the franchise’s short history. Carolina’s defense proved to be the deciding factor for the team’s successful regular season, finishing third in the NFC and restricting opponents to 4,522 total yards of offense. In addition to their controlling defense, the Panthers’ offense has enjoyed a solid season with quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Steve Smith combining to form one of the AFC’s most potent passing duos.
Since their entrance into the National Football League as an expansion team in 1995, the Panthers have only finished three seasons with winning records. During the Panthers’ second season of existence, head coach Dom Capers coached what seemed to be a promising team to the NFC Conference Championship game. With an offense led by young quarterback Kerry Collins, fans in the team’s hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina believed that the expansion team had bypassed the years of misery that most expansion franchises face. However, the season merely gave false hope, and the team missed the playoffs for the next six years.
Panthers’ management believed that hiring George Seifert could erase the team’s struggles. Despite Seifert’s two Super Bowl victories with the San Francisco 49ers, he failed to produce positive results for the franchise and was fired after a miserable 2001 season in which the Panthers finished with one victory. The hiring of new head coach John Fox in 2002 set the stage for the Panthers’ appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII. While the team lost to the New England Patriots by a field goal, Fox’s ability to mold the Panthers into a title contender gave the holders of Carolina football tickets a newfound sense of optimism. After the trip to the Super Bowl, the Panthers faced a difficult season in 2004 because of injuries. Most of their offense was sidelined during part of the season, including Smith and running back Stephen Davis. Despite these problems, the team finished with a winning record and narrowly missed a second straight postseason.
Now, fans at the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium believe that Fox has the team on the right track for a future of outstanding play in Carolina. The team will need another strong performance from Pro Bowler Julius Peppers and the rest of the defensive line to duplicate the team’s successful postseason of 2003. As the team completes its eleventh season in the NFL, it appears that Carolina Panthers football ticket will soon be one of the hottest tickets in the state.
