Roundtable: Was the 2022 Season a Success for the Panthers?
Schuyler Callihan:
This franchise lost its way under Matt Rhule. They had no identity and the culture was not in a good space. Steve Wilks did a phenomenal job of regaining both an identity and a culture that led to winning football games. Playing meaningful football in December and into January is something that much of this roster hadn't been a part of prior to this season. It's vital to get these guys that experience. No, the record may not be what you would like for it to be but this team matured and went from a disorganized mess to a respectable football team. Things are headed in the right direction with this roster.
Matt Welch:
This will be an unpopular opinion, but the fact that Carolina was set up for a top draft pick and will now miss out on the top two potential franchise QBs is considered a failure for this team. The few wins were nice and a few players stepped up and made strides, but this team will not win or have a legitimate shot at a playoff run without finding its franchise QB. Just look at Jacksonville. Moving on from that, the running game proved its worth this season but the Panthers can’t become one-dimensional. Defensively, the inconsistency in the secondary will continue to haunt this team until it can get things figured out in the back end. If this team can find a way to address key needs, it can rise to the occasion.
Matt Alquiza:
Any season that ends without a playoff birth isn’t a success in my book, but real strides were made by this organization. Firing Matt Rhule gave the opportunity for some younger guys (Terrace Marshall Jr. and Chuba Hubbard for example) to shine. The offensive line played better than it has in recent years. The defense proved it has a number of guys to build around (Chinn, Burns, Luvu, Horn). There are still a ton of question marks on the roster, including a glaring one at quarterback, but there is a glimmer of hope for the future. David Tepper and Scott Fitterer have the chance to make a head coaching hire that jumpstarts the rebuild alongside a rookie quarterback they get in the draft. 2023 is now the most important off-season in franchise history, but the strides made in 2022 cannot be understated.
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @AllPanthers_ and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
