This is what you should want your team to be, Atlanta. A quarterback who, against all forms of adversity, hate and defensive schemes, finds ways to win games. A defense that led the NFL in taking the ball from you and then punching you in the face. A coach who looked like he was going to be fired after two seasons, but commands such respect from his players that he has won three consecutive NFC South titles since and now is in the Super Bowl. An owner who stays out of the way.
The Carolina Panthers will play for a championship Sunday. Get used to this, Atlanta. It’s not to suggest the Panthers are about to go on some Patriots/Steelers/49ers-esque run of league titles, or that they’re guaranteed to beat Denver in this game (5 1/2-point favorites notwithstanding). But Carolina is set up to compete for titles for a while.
The Falcons were 1-1 against the Panthers this season. Carolina’s other opponents are 0-16. Obvious conclusion: The Falcons might be capable of beating a better NFC South opponent, especially when fueled by recent humiliation, but they’re not built for this level yet.
As much as it probably pained them to do so, the two heads of the Falcons’ football ops acknowledged the Panthers have positioned themselves well for the future.
“Some of their core players are really important: Ryan Kalil, Thomas Davis, Luke (Kuechly),” coach Dan Quinn said. “Right in the middle, those guys are really impressive.”
General manager Thomas Dimitroff referenced coach Ron Rivera’s precarious job status after finishing 13-19 in his first two seasons: “We all know — Ron’s situation was nip-and-tuck there for a while. He rose to the occasion and when (general manager) Dave (Gettleman) came in, they worked very well together. It was about staying consistent. The teams that are consistently successful have continuity.”
The Panthers made the decision in March to dump the cretin, Greg Hardy, despite knowing it could hurt their pass rush. They drafted Cam Newton in 2011, linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman in 2012, defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Kuwann Short in 2013, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (who missed the entire season), defensive end Kony Ealy and guard Trei Turner in 2014, linebacker Shaq Thompson in 2015.
Many have tried to compare the Panthers’ aggressive, attacking defense with the 1985 Chicago Bears, largely because Rivera played for them. Rivera deflected most of those questions during the week. Probably wise. The Bears were better.
But when asked about not bringing back Hardy after he was found guilty of assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend, Rivera said: “We had to do what was right for the organization. It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances, a very serious problem and issue in our society. As far as (the move being) addition by subtraction, I don’t necessarily know it because he’s a tremendous football player, but there are some other things you have to consider going forward.”
Gettleman, a former New York Giants assistant general manager, is in his third season in Charlotte. He made the decision to keep Rivera, has drafted well and found just enough role players to fill cracks.
“The way we looked at players, the way we scouted, just understanding that the average college player just isn’t fundamentally sound,” he said. “You have to look at it differently. For example, you take a linebacker, so the scout watches him and he says, ‘Well he doesn’t know how to use his hands.’ So he knocks his grade down a little bit. Why? Did anyone ever teach him? We don’t know.”
Newton may play for more Super Bowls. Peyton Manning won’t. The Denver quarterback is expected to retire after this game, and it’s only natural that most of America has embraced the narrative of the heartwarming, career-ending championship.
Cam and the Panthers are not universally loved. They’re brash. They’re cocky. They pose for team photos on the field before the game even ends.
Newton isn’t on the Michael Vick level of talented but polarizing African-American quarterbacks. But he’s getting there. It happens when you play for Auburn, your dad tried to sell your services and the world believes you got away with something. But Newton has handled the media attention well, and he has with this before — and won.
Rivera feels good about where the Panthers are, but he won a Super Bowl as a player in Chicago in only his second season and never got back to another.
“This is an opportunity, and you only get so many of them,” he said. “We were the youngest team to win a Super Bowl and a lot of people thought, ‘They’ll get a chance to come back.’ We never made it back. I‘m trying to make sure our guys understand that this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and we have to take advantage of that now.”
The guess here is they will.
About the Author
