(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
When the dust settles on the 2009 regular NFL season, look for the Carolina Panthers to be perched on top of the NFC South. This time, the Panthers should go deep into the playoffs.
The Panthers discovered a lethal ground weapon last season, in scat-back DeAngelo Williams, who complements big-play wide receiver Steve Smith perfectly.
Williams blossomed into an explosive runner capable of taking it to the house anytime he touches the ball.
Smith continues to be the go-to-guy through the air. Even though opposing defenses know the ball is going his direction, they can't stop him. Smith has a penchant for the big play, including the threat of turning a flare-out flip from QB Jake Delhomme into a 65-yard TD scamper anytime on any given play.
No wonder that with their newfound offensive prowess, on top of a notorious hard-hitting defense anchored by monster lineman Julius Peppers, the Panthers finished with a division best 12-4 record in 2008.
With all their key pieces in place, there's no reason (other than injuries) why Carolina should not be the best in the South once again.
Carolina coach John Fox, who's as clever and crafty as any sideline general in the league, is not one to waste the arsenal in his possession on nothing less than a Super Bowl season.
In fact, it's been five years since Fox and Delhomme confounded experts by making an improbable appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII, where they came within a whisker of knocking off Tom Brady and the Patriots.
The Panthers have the pedigree to make it back to the Big Show.
Sure, it won't be easy. Anything worth accomplishing is rarely a cream puff. The Atlanta Falcons with their young and exciting QB Matt Ryan kept pace with the Panthers most of last season before finishing with an 11-5 record. The Falcons are out to prove 2008 was no fluke.
The Tampa Bay Bucs are in rebuilding mode after Jon Gruden was shown the door following the team's collapse in December. However, the New Orleans Saints remain formidable on paper, and if healthy, could make some noise.
Still, if Carolina's one-two punch of Smith and Williams stay healthy, Delhomme has the skills needed to ride these two thoroughbreds into another Super Bowl appearance without falling off the saddle.
The Panthers defense also received an infusion of fresh blood with the signing of Florida State University rookie defensive end Everette Brown. Fox traded the team's No. 1 draft pick in 2010 to grab the speedy pass rusher when he was still available in the second round.
Paired with Peppers, Brown could put some of the nasty back in the Panthers defense that was missing last season.
Look for a swagger on the Panthers when they to go on the prowl again in the NFC South.
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