How the Carolina Panthers Can Turn the Season Around

For the Carolina Panthers, losing is something they've grown accustomed to. Coming off a 2-14 2010 season, the Panthers were praying for a godsend in their first-round draft pick, Cam Newton. While he's, for the most part, lived up to the expectations of being a gunslinging QB who can make plays on his feet, Newton is still a rookie and is going through the growing pains of transitioning to the NFL game.

With the Panthers at 1-5 after losing to the Atlanta Falcons (Newton's hometown team), something has got to change. That something starts from up top.

Revert to the Running Game

Remember back in 2003, when the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl and lost to the New England Patriots? Sure, they had Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith, but more importantly, they had Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster. With that deadly two-back tandem, the Panthers backfield ran for 1,873 yards on the season, mainly powered by their power back, Davis.

See any similarities between them and now? The Panthers have a scat back and a power back, both of whom are very talented and able runners, yet they're still heavily favoring the passing game.

Against the Falcons, Newton had 35 passing attempts, while DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, arguably the best offensive one-two punch in the NFL, had a combined 19 rushing attempts. When you have two feature backs, you simply cannot neglect them.

The Panthers need to change their offensive philosophy back to being a ground-and-pound-style team. Sure they've got a star wide receiver in Steve Smith, but until Newton grows as an NFL quarterback, 35 attempts is too many.

Find a Way to Stop the Run

When your rookie QB throws three interceptions and gets angry during press conferences, it's very easy to point the finger at him. But it's not all Cam Newton's fault.

The Panthers are 31st in the NFL in stopping the run, averaging 140.3 rushing yards per game, and Week 6 vs. the Falcons was no different. The porous Carolina defense let Michael Turner run all over it, allowing 139 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Yes, the center of their defense, Jon Beason, is out with an Achilles tendon injury, but they have a more-than-capable Dan Connor to fill the hole. The Panthers run defense must get better. They gave up 205 yards to Matt Forte, 122 yards to Maurice Jones-Drew and 85 yards on nine rushes to Green Bay's James Starks. If they want to stop the bleeding, plugging the holes is the key.

Get Some Pressure on the QB

The Carolina Panthers, as a team, have nine sacks on the season, only one coming in their loss against the Falcons. As a result of their poor pass rush, they only have three interceptions on the season; that's one more interception than New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork and half a sack less than the Minnesota Vikings' Jared Allen.

The Panthers MUST demand more from their defensive line. A good pass rush forces bad decisions from the QB, which inevitably leads to interceptions.

A perfect example is the New York Giants. With Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora coming off each side and Mathias Kiwanuka bringing the very timely blitz, the G-Men have forced seven interceptions and have 21 sacks on the season.

Whether they need to draft new linemen or find some in free agency, the Panthers need a better and more consistent pass rush in order to force turnovers.

Cam Newton Has to Step Up

Cam Newton didn't lose a single game in that magical season with the Auburn Tigers. Now that he's on a team that's used to losing, the frustration has begun to swell.

Though Newton threw three picks against the Falcons, he always gives his team the best chance to win. With his ability to create plays with both his feet and his arm, he needs to be the crutch this team needs to turn the franchise around.

Newton needs to embody the three C's—be cool, be calm and be collected—and continue to sit in the pocket and deliver strikes downfield. Sure, he's got nine interceptions and seven touchdowns on the season, but he's undoubtedly the leader of the Carolina offense.

He's got to make better decisions with the ball and try not to force passes that his arm can't make. Newton's fourth in the NFL in passing yards at 1,847 in six games—incredible for a rookie—but having more interceptions than touchdowns completely negates his success thus far.

Newton's still a rookie and has a lot of time to grow, but if the Panthers want to turn it around THIS season, it's got to start with him. We know he's got what it takes to put an offense on his back, but can he do it at the professional level?

From a 1-5 standpoint, the Panthers are far from being playoff contenders. There's no doubt they've found their franchise QB in Cam Newton, but they surely have strides to make, via free agency and draft picks, to better their team. Once they add some pressure off the line of scrimmage and give their two backs more attempts, they'll surely be making strides in the winning direction.