NFL Regular Season Week 9 – The Carolina TopCats

When I look at the Carolina Panthers, I don’t see a prototypical NFL offense like, say, the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers with a healthy Aaron Rodgers.  I see a team with an offense loaded with disruptive play makers that make it difficult to defend them schematically.  I see a talented quarterback in Cam Newton who can win a game with his feet as well as his arm.  I see hybrid running backs who can catch passes in space and exploit defensive mismatches.  I see a diverse set of wide receivers that make opponents defend the width of the field as well as the length. 

And the Panthers have a pretty solid defense too, led by a future Hall of Fame linebacker who literally plays all over the field.  So it should come as no surprise that the Panthers soundly defeated a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that give a very good accounting of themselves, but fell short.  The Panthers are a playoff team and Buccaneers are not quite there yet.  Final score: Panthers – 42, Buccaneers – 28.

Let us recap the Panthers advantages.  Disruptive offense…check.  Dominant defense…check.  Amazing cheerleaders…double check.  Click here to view this week’s TopCat images.