Gee, did the Panthers really improve since last season? The one v. one match-ups last night versus the Iggles suggests not really.
The OL provided no push for the running game, resulting in familiar 3rd and longs. The 3rds saw tremendous pressure by the Philly DL, another common thread with a subpar season. Flip it around and Carolina’s rebuilt DL could not get near Donovan McNabb without blitzing. The Panthers also persisted in dropping DLs in zone coverage, creating gaps which Philly repeatedly found for positive yardage.
Yes, there were many injuries in the backfields of both the offense and the defense. But the war upfront was lost fair-and-square by the Panthers. Given all the player turnover, continued underperformance must be down to the OC and the DC, which means John Fox is stuck for the upcoming season with his job on the line.