Largest overcome deficit since 2004 (story time)

[electro's horse]

in 2004 the Panthers were coming off a narrow super bowl loss to the New England Patriots. Everyone picked them to be back in the hunt the following year. They had one of the better defenses in the league, good young play makers on offense, and a third year coach who was establishing himself as one of the best in the league. 

Disaster struck early. the Panthers were hit by the injury bug harder than any team in recent memory. Off the top of my head, early in the season they would lose Steve Smith, Deshaun Foster, Steven Davis, Dan Morgan, and Kris Jenkins to injury, either season ending or substantial. These weren't just starters they were losing; these were some of the best young players in the league. 

The Panthers would flounder to a 2-7 start, and who could blame them? The season was a total wash. No team could overcome their injuries, and most fans at the time were resigned to 2005. 

In week 10, early in the 3rd quarter, the Panthers found themselves down 20-3 to the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers were going nowhere that year. They were 1-8 when they met the Panthers, and both teams seemed to be cruising towards top five draft picks. But coming out of halftime, Mark Fields, who missed 2003 with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, lit a fire under the team's ass. They beat the poo out of the niners in the second half, winning the game by double digits. The Panthers would win 5 of their last 7 games to barely miss the playoffs, due in no small part to a ridiculous game by the Saints, and a play by Mike Vick that's best left unmentioned. 

So why does this matter relative to today?

That 2004 season was lost before it started. No one was going to blame them either. They simply didn't have the dudes to compete. All that said, they sucked it up, made it competitive, and damn near snuck into the playoffs. Players like Nick Goings had about 800 yards rushing, Moose had one of the best seasons ever for a WR, and Peppers had the best season of his career. Players overcame a lot of adversity and made a go of it.

This team is very different. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of the 2008 team and not in a good way. That team was hollow, and it showed once they got to the playoffs. Yeah, there were lots of fun moments for that team, and the run game was cool, but at the end of the day it was an old team without a lot of young talent that won some games it shouldn't have against an easy schedule. the Panthers doubled down on that team in 2009 and just delayed the rebuild another season. 

But back to the point, that moment in San Fran was a pivotal one for the Panthers, and this one could be as well. It made a team that was crippled by injury realize they were still pretty damn good. They decided they could still fug some people up. And they played hard and turned themselves into a team that no one wanted to see in the playoffs, had they got there. 

I don't think this team is that good. i think they're old and untalented up front, and I think the game has passed the coaching staff by. But football is a weird game, and seasons generally come down to moments. We all know the big Panthers ones off the top of our heads. 2001 was absolutely the Lavarr Arrington pick six. 2003 was the Colts game. 2008 was the Bucs game. 2013 was the war against the niners (although the Patriots game was nice). 2015 was the Seahawks. 

They don't even have to be wins. The defining moment for 2005 was the loss to the Bears. That just galvanized the team, and led to the low key best game in NFL history, Panthers @ Bears.

Is this a galvanizing moment? Who knows. Things like that are like blizzards; you don't know it's one until it's over. Panthers spent three quarters playing like they wanted the whole coaching staff fired, then flipped a switch in the fourth and played their best football of the year. 

I still think this team is one and done in the playoffs. But these moments are fun, aren't they?

Panthers didn't make the playoffs in 2004, but that sure was great while it lasted.