Look for Jonathan Stewart to Breakout Against the Pittsburgh Steelers

That’s right, a Carolina Panthers team that has struggled rushing the ball to this point with a backfield riddled by injury, led by a mobile QB with a hiccup in his giddy-up, and a hodgepodge offensive line will successfully reestablish the run game on Sunday night versus the Pittsburgh Steelers!

The Only Positive of the Panther’s Preseason Game Against the Patriots

Carolina’s first two preseason games reminded me of that inevitable moment in any guy’s life where the  hot girl in class is nice, and he gets courage to ask her for her number.  She is naturally nice, and even entertains his phone call. The third game, however, was the call where she told him she just wanted to be friends.  It stings. The euphoria so quickly dashed by a swift kick to the manhood.  That’s pretty much what happened last night at Gillette Stadium, where lady Brady said to Carolina, “kitty cats, aren’t they cute?”

The offensive line played terrible, the run game was non-existent, Cam looked indecisive at times and failed to connect on some easy open looks, the secondary blew coverages and missed tackles, and New England running backs ran through gaping holes left by a gassed defensive line.  On top of that, Greg Hardy re-aggravated his shoulder, Robert Lester sprained his ankle, Cam took a knee to the back, and everyone else who didn’t get hurt played gimpy anyway.  It was a long game, one that the Panthers never looked the least bit in control.

Razzle, Dazzle and Bowling Ball

No offense in the NFL can be consistently potent without having a successful ground game. Over the years, the Carolina Panthers have had some solid running backs. Some of the running backs that I can remember are Tim Biakabutuka, Stephen Davis, and DeShaun Foster. Everyone remembers the 2009 NFL season when both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart rushed for 1,000 yards. They were the fifth pair in NFL history to reach that miraculous mark.

Reasons for Optimism in Carolina

Friday (7/26), the Carolina Panthers host their annual Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium. As with most fan bases around the NFL, everyone is 0-0 right now and hope springs eternal. That is of course if you don’t listen to the media. Next Friday (7/26), the Carolina Panthers host their annual Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium. As with most fan bases around the NFL, everyone is 0-0 right now and hope springs eternal. That is of course if you don’t listen to the media.

No Receivers, No Problems for the Carolina Panthers: Are the Backs Poised to Breakout in 2014?

By Dan Rawlinson, UK
Dan writes for UK sports site, the Sports Breakfast. You can find his work also at http://danrawly19891.wordpress.com/

The Carolina Panthers offseason has been dominated with negative talk about their lack of a certified wide receiver, but what of the running backs? At one time, the Panthers running corps was a well oiled touchdown machine. However through a mixture of injury and offensive style changes, its numbers have dwindled slightly over the past few seasons. Could this season be the year they reaffirm their status as one of the best backfields in the NFL? I'm here to explain why it could just be.

Back in 2008 & 2009 Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams earned themselves the nickname 'Double Trouble'.  In 2009, they both rushed for more than 1,100 yards and scored 17 touchdowns between them. Fantasy players even took to drafting both as at least one of them would always get you a touchdown. Since 2009, the pair’s numbers have declined, with neither hitting the 1,000 yard mark again. In fact, in the four seasons since 2009, their combined figures make 4,820 yards. In 2008 and 2009 their combined figured were 4,601 yards. So why do I believe that this downward trend will stop this year?