How the Panthers' 15-win season and potential dynasty went up in smoke
The 2015 Carolina Panthers were fun, they were great, and they completely blew their chance at being one of the best ever. Their fall happened immediately and in a unique way when compared to other NFL collapses. It's almost impressive to go from 15-wins to the bottom of the division in just a single season, but to then bounce back into the playoffs from there makes for an even more confusing story.
You could say they had more luck than most in 2015, then it ran out (and then some) over the following seasons. After dodging injuries, they quickly piled up. From top to bottom the organization received a facelift, which helped further distance our thoughts from their incredible run to the Super Bowl. But to appreciate greatness, sometimes you have to explore its demise.
Written and produced by Will Buikema
Directed and edited by Jiazhen Zhang
Motion graphics by Michael Das
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#SBNation #CarolinaPanthers #CamNewton
Right now the niners are almost exactly following this
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🥺🥺🥺
this is why QBs shouldnt run the football. cam was incredible but everything has to go right to win a super bowl, and QBs that run are hurt too often. it's why I don't think lamar will ever win a ring.
Injuries suck
Someone's a cam fan clearly
Ideas like 60s Hawks and Warriors, 70s Knicks, Bucks, Bullets, Steelers, and Vikings, 80s 49ers, Cowboys, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Bears, 90s Suns, Giants, Bills, Redskins, Packers, Broncos, Knicks, Blazers, Sonics, Jazz, 00s Celtics, Pacers, 76ers, Ravens, Giants, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Cardinals, Steelers, Saints, 10s Packers, Ravens, Spurs, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, Eagles would be great
Ideas like 60s Hawks and Warriors, 70s Knicks, Bucks, Bullets, Steelers, and Vikings, 80s 49ers, Cowboys, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Bears, 90s Suns, Giants, Bills, Redskins, Packers, Broncos, Knicks, Blazers, Sonics, Jazz, 00s Celtics, Pacers, 76ers, Ravens, Giants, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Cardinals, Steelers, Saints, 10s Packers, Ravens, Spurs, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, Eagles would be great
Ideas like 60s Hawks and Warriors, 70s Knicks, Bucks, Bullets, Steelers, and Vikings, 80s 49ers, Cowboys, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Bears, 90s Suns, Giants, Bills, Redskins, Packers, Broncos, Knicks, Blazers, Sonics, Jazz, 00s Celtics, Pacers, 76ers, Ravens, Giants, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears, Colts, Cardinals, Steelers, Saints, 10s Packers, Ravens, Spurs, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, Eagles would be great
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When will they do an episode on the Broncos collapse?
One of my favorite moments of the falcons horrible horrible 2015 season was whooping the Panthers ASS and ruining 16-0 after they showboated so hard on atlanta 2 weeks before
You should make a video like this for the 2020 Steelers
can we actually realize that the panthers could’ve gone to SB53?? i mean funchess dropped a game winning td on the final drive which would’ve sent them to divisional, most likely would’ve beaten the eagles, and who knows what happens wit the rams
Never liked Scam after he left UF. This was tough yet satisfying to watch. I'm not happy about the injuries of any of these guys cause that's literally painful, but the losing is fine. I'm glad Scam didn't get a title
Just saying we finna be the best this year just need a qb and a te
I miss these days 😢
That one season and seasons where Can never really had a receiver is the reason I have respect for his game. Idc what he does for the next four years I would never be that kid on the sidelines saying he's trash and I'm a grown man. This is the Cam I remember this is the Superman that killed teams and Idt he ever really had a 1000 yard receiver.
Many people either ignore or don't know that the Panthers had an extremely weak schedule in 2015 and their Super Bowl loss only showed that they got farther than they should have
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Could you imagine if McCaffrey was on the team in the 2015-16 season ohh my that team would be unstoppable
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This is why you don't want a front runner as your quarterback
As a ravens fan... I really hope this doesn’t end up being Lamar. We’re coming off an ok season we didn’t completely fall off the face of the world, going into the 2021 season there is definitely good things to still look forward to but that hit he took against the bills that took him out of the game was baddd.. luckily it wasn’t anything major but those hits are going to pile up on our guy. As ravens fans I know we badly want a true number one WR but I think the main focus should be put into building a wall around Lamar. OBJ going to leave no doubt about it and Stanley coming off an ACL injury and we saw what happened 2 weeks ago to Mahomes with no protection. Our o line should be our number 1 priority this off season
The league hated Cam cuz he wasn’t ur average good ole boy qb like Manning and brees and Brady
Rigged Super Bowl
We might lose Christian mccaffrey
I can sense a eagles collapse video coming.......
You should do the Falcons next
"potential dynasty" LOL the "D" word gets thrown around too easily nowadays. You gotta win at least 2 championships in 3 years or back to back to even begin discussing the "D" word.
Glad to say we gave Cam a chance.
Cam Newton is not a leader. That was the problem....
How was it a potential Dynasty 🤔, people use that a lil too much
im sorry BU I LOVE THE MY PANTHERS BU THAEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER LOST THE SUPER BOWL I NO DENVER HAD A HELL OF A QB AND A GODD DEFF BUT O LOOK A THE PANHERS SEASON THERE IS NO RESON THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE LOST THEY RUN OVER EVERYONE HEN JUS STOP PLAYING THAS WHY HEY LOST DENVER WONTED IT MORE.
Literally explained why I don’t watch football anymore. Smith was my favorite player, then they cut him loose. Davis was my favorite player, then they cut him loose. My whole team left...
Newton played horribly in that Super Bowl. Newton couldn't even fall on a fumble.
It seemed like Cam Newton was all smiles n high fives when he won. But when he lost he seemed to not take it very well like he had a ego problem or something. I don’t like losing myself but at the end of the day sometime your the bug and sometimes your the windshield.
As a Panthers fan that lives in Charlotte, I remember the 2015 season like it was yesterday. It seemed like almost every Friday was “Panthers Spirit Day”. We were good. We had something. And then in the blink of an eye it was all gone. Everyone at school was dabbing whenever they had a chance. It was fun. Can Newton even had his own Nickelodeon reality TV show. In February of 2016, it seemed like there was no way we weren’t walking away with a lombardi. We had done this 17 times before. All we had to do was win one more. But then, it was all over. We blew it. It feels tragic. The dynasty in the making was Super Bowl runner up. I can’t imagine how deadly we would’ve been if Cam had DJ Moore, Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, CMC that year. People forget that we didn’t have a true number 1 receiver. Greg Olsen was our passing game. And we had arguably the best defense in the entire league. Shaq Thompson, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Josh Norman, Kawaan Short. This team was on top of the world. Cam was never the same after the Steelers game a few years back. After 2015, it felt like Cam was our QB for the next 10 years. I love the way it was put in this video. The things that happened to the Carolina Panthers almost feels cruel. We were one step away from being the next NEW ENGLAND. The pieces were there. All we had to do was keep them in place. And somehow we failed to do that. Norman walked away (he knew we had something special and Washington didn’t, why couldn’t he have just taken less money?), Cam was never the same, etc. If everything had gone right, we could still be a top team in the league today. Now, our defense is almost all rookies, Teddy Bridgewater was a bit of a letdown. The only thing that seems like a sure thing these days is CMC. If we could somehow trade for Watson and figure things out defensively, we could be a legit contender as long as we are healthy. Thx for reading.
I just think about how much less of a reach a Carolina-Jacksonville Super Bowl really might have been...
I just wanted Jared Allen to win a super bowl, man.
When will people realize.....running QB's have a very hard time having a career. Running to run is different than running to throw. A quick release will save them in the long run.
This is what i always say. If lamar and mahomes can focus on their throwing they could survive as long has tom is.
Make a 2015 Broncos collapse
yup
Pretty much bad management behind the scenes. Same as whats going on with Eagles. Injuries, short-falls, blown expectations
A one possession game against that Denver defense might as well be a 3 possession game.
When a team owes its success partly to its luck in avoiding injuries, they're almost certain to come crashing down to Earth next season when injuries inevitably hit. Same thing happened to the 2017 Jags.
How I wish Cam would've turned it back and had a season like this with the Pats. It was sad seeing him struggle being one of the leagues worst. Hope he can get back to form wherever he goes next. If anyone wants him after what he put on film this past season.
i want to cry :,(
Oh ya huh
The Panthers had to lose sb50 . It was Manning s retirement party 🎉.
February 2021 - Will Teddy Bridgewater start for our QB? Is he our "Franchise" quarterback? I have a feeling that they are not going to start Teddy B and are always looking for a new Cam newton. Teddy isn't that great, lets be real. Every team now wants a Brady. Hold me bros. Its going to be another horrible Panthers football season isn't it? Year 6 of no playoff appearance. Please hold me bros. *Rocks slowly side to side in the fetal position*.
Denver ended his career. He didn't have the guts to play after taking a beating. Doesn't matter where he goes, he's done.
The life of a Charlotte sports fan
They were the black panthers I would have rooted for them if they did not go against my team in SUPERBOWL
Newton looked like an absolutely broken player at the end of this season with the Patriots. So sad to see how far Carolina has fallen.
This collapse wasn't all that shocking. The 2015 Panthers, while undeniably a good team, were big time overachievers that were not nearly as good as their record indicated. I knew they weren't beating Denver because if Tom Brady couldn't figure out Denver's defense, what on Earth would make anyone think Newton would?
Denver's D was Superman's kryptonite.
The falcons were on the cusp of Superbowl glory then completely crumbled 6 years later
I feel like the chiefs will be on this list soon
Okay a dynasty? I don’t think anyone was thinking Carolina was winning 3 out of the next 4 Super Bowls lmao
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Everyone hates on Cam, but his defense didn't show up in the biggest game.
Cam Newton's career really took a dive after he did not take a dive.
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Panthers didn't played no team out there whole 2015 season with at least 11 wins they played two teams with winning record green bay 10 - 6 n Seattle 10 - 6
They dismantled Arizona who was 13-3 that year and destroyed Washington who were 9-7. Also beat Houston who were 9-7.
Seth wins the bet
Von Miller broke cam in that game, and he never recovered.
You see that photo at the super bowl the one where he is watching them celebrate he was never the same I believe this 100% he lost interest in football I think
Norman was not good. Washington benched him.
Without Luke they would’ve been a 4 or under team.
Shoulda dove for the fumble
As a Panthers fan n Cam fan this video hurts n breaks my heart for the team n Cam I knew if he could stay healthy that he would win a SB but his shoulder let him down he still is a GOAT Panther to me he fought so hard even when hurt to do his best to win a chip but his body let him down just heart breaking
1 word: Fluke
God, that felt like a million years ago. The NFL hsa really changed over the years.
literally the last 6 nfc champions could work for this series
You gotta make one about the 2015 Broncos
Pain
Two words: Von Miller
Broncos fan here just wanted to say get rekt
You guys collapsed also
I love watching this as a denver fan
Don't forget you guys also collapsed
As much I disliked Cam, he deserved better and still does
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I get it’s a business but the panthers are the most disrespectful franchise in the NFL. Time and time again, they show no love to their legends.
Von Miller really done all this damage.
Because I told him he would never win a super bowl he's a big baby I tried to break him in high school it's that shoulder it's the same shoulder we loosed up a little bit tag team baby back again and again and again 15 yards everytime we didn't care about the penalties we didn't want to get embarrassed by his overgrown ass lol
Cotchery caught it
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As a Panthers fan... this is all so so true. But we got a lot of brightness on the young team rn. We will not be a Superbowl and Playoff going team for another season or 2. Bit there is a reason we signed Matt Rhule to a 7 year deal.
Don't worry the broncos collapsed too
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I'm a Cardinals fan and I'm glad they lost that super bowl that was our year
im a ravens fan but that hurt me a lot
Simple his name is VON MILLER
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Who's here after Christian McCaffrey out like the whole season
Does anyone think a video on the Eagles should be made?
I think there should be one on the team the panthers lost to aka the broncos
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Go Broncos!
Can’t wait till they do the collapse of the 2017 Eagles lol
I heard if any teams who went 15-1 record somehow ending up having a curse, for example the Packers who went 15-1 record but lost to the wildcard team the NY Giants in the playoffs, Steelers who also went 15-1 record back in 2004 but lost to the Patriots in the AFC championship, and same goes for the 1998 Vikings lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship.
"A missed 25 yd field goal in the first quarter"...yea that was exactly what determined the outcome of the game.
Panthers should have won
glad my team was the beginning of their end 😊
well we did the same this year so stfu
Bronco s are trash. Fangio sucks