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Carolina opened the 2021 season with three straight wins, but then the wheels fell off the bus. The Carolina Panthers would win just two more games all season and finish 5-12. RB Christian McCaffrey only had 442 yards rushing and played in just five games. QB Sam Darnold was hurt as well as nothing seemed to go right for head coach Matt Rhule.
Now 10-23 through two seasons in Carolina, Rhule needs to turn things around, and quickly. The Panthers have addressed the quarterback situation and the defense is actually pretty good. The Carolina defense ended last season ranked No. 2 in total defense allowing 305.9 yards per game. If the Panthers can figure out how to score more than 17.9 points per game (29th), they could surprise the NFL.
Panthers Regular Season Win Total Betting Lines
OVER 6.5 (+105)
UNDER 6.5 (-125)
Last Season
It was a good start for the Panthers last year, but going 3-0 against the Jets, the Texans, and the Saints in just their second game post-Drew Brees is not exactly a huge accomplishment. Carolina flashed moments of success in wins over Atlanta and Arizona, the team’s only other wins. Without McCaffrey on offense, the Panthers just couldn’t do much. Plus, Darnold further complicated things by missing time.
The defense was fourth in the NFL against the pass allowing 192.1 yards per game. The run defense wasn’t terrible and, as mentioned, the Panthers were pretty stingy. The big issue was turnover differential. Carolina finished tied for 29th in turnover differential at -13. The result was a 12-loss season.
Panthers Key Losses Heading Into 2022
The Panthers lost some key pieces of that defense in the offseason. OLB Hassan Reddick is now in Philadelphia. LB Jermaine Carter Jr. is in Kansas City. CB Stephon Gilmore (Indianapolis) and DT DaQuan Jones (Buffalo) both have new homes as well.
2022 Carolina Panthers Team Preview
Despite the losses, the core of the defense remains. CB Jaycee Horn is a rising star and LB Shaq Thompson is a tackling machine. Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos can get after the quarterback and the Panthers added former Washington DT Matt Ionnadis to the defensive front.
The biggest move of the offseason came late as Carolina traded for former Browns QB Baker Mayfield. He will be the Week 1 starter. The Panthers used their top draft pick on NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu, a 6-4, 320-pound athlete trapped in a lineman’s body. If McCaffrey stays healthy, Carolina can be dangerous.
2022 Carolina Panthers Schedule
The Panthers won two division games this season. As a result, they do have a somewhat favorable schedule in 2022. They start with Cleveland, which will be without Deshaun Watson. Mayfield will surely be looking forward to that one.
Carolina will play the Giants on the road and they will have home games against Arizona, Pittsburgh, Detroit as well as their home division games.
2022 Panthers Regular Season Win Total Prediction
Getting to seven wins is definitely doable with Mayfield at quarterback and a healthy McCaffrey. The defense is good enough to win games. The offense has to protect the football and cannot lose the turnover battle repeatedly. Even with just two wins in the division like last year, the Panthers schedule has enough wins in there for Carolina to go over.
PICK: CAROLINA PANTHERS OVER 6.5 (+105)
Read our 2022 Vikings win total prediction and 2022 Packers win total prediction.
