Surely, you've heard from many people who will be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl this year - the Carolina Panthers. While many people agree with this fact, many people just don't see how a team that made it as a wildcard last year can suddenly become so much better, especially when the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the rise as well. We are going to break down exactly why we feel the Panthers will be improved this year.

First off, John Fox is without question one of the best coaches in the league. He turned this team around tremendously when he took over, leading them to the Super Bowl in 2003 during an 11-5 season. That Super Bowl season saw the birth of Jake Delhomme as their quarterback of the future, when he took over during the first week of the season while the team was trailing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Delhomme led an amazing comeback, and never looked back after that. The following year, the Panthers returned with a similar team, but were injury-plagued from the get-go when they lost Steve Smith during the first week of the season. After a 1-1 start, the Panthers went on to lose their next six games to fall to 1-7. Despite being down to their third-stringers at times, the Panthers then went on to win six of their next seven games, improving their record to 7-8, and a chance to make the playoffs with a victory in Week 17. They ended up losing to the New Orleans Saints, but they knew they had a lot of momentum heading into the 2005 season. The Panthers improved their record back to 11-5, just like they had two years earlier. One major difference with this team though: it was all about Steve Smith.

Smith was absolutely dominating games, but when Delhomme was not on his game, the Panthers did not have anyone else to rely on. So, if the Buccaneers and Saints have indeed improved this year, how could the Panthers possibly due any better, and possibly clinch home-field advantage to make their postseason run much more convenient? First, let's take a look at the regular-season games the Panthers lost last year.

Week 1: New Orleans(20) vs. Carolina(17)
You hate to make excuses, but many feel that one of the main reasons the Saints won this game was due to the emotional lift from Hurricane Katrina. However, the Panthers also played very sloppy football - Delhomme was picked off twice, and the Panthers fumbled the ball two more times. Despite Delhomme's struggle, Smith made his impact by recording a touchdown to go along with 138 receiving yards. The Panthers, despite the mistakes on offense, tied the game with a little under a minute to go. The Saints were able to drive down the field quickly and win it with a field goal. The Panthers were without Kris Jenkins for a good portion of the game, who left due to injury.
What they needed: Smith did great, but the Panthers could've put it away at home with consistency from Delhomme. The defense smothered McAllister the whole game.

Week 3: Carolina(24) vs. Miami(27)
The story in this game was exactly the same as when they faced the Saints in Week 1. The Dolphins were not playing good football at the time, and the Panthers lost as time expired to another field goal. This time, Delhomme was consistent for most of the game. The offense was centered too much on Smith, who caught three touchdowns for 170 yards. In position to kick a game-winning field goal with possession in the waning moments though, Delhomme threw an ill-advised pass, and it was picked off by the Dolphins. The Dolphins ran a few plays, and then kicked the game-winner.
What they needed: Without Kris Jenkins, the Panthers' great run defense allowed Ronnie Brown to rush for over 100 yards as a rookie. They needed someone besides Smith to make a play when the game was tied as well.

Week 11: Carolina(3) vs. Chicago(13)
The problem here certainly was not the Panthers' defense, which had gotten its act together since its Week 3 loss to the Dolphins. Once again, the problem came when Delhomme was inconsistent because he relied too much on Smith, and the Bears were ready. Sure, Smith still caught 14 passes for 169 yards, but the Bears did not allow him to make the big play. The Bears were focused on Smith, but Delhomme could not get the ball to anyone else, throwing two more interceptions.
What they needed: Delhomme needed help on offense once again. The Bears scored one touchdown, and only needed eight yards to get it after a Delhomme interception. The next time Delhomme threw an interception, the Bears traveled three yards and kicked a field goal.

Week 14: Tampa Bay(20) vs. Carolina(10)
This was the best game played against the Panthers during the season probably, and unfortunately it came against division rivals. The Panthers were without defensive end Mike Rucker, giving Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams the gateway to rushing for two touchdowns and over 100 yards. The Panthers knew they were relying on Smith too often during the season, so they tried a new strategy: run the football. It didn't work out, because Foster was shut down by the Buccaneers defense. By time the Panthers went back to throwing it to Smith, it was already too late. In an attempt to allow others to still touch the football when they still were trying to rally, Delhomme forced the ball to receiver Ricky Prohel, not realizing that Smith was wide-open on the play. The ball was picked, and the game was out of reach.
What they needed: Rucker's absence, another injury, allowed the Buccaneers to capitalize. The Panthers tried a new strategy to overcome instances that occurred against other solid defenses, like the Bears and Dolphins listed above. Unfortunately, they simply didn't have another playmaker available, which ended up being their downfall.

Week 16: Dallas(24) vs. Carolina(20)
Against a potential playoff contender, the Panthers actually played well enough to win this game. Julius Peppers blocked a field goal from Billy Cundiff in the 4th quarter that would've ended the game, but the referees ruled that Peppers roughed the kicker. The Cowboys got another chance, and Terry Glenn scored a touchdown with 24 seconds left in the game. On top of that controversy, Smith was ejected in the third quarter of the game, and the defense couldn't stop Julius Jones, who exploded for 194 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
What they needed: Every team has an off day, when they just didn't have it. This was their day, and the Panthers still almost came away with a victory.

Those were the five losses the Panthers suffered. The first and the fifth loss were excusable, because sometimes things simply happen. The other three all had a common factor though: Delhomme needed just one more offensive weapon to go along with Smith. The Panthers never lost a game by more than ten points, and the defense always gave the offense a chance to stay in the game.

Here are the key offseason moves the Panthers have made so far:

Key Additions	Key Subtractions
• WR Keyshawn Johnson • DT Damione Lewis • DT Maake Kemoeatu • Justin Hartwig • RB DeAngelo Williams • CB Richard Marshall	• LB Will Witherspoon • CB Ricky Manning Jr. • DT Brenston Buckner

Right away, two large efforts were made to improve on the offensive side of the football. Johnson was a solid number one receiver for the Cowboys, and was replaced because Terrell Owens was brought to their team. The Panthers now have two number one receivers, while last year, they had a number one receiver and several number four receivers. Not only will Smith see less double coverage, but when he does see it, Delhomme can actually have the confidence in another receiver on his team.

By drafting DeAngelo Williams, arguably the second-best running back in the draft, the Panthers are trying to find a threat on the ground. DeShaun Foster showed several strong performances finally at the end of last season, which finally gave another boost to the offense. When he went down with an injury though, the Panthers were back to focusing on Smith. If Foster gets injured, instead of having another injury-filled man behind him in Stephen Davis, the Panthers have a young back with tons of potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers lost some players that did some positive things on the field. However, the additions that they have made definitely overshadow their losses. Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu give the Panthers the best defensive line in football along with Kris Jenkins, as well as the explosive Julius Peppers on the outside. The defense is so polished, and will create havoc for opposing offenses all game long.

Coming back to the inconsistencies last year, the Panthers didn't really need a ton of help on defense, but they still improved on it. The Chicago Bears had a great defense last year and improved their defense this year as well, but they didn't improve their offense. Unlike the Bears, the Panthers added the appropriate tools to not only win their division this year, but clinch home-field advantage late in the season for the first time since their resurgence. The Panthers were so good at winning playoff games on the road, but it'd be a lot easier if those games were at home instead.

If you'd like to comment on this post, e-mail Chris Pokorny at pokorny@pfcritics.com.