This time last year, the Carolina Panthers were in pursuit of perfection. Behind the leadership of Cam Newton, the Panthers finished the regular season with a record of (15-1), while going all the way to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, their magical season didn’t result in a championship.

Heading into this season, expectations were high for Carolina, but they’ve failed to resemble the team from a year ago. At this point, head coach Ron River’s concerns go beyond just football.

“You are concerned about that, the mental health of the team,” Rivera said. “We’re disappointed. Our expectations were so high. But this is the situation we’re in and there’s no turning around. We’ve got to go out and do what we’re capable of and make the best of it.”

Despite their (4-8) record, the Panthers aren’t technically eliminated from postseason contention, but it’ll take a complete miracle for them to sneak in.

Source: Charlotte Observer