With the 2011 NFL football season winding down, it now becomes time for fans of non-playoff teams to start thinking about “next year” once again. The Carolina Panthers were recently picked by ESPN writer John Clayton to move on to the playoffs in 2012 and I am inclined to agree with him. It is easy to see why after the huge strides this team made in the second part of the season. As a Carolina Panthers fan myself, I have to say that I feel very good about their chances in 2012. I have my reasons and none of them are because I am jaded by my favorite team. They are solid, reasonable arguments.

Cam Newton and his band of merry men

Cam Newton is not going to be sneaking up on anyone in 2012, but that has not stopped him in the second half of 2011 either. Cam Newton has answered the bell and actually gotten better as a quarterback in the second part of the season. He has even seemingly found out the combination for winning is not necessarily through his arm and huge numbers passing. Not only that, the Panthers as a team have bought into this whole winning thing. Go back and watch their body language during the last several games and you will see what I mean. They expect to win.

An improved and experienced receiving group

The Panthers will head into the 2012 season with a nice batch of weapons to throw to for a change. What was once a huge weakness has now become a bit of a strength for many reasons. The main reasons are the reemergence of Steve Smith, the blossoming of Brandon LaFell and the return of David Gettis. Add in some Greg Olsen and possibly Jeremy Shockey, and you have the makings of a great group of pass catchers. Even if the Panthers stand pat, they should be just fine in this area.

A confident coaching staff and system to believe in

Coming into the 2011 season, the Panthers had no idea what to expect from their coaching staff. Ron Rivera was a bit of an unknown commodity, and his men were going to turn the offense and defense upside down. After a great offensive year, Chudzinski has solidified his value. The defense still needs work, but that is what the draft, free agency and an off season are there for. When you bring the injured starters back to the table, the Panthers are a pretty good defensive group too. Coming into the season, many thought the defense would be their strength.

*Southern is a huge NFL and Carolina Panthers football fan that has followed the team since the very beginning. He still thinks that Tom Brady is the enemy and that Steve Smith will win a Super Bowl before it is said and done.

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Christmas came early for the red-hot Carolina Panthers offense in Week 16.

After starting the season 2-8, the young, injury-ravaged Carolina Panthers have caught fire late in the season, winning three of their last four games as they welcomed NFC South rival Tampa Bay to Bank of America Stadium on Christmas Eve. The smoking hot Carolina offense entered the game averaging 30.2 points over the last five games and must have viewed the struggling Tampa Bay defense as an early Christmas present. Santa made an early visit to Charlotte as the Panthers destroyed the Buccaneers 48-16.

On a personal note, I attended this game with my ten-year-old son and had a memorable day with him as we witnessed history being made as Cam Newton broke the rookie passing record and Brandon LaFell scored the longest touchdown in Panthers history. You can read my more personal, less analytical account by clicking here if you are so inclined.

While the NFL post game shows cover the scoring plays, I look for the less visible but equally crucial plays that sustain drives, spring the big plays, or change momentum. Here is my analysis, as a Panthers fan, of these key plays, both good (“The Gamers”) and bad (“The Lamers”) that took place during Carolina’s Week 15 road victory against the Houston Texans.

1st Quarter

10:17, Jordan Gross, T – Gamer. Score tied 0-0, CAR ball on TB 8. On 1st-and-Goal Cam Newton lined up under center and handed off to DeAngelo Williams to the left. LT Jordan Gross got into the second level of the defense on his block, forcing LB Geno Hayes to swing wide and out of position, then Gross sealed LB Quincy Black. Gross eliminated two linebackers as DeAngelo went eight yards untouched into the end zone, giving Carolina an early 7-0 lead.

10:01, James Anderson, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 7-0, TB ball on TB 17. On the Bucs first play from scrimmage, QB Josh Freeman and RB LeGarrette Blount had a bad handoff exchange and fumbled. LB James Anderson shot through the crowd and recovered the fumble, setting up the Panthers for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

6:07, Greg Hardy, DE – Lamer. Panthers lead 10-0, TB ball on TB 40. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-2. DE Greg Hardy tried to anticipate the snap but instead jumped offside, giving the Bucs a first down on a drive that ended with a Tampa Bay touchdown, trimming the Panthers lead to 10-7.

2nd Quarter

13:20, Jonathan Stewart, RB and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 10-7, CAR ball on CAR 9. On 2nd-and-9 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun near his own end zone with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Tampa Bay blitzed safety Sean Jones up the middle and Stewart picked up the blitz with a solid block, allowing Newton to stand in the pocket. Newton fired a deep slant to Brandon LaFell. LaFell made a great leaping catch and began sprinting toward the end zone with three Bucs defenders in pursuit – Ronde Barber, Tanard Jackson, and E.J. Biggers. Fellow WR Steve Smith became a blocker for LaFell, cutting in front of Barber and Jackson, causing them to slow down, then Smith put a block on Biggers. Brandon LaFell took the ball 91-yards to the house for the longest touchdown in Panthers history and a 17-7 Panthers lead.

6:21, Antwan Applewhite, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 17-7, TB ball on CAR 27. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-7 nearing the red zone. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun and dropped to pass. DE Antwan Applewhite faked a rush then dropped into zone coverage in the middle. Freeman was nearly sacked but managed to flip a pass to Sammie Stroughter. Applewhite closed on Stroughter and dropped him after a three-yard gain, forcing a fourth down and a Tampa Bay field goal, trimming the Carolina lead to 17-10.

4:31, Jordan Gross, T and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 17-10, CAR ball on CAR 34. On second down Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right. Newton handed off to Stewart who went off left tackle where Jordan Gross forced DE Adrian Clayborn wide, opening a large hole. Steve Smith was lined up wide left and sustained a strong block on E.J. Biggers, eliminating him from the play as Stewart broke a tackle and rumbled 32 yards. The long play was key in setting up the Panthers for a field goal to end the half, pushing the Carolina lead to 20-10.

3rd Quarter

12:01, Brandon LaFell, WR – Gamer. Panthers lead 20-10, CAR ball on TB 22. Nearing the red zone Cam Newton lined up in a short shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right and DeAngelo Williams behind him. Newton faked a handoff to Stewart and ran an option right with Williams. After making a blitzing safety commit, Newton lateraled to Williams down the right sideline. Brandon LaFell was split wide right and sustained a solid block on the cornerback, creating a lane for Williams to run untouched for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-10 Panthers lead.

7:16, Andre Neblett, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 27-10, TB ball on TB 48. On 1st-and-10 the Bucs got tricky as Josh Freeman handed off to WR Michael Spurlock who was coming in motion from right to left. Spurlock threw the ball back to Freeman who then hit Kellen Winslow down the right sideline. Winslow leaped and hurdled safety Sherrod Martin but Winslow fumbled. The fumble was recovered 26-yards down field by a hustling DT Andre Neblett who never gave up on pursuing the play. The Panthers scored on the next drive on a screen pass to Jonathan Stewart, pushing the lead to 34-10.

1:19, Greg Hardy, DE and Andre Neblett DT. Panthers lead 34-10, TB ball on CAR 44. Facing 4th-and-1, Tampa Bay went for it. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun. DE Greg Hardy executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and collapsing the pocket, forcing Freeman to his left. DT Andre Neblett swung wide and pressured Freeman, forcing an incompletion and a Tampa Bay turnover on downs.

:33, Cam Newton, QB – Gamer. Panthers lead 34-10, CAR ball on TB 49. On 2nd-and-4 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Newton faked the handoff to Stewart and ran through a gaping hole off the right guard. Cam absolutely juked safety Tanard Jackson in the open field and Jackson failed to even get a hand on Newton. CB E.J. Bigger had a good angle and hit Newton at the 10-yard line, but Cam delivered a strong stiff arm and dragged Biggers into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown and 41-10 Panthers lead.

:17, Jason Williams, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 41-10, TB Kickoff Return. Special teamer Jason Williams flew down the field to cover a Carolina kickoff and nailed kick returner Sammie Stroughter with a hard tackle about ten yards out of the end zone. Williams forced Stroughter to fumble and the ball was recovered by Carolina deep within Tampa Bay territory, setting up a Jeremy Shockey touchdown two plays later as the Panthers pushed the lead to 48-10.

4th Quarter

11:11, Greg Hardy, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball for Two-Point Conversion. After a Josh Freeman 1-yard touchdown lunge, Tampa Bay lined up for a two-point conversion. Freeman went shotgun, took the snap, and looked to his right. DE Greg Hardy blew past tackle Donald Penn and came from Freeman’s blindside, strip-sacking the Bucs quarterbak and preventing the two-point conversion.

4:33, Jason Shirley, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball on CAR 36. With the game all but over, Josh Freeman dropped back to pass. DT Jason Shirley executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and leaving the offensive lineman on the ground. Shirley sacked Freeman and continues to make the most of his opportunity to prove himself in light of the rash of injuries to the defensive line.

The surging Carolina Panthers now stand at 6-9 and have won four of their last five, giving fans an early Christmas present. Just as children often dream about Christmas presents, Panthers fans like me are dreaming about a healthy squad next year, with visions of Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Ron Edwards, Jeff Otah, Geoff Schwartz, and David Gettis dancing in our heads.

If the Panthers current momentum can be coupled with better health in 2012, look for the Panthers to make a become one of the surprise teams next season.

Andrew Sweat is a North Carolina resident and loyal Panthers fan. More from this author:

‘Gamers & Lamers’ – Week 15 vs. Houston

The Curse of the Carolina Panthers DT Strikes Again!

Top Five Crazy-But-True Carolina Panthers Stats

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

I witnessed history sitting in Section 234 of Bank of America Stadium on Christmas Eve as the Carolina Panthers destroyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-16 in one of the most entertaining games I have ever attended.

Sitting to my right was my ten-year-old son as we shared a father-son bonding moment that will remain with both of us for the rest of our lives – or at least until I go senile or my son gets a concussion as a teenager one day doing something insane involving a skateboard, bike, or motorcycle. Sitting behind us was a funny, feisty, vocal grandmother who could have easily been a Tyler Perry character. In front of us was one very, very dejected Bucs fan. Together, we witnessed history.

1. Cam Newton’s Record-Setting Day

I stood and cheered a loud, “Caaaammmmm!!!” after the Panthers quarterback completed a short pass in the first quarter and the PA announcer informed the fans that Cam Newton had just set the new single-season rookie passing records, surpassing Peyton Manning’s previous mark. The on-field action was paused for a moment to recognize the milestone. Cam was pretty ho-hum about the whole thing, but those of us at Bank of America Stadium cheered loudly to make sure the Panthers young quarterback understood just how much we appreciate the hope he has infused into the franchise. I leaned over to my son and said, “I can’t believe we get to watch this guy for the next twelve years.”

2. Brandon LaFell’s Record-Setting Catch

The Panthers were backed up to the Caroline nine yard line, near the end zone by my section of the stadium. Cam Newton dropped back to pass and threw deep over the middle for wide receiver Brandon LaFell. LaFell leaped to make the catch then turned on the afterburners, streaking for a Panthers record 91-yard touchdown. The long play was awesome. It was even more meaningful for me because Brandon LaFell is one of my son’s favorite Panthers players. When my son and I play catch in the front yard, he usually pretends he is Brandon LaFell, so we reacted like the “Nintendo Sixty Foooouuurrrr!” kid when LaFell scored on the long touchdown.

3. My Stomach’s Record-Setting Performance

I ordered the nachos with extra cheese and jalapenos during halftime. The “cheese” was probably not FDA approved and had the consistency of Silly Putty. But I was hungry and it was the best option, and my digestive system responded like an All-Pro.

4. The Distrust of Olindo Mare

The vibe I picked up from the rest of the fans in the crowd is that struggling kicker Olindo Mare is about as trusted as Bernie Madoff. I have previously written about Mare’s statistically disastrous season. When Carolina faced a 4th-and-1 from the Tampa Bay 1 just before halftime, nearly everybody in the stands yelled, “Goooooooo!” When Olindo Mare trotted onto the field there was an audible sigh from the crowd. The Tyler Perry-esque grandma sitting behind me exclaimed, “Oh Lord, let us pray!” as Mare lined up for the chip shot field goal. It’s never good when divine intervention must be invoked for a professional kicker to make 19-yarder.

5. Bonding With My Son

Few things in life bring fathers and sons together like sports. My son is in the fifth grade and I assistant coach is basketball team. We play football together in the front yard. He plays in my fantasy football league and will likely finish third in a competitive 12-team league. My son and I have a close relationship and sports will always be something we share together. While it was great to see the Panthers win, Cam Newton break records, and Brandon LaFell’s run to daylight, none of that compared with the special opportunity this game gave me to just enjoy a day alone with my son. At ten years old he is old enough and knows enough about football to appreciate the game, but he is still just young enough to be awe-struck by a big stadium and start-struck by NFL players. The smile on his face was the best early Christmas present I could have asked for.

Andrew Sweat is a North Carolina resident and loyal Panthers fan. More from this author:

‘Gamers & Lamers’ in Panthers vs. Texans

The Curse of the Carolina Panthers DT Strikes Again!

Top Five Crazy-But-True Carolina Panthers Stats

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

RUN OFFENSE: From the outset, the Panthers were able to run almost at will. Only backup quarterback Derek Anderson didn’t pick up positive yards – minus-1 on the game-ending kneeldown – and Steve Smith (23.0), Jonathan Stewart (12.6) and Cam Newton (10.8) averaged double-figure yards per carry. Grade: A

PASS OFFENSE: With the running game going so well and the turnovers putting the Panthers in good field position, there wasn’t much need for Newton to have to throw this time. Still, his 142.4 QB rating and the franchise-record 91-yard TD throw to Brandon LaFell were impressive. Grade: A

RUN DEFENSE: A fumble on their first play from scrimmage seemed to set the tone for the Buccaneers. And falling behind so quickly kept Tampa Bay from doing much in the way of establishing its running game. Grade: B+

PASS DEFENSE: Josh Freeman was an efficient throwing – completing 28 of 38 passes – for 274 yards, a touchdown and an interception with a respectable 91.3 rating. And against a patchwork defense, nine receivers caught at least one pass. Grade: B-

SPECIAL TEAMS: Carolina didn’t get much out of its return game – one punt return for one yard and one kickoff for 17 yards – but the rest of it was impressive. A forced fumble on a kickoff capped the blowout performance and Tampa Bay had six total returns for 110 yards. Grade: B

COACHING: Given that the team has a record 17 players on season-ending injured reserve, it would be easy for the Panthers – and their coaches – to pack it in. They’ve done anything but that and are a win away from defying all preseason expectations by avoiding a 10-loss season. Grade: A

Turnover problems continued to plague the Buccaneers on Saturday as four more — three lost fumbles and an interception — led to 24 points and helped the Carolina Panthers rout Tampa Bay 48-16.

It was the ninth consecutive loss for the Bucs, who fell to 4-11 on the season after starting 4-2.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, wasted little time setting the NFL’s rookie passing-yards record, surpassing Peyton Manning. He drove Carolina 80 yards in nine plays for an early 7-0 lead. The running back tandem of Jonathan Stewart (22 rushing yards) and DeAngelo Williams (24 rushing yards, 8-yard reception) kept the drive moving almost unabated, with Williams covering the final 8 yards on a run up the middle.

It didn’t get any better for the Bucs.

On Tampa Bay’s first play from scrimmage, running back LeGarrette Blount’s fumble problems returned. He lost the ball before hitting the line of scrimmage, with Carolina’s James Anderson recovering at the Tampa Bay 8-yard line. The Bucs defense held, forcing the Panthers to settle for Olindo Mare’s 21-yard field goal that put Carolina ahead 10-0 before the Bucs had run their second offensive play of the game.

The Bucs benched Blount after the fumble, and backup Kregg Lumpkin sparked an impressive 15-play scoring drive. Lumpkin gained 21 rushing yards in the 80-yard march, and quarterback Josh Freeman completed passes of 13 and 8 yards to Kellen Winslow and 16 to Preston Parker, all good for first downs. Freeman finished the drive with a 4-yard scoring pass to Arrelious Benn in the left corner of the end zone.

But that momentum didn’t last long. On Carolina’s second play of its ensuing drive, Newton, under pressure, hit Brandon LaFell behind Tampa Bay’s E.J. Biggers, and the second-year receiver sprinted untouched for a 91-yard touchdown play. The score extended Carolina’s lead to 17-7 with 13:06 left in the second quarter.

Freeman looked impressive on the Bucs’ next possession, completing 7 of 7 passes for 76 yards, including a 29-yarder to Sammie Stroughter. Freeman overcame a sack early in the drive but not another offensive pass interference call against Winslow that stalled the drive at the Carolina 24. Connor Barth connected from 42 yards to pull Tampa Bay within 17-10 with 5:33 left in the half.

But again the Bucs defense couldn’t hold, allowing the Panthers to score on their fourth consecutive drive of the half. Stewart did most of the damage with runs of 32 and 24 yards, the latter to the Bucs’ 20. Newton hit Williams for 10 yards and got as close as the Bucs’ 1, but Carolina settled for Mare’s 19-yard field goal just before halftime.

Tampa Bay’s second turnover — a Freeman pass intended for Winslow that was intercepted by Carolina’s Jonathan Nelson at the Bucs’ 32 — led to more Panthers points. Three plays into the drive, Williams took a pitch to the right side and sliced through the Bucs defense for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-10 Carolina lead.

What started as a promising razzle-dazzle play for the Bucs turned into another turnover and eventually another Carolina touchdown. Freeman handed the ball to Micheal Spurlock, who threw back to Freeman, who hit a wide-open Winslow for a 24-yard gain. But Winslow fumbled as he tried to hurdle a defender, and the Panthers recovered at their 39. Steve Smith picked up 23 yards on a reverse, Williams added a 18 on a run, and facing fourth and 1 at the Tampa Bay 11, Newton hit Stewart for the touchdown and a 34-10 advantage.

After stopping the Bucs on fourth and 1 and their 45, Carolina needed just two plays to score again. Newton completed a short pass to Jeremy Shockey, then ran 49 yards on a quarterback draw through the middle of the Bucs defense for his 14th rushing touchdown of the season and a 41-10 Panthers lead.

Stroughter fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and again the Panthers recovered and capitalized. Starting at the Bucs’ 8, Newton found Shockey in the left flat for the touchdown and a 48-10 lead one play into the final quarter.

The Bucs put together a meaningless touchdown drive on their next possession. Freeman passes of 15 and 13 yards to Lumpkin and a 25-yard pass interference call against the Panthers aided the drive. Freeman covered the final yard on a quarterback sneak with 11:08 left in the game.