CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers walked out of Bank of America Stadium late Monday morning, and every player I talked to was confident they had the leadership and talent to be something in 2012.

I suspect last season Tampa Bay was similarly confident. The Buccaneers won 10 games in the 2010 season. This year they quit and their coach was fired.

For Carolina to contend in 2012 it has to do several things right.

The Panthers have to: Again select the right player in the first round of the draft.

All they need is a pass rusher, an interior run stopper, an offensive lineman, a linebacker, a cornerback and maybe a safety.

But they don’t have to invest their first-round pick on any of them. They can afford to take the best talent available.

The player I’d love to see trickle down is Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. If he does, the Panthers should (A) drop to their knees and (B) take him.

Most mock drafts have Blackmon going long before the Panthers select. But most January mock drafts are comical.

Last season some had the Panthers taking quarterback Blaine Gabbert with the top pick. The Panthers did consider Gabbert. They considered him about as long as you’ll consider what to eat for lunch.

The Panthers have to: Hope their young players develop. Terrell McClain, a rookie defensive tackle who was a third-round pick, had moments. Next season, he’ll need more.

Brandon Hogan, a cornerback who went one round after McClain, is usually injured. If he’s finally healthy, he has the talent to start.

The Panthers also have to: Hope their veterans develop. Safety Sherrod Martin, who always looked as if he was going to be good, has been erratic. Giving up the late first-half touchdown to New Orleans Sunday was Carolina’s single worst defensive play of 2011.

The Panthers have to: Hope the second-tier free agents they sign contribute.

Just so you know, they again will not pursue high-priced celebrity free-agents. Like Green Bay and Pittsburgh, the Panthers will fill their roster through the draft and supplement those draft choices with second-tier free agents.

Examples of second-tier free agents are two players they added before the 2011 season: Ron Edwards, a 315-pound defensive tackle, who tore his triceps in training camp and never played; and tight end Jeremy Shockey, who provided Newton with a dependable target.

I can live with Carolina’s free agent philosophy as long as the Panthers draft well and retain the free agents they develop.

Lastly, the Panthers have to: try to hang on to offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

Chudzinski was able to install his system and instill his philosophy in his first season without the customary mini-camps, with a short training camp and a rookie quarterback. He is the most creative coach the Panthers have had.

The Jaguars can make him a head coach.

Advantage: Jacksonville.

If he accepts the job, the Jaguars are unlikely to allow him to commute.

Advantage: Charlotte.

The Panthers are as optimistic as a 6-10 team is allowed to be. But momentum ends when the season does. The next eight months will be as important as the past four.

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

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The Carolina Panthers defensive unit continues to be, well, downright offensive as witnessed in Week 14. Carolina built a 23-7 halftime lead at home against NFC South rival Atlanta, only to watch the defense give up 24 unanswered points in the second half. And Olindo Mare shanked another big field goal. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011 Carolina Panthers!

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 14 epic collapse against the Atlanta Falcons.

1st Quarter

5:35, Sean McDermott, Def. Coord. – Lamer. Score tied 0-0, ATL ball on CAR 5. The Panthers secondary failed to cover Roddy White repeatedly on Atlanta’s second possession. The Falcons faced two third downs on this 10 play, 62 yard drive and both third downs were converted on Roddy White receptions. White ended the drive with a five yard touchdown after Captain Munnerlyn got confused and left White completely uncovered in the corner of the end zone.After the play Munnerlyn and Darius Butler were pointing at one another, obviously confused by the broken coverage. In all, Roddy White had 4 receptions for 33 yards and TD on the drive and McDermott’s defensive unit did nothing to slow him down.

2:58, Cam Newton, QB – Gamer. Panthers trail 0-7, CAR ball on ATL 38. On 3rd-and-3 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun. Newton rolled right by design and finding nothing he reversed his field to the left, juking LB Mike Peterson at the line of scrimmage. Cam stretched for a four yard gain, extending a drive that ended in a touchdown.

:07, Rob Chudzinski, Off. Coord – Gamer. Panthers trail 0-7, CAR ball on ATL 6. Near the end zone Newton again lined up in shotgun. He faked a QB draw and as soon as he took his first step toward the line of scrimmage, the linebackers and safety came forward. This allowed Jeremy Shockey to slip behind the coverage as Cam Newton executed a nifty jump pass for a touchdown. The play was a beautiful design by Chudzinski, catching the Falcons spying into the backfield anticipating another QB draw.

2nd Quarter

8:46, Jason Baker, P – Gamer. Score tied 7-7, CAR punts from CAR 49. Jason Baker drops a punt that bounces at the Atlanta six yard line and is downed by Captain Munnerlyn at the four, pinning the Falcons against their own end zone. Two plays later the Panthers defense put two points on the board with a safety thanks to Baker’s perfect punt..

7:18, Antwan Applewhite, DE – Gamer. Score tied 7-7, ATL ball on ATL 8. On 3rd-and-6 Matt Ryan lined up in shotgun and dropped back into the end zone. Antwan Applewhite beat right guard Sam Baker, pushing Baker backward and slipping the block, sacking Ryan in the end zone for a safety.

7:02 Byron Bell, G & Brandon LaFell, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 9-7, CAR ball on CAR 26. On 2nd-and-10 DeAngelo Williams lined up behind Cam Newton and took a handoff off right tackle. Guard Byron Bell pulled and sealed linebacker Mike Peterson. LaFell was lined up in the right slot and made a perfect block on safety Thomas DeCoud, ultimately putting DeCoud on the turf as Williams hit the hole. Center Ryan Kalil also pulled and led the way for Williams through the hole created by Bell and LaFell. The blocking was so good that Kalil had nobody to block and simply kept running until DeAngelo outran him on his way to an untouched 74-yard touchdown.

3:15 Byron Bell, G & Ryan Kalil, C – Gamers. Panthers lead 16-7, CAR ball on ATL 44. On 3rd-and-14 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart flanking him. Newton faked a screen pass to Stewart to the left, then threw a short screen to Greg Olsen in the right flat. Guard Byron Bell and center Ryan Kalil pulled with Olsen and set up a wall of blockers. Bell made a great block on a linebacker just past the line of scrimmage as Olsen cut back against James Sanders making him miss. Kalil sprinted all the way down field, making a key block on Thomas DeCoud at the 12 yard line (32 yards from the line of scrimmage) as Olsen scored on a 44-yard touchdown, pushing the Panthers lead to 23-7.

3rd Quarter

12:26 and 11:14 Darius Butler, CB – Gamer. Panthers lead 23-7, ATL ball on CAR 12. Twice on this drive Darius Butler was lined up in man coverage against Julio Jones. On a 1st-and-10 from the Panthers 30 Jones ran a streak down left sideline. Matt Ryan slightly under threw the pass and Butler broke it up in the end zone. Three plays later the Falcons ran the same play, this time from the 12. Once again, Butler broke up the pass to Jones in the end zone and the Falcons ultimately settled for a field goal, cutting the Panthers lead to 23-10.

9:34, Cam Newton, QB – Lamer. Panthers lead 23-10, CAR ball on CAR 40. On 1st-and-10 Cam Newton dropped back to pass. The pocket collapsed and DT Corey Peters had Newton in his grasp and was pulling him down for a sack when Cam inexplicably attempted a left handed flip pass to Jonathan Stewart. The decision was terrible and the pass was intercepted by Mike Peterson.

9:03, James Anderson, LB – Lamer. Panthers lead 23-10, ATL ball on CAR 31. Matt Ryan lined up under center with RB Jacquizz Rodgers behind him. Ryan play faked to Rodgers and rolled to his right. Rodgers ran a wheel route down the left sideline. James Anderson ended up in man coverage on Rodgers as the Falcons RB blew past Anderson for a touchdown reception in the back corner of the end zone, cutting Carolina’s lead to 23-17.

4th Quarter

7:28, Travelle Wharton, G – Gamer. Panthers trail 23-24, CAR ball on CAR 47. After the Falcons took their first lead of the game, the Panthers needed to sustain a drive. On 2nd-and-10 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with DeAngelo Williams to his left. Newton ran a read option play, faked the handoff to Williams, and kept the ball on a run left. Wharton chipped a defensive lineman then pancaked LB Sean Witherspoon, opening a huge hole for Newton to run for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

5:16, Olindo Mare, K – Lamer. Panthers trail 23-24, CAR ball on ATL 18. Kicker Olindo Mare lined up for a go-ahead 36-yard field goal late in the game. The ball was lined up on the right hash. The snap and hold were good, but Mare shanked the kick, pulling it wide left. The “Boos” rained down from nearly every Panthers fan at Bank of America Stadium, and rightfully so.This play more than any other contributed to the Panthers loss.

4:28, Darius Butler, CB & Sherrod Martin, S – Lamers. Panthers trail 23-24, ATL ball on ATL 25. Two plays after the devastating Olindo Mare missed field goal, Matt Ryan lined up under center with Julio Jones split wide left. Darius Butler had Jones in man coverage and Jones ran a deep post, getting a step on Butler. Safety Sherrod Martin took a terrible angle as he broke on the pass, failing to even get a hand on Jones after the catch while Butler missed on a diving tackle. Jones took the ball 75-yards to the house, upping the Falcons lead to 31-23 and sealing the Panthers loss.

4:08, Steve Smith, WR – Gamer. Panthers trail 23-31, CAR ball on CAR 20. Facing 3rd-and-10 and needing a touchdown and 2-point conversion, Cam Newton threw a bomb down the left sideline to Steve Smith. Smith did what he does better than nearly any other player in the league as he out-leaped CB Dunta Robinson and tip-toed along the left sideline, coming down with a huge 48-yard gain, breathing life into a possible Panthers game-tying score. But the drive ultimately stalled after four consecutive incompletions, and the Panthers found a way to lose yet again.

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

Gamers and Lamers – Week 13 vs. Tampa Bay

Gamers and Lamers – Week 12 vs. Indianapolis

Gamers and Lamers – Week 11 vs. Detroit

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As a huge Carolina Panthers fan, I have spent most of 2011 trying to find the silver lining. When you lose the vast majority of your games it is sometimes difficult to find something good to say. There are only so many moral victories that a person can stomach. Still, I have managed to feel good about this version of the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton(notes) has certainly made them more exciting, and the team has been in pretty much every game except one until the end. On Sunday, November 27, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts on the road for a huge victory. Despite the needed victory, the positive signs of growth were more difficult to see than in some losses this year. The Panthers spent the majority of the game trying to give it away.

In the end, the Panthers won and walked away with the confidence boost that comes with winning. Here are the positives that I noted throughout the game:

Brandon LaFell(notes) is developing nicely

LaFell was thought to be a strong candidate to start opposite Steve Smith when the season first started, but the Panthers signed former Charger Legedu Naanee(notes) because he knew the offense well. Naanee has been the starter, but many are questioning why. LaFell has shown he is ready, and this week was another example of that. He did not have huge numbers, but he filled the roles needed. He took the heat off of Smith, and blocked like a tight end. He also caught every single pass that came into his zip code. LaFell is going to be a good one in time.

The turnover margin

The Panthers won the turnover margin thanks to two late interceptions. Granted those interceptions should never have been necessary in the first place, but the Panthers did what they had to do to win. A horrible pass interference play by Captain Munnerlyn(notes) and a terrible missed tackle by Sherrod Martin(notes) on Reggie Wayne(notes) marred an otherwise decent day in the secondary.

Continued special teams improvements

Carolina certainly looked good stopping the Colts all day on special teams and they actually had another good day returning the ball. Kealoha Pilares(notes) once again broke a long one, even though he got punked by the Colt’s kicker. Armanti Edwards(notes) had a huge punt return even though it was returned due to penalty. Still, it is a far cry from the horrible special teams play earlier in the 2011 season.

Cam Newton’s calm day

Newton could have had gaudier stats on this day, and yet he simply glided through and did what was needed to win. On a day when the running game was more than sufficient, he was able to be in total control and kept away from turnovers. Cam Newton scored one rushing touchdown and completed a great percentage of his passes, but the big time fireworks were not really needed. He was okay with that and it led to a win. Sometimes the Panthers have to embrace the run, and this win was a perfect example.

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