Even in defeat, the Carolina Panthers left fans with hope

Here’s how, even in defeat, the Carolina Panthers became the “Cathartic Cats” this season.

Carolina Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan hasn’t dreamed big, at least not out loud. Whenever he’s been asked about the expectations for his team, the former Pro Bowl linebacker has declined to publicly establish any concrete checkpoints.

But Morgan has disclosed one hope, and it came when he was first installed into his current post—on Feb. 1, 2024.

“I remember in 2003, we had our playoff game here, and I remember those towels out there—the white towels—waving around,” he stated alongside head coach Dave Canales at their shared introductory press conference inside of Bank of America Stadium. “That’s my dream for this organization.

“I was talking to Dave about that today—and we need to get that back, that excitement back here. And that’s our goal—is to roll up our sleeves, work hard and find those type of players that are gonna help us get back to home playoff games and winning. That’s what we wanna be about here.”

Well, somebody might’ve had to pinch Dan on Saturday.

That dream was realized this past weekend, less than two years after Morgan shared it. His NFC South champion Panthers, who clinched their first playoff berth since 2017 and won their first division title since 2015, hosted a playoff game.

Oh, and those waving white towels were there—as were the fans, the excitement and the players they found along the way.

Players from the past were also present. The most notable among them was the franchise’s leading passer and only Most Valuable Player Cam Newton, who hadn’t been on greatest of terms with the organization in recent years.

Their seemingly chilly relationship, however, was warmed—when Newton was brought back to serve as the evening’s “Keep Pounding” drummer. And Cam, only like Cam can, delivered.

Some of Newton’s old teammates were there—including a few familiar faces from the 2015 Super Bowl squad like running back Jonathan Stewart, linebacker Thomas Davis and safeties Tre Boston and Kurt Coleman. Morgan’s pals were too—as quarterback Jake Delhomme, wide receivers Steve Smith Sr. and Muhsin Muhammad and tight end Wesley Walls came out to bang the drum for the fourth quarter.

Heck, a few more fan favorites and franchise greats in tight end Greg Olsen and linebacker Luke Kuechly were in the house as well . . . even if they were on assignment up in a booth somewhere.

That night, they all laid witness to the current crop of Panthers—those upstart 8-9 underdogs. And despite being given a very little chance to pull off a second upset of the Los Angeles Rams this season, Carolina went blow for blow with just about everyone’s Super Bowl LX favorite.

Ultimately, the Panthers’ valiant fight came up short.

After overcoming their early mistakes, multiple double-digit deficits and some notable injuries, Carolina jumped ahead of Los Angeles twice over the game’s final 15 minutes. They even captured a four-point lead at the 2:39 mark of the fourth quarter, when quarterback Bryce Young found wideout Jalen Coker on a majestic touchdown connection.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. (Debby Wong via Shutterstock)

In the end, that second upset just wasn’t meant to be—as Matthew Stafford Rams pushed through and prevailed at the last minute to survive off a 34-31 win.

But somehow, the final score of the Panthers’ first home playoff game in a decade almost felt secondary. It was the moments, and not so much the outcome, that defined this Saturday night in Charlotte.

The Carolina faithful won’t soon forget their plucky 5-foot-10 quarterback going toe-to-toe with this year’s MVP frontrunner.

They won’t soon forget Coker, an undrafted free-agent signee from a season ago, breaking out for 134 yards.

They won’t soon forget safety Isaiah Simmons, whom the team somewhat famously passed over in the 2020 draft and would sign to their active roster just two weeks ago, come up with a blocked punt that threw the stadium into an absolute frenzy.

While sting of the loss will linger for a bit, the Panthers and their fans can find themselves a quick remedy in those moments. In fact, the night as a whole healed so many wounds—from their reunion with Newton, to their long-awaited taste of playoff football and to their prideful and defiant performance that proved they belonged.

So if Morgan’s 2003 Panthers were known as the “Cardiac Cats,” then perhaps his 2025 Panthers are the “Cathartic Cats.”

Gone are the nightmares of annual head-coaching searches, painful quarterback projects, midseason mock drafts and grueling seven-year plans.

Finally, the future is getting brighter in Carolina. And now, the dream is becoming a reality—even if it only started with a little white towel.

 

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Reporting by Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire / Panthers Wire

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect