Opportunity knocks for the Carolina Panthers at the midseason point. Head coach Dave Canales is leading an impressive turnaround, and fans are enthused about the direction this team is heading after years in the proverbial wilderness.
Carolina's long-suffering support hasn't had much to cheer since David Tepper bought the franchise. It's hard to keep their feet on the ground right now, but Canales and his players would be wise to focus on the next challenge alone.
That starts by toppling the New Orleans Saints on home turf. The Panthers are tipped to emerge as comfortable winners by most experts, which is relatively uncharted territory for this perennial struggler.