This isn’t a new scenario for the Carolina Panthers: A slow start. A frustrated fan base. Whispers about the head coach’s future. And then, a defense that suddenly looks like the real deal.
That was the story in 2013, when the Panthers shook off a 1-3 start and roared to an NFC South title behind a suffocating defense led by a young Luke Kuechly. Twelve years later, the franchise icon sees something familiar brewing in Charlotte.
“There’s some similarities to what we have in the defensive line,” Kuechly said this week. “Up front, you’ve got a really good opportunity to be good.