If the Panthers win the coin toss Thursday before they take on the Steelers at Heinz field, they will make a choice between seeing the good news or the bad news first. The offensive and defensive units have been that far apart when it comes to performance.

I’ll start off with the good news. Through three preseason games, the Panthers' D has been stifling. By holding Titans running back Chris Johnson to 10 yards on eight attempts, the unit showed once again that it will be a force to be reckoned with. Going into the final tune-up against the Steelers on Thursday, the Panthers boast the top-ranked defense when it comes to yards per game. They are second in points allowed, trailing only the Ravens.

The unit ended last year on a high note by holding the Saints, Giants and Vikings to 10 points or less. However, expectations were not high entering the year, mainly as a result of the loss of one Julius Peppers.

Linebacker Jon Beason will be asked to step up and fill the leadership void left by the veteran defensive end. Beason is entering his fourth year, and after back-to-back pro bowl selections, he is in prime position to make a name for himself if the D continues to hold up. He led the team with five tackles against the Titans.

After Beason, the roster is filled with young, potential break-out players. One such player is defensive end Everette Brown, who showed flashes of brilliance against the Titans. Last year’s second-round draft choice reportedly bulked up over the offseason, gaining up to 15 pounds without losing any explosiveness. Brown, a former sack machine at Florida State, has the potential to develop into a Dwight Freeney-like player; he's the perfect guy for a Ron Meeks defense.



Overall, the defense is young and talented. Barring injury, it will most likely rank near the top come January.

Now to the bad news.

The offense has been as disappointing as the defense has been impressive, if not more so. Currently dead last in scoring and 29th in total offense, there is certainly room for improvement, to say the least. When you talk about offensive struggles, you’ve got to start at the quarterback position. When veteran Jake Delhomme was released in March, the Panthers' front office put all of its stock in Matt Moore as the future of the franchise. Then, the team hedged its bets by drafting Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the draft in April.

To this point, neither has given the team a return on investment. If there is a QB battle raging, it would be to see who could be worse. According to NFL.com, Moore is 27th in passer rating this preseason among qualified QBs (14 or more passes per game). He is only ahead of Billy Volek in San Diego and Tyler Palko in Kansas City. Oh, and Jimmy Clausen, who is 28th. When all quarterbacks are included, Moore and Clausen fall to 86th and 95th respectively. For perspective, kicker Robbie Gould comes in at 100th, and only 110 players have registered a pass thus far.



While you may not put a lot of stock in preseason statistics, these numbers should at least be scary enough to raise some concerns. Keep in mind though, just like success, failure is a group effort, and the wide receivers have truly been doing their part.

In an attempt to fill the void left by Mushin Muhammad across from Steve Smith, the Panthers drafted three wideouts this spring. Brandon Lafell, Armanti Edwards and David Gettis have all shown flashes of ability, but none has proven to be a reliable target. Gettis, the last of the three to be drafted, needs a big game against the Steelers to solidify his spot on the team.

If one of these three does step up, it may mean the end for Dwayne Jarrett in Charlotte. For the past several years, Jarrett has been hyped up going into the season, only to disappoint on the field. Increased depth this year means it is time to show up or pack up for Jarrett.

The only proven receiver on the team, Steve Smith, recently took a public jab at the receiving corps. Hopefully it was enough to motivate at least one of the guys to step up and be a solid No. 2 option for Moore. If not, it will be a long year for the passing game.

For now, Panthers fans do have a few excuses for the team’s abysmal offensive showings. This preseason, they’ve gone up against some of the toughest defenses in the league in the Jets, Ravens and Titans. They will not catch a break when they face Pittsburgh. Also, the aforementioned Smith and running back Jonathan Stewart have missed every preseason game, but should be ready by the time the regular season rolls around. At that point, the offense will have to prove its worth. Otherwise, this team is destined for another average year.

According to Sports Illustrated’s NFL preview edition, the Panthers will go 10-6 this year and win a playoff game. If that is to be the case, the offense will have to learn from the D and improve its game.

-- JACOB FELDMAN
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