The Carolina Panthers’ 2023 season can be summed up in one word: Disappointment.
It started last March when the team traded its first-round pick from last season’s NFL Draft, its first-round pick for this year’s draft, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft, and (!) D.J. Moore, who had been the Panthers’ top receiver, to the Chicago Bears for the top overall pick in the 2023 draft.
The Panthers would use that pick to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young a month later. The Houston Texans would use the second pick to take Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.
One of those teams ended up becoming the biggest overachiever for the season. The other would be the league’s biggest underachiever.
As we wait for NFL betting to go live, BetCarolina.com wanted to see how teams performed against the projected win total oddsmakers set for them in the preseason. We used data from Pro-Football-Reference.com and SportsOddsHistory.com, which used odds from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, to find out which teams surpassed their expectations the most and the ones that, well, didn’t.
Best Performance vs. Preseason Win Totals
Behind the arm of Stroud, who threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, the Texans posted a 10-7 regular season record and won the AFC South for the first time in four years. Houston also dispatched the Cleveland Browns last weekend in the Wild Card round and will travel to face the Baltimore Ravens in a Divisional playoff game on Saturday.
Worst Performance vs. Preseason Win Totals
While Stroud thrived, Young did anything but. He threw for just 2,877 yards. No other quarterback who started at least 16 games threw for so few yards. The second lowest was Lamar Jackson, who threw for 3,678 yards. Of the 14 quarterbacks starting 16 games, 13 had at least 21 passing touchdowns. Young had 11.
All that said, it’s not fair to pin the Panthers’ woes on Young, especially since he had little around him besides Chuba Hubbard and Adam Thielen on offense, and the defense gave up 416 points, fourth worst in the NFL, and led the league with 131 missed tackles.
The team fired coach Frank Reich 11 games into the season and then let go of General Manager Scott Fitterer earlier this month after the season ended. Owner David Tepper is looking to fill both slots.
At 2-15, the Panthers would be in line to pick first in this year’s draft. Instead, the Bears get that honor and likely will take Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams. Carolina will be one of two teams without a selection on the first day of the April draft.
Sports betting is not yet legal in North Carolina, but it will be by the time the Panthers head to preseason camp this summer. BetCarolina.com will be your source for NC sportsbook operator reviews and the best available North Carolina betting promo codes.
